High By the Beach

[Marcus Tritum]

"Hello, is this the way to the pool?"

The crew member turned around. "Right to you- oh."

Those cheekbones. Wow.

"Right where?" He smiled disarmingly.

Are those wings?

"Uhm, up the hall and right to your left."

The white linen button down did not have much buttoning going on and his ruddy glow made for a sharp contrast.

"So to my left or to my right?"

"Left."

"Thanks."

Samuel Kato, show host and marketing manager extraordinaire, turned and kept walking down the hall, wings folded behind him. After his last show went horribly, horribly wrong he figured he needed a break from show biz. A company he did marketing for operated a bunch of cruise liners. He got free tickets every once in a while. Hadn't ever actually used one of them until now.

Cruise extravaganza from Fresia to Zeltros, with a few scenic stops along the way. Of course, the cruise liner itself was a world unto itself. They'd just lit off and now circled around Fresia.

The door to the pool slid open. First of all, it was gigantic. Second, the bottom of the pool was transparisteel. Sam could see right through the crystal clear waters and out into the void of space beyond.

He gave a low whistle and nodded appreciatively, then moved to the pool's edge. The Shaliz'na lay on a chair, envy green eyes roving over the pool's occupants, before coming back to an interesting copy of The Zeltros Inquirer he'd picked up on his way over. He lay back and flipped it open.

"Hm. Tessevan cheated on Gorleo? Unbelievable."

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

"Terin, I don't even own a bathing suit-"

"My lady, I can have one delivered in the appropriate-"

"Please don't."

It was, perhaps, over due. She had been planning on taking some time away, to herself- away from Blackwater, from Dosuun in general. Even from Maena. Not simply an evening off, but something more prolonged. When she's asked Terin, the Seneschal of Blackwater Reach, to arrange something, it had been a delightful surprise to find this cruise as one of the options on his list.

Irajah sighed.

"I don't need you to help me pack," she said, gently, reminding him that she wasn't helpless in that regard. In truth, she'd been a Baroness for less than six months- something Terin either forgot, or deliberately ignored to make himself more comfortable. Irajah assumed the later. After all, she had never seen him forget *anything* else.

"Of course," he said, inclining his head slightly. Then, deftly, he reached out, plucking the data pad she had just deposited on top. "But, I must insist that you go and relax. No work. No stress. Please."

She chuckled and threw up her hands in defeat.

"I'll try. That's the best I can promise."

"Well, then that will just have to do."

*****

Irajah Ven was comfortable as a Doctor. That world made sense to her. But she hadn't grown up in luxury- nothing like the state she found her life (strangely pleasant) in now.

So she was probably one of the few people on the ship who didn't simply take the accommodations for granted. Though it was only the first day, she already knew that she didn't particularly belong here- she also didn't particularly care. The smile on her face as she moved around the ship was bright, eyes drinking in the scenery. If she'd been there with someone like [member="Matsu Xiangu"] or [member="Aria Vale"], she might have been excitedly pointing out this or that. But for now, she kept the pleasant warmth of new places and new people set firmly in her center, and was perfectly content to watch as everything drifted around her.

Of course, her choice of clothes set her equally out of place, and no matter how Terin has insisted, she had firmly chosen her usual high necked, long sleeved garb for the trip. Even the formal gowns for dinners (she couldn't imagine anything more ridiculous than eating in formal wear simply because) had the same details. High collars, snugged up beneath the chin, and sleeves that reached to the middle of the back of her hands.

Short dark curls bounced around her face as she explored the ship, taking it all in. Stepping through an archway, she cocked her head as she wove through lounges to the side of the crystalline pool.

The view through the water took her breath away, and she *almost* regretted the lack of a swim suit. Almost.

"Now isn't that something," she murmured.

Without hesitating, she sat down at the edge of the pool. Removing shoes and socks, she rolled up her leggings to her knees and dipped her feet into the water.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

After a few more pages of reading proclamations about how First Order politico [member="Natasi Fortan"] was not only a clone but pregnant with Supreme Commander [member="Asharad Graush"]'s lovechild, Sam tossed the paper to the side.

"Garbage. What does it take to get a real scandal these days?"

Eyes the verdant pallor of Coruscanti cred chips fell on a lone figure by the pool.

Sam stood up and wandered over to her. The shadow of his wings fell across her figure as he stretched, yawned, and then flashed her his trademark blindingly white smile.

"How much does a Wampa weigh?"

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah was lost deeply enough in her own thoughts and musings that she didn't notice his approach until the shadow of his wings fell over her.

She looked up, a quizzical smile on her face, about to ask if she could help him or something. The sight of those wings however stopped her mid word, and she just looked up at him with some obvious level of surprise and interest.

His question didn't really help that.

Hazel eyes blinked in confusion for a moment, and she gave him a very bewildered smile as she shrugged a little helplessly.

"Um. I.... I admit I don't actually have any idea," she said with a slightly self conscious laugh.

She wasn't sure if it was a real question or the opening to a joke.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

Her brown-green eyes reminded him of the color of a forest floor. A shaded and refreshing escape from the ecumenapolises where he usually found himself living. Her gaze fixed a moment longer on his wings.

Kato's smile widened.

"Enough to break the ice."

Pause for polite laughter. One, two...

He extended a hand toward her. "Sam Kato, media consultant and vacation expert. You seem familiar, have you been on holovision before?"

Truthfully, Sam had no idea. But it was a great conversation starter.

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

He didn't get polite laughter.

He got a moment of blink blink followed by an 'are you karking serious' guffaw. But she was smiling and accepted his hand to shake instead of blowing him off, so it still had the desired effect.

"How's that one working out for you?" She asked, still chuckling as she looked up at him. It wasn't clear if she was referring to the initial 'ice breaker' or the 'have I seen you on the holonet' line.

She didn't get up from where she sat, dangling her legs in the water. Feet kicking absently, Irajah was perfectly relaxed and amused.

"Irajah Ven," she supplied before starting to draw her hand back. "And if you saw me on the holonet, I'd sure like to know because I missed that memo."

She paused, looking him up and down for a moment, hazel gaze settling on his wings again. He was probably used to it, but she brought her gaze back deliberately to his face.

"And I promise, if we'd met before, I'd remember. Vacation expert? What, precisely does something like that entail?"

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

"Years of practice."

And numerous plugs on his holovision network.

Honestly, if she didn't recognize him as a media host now, she probably had never seen his show. Not surprising. Flightful Fancies hadn't been on the holo that long. Still, it was a little ego shrinking, being reminded that the galaxy was so big that there were probably ten "Sam Katos" with a taungsday night show.

The way she spoke indicated an education, which given the expensive cruise they were on might not have seemed all that surprising except that several hours prior Sam had encountered a really gross Aqualish accompanied by two twi'leks. The snippets from that conversation, notably "Ho ho ho, Narbo treat you well, chika youngee," definitely indicated money, but uh, not the the legal kind.

Also, did she just make a pass at him, or was that her making fun of his obvious non-humanness?

He raised an eyebrow. "And, Miss Ven..."

Sam slipped out of his shirt and left it on the side of the pool, then sat down and slid into the water. Cold, but refreshing. His wings dipped beneath the surface. They would take hours to fully dry out, but the beauty of a vacation was that he didn't have to worry about that.

"It works better than you might think," he grinned, brought his arms up and rested them on the lip of the pool rather near to her dangling legs. "So if you aren't in the holovids, what is it you do when not on cruise?"

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah settled both of her hands behind her, leaning back slightly and head tilted up as she watched, unabashed as he removed his shirt and slipped into the water. Just how heavy those wing would become when wet, she had no idea, but she imagined quite a bit.

She didn't move to put distance between them when he came up right next to her thighs, only turning her head down to make continued conversation easier. Her feet moved slowly in the water, not splashing but just barely shuddering the surface of the water as one reached to nearly the surface before coming down and replaced by the other.

Laughter again. Not at him, but in amusement nonetheless.

"I'm a Doctor actually," she said with a grin.

The initial ice breaker line. The over the top 'innocent' question of if she was in the holos. A certain look in his eyes and the set of his shoulders all screamed 'flirt'. Irajah didn't particularly mind, but it was amusing how often that answer to what she *did* usually sent someone like that scurrying the other way in search of someone a little more in the 'bimbo' market.

She tilted her head the other way, watching him with a small smirk on the corner of her lips and wondering which was he'd bolt or if there was a chance for this conversation.

"Years of practice as a vacation expert? How are you enjoying this cruise then? I don't have a lot to compare it to, but does it meet with your approval so far?"

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

Aha, now there's a laugh.

"My approval?" Kato raised his eyebrows, then leaned his head closer conspiratorially and spoke out of the side of his mouth. "Technically I'm contractually obligated to say yes, buuuut," he shrugged one shoulder. "I could think of a few ways it could be improved. Besides, we only just pushed off from port."

So, she was a doc. Made sense. He could see the spark of intelligence in her studying gaze. Probably just wondering about the anatomy of his wings and the bone composition and density.

...

Or maybe not.

"Much more relaxing on the to do list."

Sam Kato, a case study in urchin to beau in twenty-seven years, stretched out both his wings and his arms in an exaggerated motion.

"Hey, eyes up here, Doc."

***

Of course, at this point in time, Samuel Kato did not recall a seemingly innocuous conversation with a nice lady on a turbo lift. The nice lady, it turns out, was an Intergalactic Banking Clan agent working in the fraud & embezzlement department. Something in that conversation made her a bit suspicious of the man with the big smile who had appeared on her radar out of nowhere and could afford Chase Luxury suits with the pearl buttons and gold thread tie. If Sam knew that at this very moment that "nice lady" was conducting an inquiry into his account history his opinions on the to do list would be quite different. Quite different indeed.

But that is neither here nor there.

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

"Oh? Well, besides more relaxing, what's it missing?"

Raj didn't really go on a lot of vacations. Never on a cruise like this. She's grown up perfectly comfortable, but not wealthy by any stretch, and it was only recently that she had more money than she really knew what to do with. So this all seemed perfectly grand as far as she was concerned. Which made her wonder just what *more* there could possibly be.

The sheer novelty of the turn around on his last comment brought up a bubble of laughter and she shook her head, spreading her hands out in front of her, palms up in apology.

"I didn't mean to stare, that's incredibly rude and I'm sorry," she said. Her tone was cheerful but sincere. "Won't happen again."

She brought her gaze deliberately back to his face.

"Is it rude to tell you that you have an.... impressive wing span?"

She quenched the curious part of her- the part that wanted to actually run her finger tips over the feathers just to see if they were actually as soft as it looked. That, she knew, was beyond rude in any situation. Well. Maybe not any. But *certainly* this one.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

Kato snorted and let out a chuckle.

"No, that's actually-" he stopped himself, then shook his head slightly. "Usually the reviews are, ah, not so favorable?..." The mediahead trailed off, water lapping around him.

"Sam Kato, lost for words. Imagine that." He brought a hand up and scratched behind his head. "Let's just say people see my face and think I'm another human, see the wings, and then get a little put-off. Your, uh, anatomical interest is much more preferable."

He winked.

"Anyway, let's get that spotlight off me," not that he minded it in the least, "You going to show some feather and hop in?"

It would be a lie to say there was not a lilt of curiosity in his tone and a glint in his eye. He was only a man, after all, and not a very good one at that.

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

"That's a shame," she said simply. "Neither of my parents were full human, but I pass. I don't know what other people are thinking, but your wings are beautiful."

If it was the wrong word for a man's wings, she had no idea whatsoever, not did she particularly care. She was being sincere.

Of course, the sincerity gave way to a certain flush a moment later, but she did laugh, shaking her head. It was less what he asked and more the look in his eye (and didn't she know that look well), that brought the red to her face. But she was smiling and didn't leave- it didn't bother her in the slightest.

"I don't swim," she said quickly, which was partly true. She'd never had a chance to learn. "Didn't bring a suit," she added with an apologetic shrug. The why of that was irrelevant.

"So I guess I'll just have to get my kicks from watching you then, won't I?" She teased, leaning back on her hands behind her, feet kicking gently in the water.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

The words left her lips just a touch too fast, followed by the sort of half-baked excuse he had seen in dozens of interviews. Pale green eyes narrowed ever-so slightly above an unwavering smile. A lie? No. Just probably not the whole truth. He thought about pressing her, then mentally shrugged. She wasn't sitting on the Taungsday Night hot seat. No reason to grill the good doctor over her reluctance to take a dip.

"Oh will you?" He replied with equal coyness, floating closer to the wall and incidentally closer to her. "Unfortunately," he grunted, pulling himself up and out of the water, which was easier said than done with soaking wet wings. "The supernova event is scheduled to happen soon and I wouldn't want to miss that."

He started to towel off. "What about you, planning on staring at your reflection some more or in the mood for something a bit more cosmic?"

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

"Quick dip," she observed. But she tilted her head with interest when he mentioned an event of some sort.

Terin had mentioned something about a schedule of events for the cruise, but Raj hadn't even had a chance to look at it yet. She was amused and entertained enough just being here that the idea of needing an outside source of either of those things had seemed over the top. But she was enjoying the conversation and company, and that alone was enough to capture her attention.

"I haven't looked at the schedule," she admitted, a touch chagrined. "Supernova Event?"

She stood up, shaking the water off of her feet. It had been largely masked by the fact that she'd been sitting, and he'd been either standing and towering or in the water, but she was a full foot shorter than him. Looking up to continue a conversation was entirely normal for her however, so she wasn't particularly bothered by it.

"How about this, I'll walk with you, and you can sell me on it. Maybe I'll stick around for it then," she said with a grin.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

The broad, holo-perfect smile returned. Kato's wings flapped once in a rush of wind and a spray of droplets. A passerby got sprinkled and glared. Sam's eyebrows rose and he mouthed a "sorry."

He didn't say anything after at first, busy donning his loose, white button-down and yet somehow forgetting to button the thing. Again. Finally, he tossed the towel into a bin and turned back to [member="Irajah Ven"].

"Deal, but I'll have you know I do this for a living."

Good job, Sam. Set the bar high.

Not commenting on her height, or lack thereof, Sam attempted to keep the conversation flowing smoothly as he walked toward the pool's exit. Some people hated small talk, but after dozens of holovised interviews, Kato found the questions were only as banal as you made them. Besides, who did not enjoy some light banter? Great with croutons and a kashyyyk salad.

One of the many differences between the cruise liner and a warship was that the corridor leading to the observation deck was not only spacious but also offered an incredible view of the stars via long panels of transparisteel. Much better than the narrow, windowless hall on a frigate.

"What do you think about when you think of stars?" He pointed with a wing toward one of the viewing panels. "Balls of gas, burning billions, and billions of lightyears away? The twin suns orbiting Tattooine maybe? Most cultures have been obsessed with suns since the beginning of time. It provides life and light. Some civilizations think they are gods. Worship them. But every fifty years, out there in the void, one of those stars dies. We call it a supernova. A god's death."

Nice. Very morbid. Love it.

 

[Kuzo]

He'd find Irajah an attentive audience. In part it was simply the fact that she enjoyed people. Being around them. Part was also the subject- someone had once described her as a black hole for knowledge, and astronomy was one of the topics she had never really put a lot of thought into. She hadn't been a child that had gazed up at the stars and dreamed of far away places. The last year had changed her, yes, but other than to note that it was certainly pretty, she had rarely spent time really contemplating the stars.

Not with the enthusiasm he was presenting them with anyway.

Even if the subject wasn't one she had much considered, she was more than willing to give him credit where it was due.

"And this cruise.... what? Coincides with one? A deliberate scheduling choice or something they're simply happy to take advantage of do you think?"

They moved through the corridors, plush carpet muffling their foot falls. While she listened to him talk, sometimes her gaze was on him, yes, but it also wandered, perfectly content to take in the sights as they walked.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

"Oh," Kato chuckled, "You'd think it was a coincident just from reading the pamphlet."

The hall was surprisingly empty. Most people were probably on the observation deck already. Thank the stars for that. Sam loved a crowd as much as the next guy, but a vacation was supposed to be tranquil. Centering? Something along those lines.

The bulkhead's sleek white surface gleamed from the dim lighting overhead. The corridor curved slightly up ahead. They passed an expansive looking vase sitting in an alcove. Sam felt the carpeting beneath his bare feet. Better than grass. Plus, no bugs.

"I would bet good money on this being planned."

He frowned and slowed to a stop as they approached the bend, which featured another expansive panel of transparisteel. The ship had already dropped out of hyperspace. Outside, Kato could see the very distant supernova: a kaleidoscope of colors. His gaze shifted to look at the woman standing next to him. Strands of her dark hair draped down, obscuring part of her face. Wandering eyes slipped down, tracking the curve of her neck and -

Ahem.

"You know. If I was a betting man."

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

To say that Irajah was enamoured of new experiences would be an understatement. And it was an enjoyment she'd rarely had a chance to indulge in lately- at least, as far as pleasant experiences went.

So coming around the curve to the sight of the distant, dying star brought an actual pause to her step for a moment. Just long enough to change direction and move toward the transparent bulkhead. She missed the look her gave her, her attention on the supernova, though she still caught his words.

"Well, I don't say that I blame them," she murmured.

Absently, she placed a hand on the inner curve of the wall, finger tips slightly curved against the smooth surface. Despite the title she rarely used, she wasn't a bored socialite, raised in luxury- she hadn't seen it all twice and was already bored. That coupled with natural curiosity left her, if not awed, at least a little reverential as she looked out onto the view.

"Every fifty years or so?" She asked over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off of the breathtaking view. "So you've never seen this before either? It's..... it's beautiful," she admitted softly.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

"Yeah," Kato's voice came out almost a whisper. He wasn't looking at the event.

"But no," he turned his head, looking back out the viewport. "I've never seen one. Not like this."

Jedi, world leaders, celebrities? Sam met dozens of them through his show. A few of the interactions felt real. Most though, most felt like empty gestures. Laughter a bit too forced, smiles too wide. People who just went through the motions, their reactions planned to a tee. Sam's job was to try and pull them off their scheduled reactions to try and get something explosive for the holocams. Something real.

Watching this Doctor Ven, he saw only sincerity. A sort of wide-eyed appreciation for the galaxy that was hard to come by in the Core Worlds. A welcome surprise for a man used to the jaded indifference of people who went to Mon Calamari Operas every Zhellday night just to talk.

They'd stopped moving. Sam stood just a step behind her and to her right. He leaned forward and pointed over her shoulder, "Right there is the center. It could collapse and form a blackhole, or it could become a neutron star. There's another story though, that at the heart of every nova a starbird is born."

Kato smiled, remembering the childhood tale. "You're still here. Sold?"

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

"Mhmm," she murmured, her tone still appreciative, if a little distant. But since it was focused on the thing he'd brought her here to see, well.

"Definitely sold."

It took a moment to register the other part of what he'd said, but when she did she shot him an interested look over her shoulder.

"While I recognize a children's story when I hear one, what's a starbird? I'm not familiar with that one."

In truth, Irajah's experiences with children's stories was... unconventional. The stories told to her in her own childhood were not the ones common in the rest of the galaxy. She hadn't realized it until the last year or so just how unconventional it had been. It was interesting (and occasionally disconcerting) to discover what a 'normal' fable actually looked like. She wasn't often in a situation to have them brought up, however, and even less often in a setting she could ask about it. But this was a vacation, yes? No rush, no bustle, no serious over arching problem that needed her attention and seriousness right now, no waiting!

She turned halfway toward him, leaning her shoulder lightly against the transparent bulkhead. It made it possible to give him her attention while still appreciating the sight outside.

@Kato