Private Deep-Fried Determination

[Jasper Kai'el]

Denon
Tags: Marissa Shoda

"I'm gonna get you back for that, master Jedi."

A mischievous grin spread across his face when she said this, bumping him with her hip.

"Master Jedi?" he noted, scratching at the bridge of his nose. "Didn't know I got a promotion."

As Marissa ran off to get more snacks, Jasper had an opportunity to claim a prize. Nothing really stood out. It was mostly cheap junk that could be bought at a store for a few credits (not that he had credits to spend most days), but something did catch his eye. As he claimed it, the CorpSec officer returned, more food in hand. He immediately found a fried sausage on a stick offered to him, which he took, all while Marissa lamented about how the cotton candy was going to make her sick.

"So, what reward did you pick?"

"Oh, right," he nodded, turning to show what he had picked. It was a container of street fireworks, the kind that didn't do much more than shoot sparkles into the air. "Just grabbed these. Thought it might be fun to find a concrete roof and light a few off." He began to grin and continued, "Unless you're worried about starting another fire."

 

[Marissa Shoda]

At the sight of the fireworks, a mischievous grin took hold as Marissa looked it over. "Oh please, people start fires with less." She quipped as she closed the distance between them, giving him a nudge with her shoulder. "We're definitely going to set those off. After today, I'd say we both deserve a celebration." She commented before taking another bite.

The rest of the amusement park was a surprisingly pleasant experience. Some of the rides and stalls were quite underwhelming, but others were a ton of fun. The increasing competition between her and Jasper was also turning into a blast. "Don't worry, you'll earn the master title someday." Marissa remarked as she rested a sledgehammer on her shoulder. Despite her small frame, she had managed to hit the bell at the top of a long rail. "Just gotta grow big and strong." She teased with a smug grin as she leaned against him for a second, their faces only inches apart.

"I'm not sure what else there is to do around here... wanna come to my place and set those fireworks off?" She asked him as she glanced over her shoulder. "If we're lucky, we'll get a cop to come knocking." She snickered, though the officer calmed down tremendously as she looked up at him for a moment.

"This was nice. Thanks, Jasper... I... haven't really done anything like this before. It's been really fun." She admitted with a sincere smile. Her arm wrapped around his waist as she walked with him, carrying half of their spoils in her free hand.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Denon
Tags: Marissa Shoda

Jasper liked the sound of going back to her place and lighting off a few fireworks. Something a little more laid back after how competitive the two of them had gotten over the games at the amusement park. As they began to wrap up, he felt a hand go around his waist. Marissa looked up at him with a genuine smile that made the Jedi feel all fuzzy inside.

"This was nice. Thanks, Jasper... I... haven't really done anything like this before. It's been really fun."

"I'm glad we did," he nodded, putting his free organic arm around her waist. "I... think this is the first time I've done something like this too. I-I mean, a part of that is just cause I'm a nervous mess... but you're real unique. I've never met anyone like you before."

How had it happened so fast? There was a certain way that she Shoda composed herself and weaved words that enthralled him. If this was Sith Alchemy, he frankly didn't care.

"Marissa, I..." he began, pausing for a moment before finding the right words, "I wanna do this again sometime. With you. Anything, really..."

Jasper became red in the face, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"What do people usually do when they get this far?" he asked, semi-serious, semi-jokingly. "Trade numbers?"

 

[Marissa Shoda]

With a bashful laugh the officer shook her head as she glanced away. "Sounds like we had a couple first times today, huh?" She quipped. "Dunno what's so interesting, though. I'm just a street kid with a badge and a gun, nothing special over here." She smirked at him as she gently nudged him.

Feeling him slow, Marissa paused and turned to look at him with a curious expression as he stumbled over his words. As he went on, a mischievous smile spread along her lips until she stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. She held the kiss for a long moment before pulling back to look at him. "Something like that, yeah." She teased. "Though I don't think people also usually go to each other's houses to set off fireworks... works for me, though." She took his hand and led the way back to the speeder, immediately taking off towards her apartment.

The neighborhood was far from stellar by any stretch of the imagination, though it was a few steps above some other districts on Denon. Leading him into the modest apartment, Marissa tossed her badge and gun on the kitchen counter and grabbed a beer from the fridge for the two of them. "Fire escape is the quickest way up." She commented as she waited for him.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Denon
Tags: Marissa Shoda

Jasper had been kissed on the lips before. The last time it had gone terribly. It was out of the blue, from a then stranger, and he had been too stunned to even react. Now it was different. He was still nervous. Hell, he had been nervous all night. But when she finally leaned up and did it, he let it happen, leaning in ever so slightly. As she pulled away, Jasper felt his bones practically melt away. The inside of him felt like Jelly. Rather than shock, however, all there was on his face was a huge, childish smile.

"Something like that, yeah." She teased. "Though I don't think people also usually go to each other's houses to set off fireworks... works for me, though."

"I like that," he decided, still a bit dazed.

Soon, they were off to her at her home, a nice apartment all things considered, especially compared to the basic housing options on the planet. of course, he lived in his ship, so there was very little space for him to judge. Marissa grabbed beers for the two of them then informed that the quickest way up to the roof was the fire escape.

"Y'know, usually fire escapes are for avoiding fire, not going to it," Jasper remarked with a grin. "Then again, this place is filled with ninja cyborgs and Holoflick cosplayers. Not the strangest thing ever."

As he followed her, he couldn't help but keep from smiling. His experiences on Denon had always been terrible, but now he never wanted to leave. If only.

 

[Marissa Shoda]

"Hey, look on the bright side! If the place does catch fire, we might have something healthier to breathe." Marissa snickered as she clambered up the stairwell of the fire escape. "And trust me... ninja cyborgs and cosplayers are the more normal types you can meet on Denon." She continued, sparing him a glance. "Occasionally you can find funky wizards with snazzy rave lights running around." She teased before climbing onto the roof.

Once situated, Cricket set the fireworks up and handed him a beer as she stepped back and found a seat for them on a nearby ventilation duct. Except her moment of comfort didn't last very long as she stared at the fuse. "Um... you wouldn't have a light on you by any chance? I completely forgot to grab a lighter from the kitchen." She asked with an embarrassed chuckle as she set the beer aside.

Whether he had a trick up his sleeve, or she had to find a lighter, the fireworks were eventually lit and Marissa tucked against him with beer in hand in preparation for the fireworks. The fuse sizzled closer to the box, eventually disappearing inside...

The resulting display was disheartening.

Tiny trails followed by small bangs barely bright enough to even light the rooftop up. The neon signs and street lights seemed brighter. Marissa watched with raised eyebrows as she fought to keep her laughter to herself, eventually failing miserably as she leaned against Jasper with a giggle. "I wasn't really sure what to expect." She muttered as she sat up and finished her beer.

Looking at him, however, her smile returned immediately as she leaned in to give him another kiss. "Still... nobody said it can't be romantic, huh?" She quipped, leaning right back in. She was likely moving a bit too fast, especially for the nervous Jedi, but she hardly cared.

With a job like hers on a planet like Denon, she was likely already nearing the end of her life expectancy. She was going to make the most of this thing between them, whether it lasted a week or a decade.

"One thing I really wanna get off my bucket list, though..." She muttered as she stared up at him with empty, cybernetic eyes. Her words, however, cut short for the moment with the ratcheting clicks of a pair of binders. "Is nab myself a Jedi..." She continued as she lifted his cybernetic arm with the other end of her binders.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Denon
Tags: Marissa Shoda

"Um... you wouldn't have a light on you by any chance? I completely forgot to grab a lighter from the kitchen."

"Yeah, I got it," he nodded.

Jasper had many things that could light a fuse. In this instance, however, a lightsaber would do. It was a bit extra, but it got the job done, resulting in a show that was... less than amazing. He had gotten them from a carnival game. What was there to expect? As Marissa burst out into a fit of giggles, Jasper couldn't help but react the same. She reasoned that it could still be romantic, leaning up and kissing him again.

"Then I guess that makes it the best fire works I've ever seen," Jasper decided, briskly pecking her on the cheek.

He took a moment to reflect on everything that had lead him to this point. Jasper wasn't the boy who had reluctantly gone back to the temple anymore, the one who was terrified of the thoughts of everyone around him. It was hard to say where his journey had truly started. Empress Teta, the Gala, just meeting those who would become his friends... It was clear that he had grown a lot. There was no way Jasper could've done anything like this a year ago. Maybe he was ready to become a knight...

"One thing I really wanna get off my bucket list, though..."

Suddenly, Jasper found himself in binders. Nab herself a Jedi... He thought about the implications of it for a moment, sort of just blankly staring at her, but only briefly.

"Okay," he finally said, "So I've decided that I'm not against this."

 

[Marissa Shoda]

For a moment, Marissa wondered if she really did go a little too far with her bad joke. His blank stare had her smile faltering little by little... at least until he spoke up and her bright grin came right back. Standing up, Cricket tugged him along down the fire escape and back to her apartment.

"Good! Otherwise this would have gotten a bit awkward." She snickered away. Once inside her modest apartment, Marissa yanked him closer into a kiss as she made her way to her bedroom. "Don't worry, I'll stick us for breakfast." She joked as the door closed behind them.

As far as days went, she hadn't had one like this in a very long time. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled this much, let alone unwind. Having a cute guy who was interested in her was simply a bonus she never thought she would have. No amount of zeroes in her account could ever give her the same amount of sheer joy she felt.

It was all thanks to a nervous guy with a robotic arm and a laser sword. She was never a religious person to begin with, believing in anything other than the almighty credit on Denon was ridiculous.

And yet, when she whipped up some noodles with cheese and ham for them the next morning, she couldn't help but think this was some kind of miracle.

All it took was a life threatening inferno and the offer of a meal...

Jasper Kai'el