Savin' Me

[Jiang Winters]

Jun was quiet for a moment, a mile-wide grin stretching across his soft-furred features. "Do I like wild parties?" he repeated, a purring undertone to his words. "The girls, the music, the lights, the drinks, the dancing..." A happy sigh rolled past his ebony lips and he glanced to Kusuyk. "I don't like wild parties, Kusuyk. I love 'em."

Rook sighed. "Jun is a playboy," she stated disapprovingly. "A tail-chaser and party animal like no other."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Not that there's anything wrong with the aforementioned qualities... But why'd you want to know, Kusuyk?"

 

[Ash]

Kusuyk's little jaw dropped.

This. . . This is love.

Her fur looked bleach White and her jaw was just hanging there for a very long period of time before she finally scampered quickly to him and hugged his paw tightly, her arms barely connecting around his wrist.
"I'm among the right people!" she could have cried, she was more then happy to hear that not only does he like them, he loves them. Then better; he's a total playboy!

Kusuyk finally knew where she belonged in this galaxy, among the larger than life Kushari.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Jun laughed and drew the little Kushiban in close, hooking his other arm e'er so gently around her and giving her a light hug. "Guess you are, huh?" he quipped. The tiger stood and released her, though he kept his left arm curled under her to provide a seat until she jumped off. "Maybe I'll have to drag you down to a party sometime. I know a lot of people who'd think that color-changing fur of yours is the coolest thing in the galaxy," he said half-jokingly.

He liked the little white-furred bunny; she was playful and energetic; she reminded him of himself! Needless to say, he had a feeling he was going to get along just fine with her.

 

[Ash]

Kusuyk felt achieved by the fact nobody punt kicked her yet. "That sounds excellent!" She squealed a bit louder then she intended. "I can make my fur red for short times too." she announced proudly, mesmerised by the Lord Admiral's fur and paw. The curious Kushiban poked and played with the pads and nuzzled in the fur on his paw.

Soft. Oh, so, very soft. Kusuyk opened her eyes and looked up, the human from before with the blaster.
Kusuyk's eyes went wide, her fur instantly black. She, however, growled at the hallucination. She narrowed her eyes and tossed herself at the hallucination.

As expected, she hit the floor. But, he was gone.

Note to self; An entire Deathstick is not healthy for a small Kushiban. Two years past and she is still paying for it.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Jun's ears flicked and swiveled to face Kusuyk as she delighted in experiencing the softness of his paw-fur, contrasted by the rough, leathery texture of his pads, given to him by years of work and military service. Before he could ask if she'd ever felt soft fur before, the Kushiban looked off at something and loosed off a less-than-impressive growl at whatever it was. Her fur went black, and then she was off!

She flung herself like a shot at whatever it was that invoked the wrath of the fluffy lil' bunny, sailed through the air, and went right in for a landing on the floor.

Rook tilted her head curiously. Jun glanced up at her, baffled. She merely shrugged and held up her hands; she had no idea what was going on, either. The two felines turned their attention back to Kusuyk, and, quite unintentionally, simultaneously said the exact same thing.

"Hallucinations?"

The felines, shocked to find that they'd just echoed each other, instantly looked to one another again. "Did we just..." they began; again, perfectly echoing one another. Rook buried her helmet's faceplate in her paws, while Jun burst into laughter, leaving him too distracted to think about the potential implications of having a hallucinating bunny rabbit working for SIGINT.

 

[Ash]

"Forgive me." Kusuyk stated before scampering back to the Kushari's and climbing up Rook's armour, wrapping herself around Rook's neck. "I normally know the difference. Just, that guy scares me." she explain with a little smile. "Results of a very fun party." the memories of the party that's messed with her head for two years all came back quickly, the party was possibly the greatest day of her life.

She snuggled up closer to Rook, displeased with how she was in strong armour on and wasn't letting her soft fur be played with by the Kushiban. "Heh." she looked at the Lord Admiral.

 

[Jiang Winters]

"Whatever you drank, remind me to steer clear of it," Jun quipped. "Wouldn't do to ruin my sanity with hallucinations. It'd be bad for my business."

Rook snickered and shook her head. "YOU are bad for your own business, you... You Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze..." she teased, as she scritched Kusuyk behind her ears.

Jun instantly went red in the face and growled at her, albeit playfully. "Gun HOE-tze bee DIO-se!" he retorted.

Rook shook her head, turned, and trotted out with Kusuyk still on her shoulder. "Sorry about that," she said, "but I've wanted to tell him that for a long, long time. Finally got a chance."

 

[Ash]

Kusuyk had taken full advantage of Rook's scratching. Nothing like a good scratch.

"I'm sorry, but, tze what?" Kusuyk looked over at Rook, beginning her possessive cling onto Rook as the left the Lord Admiral. Kusuyk was pretty sure these people wouldn't eat her, but she still wanted to stick on Rook just in case. Being stepped on wasn't on her to-do list as is.

The place was more amazing the second time looking at it. Her curiosity went to what Rook's room might be like. Kam had beautiful pin-ups and a fun room, it only made the Kushiban wonder more and more. Would Rook also have pin-up girls?

Kusuyk remembered what Kam had started to say, but then changed when he addressed Rook. "What's you and Kam's relation?" Kusuyk couldn't help her burst. There were so many questions and still so much to be seen and do.

 

[Jiang Winters]

"You don't want to know what I called him," Rook replied quietly.

She made her way back to the elevator leading to the crew deck, and had the good fortune of making it inside before Kusuyk asked what her relationship with Kamua was.

"..." She was silent for a moment, obviously hesitant to share anything about herself with the Kushiban. She ultimately relented, and offered up a few tidbits of information with which to satiate the bunny's curiosity.

"I knew him when I was little. I grew up in the apartment next to his, back home in Odessa, on Makavos. Mining world, between the Kushari Homeworld and our system's twin suns," she replied quietly. "I only recently met him again. It's been a long, long time since we were friends. A lot has changed, for both of us. I'm not sure where we stand, to be honest."

 

[Ash]

((I feel like a GOD. Thanks, Jiang.c: ))

Kusuyk tilted her head and let her ear hit on Rook's faceplate, "Rookie has a crush?" Kusuyk's tone was nothing but playful, she nuzzled her head into Rook and kept a warm smile as she waited for Rook's rebuttal.

There had been a lovely connection between them that Kusuyk had hintly taken note of, their real past and relation was much more than she imagined though.
Maybe she could teach their kids while they were still Kusu size...ish.

Didn't help in the fact Kusuyk had become completely lust-struck and infatuated with Jun. She couldn't help the fact she liked bigger, party boy men. It just. . . Happens.
Kusuyk nudged more onto Rook, but not quite willingly as the gravity of the ship was tolling on her a bit more then was desired for the small Kushiban.

 

[Jiang Winters]

"No," Rook stated. "He's just an old friend. Nothing more, nothing less," she explained. "No, my crush, my hero is someone far, far different..." she mused silently, a smile tugging at her lips behind the veil of her helmet.

The elevator stopped and she stepped off. "Besides, I'm a Ranger, Kusuyk. I gave up my right to settle down when I assumed that title. I'll take up arms as long as the Federation needs me, or until I'm no longer able to fight. Maybe then I'll settle down, but until I'm released from my duty I'll keep fighting," she added in, as she made her way down the halls to her quarters.

 

[Ash]

"I don't like that!" Kusuyk snapped, she could almost feel the tears. "Why do you have to give up your love for just fighting. They give you more to keep fighting for! Thoran always told me to remember what and who I'm fighting for. He always thought of Julind and I when he had to go fight. Not just his homeworld, but this he cherished just a bit more too." Kusuyk marvelled at her spiel, not sure why she had become up in arms about it.

"Sorry." she lightly grumbled, her fur decided it was time to change colours all over again. She was not a fan of it always doing that each time her feelings changed.

Note to self; work on that.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Rook laughed. "You're so very naive about our ways, Kusuyk. To us Kushari, there is no greater purpose, no greater honor, than defending those who cannot defend themselves. I don't fight for glory or for honor or for personal gain - I fight so that others don't have to. That's the greatest gift I can give to anyone, including myself," she quickly explained, hugging the Kushiban a little closer to herself to try to calm her.

She stepped into her quarters and sealed the door behind herself. Her room was nearly identical to Kamua's, save for a distinct lack of pin-up girls. Instead, a single Federation Flag, two gorgeous white angel wings flanking and protecting a small white planet, overlaid upon a blue background, hung upon the wall. No photos or personal items were anywhere to be seen, save for her computer terminal, which was placed on the desk at the foot of the bed. She set Kusuyk down on the bed.

"This is home. I'll figure out a spot for you to sleep later, but it won't be on the bed. Probably the chair. Will that work for you?"

 

[Ash]

"It's not naive." Kusuyk mumbled quietly, she thought over all that Rook said and hopped down from the bed. She looked at the chair curiously and jumped on it, while on all four legs she used her front two in order to test it. Feverishly the Kushiban landed her paws one at a time continuously before deciding if the chair would suffice.

Maybe. Kusuyk hopped down and approached the bed, jumping up and curling up against Rook's pillow. She peeked open one eye to look at Rook.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Rook hitched her shoulders and leaned back against her drawers as she watched the Kushiban settle in. "If you're going to stay here, there's going to be a few base rules. Rule number one: I eat alone. I shower alone. Just because we have a mess hall and communal showers doesn't mean I like being buddy-buddy with anyone. I need my space, and there's only one person alive who gets to intrude on that space. Same goes for sleeping. Rule two: If it's in a drawer, leave it there. Don't go through my stuff. Whatever's on the desk is fair game, though. Rule three: Never, ever touch my weapons."

The female pushed herself off of the drawers and moved closer to the bed. "Just remember those and we'll get along fine."

 

[Ash]

"I can deal with that!" Kusuyk pounced up and jumped onto Rook, hoping she'd catch her.
She liked this Rook. Kusuyk gave her a very sly smile, "So, who is that one person?" she giggled a little at her new friend. The Kushiban wad more a guest still so she didn't have room to have any rules, those that Rook had in place was good enough.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Rook instinctively caught the Kushiban by her sides, holding Kusuyk aloft in front of her face. "...That one person is very, very dear to me, and you won't inquire about him. He's a good man, and the last thing he needs is any embarrassment from me. Alright?" she replied sternly, before setting Kusuyk down and bidding her to go back to the pillow.

She drew on the Force afterwards, summoning her computer chair over so that she could plop down into it, the chair groaning under her hundreds of pounds of weight. She sighed and relaxed - hopefully, Kusuyk wouldn't have any more tricky questions. However, if she had to guess, she'd say that her vague answer would only further arouse the little rabbit's curiosity.

 

[Ash]

"Embarrassment?" Kusuyk tilted her head, her ears flipped to one side, "How would you bring embarrasment? You're wonderful!" Kusuyk ran two circles around her place of interest and flopped down with her body curler tightly.

 

[Jiang Winters]

"No," Rook sighed. "No, I'm really not."

The feline leaned forward, propping herself up on her elbows which were in turn supported by her knees. She dipped her head in and fidgeted with its seals, cracking them open. They hissed, then released her helm from her armor's neck liner. She removed her helmet, chucking it carelessly onto the bed afterwards.

She was revealed now, in all her feline glory. She was, for a Kushari, fairly pretty. She had a fairly normal muzzle, as opposed to an overly long or short one, and fairly thin ebony lips. Her nosepad was a dull fleshy pink, while her pelt was a rich golden brown. Her chin and the entirety of her lower jaw and throat was covered over in a color that could be described as a creamy tan, while ornate crimson dye adorned her cheeks in slightly curving patterns denoting her place of birth and her Kiithid.

Her ears were the same shade of golden brown as the rest of her pelt and were as sharp as they were large, with creamy tan fur on the inside of her ears. A pair of tiny gold earrings were placed in each ear, halfway between the base and the tip. A short 'mane' covered her head in the fashion of human hair; short and golden blonde, she kept it bound into a tight ponytail, where it remained out of her way. Then there were her eyes - bright, icy blue, glowing almost unnaturally. To the technologically inclined, it would be easy to tell that they were synthetic in nature and were not biological.

The feline smiled thinly. "Well," she said, "Now you know how I look. That's one small step for one small, small rabbit."

 

[Ash]

Kusuyk's little mouth almost fell open, "You. . ." Kusuyk couldn't help but stutter a bit, "you're so beautiful." Kusuyk did not stand up or jump onto Rook like typically, she just stared.
"I even think you're prettier than Ruu!" she unclipped her waistpack and placed her lightsaber next to it beside her.

She'd not talked to, or about Ruu in two years, but Rook rivaled Kusu's beauty meter. It used to be 1-Ruu, that may be changed now.

"You're the best thing that's happened to me since Thoran died, Rook. And I've only known you one day! You're fabulous, Rook!" Kusuyk rolled onto her back and kept a steady gaze at the beautiful Rook.

She only hoped that Rook knew she was wonderful and didn't think she would be an embarrassment.