Responsibility

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The spider walk of her fingers would follow the curve of his elbow, pausing for the moment there to do a finger swivel of steps in place. His apology had shifted her focus. There was a subtle movement, and Kaile would slide her head back a bit, trying to get a better sight of Asmus. The bruising was starting to turn purple, but the inflammation wasn't as severe as it could have been without the bacta.

"Don't apologize." the young woman wrapped around him said, her voice a clear sound in the hum of the air recycler. "I'm glad I was able to help." she told him plainly. And she was. if she hadn't then who knows what might have happened.

"A ball?" she repeated, her eyes widening a bit. Truth be told, Kaile hadn't ever been to anything fancy like that. She enjoyed dressing up though, but that came few and far in between. That attire would be dependant on her mission at hand, and honestly, the dresses weren't really hers and they never had enough frills for her taste. Wearing a dress was one of the few times she felt girly, all dolled up. However, her kind of life wouldn't give any real chances of going to any kind of ball.

"No. ain't ever been to one." she confessed a bit sheepishly, but it was the way she said it that made one understand that she would really like to. "I take it you have?"

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Oh yeah, plenty,” Asmus replied. “It’s so old fashioned, but every family is expected to hold them. As I said, the merchant families tend to be a bit less reserved about them. The boys tend to start being brought along from about ten-ish. Residing family members who pick the short straw have to keep them from causing too much trouble,” Asmus said, it seemed mischief was never far from his expression.

The arm on the opposite side to Kaile shifted slightly and he used his elbow to slightly twist his torso to look down to face her. “’Course the merchants aren’t like the nobles. Not like they have arranged marriages an’ all. However they still don’t like the girls turn up until around fourteen. The events tend to get a bit rowdy late in the night, but there’s still scandal. Ooh so much scandal,” he added, his expression making clear he was going back over some fond memories.

“I haven’t been back to one for a while. Odd thing really, we were kind of family outcasts, but recently – what with the Merchant Fleet – and the border clampdowns having a smuggling business on the side has become quite popular among the merchant classes.

“You should come to one with me,” he said easily. Asmus rarely thought things through much before he acted on ideas, let alone expressed them. “You’d need an elaborate dress mind. Current fashion is tight bodice, bit of cleavage but a bi-ig wavy dress. Turquoise and fuchsia are in. For men trends move slowly. Bright waistcoats and colourful cravats are still the norm.”

With one hand he pulled his personal device from his pocket, moving the screen out of her view. There was absolutely no need for her to see that his bookmark page was comprised of clothing sites and unsavoury things. “Like this and this,” he said, flashing her the screen.

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

If there ever was a way for Asmus to perk Kaileann up, it was through pretty dresses. Kaile would never have the amount of credits to indulge in a dress as pretty as the one the scoundrel showed her, but boy did her face light up at that. Certainly more than it had in the past twenty four hours. The hand that had done its idle spiderwalk would reach to adjust the datapad, an expression of whimsical wonder bathing her face.

"Ohhh..." her low hush of awe would widen her brown eyes and shape her lips into an 'o' of wonder. "Now ain't that pretty." she said, her fingers slightly adjusting the image, zooming in for a closer look. "It come all wide from her waist... like a bell!"

Kaile adjusted a bit closer, enraptured by the dress and the color and the prospect of a ball. He was kind, but Kaile knew that wouldn't ever be for her. However, it was a nice little play pretend. Even if the most she could do was windowshop through his datapad, imagining herself in such a fine dress.

"Her waist is so tiny!"

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Probably corseted. Leave me your contact details and I'll see if i get another invite this century," he said, lips twisting into a smile. "Anyone can have fun at a merchant ball, long as you like cards, complaining about tibanna and bacta prices, or getting so drunk you can barely dance. Not like those nobles. So dull. They like slinky black dresses, masks and canapés. Getting stone drunk at a noble ball is considered really bad taste. Odd people, odd people."

You could take the upper middle class boy out of his culture, but it seemed you couldn't take a few thousand years of cultural barriers out of him. "Yeah..." he said, looking whimsically towards the ceiling. "...I could get you a dress, they wouldn't expect me to come along with anyone half as pretty as you. Would really wind up my cousins," he said. The naive boy entirely meant it too. Clothes shopping was a particular pleasure for him and he actually had credits to burn. Business has been good for the operation over the past two years and he didn't really have anything to spend it on. Kairon took the cut out of their jobs to keep the ship running, so he didn't have utilities or rent to pay. Couldn't buy anything he couldn't fit in his small room and there was only so much you could spend during the long voyages.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

A corset?! Kaile knew what those were, but she never had to wear them. Pretending to be a waitress in several diners, drive-ins, and dives didn't quite have corsets as the uniform of choice. Even the Yum Bunnies uniform was a simple white t-shirt and black short-shorts with a small bunny tail. They didn't even wear heels, but plain black comfortable shoes due to all the walking and standing.

Something fancy like this? Yeah, not something Kaile would ever, or could ever imagine wearing. So when Asmus offered wholeheartedly to invite her and get her a dress for the next time there was a ball, a small bit of warmth bloomed within Kaile's chest. The right corner of her mouth gave an upward perk, and her expression softened. He was like a younglin really, so very excitable and so eager to do all the things he could. That he would offer to bring her so freely, compliment her by saying she was pretty, reinforced her opinion of the young man.

Things rarely ever do come to pass as one wish, Kaile knew that all the more now than before. After what happened with Kurt, she knew that not everything came to pass as one would wish. None the less, Kaile's hand fell from his datapad, coming to rest upon his chest. A second later, she went leaning forward again, and gave him another light kiss on his cheek.

"You are too sweet, Asmus." she told him,complimenting him. "You have a good heart." warmth shone from her eyes, and she meant it. She didn't say anything about giving him her contact information, but perhaps he wouldn't notice. The hand upon his chest gave a slight little rub, moving up and down before slowing into a light scratch.

"What kind of dances are at the ball?"

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]
It didn't escape his notice that she didn't immediately agree to the notion, but then nothing much took the wind out of Asmus’ sails. Perhaps it simply wasn't feasible for her. For a moment he started to wonder who she even was. Then the kiss on the cheek registered, bringing some colour to the base of his neck. All his muscles relaxed as she continued to run her hands over his chest.

Instead of thinking he decided just to continue indulging her imagination. She was enjoying that at least. “Yeah they tend to start out more formal and end up much a drunken ruin,” he said another glint in his eye. “You dance much?”

His hand gently moved down from arm to waist. Probably shouldn't have done that as he immediately considered moving it down and skirting the line of her trousers. Instead he moved it a few inches higher and round her back. This was all still a bit bemusing.

 

[Kaile Vera]

@Kaileann Vera

"Just a few jigs," Kaile would reply, continuing on her little light scratch over his chest. Kaile loved dancing. She may not have been formally taught, but if one brought music into the scene, Kaile was the first one on her feet and the last one to stop. She would sway, she would twirl, she would lift up her hands and throw her entire body into it. It also helped she was a Lorrdian and was able to pick up steps through mimicry fairly quickly.

"I love to dance," she confessed, much like a youngling to another, her voice low and muted. "And sing." Up her hand went, making little wiggles of her fingers as she would continue to elaborate, "Just go round and round, faster and faster. Makes me feel as if I'm floating in air and ohhh so light headed." Her right leg went sliding up, moving itself over Asmus's leg, curling herself to his side.

"I bet a ball would be ever so pretty. All the dresses and everyone all dolled up." she could only imagine it, aided by Asmus's tale and description. "It sounds like a lovely time."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Oh in which case you'd love it. You can pretty much dance til your legs give in and the host generally just brings drinks out for people. You can just keep going," he continued.

"I always loved the Kasta. Lots of spinning, a firm grip of the waist and you'd literally be floating in the air. Hmm comfy here," he remarked. "Could definitely go for a nap if I didn't have work to do. So you sing?" he asked, not moving a muscle.

His room was tiny, but they had a cargo hold free. He could teach her the steps. However the Kasta also involved quite a lot of contact that was...well it wasn't as innocuous as the way they were touching now, as close as that was. There was a reason the kids weren't allowed to dance it, and the nobles saw it as unbelievably uncouth. Which was of course why it was popular at every merchant ball.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"You have work to do?!" Her eyes went wide, as she suddenly recalled that there were things to do on the ship and that this wasn't the Messa. Others had responsibilties to take care of, like Asmus, and she was being selfish in that. Kaile didn't want to get him in trouble at all.

Kaile suddenly shot up. Perhaps a bit too fast because due to the angle of the bulkhead, the crown of her head gave a loud crack.

"OWWW!" she hissed out, hands immediately coming up to her head at the shaft of pain that spread across it. Tears stung in her eyes and she shut them tightly, ducking her head so as to avoid knocking it again.

Oh Kaile, such a silly girl.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Asmus winced and sucked in air through his teeth. "Oops," he said before smiling once more. His body protested at being forced to move again. He hadn't though once could enjoy cuddling so much with clothes on.

"That looked like it hurt," he admitted as he slid out of the cubby and quickly stepped past her. "You'd almost be better off if we set you up with a bed in the spare Cairo bay!" Outside the room he opened a cabinet to pull out a case of tools.

"Right, work then. If you help up can be done quick time and find something else to do before Kairon comes and finds me," he said, passing her a small instrument. It looked like the otoscopes doctors used to check the ear. In fact it was a microscanner so they could check for fractures in the pipes.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Tchtchtchtch." came the cluck of her tongue, the pain starting to wane. Over her head, she could already feel the swell of a growing lump. Figures. Blinking away those tears of pain, she barely heard Asmus mention about a spare bed and then working together. Another rub and she gave a grimace.

Well that was one way to shock them into doing something other than holding up in his room.

"Okay." she agreed. Sliding her legs off the bed, she set them down on the floor. Carefully, she drew herself up to her full height. "What exactly do you need to get on with?" she asked him. As long as she had a few tools, she would do fine. Just needed to know what exactly she was getting herself into.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Right then," Asmus said as he headed up the ladder above Kaile and into the general living quarters.

"Don't rush, by all means!" came a shout from the cockpit.

"We're looking for microfractures in the fuel tanks and pipes. Hold than and keep the button pushed down and run the pointy end along any seams or imperfections in the metal. If it beeps, let me know. And that's it," he sighed. Menial work, his least favourite thing. "Like any particular kind of music?" he asked as he led them down a long corridor that ran between the main cargo bays to the engineering section of the ship.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile just needed a couple of minutes to make sure she wasn't about to teeter over. Satisfied that all she had was a lump for her troubles and a mild bit of embarrassment, the young woman set her hands on the rungs and began her climb. Her head popped out into the cockpit, and in no time, she was ambling by the talkative scoundrel.

He was full of so many stories, so energetic too. To a degree, he reminded her of herself. It was looking a her reflection about two weeks ago. Would she be able to be as energetic again? The thought alone made her wonder.

That's when he mentioned music. Kaile's sad smile would broaden.

"I do. Five-Hundred Parsecs is good. I also like Small Town Tatooine Girl," a pause. Really these were all classics, a few that were in Kurt's mp3 player. " Summer of 469."

The more she spoke about the songs she enjoyed, the brighter she became, "Sith Zone!"

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Karaoke girl are we?" Asmus replied, turning to face her. Walking backwards he almost missed a step and stumbled, covering his mistake with a sudden pirouette. "Oops," he laughed. He led her to the mezzanine floor above the main engineering deck. There was a desk on one side with a terminal, on the other side was a wide screen and a gaming machine underneath, with a few fold-out chairs resting against the side. His X-wing versus TIE fighter came was on visible underneath the machine. There was also a sound system there. He snatched up the control unit which was the size of a personal databad and held it out to her. The mez floor overlooked the hyperdrive, the fuel tanks and a great deal of internal systems. It was something of a maintenance headache having databanks at the front and mechanics at the back, but it kept the computers nice and cool and meant there was room for maintenance back here.

"Alright, you can pick the music. Long as we keep a hyperwave connection you can stream what you want, otherwise you'll have to see what's in the library." With that he slung the back over his shoulder once more and slid down the ladder to the engineering deck floor. His eyes flicked up for just a moment as should would step out onto the ladder above him.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“Okay… “

A thought came to her as she began to descend down the ladder well. One boot stepped on the rung, then another. Well, those pants clearly suited her just fine, seeing as they left just enough to the imagination.

“Five-hundred parsecs would be nice.” It was one of her favorites. Kurt’s and her’s really. They would listen to his MP3 player constantly. She would sing and dance, and really have a silly time. She missed doing that.

Jumping off the last rung, Kaile met Asmus’ green eyes with a small smile. “Okay, you got me.” she glanced around, dusting off her hands.

“Where do you want me?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Over than attenuator, trousers round ankles would do just...

No!

"If you start on that pipe there and work your way down to the starboard tank..." Asmus said, holding the tool out towards her handle first. He had one on his own belt already. "I'll do the other side."

His face lit up in genuine joy as the music started. He shook his head incredulously. "I cannot believe you'd actually play this song to work to!" he chided, though his tone made it obvious he wasn't being serious.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


Kaile gave a wag of her brows. There was a glimmer of a mischevious glint there in here brown eyes. Rare indeed for the scoundrel to see, but it was evident that the conversation was working. Kaile was slowly beginning to cheer up.

It wasn’t as if she was going to forget. No, she could never do that. But Asmus was a balm to her soul. His cheerful manner, his excitable stories, the way he looked at the galaxy through cheerful eyes. It was a mirror of what Kaile had been, what she wanted to be again.

Going through these emotions, the rollercoaster of it, was something everyone had to work through in their life. It just so happened that this was Kaile’s time; and she was grateful for Asmus for making it easier.

Taking the tool in hand, she gave a thumbs up, “Roger that!”

She back peddled a few feet, then turned on the ball of her foot.

[ When I wake up… yes I know I’m gonna be… ]

The corner of her mouth perked. A fondness came to her, a memory. Starting at the end, she began to work.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

For a good few minutes Asmus remained silent. Occasionally he caught her tapping her feet to the music out of the corner of his eye. A couple of times he listened to her murmur along to some of the lyrics under her breath.

Blowing air out through his cheeks he realised he'd only covered a metre of his pipe. "Have you ever had a more boring job?" he called over to Kaile.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile’s laugh would burst forth at the question. Glancing over to him, Kaile’s amusement grew. Just by the tone of his voice was enough to show her that he wasn’t really keen on doing this menial task. It was important work none the less, but it still made her mouth twitch to see him sigh in boredom.


“I had my fair share,” she would admit, scanning with the tool, then checking the readings. “I’ve had to watch a Banta for a day for him to finally relieve itself.”

The bantha had unfortunately eaten her datachip that had valuable information. Needless to say, Kaile didn’t feel like harming the poor beast for what it would do normally.

Digging through the steaming two kilos of bantha shit wasn’t her best idea of fun either.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Yeah but come on, how hard is that exactly? Sit in the sun, put the sound of a running tap on? Maybe give it a few shots of espresso?" Asmus asked. He had one hand on his hip and a lopsided smile on his face. This seemed entirely more interesting that scanning for cracks.

No, no, as Mal said he had to roll up his sleeves from time to time. He slipped off his heavy jacket and tossed it over a nearby console that looked relatively clean.

"Alright, best job?" he asked, turning back to his work.