Ask [Garos] Like Day and Night

[Hailee Lightwood]

With the moment shattered, she just swallowed at first, her mind still mesmerized by what beautiful duet they had just completed on the makeshift dance floor. It was not that Hailee was especially keen on dancing or anything, yet this had been...fun and it had also touched her in a completely different way again.

Her gaze hadn't left tye Echani's vibrant azures before they had left their position. With a slightly sheepish grin ahe had cleared her throat before she had internally shouted at herself. This wasn't...fully right. Admittedly, it had felt great and more than right, yet she cautioned herself not to let her guard down like that. With all that lightheartedness they had already established between the two of them, she still had to remember that giving in to that was difficult.

The conflict was immediately back, but before this inner battle could actually start, the food was luckily too distracting. A delicious smell was already filling the air, already disclosing that whatever the chefs had created, seemed to be great. The smirk returned to her lips as he accepted the new truce: They were both decent dancers and that was it. Even though some people considered dance moves close to battle moves, there wouldn't be another fight now.

She slightly chuckled as he confirmed his hunger, yet she was also feeling slightly weird as that magic between them had been destroyed faster than expected. She still followed him and sat down, legs elegantly crossed as she tried the first fork. There were countless different nuances of flavor filling her mouth and with each and every chew it got even better as more of the delicate aroma started to enfolded. "Mhmm...Hmm that's great" she agreed happily once she had cleared her mouth.

They ate a few more bites in silent, their hunger apparently consuming them for a moment before the polar pair was eager to continue their pleasant and interesting conversations. "Hmm..." she pondered on his question for another moment before she had a great idea. "What about an Echani tulip? Might be challenging, but I'm sure you can make it work", she was indeed encouraging about it, but of course she was also challenging him in a way.

As he suddenly went on, she couldn't help to laugh as the images that had been built in her mind were quite amusing. "Oh I know what you mean...that was quite a huge portion and yes, a walk seems perfect. I've got to disappoint you about the swimming though...prepare for your next demise" she playfully teased again, throwing him a sweet, innocent smile while she slightly tilted her head, trying to analyze whether he was bluffing or not. Was he a good swimmer after all? Only time would tell.

She couldn't finish her plate either, but it really seemed like they were both well fed and more than satisfied with their meal. She sipped the last bits of her sweet wine before she placed the glass down with a mischievous smirk.
"Apart from our inspiring conversation, what do you say about making our walk down there even more exciting?" she suggested, wiggling her brows for a moment while purposely choosing to remain a little mysterious. Another great idea had formed in her head...

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

The city's natural ambiance carried across the water, keeping the balcony from complete silence in between the music changing. It was a soothing, relaxing sound that led to maintain the warm atmosphere that they had come to enjoy thus far. What a night, he thought - the food had been delicious, the music grand, the wine exquisite and the company making it a night to remember.

The thoughts running through his mind were confusing, conflicting and indecipherable. It was a complicated medley of raw emotion and desire fighting his instincts that had been drilled into him by the Sith. The Jedi were enemies of the Sith, they were targets to be hunted and destroyed, not befriended. Caelian internally sighed, for all he knew of the world he felt like a kid again nursing his first crush with reckless abandon. He wasn't scared nor did he hate her, the fact that she was a Jedi was something he continually tried to ignore, but the thought plagued him regardless.

Was the problem that he should? Perhaps, neither order would like the idea of their fraternisation, but that wasn't it. Was it that despite all their differences, the vast distance between them that realistically should make them repel each other wasn't? A little. Was it that Hailee revealed a different side of him, a part of his psyche that laid dormant since his youth, and one that he wasn't entirely comfortable with?

The idea was scary to consider, Caelian had spent a considerable amount of time with the Sith and had built an entire identity with them and yet in such a short time, it had begun to unravel. His entire belief system tested by a cheeky smile and a gentle dance. No, he insisted that he was still the same person he had always been, the Sith had instead freed him to think more clearly, but the choice always remained his.

Hailee was right to shutter such deep philosophical thoughts away, they were ruining the fun night that they had. Sipping the last of the wineglass, he, too, determined to do the same and leave this thinking for another time lest he spoil her evening as well. It was, after all, not a crime to enjoy one's self, if you ignored all the other stuff.

Their conversation drifted through what he should carve, and Hailee's idea was met with a smirk by Caelian. "I'll see what I can do." He wasn't sure that it would be possible on such short notice and with an unfamiliar tool and well he didn't even have anything to carve yet, but the night was still yet young.

Hailee was still as confident as ever about their little swimming contest of sorts, Caelian laughed, not entirely believing his own bravado but playing the part at least. There would be time to test their skill, but that would not be for some time, there was still a few things he wanted to do in town before they left, such as a little tour of the sights, grabbing snacks and the odd interesting item, perhaps.

Once they had finished eating, the waiter and other staff returned to clear their table and await payment. Caelian recalled to Hailee's earlier remark and chuckled. "Fine, I'll get this one, but the next is yours." Was he referring just to dinner? or was he implying that he'd beat her next time and thus the loser would pay...? He left it to her to wonder as he cheekily smiled and arranged to pay. "I think I saw something interesting nearby, wanna take a look?" he asked, with her agreement they would depart and wander the dimly lit streets again but this time heading toward an area with more people.

There were a number of stands set up on either side of the street and peoples gathered around them, each with their own little unique offering. A number of food stands sat off to the side, but after dinner, Caelian was more interested in the carnival-esque stands that offered contestants opportunities to win prizes. Spotting one with a large collection of prizes, he looked toward Hailee and said enthusiastically, "C'mon let's try this one, it'll be fun."

The small man beckoned them over and introduced them to the game and its simple rules. One credit, one ball and all you had to do was hit the bullseye 10 meters away and any of the prizes were yours to keep. Caelian quickly ponyed up a credit and took the ball in hand, eyeing up the target and sending it hurtling towards it. Miss.

Caelian was confused, he was sure that he had aimed straight and true and yet the ball was off target and missed, The short man laughed and looked at Hailee asking if she wanted a turn next. Caelian couldn't help but shake the feeling that something suspicious was going on, but for the moment he held his tongue.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Once they had both decided that they had eaten enough there was a short moment of silence. Both, the Sith and the Jedi seemed fully content with the delicious meal they just had, but it was also as if both sides were ready to go and full of anticipation for what was about to come next.

Hailee briefly reflected on the irony of their dance...they had both just displayed a beautifully harmonic performance of an improvised choreography that had followed the rhythm of the music in the background a few minutes ago while they had danced a different dance this morning.

While lightsabers had clashed and sparks of red and red had melted against one another mid air, there had now been a dance so intimate and beautiful that even some of the uninvited spectators had marveled at the interesting pair.

Most viewers had probably assumed that they had just witnessed the dance of a young couple that got a little daring on their monthly date night, or perhaps they hadn't even assumed anything at all, but even now after their shared meal, there was probably no one in this restaurant who knew about the real nature of the duo.

As beautiful as their dance had been, there had been an almost immediate guilt that had set in. She was still in the presence of a Sith and even though they had exchanged their deep, philosophical thoughts, she was tending to forget that he had basically disclosed that he was a loyal soldier, carrying out orders in the name of the Empire without apparent hesitation.

She swallowed at the sudden realization again, her thoughts immediately drifting off to her own experiences with the dark side. Ronan's words echoed through her mind and she remembered how good it had felt to give in to the emotions and use them to draw from them, but now that she was with a Sith again, she was reminded of all that.

She tried to swallow the upcoming memories, yet when she looked at him, she could also feel this conflict within in and while it unsettled her on the one hand, it calmed her on the other, which was odd yet understandable somehow. He shared the conflict and they could comfort one another because of that, because there was just this deep amount of understanding between the two.

It was quite helpful that the waiter had appeared, not only to distract them by offering then the bill, but also because it gave Caelian another chance to display his wonderful humor. She joined in the chuckle, the spiraling fortunately and immediately stopped. "We'll see about that..." she replied with a cheeky wink, obviously teasing him as it was obvious for her that she would pay the next bill -if there would be a next bill!

She didn't quite know why, but it already sounded natural to her...as if their casual meetings / deep therapy sessions would continue...well and if she was being honest she didn't even have a problem with that. So far, the time spent with him felt great and completely right...why would she have doubts?

Before she could drift off again she stopped herself. "Oh sure! I'd love that!" she enthusiastically replied, however the enthusiasm was slightly artificial. After she had gotten up, the worries faded and the actual enthusiasm was back though and the further theybwalked away, the happier she got. "I'm extremely curious now..." she disclosed with a smirk while she followed him. "My idea was to come up with a few challenges...like dares to complete before we reach that lake" the blonde informed the Echani with a mischievous smirk on her lips, giving him time to consider that idea for a moment while they moved deeper into the city.

It felt natural again, yet there was a tiny voice inside her that tried to warn her not to be so naive, but she kept walking and waking, all of the doubts fading away somehow. "So what did you s-" she started after a while, but they had already reached their destination and her pupils dilated in excitement.

"Ohhh yes! I've always wanted to do that!" she enthusiastically beamed, genuinely excited now as she had never done such a thing before and she was already busy watching him try. She immediately realized that something was off about the flying curve of the ball and she shot the short man a suspicious glance with narrowed eyes.

"One credit, one ball" she said flatly as she took the ball without wasting any time before throwing it herself, but she did not disclose that she was using a simple force trick to hit the target with ease. With telekinesis, she maneuvered the ball. "Oh look, I hit!" she innocently said to the owner, a sweet smile on her lips while the man was just super started.

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

The night sky was clear of clouds, allowing the unfiltered moon light to pierce the atmosphere and reveal shadows once hidden, setting a calm feeling across the city. The wondrous treat to spend more time with Hailee would not go to waste, and the pair would adventure some more in the city before being let loose into the wilds. Each a hero of their own story and a villain beside them to play the part yet neither wanted to see it that way.

Caelian was definitely intrigued by her suggestion to come up with challenges for each other before they reached the lake, dares as it were. Under his breath, he would remark "Oh boy", while attempting to come up with something to reveal later and leaving an air of mystery to it.

While his own attempt to win a prize was in vain, he curiously watched how Hailee would do in her own attempt. Was he surprised that she would win on her first go? Not at all. Caelian chuckled under his breath as he sensed her small manipulation in the force that altered the flight path of the ball and secured her win. Having watched intently, he had noticed that the stall owner had some kind of contraption that would shift the airborne missiles ever so slightly with a gust of air, not enough to really be noticed but sufficient to trick unsuspecting tourists.

The short man looked shocked that she had won, his contempt barely held below the surface as he realised that she most of cheated somehow, but not being confident enough in himself to challenge it. Gritting his teeth the man turned to Hailee "Pick a prize, any prize....well done.." the latter being forced out of his throat with some hesitancy. Caelian felt a sense of pride and could have hugged her on the spot for putting the man in his place. "What are you going to get?" he quietly said, there were a number of toys and other such items for choosing.

Once they had finished with that game, they turned away with Hailee's prize and walked a little further along, looking for the next thing to do. He had been thinking about the first challenge to issue her on their adventure so far, but wasn't entirely sure where to start. "Hmm, something funny to start with, see that group of people over there? I challenge you to try and convince one of them you're someone famous."

The idea was a little comical, but he was interested to see if she could pull it off, her own dare would certainly prove to be interesting.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

The breeze night air surrounded them and it slowly made Hailee question their swimming idea in the lake after all...she couldn't afford catching a cold, but then again they would probably stay rather warm if they were moving...or drunk. Again, this tempting thought occurred and she somehow felt more comfortable to drink...nothing stupid would happen anyway, right?

They still had time to decide after all and so she was not worrying about that now, but she had rather focused on the game instead. The man was seemingly displeased with her performance, but Hailee couldn't help but to face him with a triumphant grin. For a short second, it looked like he would start to argue, but in the end he meekly granted her the deserved price.

She refrained from arguing about his foul game principle, especially because she had cheated, or so to say manipulated the game herself, and after all he was nothing more than a crook...so no one dangerous at least. "Oooh my...I've never won anything!" she excitedly proclaimed, continuing her perfectly innocent performance, much to his annoyance.

Her gaze went over the different items and finally, settled on something special and just perfect. A plush Loth cat. The shop owner had a whole collection of plushies, toys and rather unhelpful, flimsy tools, so she decided on something sweet, immediately pointing towards it. The small man climbed on top of the counter to get it from the cupboard and handed it to her with a fake smile, muttering something about having a nice evening and she soun around with a satisfied smile, leading Caelian away.

"Here. That's for you. It will always remind you of me and this...wonderful day. I wouldn't have thought we would end up here..but well, that's how it is sometimes" she handed him the cat with a grin, letting it open for interpretation what else she meant by that. He would probably realize that she was also referring to another parallel: An innocent look and a feisty personality. Potentially dangerous, but nice and loyal if you treated them nicely? Well and perhaps more. He would come up with his own interpretation.

Of course he was not wasting any second before declaring his first dare and so she immediately rolled her eyes before she chuckled. "Pff...easy" she confidently claimed, rolling her shoulders before she approached the group with her head held high.

"Ohh. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I was just wondering whether everything is alright. I've seen some criminals in the street, so I was on the lookout..." she was purposely going for a cheesy, superhero like pickup line, being loud enough for Caelian to hear.

She skillfully moved her hips as she walked, allowing the breeze to lift her robes enough for them to spot at least one of the lightsabers clipped to her hip. "Oh...you are..a Jedi", the first woman marveled. "Indeed. And I have freed Onderon of the Sith today...just usual business" she then proudly explained. Funnily enough, this wasn't even purely fictional.

She was still feeling derpy, but she was hoping she would be successful with that number and apparently, she had fortunately stumbled upon a very pro-Jedi group. "Oh wooow, that's amazing!!" a man exclained happily and for Hailee that was already enough. "Stay safe guys!" she answered with a wink, waving a quick goodbye, leaving them behind, excitedly muttering.

"I'd say mission accomplished, and I did not even have to lie..." she playfully replied, pretending to ponder on his first dare even though she already had the perfect one. "Hmm...let's see....Okay got it! I dare you to get a number of a random person...gender, species, doesn't matter, but you've only got a minute. So you're flirting skills better be on point", she cheekily winked at him before she pulled out her phone. "Okay go", she added, purposely rushing him to make it more challenging and of course to make it more difficult. She really thought this would be super funny, so she was truly decided to see him in action.

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

Of all the choices for prizes that were available to Hailee, she sought out the cutest loth cat plush and immediately adored it. Caelian was immediately touched and stumbled for words when she placed it in his hands, a look of innocence marked by how thoughtful of a gift she sounded it out to be made him choke up for a second. Attempting to get a word out, she'd notice him struggling at first before nodding in agreement, "...thank you, I don't know what to say, but you're right, neither did I."

They were standing in the middle of the street on a random planet on the edge of the galaxy, that was of course what she meant, he thought initially. He began to think about how Hailee shared a passion for deeper meanings, and the idea drifted along with it, forcing him to consider that the simplest answer might not be the only one. They had shared battle, a meal, sorrow and pain - an entire lifetime in a day with the complexity behind every word and action hidden behind double and triple meanings. Wherever 'here' was, he was glad it was now, with her, and his whole expression exuded this.

Hailee excitedly took off after learning of his dare, which made the Echani chuckle as she whisked away so confidently. Without skipping a beat, she leaned into her acting talents and put on a good show and illustrated that she definitely was in this little competition of theirs to win. Caelian was a little surprised to hear that she would out herself as a Jedi so publicly, but it didn't seem to matter, as the crowd gathered in front of her, and they seemed to adore her for it. He didn't think he'd get the same reception if he revealed the same about himself, though, as funny as the idea would be.

When she returned to brag, he simply replied, "Your hips don't lie, indeed." referencing her cheeky lightsaber reveal but acknowledging that she had successfully completed the dare. He awaited hers and did not have to wait long before she revealed the challenge. He was to get the number of any random person within a minute using his flirting skills. It was a steep challenge but he wasn't about to let her win one without answering in kind, a cheeky grin grew on his face as a plan formulated in his head how to achieve this.

He quickly scanned the nearby crowd, looking for someone who might be interested in a terribly short amount of time. First he looked back at the previous short stall owner they had just beaten - the man had screwed Caelian after all, he chuckled, but no. Time was ticking, and he had to be quick about this - he spotted a small crowd a short distance ahead of them that were enjoying a selection of drinks on offer at one of these stalls.

Looking at Hailee he pulled out his holo device and the paper and pen he'd need writing down his number, pointing to it. "Call me in 30 seconds, make it sound like you're checking up on me, and I'll have the number in a heartbeat." He looked into her eyes for a moment with all the cuteness he could muster until he was sure that she'd go along with the plan before speeding off to chat up one of the local girls.

He stood next to a tall brunette and slumped over trying to catch his breath, and she stared at him oddly, wondering what kind of stupid pickup line she was abou to hear shortly. "Sorry, I was meant to be here five minutes ago, but I got lost in your eyes and had to run." The girl burst into laughter, "Okay, that was funny, but no, thanks." Caelian looked back towards Hailee as the seconds counted down, before turning back to the brunette, as the holo device rang. He pretended to shift to hide Hailee's view from spotting the girl and quickly spoke into the device that he'd be home late and not to worry before ending the call suspiciously.

"Okay, I lied. I'm actually looking for somewhere to buy a special someone some unique flowers, but I don't know where to look, is there any chance you can write down the address for me? I have a bad memory." The brunette pondered for a second before nodding sure as she grabbed his pen and paper to do so.

Caelian quickly made his way back to Hailee with a triumphant grin from ear to ear on his face as he completed his challenge. If pressed for proof that he completed the task, he would reveal the cryptic address listed on the piece of paper that would only confuse Hailee if she didn't know her way around the city.

He would let her stew on the problem for a moment before laughing, assuming she wouldn't believe that he completed the challenge, he would simply turn his holo device around and show her name and number. "Don't worry, I got the number I wanted." Technically, Hailee had said that any random person would count, and she hadn't excluded herself from said list. A masterful plot put into action to wild success, he thought, and cheeky too.

Now the hard part would be trying to come up with an equally good challenge for her to complete, and so he got to work thinking. "Hmm, I dare you to find something old, something new, something dead, something red, something for your head and something for your... bed." A good old-fashioned scavenger hunt, in the middle of the street in the middle of the night. The idea was, so silly he barely held together his own laughter, but he tried to hold a serious face, much to his surprise.

He was very interested to see what she'd come up with such short notice and little time to plan.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee immediately noticed that he was indeed touched by her gesture, but it seemed like he was also struggling with it, too. He seemed quite emotional all of a sudden and she didn't quite know what to do or say next, but then it seemed like he finally found his words again.

She warmly smiled at him as a reply, not wasting any more words that could potentially destroy yet another wholesome moment shared between the two of them. She was still completely happy about her choice and that she had spied the Loth cat as she loved that symbolism...and then also: who couldn't say no to a adorable Loth cat plushie?

She liked arms with him as she led him away from the booth, not wanting the short man to start a discussion after all. His dare had been brilliant and hilarious indeed, and even if she had felt derpy while doing so, she had returned with a triumphant grin. She was even more excited to see how he would take on his next dare, but for now his remark about her slightly provocative made her chuckle amusedly. "They never do, right?" she cheekily grinned before she presented his challenge, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.

She wasn't questioning his skills, but she was super curious to see how he would execute that idea. She was, however, extremely confused with what he said next and took out her own holo device while chuckling. "Don't tell me you're doing a 'I'm looking for an affair and then my terrible wife calls' number" she amusedly remarked, dramatically rolling her eyes while she saved his number to do him this favor though.

Once he took off, she curiosly watched him, but funnily enough, when he started talking to that woman her super light, amused mood slightly dropped. Was she bothered by that? There was definitely a sudden weird, mixed feeling inside her, but she simply tried to swallow that down.

After she had counted down, she called him he had asked her too and after letting her gaze wander across the urban, still quite busy scenery until he suddenly joined her again. "Unfortunately, I didn't hear what you did...I'm interested in what you told her, but i need proof" she amusedly remarked, giving him another cheeky wink before he turned his holo device around.

She studied her own name for a moment before she immediately shook her head."You are so cheeky...I love that but damn, that was cunning" she admitted, patting his arm for a moment to tease him before he was already outlining her next challenge.

"Caelian?? What the kark. Six things? This will take ages" she dramatically complained, however she was already considering her options in her hand. She immediately had some great ideas, but she would have to hurry. She glanced around, immediately realizing that most shops were already closed during that time.

"Okay give me a few moments", she confidently told him before she took of with a huge, mischievous grin. She darted through the streets, her gaze attentively searching the environment. She had grown up on Corellia, so she was quite used to scavenging and so she immediately started by roaming through the streets.

It didn't take long until she literally found a red basecap on the streets and as it looked slightly outdated, so that counted as red, old and for the head, so she had been quite lucky there. She next ran towards a street vendor and bought the most random item she could find for a single credit. It was a spork...a utterly useless tool, but cheap indeed.

Lastly, she knew exactly what she was looking for. Around the next corner, she found a little grasstrip and she recklessly pulled out a dead flower before she sprinted back to him, enthusiastically sliding to a halt in front of him, slightly catching her breath.

She triumphantly presented the cap, "Something red, something old, something for the head" she repeated, before she proudly presented her spork. "Something new...I literally bought this fair and square and I just noticed the eyes btw..." she added, completely bursting into laughter. "Something dead" she said as she handed him the shriveled flower, before she pointed at him. "Something for the bed". She purposely didn't clarify whether she meant him or the Loth Cat plushie that was still in his hands, but was still wheezing from the wiggly eyes.

It took a whole while before she could somehow catch herself again. She felt quite psyched at the moment and somehow even drunk, so she wondered whether those were the after-effects of the wine...unlikely but possibly. However, she had a great idea. "I challenge you to 'acquire' alcohol as fast as you can". A rather simply task, yet probably serving its purpose. "And then you carry me towards the lake, because your task was multi-part too", she added, slightly chuckling once again as she was now being a bit demanding, but the fantastic meal and the eventful day had made her slightly exhausted and also, she was being extremely strategic about it. If she would wear him out now, she would win that swimming race with ease!


@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

It was a funny sight watching Hailee run around attempting to complete the six object scavenger hunt that he had set for this round of the challenge. The first item she stumbled across was an old red hat, which immediately ticked off half of the criteria in a very smart way. His laugh turned silent as he realised that she would not have as much trouble with the hunt as he first suspected, shortly afterwards she returned excitedly and presented each item as dared.

The aforementioned hat was a clever pickup, and he nodded as she explained it, then she presented a spork that stared directly toward the Echani causing him to burst into laughter at the sight of it. The dried up flower was a nice touch and neatly fit the requirement, which left only the last thing, as she pointed toward himself and the loth cat plushy. Caelian rolled his eyes with a smirk and chuckled at her answer, it was a very Hailee thing to say, it seemed.

Her next challenge was a dangerous one, just not for him. An alcohol acquisition attempt allowed for a good excuse to wander off out of the city and away from the crowds of people. Although that wasn't all she demanded, as well as the booze heist she wanted her royal highness self to be carried out of the city! The cheek on this one, he thought. Thinking on the problem for a short period, he grinned and walked in front of her, directing Hailee to jump on and sit on his shoulders so that he would be 'carrying' her.

Before she was ready, he would stand up quickly to test her balance, laughing if she would almost slip off before walking forward toward the nearest bar. Caelian called the attention of the barkeep and placed a small amount of credits down for a glass each, but asking for two bottles of liquor. Reluctantly, the old man looked at the pair and placed the glasses, bottles and swiping the credits before saying "I'll be watching, you'll pay for each glas.."

A small crash happened behind the bar as Caelian used the force to knock over a stand of clean empty glass as a distraction, causing the man to briefly turn away. With the opportunity, the Echani picked up both bottles in one arm and quickly sprinted as quickly as he could, lugging along his hitch-hiker. While they were running, Caelian threw the bottles upward for Hailee to catch so that he could focus on avoiding running into people and saying with pressured breath, "Start drinking girl, least until we get out of town, just don't puke on me." for his challenge.

If she thought she'd tire him out before their swimming contest, he'd get back at her by making her down enough alcohol to make it somewhat more even. It didn't take long before they were reaching the outskirts, and seemingly they did not have anyone chasing them from the bar.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

She was quite satisfied with her performance until now and she was even more proud at her idea. Those challenges had definitely been a fun way to make this night even more memorable and even if it had been quite late already, it felt like this wonderful night was just about to begin.

From a materialistic perspective, the night had already been a success...that was for sure. They had not only been pleased with a fantastic meal, but they had already fairly acquired a cute plushie (and thinking about how he potentially returned to an Academy with the fluffy Loth cat already made her chuckle), a potentially useful, quite innovative, modern tool of cutlery with adorable wiggly eyes and well, a fashionable cap.

"I often see you all wearing armor with red or crimson details...maybe next time you put on that hat as well to complete your fashionable look anc potentially for an extra portion of luck", she playfully teased him with the basecap, obviously adding some more frisky mockery while she mischievously smirked.

She was excitedly awaiting his next challenge for her, assuming that he would maybe even give her the task before starting his, but he was already inviting her to hop on and so she did. She literally did not care what others might think of the derpy duo right now as this was just hilarious.

She carefully started climbing up, but he started moving before she even got settled and so while balancing herself out with the help of the Force, she started giggling."That was mean" she chuckled, now using her thighs to keep her balance as he started walking.

She was almost convinced that he would not take her dare literally and decide not to just go shopping in the next supermarket, but as she curiously watched what he was doing at that bar, it was truly hard not to burst into laughter with this cheap trick of the Force.

She had to admit that she had quite an awesome view from up there and even though the ride was rather bumpy as he started running, she was laughing non stop. His sudden bottle throw caught her off guard, yet she did somehow manage to catch them.

For the briefest moment she considered whether borrowing those bottles wasn't like...the nicest thing to do after all, but her doubts slowly faded as she remembered that the bartender had worked in a rather huge bar and they usually earned too much money for overpriced drinks anyway, so her moral concerns left quickly.

What he said next surpised her a bit, but she soon realized that this was his next dare for her. "Damn...well played Cael" she admitted, storing one bottle under her left arm while she opened the other bottle before she took a first sip.

The sweet liquor left a pleasant taste in her mouth and she could already tell, that it was something dangerous: Super sweet and thus cloaking the presence of the alcohol...a dangerous combination, but a dare was a dare and so she kept on sipping. Once they had finally reached the outskirts and once he slowed down, she gracefully jumped off him by sliding down from his shoulders.

"There. I challenge you to catch up immediately" she triumphantly proclaimed as she offered him the bottle with a smirk. He might have been clever with that dare, but she had the perfect, cunning counteragent. "Let's go! I think I remember exactly where I had spotted that lake" she enthusiastically added, happily grinning as she nodded towards a trail.

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

Caelian raced through the city with Hailee on his shoulders, a plush loth cat on one hip, a wobbly spork and flower in his pocket and a styled red cap on his head which totally wouldn't compliment his usual edgy Sith armour. There were no doubt stares from passer-by's as it passed through the onlookers, but for the most part nobody was interested in stopping them to inquire further.

At the city's edge, Caelian felt the load lighten as Hailee slid off and offered the second bottle back to him alongside her own challenge. Damn, he thought. She wasn't going to make this easy, but the Echani wasn't about to give up so easily, and he wasn't above cheating in order to win. Taking the bottle in hand, he pulled the cork out of its mouth and took a hearty swig of its strong contents before taking a breath as they started walking into the trail that seemed to lead toward a thin forest.

The path was moderately maintained but worn, a sort of cobblestone path lined with electric lanterns periodically providing illumination where the forests canopy denied the rightful sovereignty of the lunar pillars that broke through on occasion. As they walked along, the familiar sounds of the city disappeared into the background, becoming muter with every step forward and in turn replaced by a new sense of calm ambiance.

The night-life was in full swing as natures creatures foraged, hunted and scampered around out of view, but the pair would sense that there were many pairs of eyes upon them as they transverses the forest.

Caelian continued to sip at the drink as they walked until he spotted something just slightly off the path to his side. Slipping the lid back on the bottle and the glass bottle into one of the large pockets by his side. "Look's like you're in luck." he said, moving off the path and picking up a small, slightly mossy, branch at the foot of an old tree that fit the criteria that he would need to carve something creative out of it.

Looking back toward Hailee he would hold out his right hand for the knife, taking it and beginning to whittle on the piece of birch.

Returning to their walk, Caelian would hum the tune of an old Echani song as he got to work, it was a solemn slow tune set to the rhythm of the blade working against the wood like some kind of woodworker song. After a short time passed, he looked over toward his hiking partner and caught her watching his work. "You'll see soon enough, it's a little harder doing it on the move, but I think it'll come out alright."

By now they were some distance from civilisation and somewhat close to the lake, Caelian had made good progress on the carving, but it was still not quite done yet and this wasn't helped by the occasional cut he would find on his fingertips as they lingered too closely to the sharp blade.

Making conversation to distract from the self-inflicted pain, he broached a topic that had been on his mind since Onderon, the curious tone suggested so. "So, ive been wondering how you managed to acquire that crimson blade of yours?"

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

The spectators had watched them with a hint of curiosity and amusement, while others were just completely confused, which Hailee didn't mind at all though. She giggled along, enjoying the bumpy ride while she almost choked on the liquor once, but she managed to catch her breath in time.

However, she was wondering whether he wasn't getting tired down there, and so she was almost a little relieved after having reached the outskirts by then. Well...no. Wasn't she trying to wear him out? She couldn't quite tell anymore, but she was still chuckling.

Once back on the ground, she watched him with genuine amusement as he started drinking, too, but Hailee couldn't even deny the first effects of the strong drink anymore. As she started walking, her walk was already slightly wobbly, but she tried to overplay it as best as she could.

"Thanks for the ride", she cheekily remarked with a wink, inhibitions apparently already lowered. Fantastic...she literally shouted at herself internally, but from the outside the Echani would witnesses how cheerfully Hailee took yet another sip.

They started making their way through the thicket, following that thin, secluded, moonlit path right through the dense forest. "Oh kark...it feels like we are being watched" she remarked after a bit, subconsciously edging closer to him as she walked, completely forgetting about the fact that she was the one carrying two crimson bladed lightsabers on her hip.

Her gaze landed on something that moved to their right, but Caelian distracted her by the stick he presented all of a sudden. "Oh, yes, carving" she remembered amusedly as she handed him her knife without thinking twice, the alcohol in her system definitely adding to her lightheartedness.

Once he started humming, she started chuckling again, noticing that she had never heard anything similar before, but after figuring out the rhythm she jumped right in. "I've never seen a Sith transform into a woodworker...next time we meet I'll bring a lumberjack shirt" she playfully teased as she watched him carve peacefully.

Of course it also didn't go unnoticed that he cut himself a few times and with her brows furrowed in worry, she stopped him for a second. "Don't do that now! Do that once we've reached the lake...i need some water then I can heal those cuts" she offered with a smile, knowing that right now she was too drunk.

After she had cautioned him they went on, getting closer and closer towards the lake - or at least Hailee thought so as she remembered where she had seen it from above. But then his question immediately wiped the carefree, amused smile from her lips. "I...uhm" she stared, fishing for words as his question had actually caught her of guard.

She stopped again, swallowing hard before the smile returned. She hadn't actually done something wrong...right? "I haven't killed anyone" she finally answered honestly, "I took it as a souvenir...so to say. It was after a fight with a Sith" she added for context though. It was not like she had just stolen it, but she had somehow even won it again...

But Hailee didn't feel fully comfortable with that subject and so she intended to change that. "Oh look! I see the shore of the lake! The one who reached it first, gets a headstart on the swim!" she excitedly yelled while she already started darting forward, throwing him a short mischievous smirk over her shoulder.


@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

Caelian was semi-distracted by his work when he overheard her mention something about a lumberjack shirt. "Dress up costs extra, hmm?" he replied sarcastically. His attention mostly went back to the carving as they continued to walk along the path, although apparently not enough to save his fingers entirely. Caelian held a frustrated look as the wood wasn't cooperating initially and would require some more time.

There was a raised eyebrow upon his face as she started to speak about how she acquired the crimson blade. "What made you decide to forgo your own blade in favour of a crimson one? I would have thought the Jedi would shun that sort of thing." truthfully they hadn't really discussed Hailee's feelings towards the Jedi Order. His voice slightly strained by the pain that he was experiencing. The injuries from Onderon were healed, by Hailee, but yet a phantom feeling existed as his body struggled with the concept and occasionally insisted that there was still something to bother him.

Changing the topic, Hailee loudly announced that she could see the lake ahead and raced off to reach it first. He reacted quickly and tried to catch up with her while awkwardly trying to slip the knife from his main hand into the other as he was determined to beat her to the lake, and he wasn't above cheating. With his now free hand and only barely trailing behind her, Caelian reached out with a playful force to push her into a bush that she was about to run past en route to the water's edge.

As she was ahead of him and would have no idea that it was coming, she would find herself whooshed off her feet and into a small patch of bush, leaving Caelian to victoriously sail right by her, a hearty laughter bellowed as he did. Dropping the nexu and other items in his hands near the top of the hill that sat above the lake, he pressed on.

The creaky wooden path that came into view provided the way down but stopped short of entering the water, however this was close enough that Caelian felt comfortable to strip down with clothes being strewn about as he raced across the last few meters into the water.

The fresh water was a refreshing coldness that enveloped his entire body as he dove into it, the cold shock making sure that he was fully awake and alert. His head popped out of the water shortly afterwards and scanned around, looking to see if Hailee had caught up yet, catching her not too far behind him. He sat in the water, torn between wanting to swim out to declare victory and wanting to watch her join him.

Once she had gotten closer, she would see a small boat in the near distance anchored up absent any activity and a handful of buoys that revealed themselves occasionally in the moonlight. The water itself was reasonably calm and there did not seem to be much activity along the shore line. Once she was in the water, he would wait until she was close enough before suggesting that they race around the boat, before laughing and splashing water in her face. The trickster making off towards it with all haste, sure to win.

Spoiler: but dark in the moonlight

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

She really couldn't help but to imagine Caelian wearing a lumberjack shirt and that just made her laugh. It got even more hilarious as she pictured him with a big axe, cheerfully chopping wood in the forest while humming one of his Echani tunes and so without explanation, she bursted into laughter.

"Can I at least get a discount" she suggested while still chuckling wholeheartedly, "I'll dress up too. You can choose my outfit" she cheekily added, throwing him yet another wink as she twirled a strand of loose her to add some additional teasing.

Of course he asked another question about her crimson bladed lightsaber...to be fair, it was definitely a rare sight on a Jedi and yes, she hadn't actually and officially returned to the Order since the acquisition and yes, she would have plenty of explaining to do, but it was her plan to purify the blade anyway...

To avoid getting carried away further, she focused back on his question. "Well..I lost mine. And it was just a borrowed one anyway. I was going to craft one myself, but I've never gotten this chance again, so right now I'm just sticking to this one" she shrugged with a grin, "also, it's more intimidating anyway" she mischievously added, before they had started their race anyway.

She was confident to win, having the target right in front of her eyes after her cunning head start, but then she was suddenly yeeted into the bushes to her left. "CAELIAN" she squealed loudly, actually complaining about this mean move as she crashed down. Her fall was soft, cushioned by the plants, but it cost her the win anyway.

She got up, however laughing again, pulling a branch out of her hair before she started running again. She was still fast enough to see him strip down and this forced her to slow down, his immediate actions catching her off guard indeed. Oh damn...well don't be a prude she reminded her internally, trying to shut off the reasonable thinking.

So without considering the consequences, she stopped as she reached the shore, stripped down to her underwear, placed down the bottle and started running again. She jumped in head first, surprisingly graceful for her drunk, exhilarated state and immediately swum towards him.

She was shivering, not just from the cold but also from the excitement, immediately feeling sober again. "Damn...I was convinced this was warmer" she said to him, teeth slightly chattering. "We need to move!" she then added, nodding towards the boat in the distance. "There is our finish line" she exclaimed before she began swimming without a single warning.

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

Hailee's offer to play dress up and for the Echani to choose her outfit was an enticing prospect, producing an immediate smile to flush across his face as he weighed his options while she teased. It was definitely added to the list of things to do, should the opportunity arise, and that wasn't even the alcohol talkin'.

Her second answer was interesting, Caelian felt such a personal attachment to his own lightsaber that the prospect of losing it was simply unconscionable. Sure, another kyber crystal could be corrupted, but it would just be a replica of the original, a budget copy that paled in comparison to the meaning that he had built up with his first. He nodded when she suggested that the crimson blade was more intimidating, that was something they would both agree on as they chuckled.

...

The alcohol imbued a warm sense of confidence and swagger within the Echani as he triumphantly awaited Hailee's entrance into the water, from his aquatic perch he could see her slow, measured approach down the same wooden path that he had just previously walked. From the distance an excitement crept across his body, they were far apart, but yet felt so close. Floating just under the cold water's surface, his head peeked an outward gaze as she slowed to remove some articles of clothes on the sandy shore.

His own heart beat a pace faster as she quickly waded into the water to join him, and the water's effect started to take to both of them with a little shiver. "Mhmm, I agree we should keep moving." Splashing her as she swam off, Caelian entered a close pursuit, a body's length behind her. Their natural athleticism was aided by the force and produced a tight, competitive race between them. They both were under the unruly effects of alcohol, which seemed to cancel out on each other's edge, but it would come down to the tricks and challenges they had played.

Just ahead, Caelian could see the boat quickly grow in size as the pair closed the distance, but no matter how hard he drove himself, he couldn't quite seem to catch up and pass the much more agile swimmer that Hailee proved to be. Although she was a lightweight in both the literal and metaphorical sense, as the booze had hit her quickly too, he did start to tire towards the end of the race, which no doubt was not helped by his running around carrying her. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to try and sabotage her mid-sprint and could only watch as she maintained her slight lead.

And just like that, his hand touched the side of the boat a second after hers did, in a real competition silver would be a decent effort, but everyone knew all the bragging rights were reserved for first place. His face scrunched up in the cold water, his body felt on fire after giving everything that it could, heart racing after the extensive cardio making him bobbing up and down in light waves for a few seconds to catch his breath.

"That one doesn't count, it was just a warm-up! But you did get my heart racin'" his face looking sheepish but smiling, she'd beat him fair and square this time, and he tended to his wounded ego. She would see that he was still impressed by her efforts and somewhat proud, despite his comments.

Caelian shivered again in the water as they floated in place, finally taking the chance to take in the size of the boat. It seemed decently large and didn't seem like they could climb on from the side, leading the Echani along the length and toward its end.

"There's a ladder, want to check it out and see if anyone's home? I always wanted a boat, you know." It looked to be a small private yacht of some kind with all its lights off, there would be a decent chance that there would be some facilities to make hot drinks and get changed into warmer clothes after their frosty dip.

He pulled himself up out of the water and onto the ladder, trying to do so quickly, as he was quite aware that he might also be paid back for his own earlier voyeurism. The thought crossed his mind, making him laugh internally, but it would only take a few seconds until he was on top of the boat. From this position his body dripped water onto the boat's floor, it did in fact look like the boat had been left without a crew, but was still reasonably maintained, implying that it was not completely abandoned.

Caelian leaned back over the boat's edge to look for Hailee, offering his hand to help her up if she would take it and pulling her in and not taking his eye off her. "Let's split up, see if you can find anything we can change into, and I'll see what the galley offers, first one done finds the other." It was not lost on him that he hadn't let go of her hand, their fingers interlocked. He wasn't sure that his body had heard his own plan as they shared a tender moment under the moonlight atop a stranger's boat in the middle of a strange lake.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

She wouldn't forget what he had done to her with that bush...that had been super cunning and the revenge would be terrible for him, but for now she literally had other things on her main. She could harass him later on, too, and she already had a fantastic idea. Of course she wouldn't spoil any details yet, but he surely had the chance to notice her flashing a mischievous grin after having stripped down and entered the wooden path into the water.

With a slight splash her body had broken the surface before she had elegantly dived towards him. The cold water that had now fully swallowed her exposed skin made her shiver, but after setting off for the race it had indeed gotten better. She had skillfully ignored the splashing, knowing that she would probably lose an intense splashing battle.

It soon turned out though that the apparent soberness had just been temporary as a shock reaction of her body to the cold, because as soon as she started swimming, she felt fully drunk. In fact, her vision was already a little blurry and the moonlight didn't help, but at least that huge boat was an easy target.

She ignored the betrayal of her body and swiftly kept swimming, not only hearing but seeing that Caelian was close behind and so she used the last bits of her remaining stamina for the final spurt and fortunately, she even touched the boat first. "Wohooo. I beat youuu" she cheered triumphantly, playfully poking him in the rips before cheekily adding "...again", obviously teasing yet another time.

She amusedly chukled at his remark before her eyes excitedly widened. Drunk people always has the best ideas, so climbing on to that ship sounded awesome. "Oh absolutely! Let's check it out!". Of course she was in...had he even been in doubt she would decline? Pff...as if.

She immediately followed close behind, however before she stepped on the ladder she glanced back to the shore, checking whether anyone had followed them or was watching or anything, but everything seemed perfectly still. "So you want a boat, huh? How convenient we've stumbled upon an unmanned one" she cheerfully added as she started climbing, gratefully accepting his hand as she hopped over the railing.

It didn't go unnoticed that his eyes lingered for a while, just as his hand in hers. Funnily enough, it didn't make her feel uncomfortable, but in fact even more thrilled and exhilarated and so she didn't bother pulling back before he did, but once she did, her body finally realized that the night air was indeed chilly.

"Oh clothes, yes. Great idea. I'm freezing" she admitted my a slightly sheepish grin before she also nodded agreeinlgy in terms of his plan. "I'll check the cabins. See you in a bit" she finally added with a warm smile, however still shivering as she took off, directly heading for the cabins, without even knowing where they were located.

She headed towards the rear first, soon stumbling upon and after pulling on it, she realized that it was obviously locked. She rolled her eyes for a moment and stepped back towards the railing, stretching out her hand as she summoned her lightsaber from the shore. It was luckily not too far away, but it did take quite a while until she had managed to bring up enough concentration to pull it towards her.

With her most valued tool she approached the door again and without hesitation she melted the lock. "Whoops", she suddenly remembered that they had not just broken onto the boat but now she had even committed slight...vandalism? She brought a palm to her forehead before she took her head. Just don't think about it she reminded herself as she shamelessly wandered inside.

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

The brief moment they shared together he treasured, not entirely sure that he had verbalised what he had said, until Hailee smiled, nodded and agreed with the plan. As the saying goes, all good things come to an end, and so it did as the pair's grip unwillingly broke apart slowly like two strands of velcro as they gained in distance. Caelian stood still watching her leave, each step she took away, each swing of her hips and flick of her hair spurned some feeling within him that he attempted to bottle down and contain, but not without standing there for too long with a content smile on his face.

Clicking back into action, he waddled along the edge of the boat in search of the galley. What little clothes he retained barely covered much of anything, but without a towel to dry himself he left a trail of water along the ground, the Echani attempted a climb up to the level above the ground floor as this made perfect sense to him.

With wet hands, the task proved difficult, slipping more than once and only just barely catching a grip against the boat to hold himself up. After a few tense seconds of straining in the air, he managed to pull the rest of his body up and onto the ledge that was the second floor and, with a small thud, slipped over it and onto the ground. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Caelian looked around and noticed a number of deck chairs outside with open bottles strewn about carelessly. It seemed whoever had been here last certainly enjoyed their night and had indulged in copious amounts of alcohol, he'd only hope they had left some behind.

Caelian stood up once more and took in the view that the extra height afforded, watching how the moonlight seemed to bounce across the ripples that formed in the water, its ebbs and flows moving silently across the lake for all time. Returning to the task at hand, he approached what looked to be an exterior glass door that was locked internally and groaned. Had he the proper tools, it would be trivial to break in, but in this case he'd have to go old school and break one of the side windows with an elbow to open it.

With a sudden crack and twist of the handle, the Echani found his way into the upper floor, carefully avoiding any broken glass that may have found itself spread around the floor. From this position, he could see a small galley with kitchen appliances and cupboards that presumably had supplies and utensils that he could use. Caelian entered the small room, filling the kettle and switching it on for a start - taking two mugs from their hooks and opened the hot chocolate container. While he waited for it to boil, he decided to check out the fridge and pantry to see what they would offer and deciding to grab a few things, fruit, snacks and the like out for the table behind him.

There didn't appear to be a door between the floors so as long as Hailee was able to enter the lower level, she should be able to find him, he considered. Taking the now boiled kettle over to the table where he had placed the mugs and food, he started pouring the hot drinks for the pair of them as he waited to see what she had found this time.

"Please tell me you found something in my size, I don't think I can go any smaller." he said comically, the last pair of clothes were just barely suitable he had found.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

While the cold night air caressed her bare, wet skin she shivered even more and she was just dearly hoping they would stumble upon anything useful like a few towels or some actual clothes. The owner wouldn't mind sharing those with a freezing pair in need, right?

True, they had deliberately chosen to swim to that boat and to enter it, but well, now that they were here, it felt much more colder than before. Once inside this first cabin she had stumbled upon, she immediately headed for the drawers to rummage through them, but it seemed like this cabin was usually inhabited by a child, because everything she did find was super small.

She chuckled to herself at first, contemplating whether she should reach for a tiny dress to offer it Caelian, but then she remembered that they were still trespassing and that she wouldn't still kids clothes after all. She started focusing on her actual task and headed for the next cabin, but that was only after she had quickly tidied up her mess.

The next cabin she found was much better as she found some actual clothes there, but she was more delighted to find some fat, fluffy bathrobes. She immediately slipped into one before she took her pile and made her way out of the cabin, heading towards the nearest staircase to find her company.

It took a while until she heard some clanking which showed her where exactly he was, but as she approached him with a smirk, her gaze immediately landed on the snacks and the...wait. Was that hot chocolate?! "Are you serious? We've just eaten" she snickered amusedly as she put everything she carried down, the cozy smell of hot chocolate already in her nose.

"My most valuable finding are those robes, but I've also found clothes that should fit" she explained with a warm smile as she handed him the robe first before she sat down on the chair across him. She cupped he mug with her hands and enjoyed the warmth for a moment before she glanced back at him.

"Any idea who's the owner of that yacht? I haven't found any evidence apart from children's clothes...maybe it's owned by a family" she then mused as inspected the rest of the snacks. Desert did sound tempting, because no matter how full the stomach, there was always space for desert, but that was also when Hailee had a different idea.

Without a word, she got up and started rummaging though the cupboard before she found a bottle of rum. "Oh...guess we're super lucky today. Have you ever tried hot chocolate with a hint of alcohol? It's fantastic". Regardless of his reply, she already added a decent amount to her drink before she did the same to his with a mischievous smirk. Yup...it was too late to be reasonable.

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

The chilling air was not stopped by the glass exterior that surrounded the upper level of the ship, traces of moonlight broke through the otherwise pitch black shadow. While there was just enough light to walk around proficiently, in his search for supplies he had stumbled across a small collection of emergency gear, medical, flares and the like but what caught his attention was a number of various sized candles and a box of matches. Taking a handful, he placed them on the table just as she came up from below, as she spied his tray of snacks and drinks.

A small smile appeared on his face as she remarked, his voice low and confident, "That is true, but yet I'm still hungry." Caelian maintained a strong eye contact with her while placing a fingertip along the edge of the mug he had poured out for her, tracing the lip in circles as they spoke briefly, before sliding it toward her with the force.

He had found a few documents strewn about the cupboards but hadn't found an exact name for who might own it, but based on the size of the vessel and the luxurious nature of its interior, it had to have been someone well-placed. "If I had to guess, it belongs to some off planet mining executive, probably only comes by here once or twice a year on a holiday, so we're probably fine to enjoy it to ourselves." The idea of running off, caught by the would be owners was a funny thought, but he didn't really want to worry about that now.

There was surely some expensive alcohol on board to see them through the night, but one thing in particular that he was looking forward to was taking a shower in some big ass fancy boat bathroom, hell he bet even the master suite had the most ridiculously expensive sheets and pillows. Tonight would be his first taste of that side of life, and he was determined to enjoy every minute of it.

While Hailee was up and looking around for some liquor, Caelian took the opportunity to quickly move the candles around the table and across the room into various heights and strategic positions, lighting but one in the centre of the table as she returned, bottle in hand. He attentively looked at the treasure that she had found, eyes lightning up. "Ooh, my favourite, no - I can't say that I have." Barely able to finish his sentence before she had tipped a very generous amount of the delicious liquid into the mix, his amused look shone through as he brought the mug toward himself.

The drink had an alluring aroma that simply compelled one to consume it, without resistance Caelian complied and started to sip before finding just how much he actually enjoyed it. Within seconds, an empty mug found its way back onto the table and a startled Caelian looked across the table to Hailee, "I'm never having a virgin hot chocolate again." A small residue from the drink slid down from the corner of his mouth, a testament to his enjoyment, although his smile probably gave that away also before he quickly wiped it away.

He couldn't help but notice the way the strands of her golden hair slipped forward over her face, the way her emerald eyes sparkled invitingly and exuding the most mischievous glare that only emboldened the Echani. Well, the alcohol definitely added to the confidence, but by now he had felt their connection grow stronger and that had been the driving force behind the day's events for the most part.

His own eyes wandered across the vast green fields within hers in wonder before whispering, "Watch this." The lone candle burned in sad isolation, withering down its wick as the wax pooled to its edge and dripped downward. With a circular motion in the air in front of him, Hailee would sense his subtle manipulation of the force around the small flame that illuminated the small space between them.

The speed and intensity slowly began to pick up as the flame rose above the candle wick itself, before the ball of flame pulled itself apart into two separate instances. Although small, their movements were slow and deliberated across the table, meeting each candle just long enough to ignite their wicks before passing on to the next. In just a short time, Hailee would see just how many he had previously hidden around for her, their light adding to the room and casting unique shadows but still keeping a subtle intrigue to the surroundings that remained in the dark.

Caelian smiled as everything worked out as he had hoped, severing his connection to the flames and watching them dissipate as he turned back to see Hailee's reaction while standing up. "Oh, I almost forgot to change, if you don't mind." He said with his usual cheekiness. Not waiting for her response, he reached for the robe that he had placed on the chair beside him, turning his back on her while removing the remaining wet clothes, exposing a revealing glimpse of his body before slipping into it and tying the small waist bands together to keep it closed.

Turning back to her, he smiled once more and slowly walked around the table towards her without breaking eye contact and offered his hand again but this time less subtly, "Dance with me." his voice was warm and inviting, accepting his offer he would pull her in close like they had ended their previous one. His hands found purchase against her body despite their robes and their eyes locked as they danced silently, without music under the candlelight. It was a calming moment before ending in the same twirl they had previously done, however, as he pulled her in this time, he leaned forward to kiss her.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Wrapped in that soft robe, she felt pleasantly warm and the shivers slowly faded away. On her lips was a warm smile that reflected the genuine curiosity about what he had in mind now and her enthusiasm about exploring the boat, same as the honest joy about that interesting night.

She received the mug with a thankful nod right before she had poured a good sip of alcohol into her own, and by leaning over in his mug, too. "An insatiable appetite, hm?" she playfully teased him with a wink, however not minding desert herself.

As he explained his assumptions, she pondered on his words for a moment. From what she had seen, this definitely made sense and this also meant that they weren't doing anything too bad. They didn't need the boat right now and they probably wouldn't mind if they borrowed a few supplies, right? "Ooo...that's why they had such a fine rum" she amusedly replied.

When she took the first sip, the warmth immediately spread through her body while another smile landed on her lips. "I know right? Virgin drinks are for cowards anyway" she chuckled as she took another one, however realizing that sooner or later the alcohol would take the upper hand.

She then watched his little fire show with curiosity, the smile never leaving her eyes, but it turned more and more amazed. "Oh impressive. And I like that atmosphere...it's cozy" she happily declared as she leaned back, making herself comfortable and simple savoring that moment.

Again, the thoughts rushed through her head. They had gotten from a fierce battle to a deep, philosophical discussions, to a relaxed, easy going dinner and to plenty of fun. Now, he had even created a romantic atmosphere and while she didn't even quite know how to react, but her heart did start to beat much faster.

She couldn't quite place the feelings inside her, yet she hadn't yet lost her smile. The alcohol was starting to befuffdle her, but she tried to overplay it. His sudden remark called her out of her thoughts and she grinned almost sheepishly, realizing way too late that he was starting to undress and dress again.

She had still managed to avert her gaze, yet her insides were screaming. Where was that self control? So much for lowered inhibitions...stupid alcohol. She couldn't be like this, could she? Like this was wrong...right? Oh why did it feel right though? One way or another, it made her nervous...but more like, positively exciting.

As he returned, she immediately offered his hand and without even thinking about it, she took it with a wide smile. "Of course" she happily replied as she got up, following him to the makeshift dancefloor which was nothing more than the kitchen floor, but the light made the atmosphere special indeed.

They started to swing and sway and her eyes sparkled with joy while she enjoyed the moment. Then he twirled her and she followed his lead, allowing him to choose moves on the dance floor, but as she spun out of it, he suddenly leaned it and it felt like her heart literally stopped.

Oh. What. The. Kark. She immediately panicked. No this wasn't right. Why was he even doing that? They've gotten along great, it was all playful and fun, but now this was serious. She gasped, her instincts almost taking over as she caught herself leaning in too, but in the very first moment something caught her attention right behind him and she was unbelievably grateful for whatever it was, as it stopped her from committing a terrible mistake.

"There's someone on the beach!" she remarked utterly surprised as she pointed right behind him, seeing a flick of light being sent in their direction.by squinting, she could see that someone was on the beach, right where there clothes lay and was shedding light in their direction.

"Uh oh....our stuff" she added nervously, still lingering in his arms. His lightsaber was still there, hidden under her clothes, but whoever was there had just found their belongings. "Kark...we've got to do something". Phew. Catastrophe avoided.

@Xorism

 

[Caelian]

Whether it was merely the alcohol, the warm atmosphere, the good company or simply overconfidence that led Caelian to lean in he didn't know. Abruptly and before anything could even happen, Hailee's eyes lit up as they stared behind him, gasping and announcing that they had been found. There was a strange feeling of something amiss, but he couldn't quite find the connection in his slightly intoxicated state, never mind the distraction that had surfaced.

Caelian turned to follow her gaze out across the lake and onto the shore, sure enough small flickers of light could be seen both on the hill and along the wooden path they had used to walk down onto the beach. No sooner than she mentioned their stuff did the Echani groan, "I just got dry. Ugh, fine, let's take the boat though, I think I saw a dingy at the rear." There wasn't any time to change out of the robes if they wanted to get to the beach before the newcomers potentially left, and so Caelian climbed over the ledge on the second story and lowered himself down onto the bottom deck.

Sure enough, there was a small boat tied up on the furthest side of the boat, which would allow them to return to the beach without taking another dip in the unforgiving colder waters. Once Hailee had joined him, Caelian revved up its engine as she would untie it from the larger boat, speeding back the way they had come. "Alright, we can bluff our way out of this, we'll just say we own the boat, and they'll have to confirm it - which is when we grab our stuff and run." he spoke somewhat confidently, not entirely sure the plan he had come up with on the fly would be any good.

As they approached at high speed, the security forces on the beach would easily notice their arrival and were prepared with arms drawn on the pair as the boat came to a stop just inside the shallows. Climbing over the edge and back into the ankle deep water, Caelian walked over to the nearest group and waved. The lead man held a few belongings that the Echani would recognise as his own, the man holding them appeared somewhat unhappy with the disturbance and broke out angered before Caelian could even start to bend the truth.

"Who are you, and what are you doing on my employer's yacht? You have thirty seconds to explain yourselves before you're under arrest for trespassing." Well, there goes that idea, he thought. Whoever this rich prick was, he was loaded enough to have a bunch of armed goons wandering around keeping an eye on his precious boat. Under pressure, Caelian tried to crack a joke to defuse the situation. "Oh that's your employers? I feel for his wife! You know what they say about a man and the size of his boat..."

That did not go down well, oh lord did that not go down well. Unless Hailee could think of something quickly to salvage the train wreck, they'd either be arrested or forced to fight six armed guards when only one of them had their own weapon. What was she to do?

@LadyRen