Ask Slice of the Sun

[Arla]

Per my OP template, thread is death enabled​

Arla spent so much time working that sometimes she just needed an opportunity to get away from it all. To that end, she had booked herself a place on a cruise ship on Manaan and planned to spend the next several days just soaking in the sun.

She had awoken early and headed to the gym, still in her tight-fitting workout clothes when she arrived in the dining hall. As it turned out, she had waited just long enough so that everyone else was also eating breakfast, and the bustling cafeteria made it almost difficult to move. Eventually, she'd managed to get herself a nice breakfast scramble, but had to slide into a seat at a table so close to the table next to her that she was practically having breakfast with the guy next to her.

She popped out her EZPhone and set it on the table, happily munching at her food as she looked at the list of activities that were available on the ship that day.

She was accustomed to doing things alone - she lived virtually her whole life that way - but it was arguably all the more acutely underlined when she was here. It wasn't the comfort of her ship or the daily "routine" of her work, but a place of leisure and relaxation. She looked around at the families and groups of people that were here, and she wondered almost in passing if she would ever find another person. It seemed unlikely at this point, though the thought didn't particularly bother her on a deep level. If it was meant, it was meant.

She shrugged to herself and poured an excessive amount of hot sauce across her skillet as she turned her attention back to the daily schedule.

 

[Z'Kair]

She would soon hear ooh’s and ahh’s of people completely awed by a new cook that arrived on the scene. If she looked, she would see a young figure tossing knives up in the air, whirling them around and expertly chopping up vegetables and tossing around eggs before cooking them. Kai wasn’t an exceptional chef by any means, but he did know about the sidlian customs back from Fiana despite never having visited. His mother did the tricks to amuse him, and he picked it up when he realized it wow’d people and especially women.

And it helped that he was dolled up in a cute little chef outfit. His chef hat was adjusted to allow his fox ears to fan out and look even more pronounced. He removed his studs and piercings since this was a 'family establishment', and his hair was strategically positioned over his eyepatch. There were squeals of delight and giggling as people screeched about his adorable tail, ears and skills. He was stacking plate after plate on the bar for people to come take.

There was a tip jar next to the breakfast line and it was quickly racking up credits. Kai projected that he was absolutely delighted to be doing this, though he wanted nothing more than to fling himself overboard. His real reason for being here was the cargo hold. There was a very wealthy Core Senator aboard the cruise that had a priceless gem stashed away below deck. Kai had taken a job here to bide his time for the right opportunity to nab it and time it around when the ship stopped at an island to book it.

 

[Arla]

Arla heard the fawning of people, and turned to look over her shoulder at the source of the sound when someone who had apparently also been drawn to the show stumbled and fell forward, smacking Arla's bowl of hot-sauce-covered scramble not only all over the floor, but also into Arla's lap as well.

Oh, for kr... ugh, she grumbled, throwing her arms up above her and trying to get the scramble out of her lap and back onto the plate.

I'm so sorry! Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! the man said, and Arla waved him off.

Whatever, it's fine, she grumbled, scooping the remnants of the food mostly off of her tank top, the light blue shirt now covered in red hot sauce as well. It was annoying, but she supposed not the end of the world. After all, how much did a tank top and yoga pants really cost?

With First Breakfast ruined, she decided to make an attempt at Second Breakfast.

Could I have another whole hog skillet without mushrooms? she asked the fancy chef, pausing now and watching as he flung his equipment and ingredients around with a surprising dexterity. In fact, just watching him she'd almost have guessed he was a Force-wielder.

How long did it take you to learn that? she asked, always appreciative of those who honed a skill. And maybe she was also feeling a bit lonely. No, couldn't be that.

 

[Z'Kair]

After the mad breakfast rush stepped aside, a lone woman walked over to grab food. His gaze flicked down to her stained clothes, but he said nothing about it. He tipped his chef’s hat politely before he got to work on her food, his hands a blur of motions to slice and dice, giving her a show of tossing the knives around. At one point he managed to bounce a hilt off with his tail, the knife twirling in the air for him to snatch it before resuming the chopping. After a bit of frying and cooking, he arranged a neat plate for her.

“One hog skillet for the Thustran princess,” He said with a playful smirk, not above dropping idle quips to pretty women. Kai put his knives aside now that the morning rush was done.

Her question caught him off guard because he never really thought about it, “I…always knew it, I guess. It’s from the Fiani culture,” Kai explained, pointing to his ears, “I’m Fiani,” He said with a smirk, “Enjoy your meal, m’am!” He had to get back to work for now but his shift was over within minutes.

The breakfast time was over after some time and guests flooded out of the restaurant. Kai was done until it was dinner time, and he had a few hours to scope out the ship. For now, however, he found himself in a corner on a side balcony, leaning against a wall and smoking a cigarra as he watched the waves. He took that stupid hat off, his hair slightly disheveled from the silly costume.

 

[Arla]

Arla was surprised at the smooth compliment he paid her. She didn't seem to receive many of those, and maybe it was because of all the brooding she did. People were too intimidated, perhaps? Either way, it was... nice.

Is this how you earn yourself extra tips? she asked, maintaining an intentionally deadpan face, but he would still see her reach up and drop a small donation into the jar nonetheless. Apparently, she wasn't immune to a bit of flattery.

It was only as the crown hit the bottom of the jar that the faintest smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

She listened with curiosity about his comment. She had never met a Fiani before, but they were clearly a very agile people. Perhaps the feline-esque qualities extended beyond just the appearance to the agility and dexterity as well.

Very interesting, she said. Thank you, she said with a nod as he handed over her meal, but rather than leave, she looked at the bar seat and frowned before sliding into one of the chairs.

He was more interesting than eating back near the hustle and bustle by herself, after all. Even if he was paid to be nice.

She finished her food and cleared off the plate before making her way outside and nearly bumping physically into the Fiani as she rounded the corner, barely stopping up short.

Oh! she exclaimed before stepping back again. She nearly kept walking on, figuring he didn't want to be bothered on his time off, but she figured if that was the case, he'd find a reason to leave.

Would you like some company or hoping to be alone with your thoughts? she asked. Even after all these years, she still had something of an odd manner of speaking, and although it wasn't as stiff as it used to be anymore, it almost had an aura of being formal at all times.

 

[Z'Kair]

While perhaps most would have found her deadpan response off-putting, it actually drew out an amused chuckle from the Fiani. He thought nothing of it beyond that as he found himself on that balcony. His thoughts were far away, first on the gem he planned to steal, then the debts he owed. He took another long drag from his cigarra and his thoughts actually focused on the horizon ahead. The sun rose high above the waves, the sea stretched out for miles. It was serene and so different from the squalor he experienced his whole life.

He was torn from his thoughts as someone ran into him, the bump causing him to lose his cigarra. However, his superhuman reflexes kicked in and he snatched it out of the air in time, settling it back between his lips. He looked up to spot that it was the woman from earlier, but this was the first time he saw her up close. And those stunning, silver eyes. His mind very, very briefly wandered back to another pair of silver eyes he saw not too long ago. Suppressing the thought, he gave the woman a smile, “You’re far better company than my thoughts,” He said confidently before stepping aside to make room for her.

“I’m Kodi,” He said nonchalantly, gazing back over the horizon as he blew out smoke the other away, “Where are you coming from?”

 

[Arla]

Arla was glad to hear that he didn't mind the company, and she thrust out a hand to shake as he stated his name.

Arla, she said. She leaned up against the wall next to him, looking out at the water. She didn't spend much time on boats, and, in fact, the last one she had been on for any form of enjoyment had crashed. She assumed that wasn't a regular thing, and cruiseliners tended to fail better than yachts driven by a bunch of drunk or hungover Sith. She thought back to Wodan and his fate, and she felt a pang of sorrow, but quickly shoved it aside in favor of the present. She was in paradise, and she might as well enjoy it.

I am... she paused. Where was she from? That was a harder question to answer if she started to overthink it. So do not overthink it.

I move around a lot. When I'm not moving, I have an apartment on the Galactica, she said, though her mind drifted away to where she wanted to live. Soon, she told herself. She had her sights on Andara and a nice, peaceful place to live there. Eventually.

Manaan is nice, though. Does working on the ship make it lose its appeal? she asked. She imagined that even in a luxury place if it was just "going to work" it lost all of its magic in a hurry. That was her experience, at least.

 

[Z'Kair]

He didn’t miss how it took her a bit to answer. It was a simple answer for most folks, but clearly she had a story. Kai ashed his cigarra before taking another drag, grinning at her question, “First time working a ship, actually,” He admitted freely. He wasn’t quite sure how much he liked it - it felt like a floating prison without any real way to get away. Kai cast her a glance, noting how nonchalant she was about standing there with her sauce-stained clothes. He could respect that level of confidence.

“So, Arla, what do you have planned today?” He asked, “I’m sure you’ve taken a look through our vast menu of options,” Kai cleared his throat to a mock advertiser’s voice, “In Deck C you’ll find people dressed in cheap costumes singing songs that’ll keep you up at night. Over on Deck E you’ll find middle aged people cringy dancing to old music,” He made a dramatic show of gesturing with his hand, “And if your heart desires, over on A Deck, you’ll find a lounge with stuffy cigars and penguin suits with plenty of rambling about self importance,” He turned to her with a smile, “So where will you be?”

 

[Arla]

Arla had managed to almost forget that she was still wearing half of First Breakfast as she leaned up against the wall.

Has not had a chance to lose the magic, then, she said. It probably wouldn't yet, but she almost sensed a feeling of unease from him. She had no idea what it was from, and she didn't pry or press. He was, after all, still virtually a stranger.

I was considering some time around the pool, she said, finally glancing down once again at the clothing she was wearing.

A swimsuit would also get me in something clean, she added. Not to mention she could work on her sunburn tan. Her naturally pasty skin seldom got more tan, but at least it was an improvement over her mother's skin tone.

Cheap costumes? she finally looped back around, thinking about what he'd said on Deck C. She hadn't noticed that on the list, and it sounded arguably the least questionable of the options he had mentioned. While she knew a bit about dancing, cringy, middle-aged dancing was a different story.

She found her eyes dropping to that smile that he flashed her. He had an easy way about him that was so contrary to both who she normally was and who she normally spent time with. It was... almost relaxing in its own way. Perhaps coming here had been a right decision, and bumping into him... perhaps it was fate.

 

[Z'Kair]

“Pool is always a solid choice,” He agreed, “For people that aren’t me,” He said with a swish of his tail. Despite being a decent swimmer, there were few things he despised more than being in a pool or body of water. He barely tolerated showers out of necessity. Kai finished up his cigarra and checked his stolen chrono, suggesting that he still had time to kill.

“Yeah, they dress up as Dinsey characters and dance around,” He said, “Horrifying stuff if you ask me,” He muttered. As a being with large ears, he found a lot of the ‘animal costumes’ outright ridiculous. If he were an upstanding citizen, he would even find it offensive. Kai didn’t miss the way her gaze dropped down to his mouth, “What, worried I might bite?” Kai said with a grin that revealed more of his fangs.

 

[Arla]

Ah, inherited that, too, she said with a nod. Well, she supposed she couldn't blame him, then. A shame, she said. Didn't sound like he would be joining her for any pool excursions.

Oh, perhaps she should rethink the singing and costumes. Perhaps somewhere to just get a glass of wine and relax, then, she said. People who came on cruises sounded like they were weird. Or maybe Arla was just judgmental. Probably a bit of both, to be honest.

I don't know, do you bite? she asked, head tilting slightly to the side. She didn't seem even the slightest bit phased and if history was any indicator, was typically very forward. A bit of flirting never hurt anyone, after all.

We're supposed to make landfall on one of the tropic islands tomorrow. Do you come ashore for those? Or do you have something else you do for your free time? she asked.

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai grinned at her question, “I bite if it’s wanted,” He said with an underlying purr creeping into his inflection. He wasn’t shy about flirting, even if it was with a woman slightly older. This one carried herself with confidence and something else he couldn’t quite place. She was aloof, and yet not elitist or stand-offish.

“Ah yes, tomorrow is where my shift on the ship ends,” Kai said. In other words, it was when he hoped to make off with the gem. That meant he needed to do the job tonight and pull it off in time to make a clean escape. The clock was ticking and he had yet to find a way into the vault. For now, though, he was more than happy to entertain dialogue with the beauty before him.

“Well it’s like in the movie Switanic,” He said matter of factly, “The real party is below deck. So that’s where I’ll be.”

With that, he flicked his cigarra over the railing and looked back at her, “So enjoy your wine and relax,” He turned and started walking, his tail playfully swishing, “And come below deck later for a bite,” He tilted his head back with a fanged grin at that before he kept walking.

 

[Arla]

Mmm, she hummed quietly, the faintest bit of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth again. That didn't sound so bad. In fact, she rather liked this "Kodi" and wouldn't mind spending more time with him in private.

Oh? Then maybe you'd like to join me on shore, she said. She'd come alone, and making a friend among the crew wasn't the worst thing in the world. She needed to blow off steam with someone who wasn't as broody as she was. Everyone in her life was broody. Everyone.

It's a date, she said as he started to walk away. The turn of phrase was particularly apt here, although calling it a "date" may have been a bit liberal for what it was. Arla had no qualms. It had been... far, far too long since she let her hair down. Maybe these distractions were precisely what she needed to settle her mind and her nerves.

---​

Sure enough, Arla had spent much of her day lounging around the ship. She'd laid out in the sun, gotten a prompt sunburn on her nose, and come back in to drink wine and relax. It wasn't until the metaphorical final bell was about to ring on the dinner rush that she made her appearance in the dining room. True to her word, she had come to find him.

As it turned out, her return outfit was still yoga pants and a tank top, though this time, less covered in hot sauce.

Wow, fancy running into you here, she said with that same deadpan delivery as earlier.

I am ready for my great "below deck" excursion, she said with just the faintest hint of mischief in her voice.

 

[Z'Kair]

He was waiting for her when she arrived, and he soon shrugged off the chef uniform and hat. He wore a simple t shirt and pants underneath, his hair slightly ruffled from the hat. He messed it up a bit more, despising the swoosh over his eye to hide it. He much preferred liking his eyepatch out in the open.

“Happy to escort you, m’am,” He said politely as he offered his arm to make a show of taking her down. In the back of his mind, he was still thinking about the job he had to pull later. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy his time for now. They started to descend down a staircase, and her sharp ears would already pick up lively music and the stomping of feet to signal everyone was partying.

Music​

Kai’s mood visibly improved as they arrived below, spotting crowds of staff members dancing and drinking. The Fiani navigated through the crowds, stopping at the bar and grabbing them both huge mugs of frothy ale. He banged their mugs together, grinning, “No fancy wine here, princess, you’ll have to make do with low quality ale!” He said cheerfully before gulping down an impressive amount at once.

 

[Arla]

Arla could only now see clearly the eyepatch that covered his left eye. She wondered what had happened there, but didn't ask. It wasn't like she didn't have scars of her own with the burns on her left arm and the side of her neck visible in the clothes she wore. It was simply the nature of the business. Maybe he'd taken his eye out learning all those fancy knife tricks. Yes, that was the logical explanation, of course. And probably a sore subject at that.

She smiled - the first full, genuine smile she had given - as she took his arm and headed down below the deck. She could hear the sounds of music and dancing before she saw it. The room pulsed with energy in the Shadow, like a thousand emotions running together with joy, pleasure, and the highs of life all wrapped up into one place. It was intoxicating in its own way and it was so... different from her life. It was a whole different kind of freedom than what she experienced. The upbeat music almost reminded her of her home and the dances the Clan used to hold around the fires. Days long gone now. A moment's nostalgia and sadness flickered over her, but it was quick replaced by the vibrant nature of this new place and all the people here.

She followed Kodi through the crowd to the bar, taking the frothy mug that was offered to her. She wasn't typically an ale drinker, but she was here to try new things and took a large swig of it, gulping it down before wiping the froth that clung to her upper lip with the back of her hand.

It was... different. Despite her attempts to hide it, her face betrayed just a hint that it was perhaps not her favorite beverage, but it didn't stop her from simply taking another drink anyway. It struck her once again just how much of the galaxy she had never seen before. Every crevice and corner offered its own slices of existence that were so in contrast to her own. Here there was no Empire, no Raze, no contracts... not even any Apex. It was just her and Kodi and a partied mixture of emotions floating through the air.

Tell me: do you dance? she asked. Perhaps it was the memories of home that this music dredged up, but as she downed the remainder of her ale she nudged her thumb over to the area where others were tapping, swinging, and shouting in a wild and lively party. She opened herself in the Shadow to it, drinking in the energy.

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai smirked as he chugged down his drink as well and she asked if he danced, “Do you?” He challenged her. She may have dressed casually, but she carried herself with the confidence of royalty. He wasn’t sure if it was the eyes, the way she talked or what, but something about her told him to think twice before conning her. Not that it ever stopped him. It also meant she probably didn't know how to do low class dances.

The Fiani set his mug aside and took her to the open floor. He grasped her hand and began to hop around to the beat, light on his feet. It wasn’t the standard style of bump and grind dancing, it was a lot of jumping, spinning and prancing around. Kai didn’t know the steps, but he did know how to keep to the beat. He kept his gaze on her as he spun them around, hopping back and forth to the catchy beat.

At some point he began to smile, chuckling as he watched her stumble a bit to get her footing to the rhythm, “Keep up, Durolph!” He quipped playfully, referencing the Life Day dugar dugar with a red nose. Arla’s little sunburn made her appear just like that, and he couldn’t resist.

After a few twirls, he felt bold enough to pull her close, giving her a playful smile through it all as his tail swished.

 

[Arla]

It has been a while, she admitted, though she wasn't a total stranger to it. Enough not to make an utter fool of herself, but she wouldn't be winning any awards.

This was closer to what she'd grown up with than bump and grind, and despite a few stumbles, she found herself actually enjoying it. She let the energy of the room flow through her, falling into a rhythm without even realizing it.

The initial moments were ones of serious concentration, attempting to execute all the moves perfectly only to fail and frustration began to mount. That piece of her mind that always pushed to be the best seemed to compel her to be the best. It was a hint of a side to her that he hadn't seen much of on such a nice ship voyage.

And then he called her Durolph. It was a strange thing, but that single, simple joke seemed to break the spell she had placed over herself and her mouth dropped open in a mock offense and her eyebrows pulled together into a frown.

Excuse me! she objected, but he sent her into a twirl only a moment later, and with several more flourishes, pulled her in close. Rather than pull away, she leaned into it, pressing her body up against his, her face close enough that she could feel his breath against her skin.

She felt a moment's inclination to kiss him, but decided that even with their flirting, that perhaps wasn't the correct thing, so instead she let the moment linger for a moment as the song came to a close.

Do you dance with all the girls like that? she asked.

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai didn’t miss the way she looked at him, or the way her gaze flicked once again to his lips. He had a feeling it had little to do with the fangs this time. Nevertheless, he kept a sultry grin on his face as he allowed his tail to playfully wrap around her waist. He curled a clawed finger below her chin and tilted her face up as he gazed at her, “Only the ones that know what they want,” He said with the hint of a growl accompanying his speech.

“And you seem like you know exactly where you wanna go from here, so why don’t you tell me?” Kai asked as he drew back and sent her into another twirl. This time, he tugged her back against his chest, his warm tail loosely wrapping around one of her legs like a shawl.

 

[Arla]

Arla made no attempt to hide from him where her mind had gone nor did she pull away from his tail as it wrapped up around her. Her silvery gaze pierced straight into his eye as if she could look into his very soul if she looked hard enough.

He spun her out and then pulled her back in again, his tail wrapping around her leg and as she leaned against him, she moved her other leg up so that it gently sandwiched his tail for just a moment, letting her bare skin run against him. She had no idea what it was like to have fur, but at the least, it shouldn't be unpleasant for him.

I want to take you to my bed and do all sorts of things to you, she said. She wasn't afraid to admit what she was pursuing. In fact, that was a tamed down version of how she'd presented it to others in the past. Hey, she had become more diplomatic!

 

[Z'Kair]

Her boldness got his heart racing. He liked bold women, but this one managed to be bold without being scary. Kai was at a loss for words for a moment, his ears doing all the talking with the way they swiveled and twitched out of control. His tail began to wag out of almost embarrassing eagerness that he promptly suppressed. His face retained that cool, confident smirk, “Only if I get to do the same,” He said with a purr as he leaned in to teasingly bite her lower lip with the points of his fangs, just enough to apply pressure but not break skin.

“Show me to your room,” Kai said as he allowed her to lead the way. Cruises could be exhilarating like this - you could meet someone new, have no strings attached fun and leave with only the good memories. No drama, no hassle, no headache. Just the way he liked things. He just had to make sure to make an excuse to slip away to actually steal the gem. He only had tonight to do it.

Once the two made it back to her cabin, Kai didn’t waste any time, slamming the door closed with his tail. He proceeded to pin Arla against the wall, capturing her lips with his own. He felt a rush as he kissed her, his hands traveling down her body and tugging up at her shirt while trying to be careful not to scratch her with his claws. He paused as he tossed the tanktop aside, distracted by the scars on her body. Battle scars. His ears swiveled and almost flattened at the sight.

“What the..” He mumbled, his eye widening. Who the fuck was this chick?