Responsibility

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The click of her finger would depress upon the scanner, checking for cracks. Nothing as of yet. In the meantime, Kaile would chew on the fullness of her lower lip as she mulled over what story to tell. One that wouldn’t be to revealing of her true day to day job.

“Yum Bunnies.” Kaile told him, flashing him a wide smile. “I was a waitress at the Yum Bunnies on an Arceneau Trade Station. Not too far from the Core.” Waitress gigs were always the most entertaining.

“I met so many people. New faces every day. Each with their own stories to tell.” her smile softened. “Always was a blast. Managed to help the short cook from time to time, so I know all of their recipes.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Yum Bunnies? Oh wait Yum Bunnies!" Asmus said, sparring a glance of his shoulder as she bent over to check the base if the pipe. "Yup I can see that," he said as he continued. He tried desperately not to picture her in those outfits they wore. He failed.

"I dunno, this is like karma," he said, trying to focus on the mundane task at hand. "I pull a quick turnaround and give Kanjiklub the fright of their lives before showing them my rear, and for having so much fun I have to check out every inch of these pipes in case the blow back cracked something. Ah I suppose that's the way of things, if you didn't have to work hard for your fun it wouldn't be fun at all."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

His lighthearted complaint would prompt a shudder of her shoulders. It was but a brief chuckle at his expense. “There is always a consequence for every action. Good. Bad. It don’t matter.”

Kaile bent forward and began to scan some of the pipes lower to the ground. “There is always price to be paid.” Just like with Kurt. Having him find out that she was an agent for the Alliance and that she hadn’t told him… well that meant that there was a cause and effect.

The cause being her silence. Effect? Her departure. Her throat began to work. “Looks like there aren't any cracks so far. “ she would relay, giving a slight grunt as she moved further on down.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Yeah, but if you spend your whole life worrying on the consequences of every single thing you do, you'll end up doing nothin' at all," he replied. Huh, that almost sounded wise in his head. That was going in the book, if he could reword that one a little more poetically he could definitely find a use for it.

Look at the scanner.

He didn't. Eyes rolled up and once again he found himself wishing they had a shower of water that could have been set to ice cold. He shook his head and carried on working. He could do with a better distraction than this to busy his wondering mind. After all, it was genuinely refreshing to just have some interesting conversation on a trip. It reminded him how few friends he really had. Well, that was a sobering thought that put a damper on those vivid mental images.

"Yeah nothing serious here," he added, as the music changed to something more lively. He really would have to get this out of his system at the next port of call mind. Would need to bring his best game out. Or did he? Wouldn't it be better to have something more meaningful for once? Perhaps, but he could think on that after a good tumble and getting his head back on straight.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“That’s true,” Kaile would quip in agreement. Very true. One could end up missing life if they were too fearful of doing anything. Of taking any risks. The Kaile of old simply enjoyed living her life. Meeting new people, seeing new places, and learning new things. Flying around with Kurt had expanded that tenfold. They had traveled to new worlds, visited new places, spent time together.

Together.

That word struck a cord in her. A reminder that she never felt alone until after she had left the Messa. Kaile had been happy in her oblivion on just how much of a difference it made to have someone to share those experiences with.

Now it’s just me and Bobo again…And it wasn’t the same.

It was as if someone had taken her rose tinted glasses off and showed her the ‘verse. The question was, what was she going to from now on?

One last pass. “Okay. This section is done.” She pushed herself up from the floor and got to her feet.

“What else do we need to do?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Asmus turned to face her, completely oblivious to the internal strife Kaile was facing. “Just that tank now,” he said, pointing to the metal cylinder towards the prow of the room. “You got anything a bit more upbeat to pick?” he asked with a grin.

Turning to the metal cylinder he did a quick calculation. “Eught, eighteen point seven three square metres. We just did six point three between us. Joy,” he started running his scanner across the surface. “So after Denon you heading anywhere interesting?” he asked. “I think we might be Nar Shaddaa bound after that. We haven’t been there in a while since a run in with the Union – oh wait I told you about that one – but I always loved hitting Shaddaa bars.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Something more upbeat?

Kaile took a couple of seconds to skim through the selection. Her finger would swipe, and search. He had a large collection of music datafiles. A few song titles were familiar, but nothing brightened her expression as the one her finger hovered over.

A fresh beep bop came in, the strum of a guitar.

Kaile bit her lower lip in anticipation.

[ Hail (hail)
What's the matter with your hair? Yeah ]

The Lorrdian’s eyes grew wide, a knowing expression flushing her face in excitement at the jam. She wagged her brows once at Asmus, already beginning to sway, bobbing to the music

[ Hail (hail)
What's the matter with your mind and your sign? And a, oh, oh, oh-a ]

“-- and a, oh, oh, oh-a!” music selection made, Kaile sang along with the song. She drew herself up, moving to help Asmus check the tank.

“What is your favorite song?” she asked him mid chorus of [ Come and get your love! ]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The movement started at the top as he turned his head from side to side to the catchy tune. Soon most of him was sharply swaying from side to side. With a grin on his face he turned to face her and threw in a little air guitar for good measure.

"Don't think I have a favourite," he said, before mouthing along to the chorus with her. "I've got pretty broad tastes to be honest, so I always like to have a selection on," he said, without even a hint of a smirk as his choice of words.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


Oh there was no missing that innuendo. Or that knowing smirk. Kaile could only shake her head, still singing along. He amused her. How happy go lucky he was. He was young, able to just simply dive into anything. Kaile could only hope that he managed to keep some of that close to him so he’d never lose it.

“There has to be something you prefer.” Kaile countered. The agent had her own broad tastes, but she also knew she had her cravings and her guilty pleasures. There were just a few things that would have that edge, that slight bit of an edge as the one they would prefer in the end if given an option.

“Gut instinct. Right now. First thing that comes to mind?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Asmus looked the kaile looking thoughtfully. Eyes widened and then he turned away from her. "Nope, nothing comes to mind!" he lied.

He concentrated on his scanner with meticulous attention as it was raised up and down the fuel tank.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

He was lying.

The Lorrdian gave a slight narrowing of her eyes. As the music continued to float around them, she began to study him a bit closer. He was paying far more meticulous to the tank than he had prior. There had been something more to it. Asmus had an answer to her question. Yet he chose to not disclose it.

Were Kaile anyone else, she would have coyly begun to probe. To try and get under the layer of his skin, to carefully peel it back and find what it was that he was hiding. However, Asmus had been nothing but kind to her ever since she met him at the bar. Sure, he had been a bit overeager and prone to inflating himself and his stories, but he had been kind.

"Alright." Kaile would reply, a ghost of a smile in her face. Her head would duck, pressing the button to scan the tank.

"What about food? Any favorites there?"

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"If you wanna be my lover..." Asmus whispered. Oh no. It was in his head now.

"Hmm probably baked pasta. Kairon's actually a really, really good cook. I'm only any good at frying slabs of meat truth be told. He does all sorts," he said. He stopped scanning.

Turning curtly on his heel he marched over and changed the song. He rounded on Kaile waggling the scanner at her with mock anger. "This is your fault you know! This is an awful, awful song."

It really was. But it was catchy and had been huge when he'd been younger. Not to mention the fact it had been playing when he'd lost his virginity six years back.

He was about to ask her about food when there was a gruff call from about.

"Who put this crap on?" Kairon was leant over the railings. "Ah never mind, good to see you're nearly done. We'll all get some lunch together in fifteen." The captain turned and headed back towards the prow of the ship. He'd been a touch concerned that the boy had put loud music on to cover other noises. The little blighter had played that trick before.

"So, food?" Asmus asked, resuming his work as he mimed along to the song.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile couldn't help her laugh. She knew the song, and yes she had discovered herself years back how catchy it was. Honestly she personally enjoyed it, the sort you end up dancing and belting out in the middle of the cargo bay. Kairon came and interrupted the moment, but for once, Kaile's smile did not fade.

"It's a great song," amusement shone in her chocolate brown eyes, a spare hand coming up to tuck wayward strawberry blonde hair behind her ears.

"Food". Came her nod of agreement. The next fifteen minutes were spent inspecting the rest of the tank. There was one area of concern, but further investigation concluded that it was within tolerable ranges. Picking up their tools, Kaile began her descent. Hopping to the floor, she held her hands up to help him with the tools if he so wanted.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Asmus rolled his stiff shoulders and happily passed Kaile his tools before heaving himself back up to his feet."You know, time seems to pass so easily with some good conversation to aid it on its way," he added with a smile. He absent mindedly wiped a mark of grease from the middle of her forehead. It must have got there when she'd been craning under the tank to check the filter connection.

Back up in the galley, Asmus realised Kairon's old fashioned side was showing again. Instead of their regular lunch, Asmus was greeted by the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread and the colourful sight of fresh fruit. A tub of real butter had been taken out from the freezer and set beside a tray of cured meats.

"Oh I see!" Asmus joked. "We have guests so we get the good grub!"

Kairon merely grunted and carried on spreading butter onto a chunk of bread.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile gave Asmus a wiggle of her nose in response to the wiping off the grease from her forehead. She gave a grin.

“I try my best.” she would joke, taking the tools. The rest was just a blur, until the savory aroma of fresh baked bread and butter filled the air.

Her eyes immediately grew wide at the fruit. Fruit was rare indeed. Fresh? Evern rarer in space. Her brown eyes would dart from Asmsu to Kairon, to Asmus again.

Then leaning closer to Asmus, she gave a small whisper… “Are you sure I can…” she made a small gesture to the fruit.

She didn’t want to impose!

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Asmus' nose wrinkled up as he gave a rapid nod and mouthed the word 'Yeah'. He leant across the table and wrapped his hand around a crusty loaf of bread so hot it stung. With a serrated knife he cut two thick slabs and offered one to Kaile. He pulled his apart into two pieces, watching as the soft insides slowly ripped apart. Heaven.

"So, Kaile'd like setting down at Denon?" he asked.

"Sure," Kairon replied with a nod.

Asmus knew him well enough to know he was embarrassed over his earlier behaviour and too awkward to know what to say. Funny old man.

"Drink?" he asked Kaile.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

That was it? So fast? Without even a question?!

Kaile was humbled by it.

She blankly took the offered bit of fresh baked bread, watching it expand and bloom in her hand. Her mouth was already watering, and her stomach gave a grumble.

Both men were happily eating away, as if this was an ordinary meal. As if it was natural for random strange women to come aboard their ship and then drop them off to where they needed to be without another word. Kaile bit her lip.

THey were good people. Really good people.

With a faint smile, Kaile sat down next to Asmus.

“T-thank you, Captain.” the Lorrdian would offer her gratitude. Carefully, Kaile would glance around at the bounty in front of her. There, upon the fruit plate, were strawberries.

My weakness.

Carefully, as if afraid she might be told no, she reached out for one. When no chide came, she brought it up to her lips.

With a near orgasmic expression, she bit into it. Eyes rolling and a soft mmmm, of pleasure.

Nothing like fresh strawberries.

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"No problem," Kairon replied. Asmus could see it now, if he could convince Kaile to play along, they'd have him on the run. If he could convince her to ask Kairon if she'd looked good in his shirt the old man would probably spend the rest of the trip locked in his room.

Asmus had already piled some meat onto his plate with more bread and an apple. Mai would have smelt it by now and had a habit of pilfering the meat.

"We've got some tinned cream I think?" he asked her. Shame no chance of any fresh.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kairon Rees"]


Kairon meant well, even if he was rather terse and short of words. Dimples gave a small flash at his directly, attempting to be friendly. "You've a nice ship." she told him, taking a small butter knife in hand. Carefully, she smeared precious butter along the fluffy goodness, a small bit of steam rising already.

"Asmus told me much 'bout how he's been traveling with you and the crew," she began, trying to start a conversation. "That ya'll from Eriadu and such." she nabbed a bit of the meat, her mouth already watering.

This all smelled delicious.

"Did you bake the bread yourself?"

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Well, if one was going to try flattery with Kairon, his ship was an excellent place to start. He didn’t look up from his food for a moment, but Kaile wouldn’t need her racial heritage to spot the small smile that his lips tried to resist.

“Yeah, flour keeps well so it’s good to break up the reconstituted muck. It’s not like we’re ever out of port long enough we can’t keep frozen raw ingredients.”

Looking up to Asmus, his brow furrowed for a moment before he spoke. “Best get into shaft three and pull the package out to give it a check over and get it secured in the hold. And because of that stunt you pulled you can check the pipe through there as well,” he instructed. Asmus was clearly about to protest before Kairon interjected: “And then Togruta ball.”

Turning back to Kaile with a twinkle in his eyes he asked: “Like the Quin do you?”