An Aur Diamond in the Rough [Kinsey]

[Rune Shamalain]

Hands crossed at his front, the man gently shook his head, "I cannot," his gaze dropped briefly in thought, "my dead grandmother would turn from her grave just to slap me for the disrespect."

Brows lofted, no smile to be seen for any hint of a joke. Fear of the Shamalain matriarch and her wrath was a very real thing.

"And...no, I was referring to a meal. On a plate, at a table, made from fresh ingredients and eaten with silverware..." blues lifted again to lock onto her own gaze, and leaned forward, brows expectant for an answer. He made no comment on his thoughts of rations.

Ration packs weren't meals.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

"Yeah, well, maybe it's me you have to worry about." While he was being serious, Kinsey couldn't help the slight twitch at one corner of her mouth. Still. This grandmother sounded like she'd been a formidable woman.

Foot tapped once, twice, hip cocked to one side as she let that comment sink in with Rune.

And to answer his question.

"I dunno," curve of her shoulders shrugged. "Maybe on Nar Shadda." That had been months ago. Eyes narrowed slightly on Rune's pale face. "Why do you want to know, Doc?"

 

[Rune Shamalain]

He considered the threat, giving her a nod that rendered it neither dismissed nor accepted - but duly noted. A frown took his face then at her response. Thought escaped him in a bated sound as he stood straight once again with a low 'hm.'

"That's far too long. Allow me to treat you."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

Was he....

Was he asking her out?!

She blinked.

Arms uncrossed. A guy hadn't treated her in a long while. Kriff. Felix maybe. But he hadn't asked. He'd just assumed.

Did Rune just feel obligated because he hired her? She didn't know if the answer to that would make her feel more or less relieved.

"You asking me out? Because. You don't have to feel obligated to. I mean. You hired me to get you from point A to point B."

 

[Rune Shamalain]

Asking me out?

Obligation?

The man's eyes narrowed in thought, "It is not ... obligation. My obligation to you is to pay you for your services in the agreed upon tender. Anything and everything beyond that is purely selfless motive."

The corners of his lips ticked upwards, eyes following the motion as he considered his next words, "So ... yes, I suppose I am asking you out, if me wishing to spend time with you beyond the confines of your ship and service count as such."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

Previously narrowed eyes widened slightly. Lips parted.

Oh.

He really was.

Kinsey Starchaser hadn't been on a proper date since...well, a long time. And for once, her confidence was spinning on an axis. She could wrangle herself back in right? Yeah. Yes.

As long as she didn't think about Rune shirtless.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" She figured Rune of all folk would keep things professional if things didn't work out the way he....well, she didnt know what he was expecting to happen, if anything at all. "I don't even know," fingers picked absently at the collar of her jacket. Her favorite jacket. "What would I even wear?"

Obviously the more important question.

 

[Rune Shamalain]

"Yes, I am sure."

An amiable sort of smile approached his expression, politely withholding the outward amusement he felt. There was something uniquely pleasing about not being declined outright, and in watching her uncomfortably pick at her jacket.

He hadn't thought of that, but it hardly seemed an issue.

"Whatever you want. Whatever you feel comfortable in. If you have need for something different, I am happy to provide." No, didn't seem as though Kinsey would have the need to stow away pretty dresses on her ship. At a guess, she'd likely not partaken in an upscale outing in some time. Perhaps not ever - the thought of this caused his brow to furrow upwards slightly.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

Huh. He was sure.

It wasn't that she had a lack of self confidence. She was just too busy to think about things like that. Dating. Men. Plus. Sometimes it reminded her of her wild days, the bars and booze. The attention from men back then. She hadn't been a responsible teen and it had gotten her into A LOT of trouble.

Trouble she didn't want to repeat.

"Well," hand fell away from her spacer clothes,"I feel comfortable in this. I guess it depends on where we're going," she smiled.

She was hungry.

And tired.

She'd only gotten a quick nap since they started this journey. And caf would only do so much. But at this point, she was defintely more hungry than tried. And the way Rune looked at her. It was a good thing she wasn't a blusher.

"Want to take a ride into the city and find something?"

There was a cab stop at the end of the port. This city was interfering because it was built into one of the planet's legendary first. Industrial met massive trees and barks. They'd done a good job to work with nature rather than destroy it.

 

[Rune Shamalain]

Comfortable in her spacer clothes, no surprise there. Hands clasped at his front, Rune raised his brows at the woman and gave a short nod. He had no mind for forcing her into a place or situation she did not feel at ease in - that was beside the point of the endeavor. The point was to feed her real food and, perhaps, find her a real bed to sleep in for a night.

To spoil a woman who likely had never been spoiled before without ulterior motives.

"Very well," he smiled, "let us take a ride. We will eat at the first place we find."



Seated in a taxi speeder sailing through the skies, Rune watched building and tree pass him by in a strange dichotomy of nature meeting technology. He could not recall visiting a planet such as this before and found it to be peculiar.

"Look at that..." he said, blue eyes trailing a large building passing below, "they've constructed their buildings around the trees... how novel."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

The wind whipped through her hair like invisible fingers. It was an open-air speeder taxi. And there was something so refreshing about it, the smell of pine mixed with the smell of a fresh rain on pavement. She leaned across the man, slightly (again, Kinsey didn't usually have personal space issues), and looked out.

"Its brilliant. Probably reduces energy costs while creating its own unique charm for the tourism industry."

The pilot leaned back to her side, pulling up a local map from the screen embedded in the back of one of the front seats.

"Hm. Looks like there's a Satsuma's coming up just off the city center. How does that sound to you?"

It was a well-known chain that served a little bit of everything. Casual dining but not hole-in-the-wall dining and several steps above a pub. But still below a five-star, five course meal establishment. Kinsey was more than a little relieved that this place happened to be first. She was used to eating with one fork. Not ten.

The speeder slowed as it approached a wide square full of bustling foot traffic, a myriad of shops, hotels, and restaurants.

 

[Rune Shamalain]

"It sounds like the first place to be found."

Rune gave a small smile, perfectly complacent to keep his word. He paid the taxi as they came to a stop and stood from the speeder straightening his jacket and giving a cursory glance around the square. Seemed the planet had a good variety of offerings; just across the skylanes stood another restaurant called Couto Maroon. There a different sort of crowd than what could be seen coming and going from Satsuma's could be found.

He turned to join Kinsey as they walked in, stepping ahead to open the door for her, "You are familiar with this establishment?"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

She gave Rune a funny look. Not for his question but for his manners. The whole opening a door thing. It just threw her off.

"I've seen them around," she admitted as they were shown to a small table in the corner of the restaurant. "I prefer finding local dives when I eat off my ship. Maybe a farmer's market. But I rarely eat off my ship," she admitted, taking the seat that wouldn't put her back to the door. Old habits died hard.

There was an elderly Zeltron couple sitting across from them at another table and a twi'lek and human couple with three kids squeezed into a large booth at the opposite corner.

She scooped up one of the two menus on the table.

"You sure this place is okay for you? I mean. I noticed the," index and middle finger pointed down as she brought them up to her mouth in a fang-like gesture, "when I was cleaning your wounds. Wasn't sure what you ate."

 

[Rune Shamalain]

Rune felt eyes upon him as they followed the waitress to the table in the corner. It wasn't an unusual feeling, but he noted it all the same. It was a pleasant enough place - families and happy couples. Groups of friends enjoying a meal together, perhaps celebrating something. The ambiance was a welcoming one, the aroma of food on the air, the din of chatter.

It was certainly a far cry from local dives, though he suspected farmers markets weren't so bad.

He took up the remaining menu and folded it open but he hardly had a chance to look it over before -

HISS HISS.

Frozen steel turned upwards at the woman seated across from him, gaze narrowing at her display of play fangs.

Jaw setting, Rune gave a sniff at the display, "You've caught me, Miss Kinsey. I've only insisted on feeding you to ensure you're good and healthy for when I, inevitably, need to eat."

Brows lofted, the faint crease of mischief appearing in his expression, clearly he was jesting, "So long as meat is on the menu I can manage just fine." But his gaze lingered on her not unlike the looming gaze of a raltiir tiger stalking prey, perhaps on purpose just to see if she might squirm.

"What is it that you like to eat?"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

Instead of squirm, he'd find a lazy-smirk curl at her lips. And there it was again, Miss. "Okay, Mister Rune." Emphasis on the mister. "Trust me. It's not your fangs that worry me," blue eyes that seemed too big for her face sparkled with amusement.

"Almost anything. Well. Cooked and not blood tea," she winked at him from above the top of the menu. "I enjoy chips the most."

She was being honest.

"But since that's not sustainable for a healthy diet, it's obviously not what I eat as a main meal."

Atleast, not all the time.

"I think I'll go with the breakfast for dinner route. Nuna eggs, flat cakes, and strips of nerfcon." That Zeltron couple began kissing. They were elderly so it was sweet more than the inappropriate sucking face kind of way. Still. Their Pheremones seemed to be spreading.

She put the menu down, managing to look away. A Nautolan waitress came by, asking them what they wanted. She addressed Rune as 'honey.'

 

[Rune Shamalain]

The mischief stretched into a broader smirk but the man did not show his teeth. No, now he was self-conscious about them despite the fact that she did not seem to be frightened by them. He cleared his throat and quietly perused the menu.

"Chips..." took a moment to figure that one. His people didn't eat chips.

Menu folding closed, his eyes trailed off after Kinsey's gaze towards the zeltron lovers before shifting to the waitress, "Ladies first..." a gesture to Kinsey to let her order.

"The steak," he said, after she finished "rare, and water. Thank you."

And once the waitress was gone with the menus Rune crossed his arms upon the table and leaned forward, "What are chips?"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Rune Shamalain"]

"What?" She blinked at him and found her own arms crossed on the surface of the table as she leaned forward as well. "Only the greatest snack food in the known Galaxy."

No one ever said the girl's eating habits were healthy. Everything in moderation, right?! Kark straight.

"It's mostly a vehicle for salt. Or, salt and vinegar, barbecue, lime, truffle," voice trailed off. "If we find a vending machine after this, I'll treat you to a bag."

The waitress came back, depositing Rune's water and a steaming cup of Dac island tea for Kinsey. Arms uncrossed and she wrapped her fingers around the warm mug.

"Do you always dress like that?" Blues drifted down to his neatly tucked shirt and vest.

 

[Rune Shamalain]

Salt. Vinegar. Barbeque. Lime. Truffle.

How does a snack do so many things? Rune frowned in thought of other foods he knew to be used as vectors for other things. Tea came to mind. He did love tea - could chips be quite as satisfying as the customary ritual of brewing and steeping tea?

It behooved him not to judge until he'd given this ... snack its fair chance.

His eyes settled on the glass of water and then on the steaming mug of tea. Perhaps he should have ordered tea.

"Do you always dress like that?"

Rune uncrossed his arms, looking upon the sleeves of his jacket and then down to the vest and shirt beneath. There were many variations of wardrobe that he had at his disposal for differing settings, scenarios, purposes, most of which he'd not had need to wear since awaking in this new body.

"This..." he touched at the fine fabric of his jacket and the silver embroidery, "is what I am most comfortable in, but I dress for occasion and necessity."

His gaze drifted back up to Kinsey, brows raised in faint curiosity, "Does the way I dress offend you?"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

Tea mug was raised, partially hiding her facial expression. Lowering it, blues shot across the rim. "Your lack of wrinkles offends me."

Smile widened along her lips.

"In all seriousness, no. I just wonder how you keep your fabrics so crisp, especially after running through a seedy shadow port."

She took another sip of tea, corner of her mouth twitching.

"Please tell me you atleast packed comfortable pajamas." It was clear the comment was said in jest. This was how Kinsey operated. Keep things light. She found herself leaning in closer and blinked. Eyes drifted a second to that couple.

Must be the Pheremones.

She wrangled herself in.

 

[Rune Shamalain]

"My..." lack of wrinkles?

Rune looked again out of momentary confusion. What even? Then he supposed he understood. Kinsey, the wild and carefree pathfinder amidst the stars, couldn't fathom steaming a shirt to rid it of its wrinkles. Likely because, given her penchant for trouble it seemed, it'd be wrinkled in little time elsewise.

A low laugh escaped him, the humor evident by the shake of his shoulders and the creases at the corners of his eyes.

"The wonders of expensive fabric never cease to amaze," he replied, arms open as he gestured to himself before taking up his water for a drink. He watched her over the rim of his glass before setting it down again, noting the way her gaze drifted back to the Zeltron couple.

"Indeed, the most comfortable. I sleep in the nude."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Rune Shamalain"]

Nude.

And just like that a warm gulp of tea went down the wrong pipe. She immediately started coughing, coiling in on herself. Eyes welled with moisture. Throat felt on fire. A hand held up in Rune's direction, index pointer raised for the universal sign of 'give me a minute, I'm fine.'

She could feel the gaze of others around the restaraunt as she tried desperately to get the coughing under control.

"Whew, ahem, just swallowed funny," she cleared her throat once more for good measure. "Don't your feet get cold?" This time she held her tea and waited to take a sip for after he responded.