Some Planet. Some Where...

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Oh, is that how you're playin' at?" Danger cried out, devilry flashing in her green eyes as they followed the little girl. Myra set herself opposite of the bed, covering her mouth with her hands and giggling more.

"Well, reckon you should know Miss Myra." Danger drawled out with her sugary voice, leaning against the bed as both she and the youngling had an epic stare down of fantastic proportions. "I'm pretty fast." She flashed the little girl a wink.

"Ain't that right Alric?" Danger called out over her shoulder, slowly easing her way around the bed, trying to use the conversation to distract Myra. Oh but that little girl was sharp!

"Tell her how fast I... am!" she suddenly shot forward, prompting a sharp squee from Myra who immediately went rushing around to avoid getting caught. Mister Tuggles was again, confused, but bounded after the little girl as she darted from one side to the next.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric only watched in contented silence.

There wasn't really a reason to answer Danger, and in truth he was beginning to plot in his mind.

He knew that at the end of all this Danger and he would have a conversation. A very important conversation. That conversation would be about staying here for the foreseeable future. He expected Danger to resist him, as much as she liked to think of herself as progressive Danger didn't actually like change all that much. Oh he was sure that she would argue that point as well, but it was true. For years and years she had forced herself to be alone, had lived in the same routine, and pressed herself to never move beyond a certain point.

Now however it was different.

Danger always meant the best of course, but there was still hesitation at some points, plots where she wouldn't budge. Alric knew that because more then once he had to make her budge. It was adorable at times, but incredibly frustrating at others. This...moving to The Farm.

He figured it would be one of the frustrating times.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"] wouldn't be alone to his thoughts for long. Myra had decided to try and find some sanctuary with the Tetan. The pitter patter of her feet along with another burst of giggles showered over Alric as she scurried to hide beside him. It was a good thought, but had a bit of a chaotic execution, for when Myra pressed herself against Alric, here came Mister Tuggles bounding behind her.

As the Tuggle came in, his claws caught upon a decorative rug. The result was a comedic struggle as the dog-sized creature found himself slipping and sliding. He fell with a thump, coming to a slow stop at Myra's and Alric's feet. The woebegone expression he gave with those large black eyes and a twitch of his wet nose made the trio erupt in laughter.

"Alright!" Danger said, bending down to try and help the poor thing get untangled. "How about we find a place to settle down and eat for a bit, hmm?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"The Kitchen." Alric said with a smile.

"One tower over." He pointed towards the Turbo-lift. "One floor down."

They could walk that. His knee was rested now, and the walk was short enough. Slowly he picked himself up, using the edge of the sofa and the wall to pull himself free of the couch. He stretched for half a moment, looking over towards Danger and offering her a small smile. "It has everything we need, and then after we eat...someone here can take a nap."

He looked over towards Myra who slowly narrowed her eyes.

The little girl might not have liked to admit it, but when she actually managed to fall asleep she was like a rock. There were certain times when she wasn't able to sleep of course, bad dreams and nightmares prevented that most often, but when she was tired, Myra was out like a light.

Something that had been a great boon to Alric and Danger.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"That sounds somethin' we'd all need." Danger concurred, managing to catch Myra as she was busy glowering. With a chuckle, she picked the youngling up into her arms. There was a small pout in regards to the suggestion of the nap... but that was in direct conflict with the present rumble in her tummy.

"Looks like someone is hungry." Danger added with notable amusement, bumping the younglings cheek with the tip of her nose. That prompted Myra at hiding her face against Danger's neck. Feeling a measure of contentment, Danger gave a sigh. Green orbs met blue.

"Downstairs to a kitchen... how about you lead the way Mistah Kuhn..." her grin grew wider in sudden mischievousness.

"And perhaps you can make us all something to eat."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He began to walk slowly, though he called over his shoulder. "Impossible, I'm old."

That settled that argument.

Alric stepped up his pace slightly, heading towards the large spiral staircase that was located directly surrounding the central turbo-lift. The design of the staircase itself was surprisingly warm. Where there should have been the inside of a marble tower there was instead a soft colored stone of unknown origin, warm lights hung from the ceiling and the steps themselves were actually made of a heavy wood. The spiral staircase did not feel like it was part of some grand tower, but instead, a home.

He stepped quickly until they moved onto an extended landing, to the left hanging another door that had a slight 'R' carved onto it, and to the right a large bridge like structure roofed with glass. Alric lead them across the bridge, looking to his left as if directing Myra and Danger to do so as well. In the distance they would see the vast expansive fields, brightly colored with growing flowers and different crops.

Another few steps, and Alric found himself in the Kitchen.

The room was another surprise. Everything within seemed to be a near replica of their kitchen back on the Station, warm lighting, soft colors, and a dining table to boot.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Oh!' Danger exclaimed with a soft cry of surprise. The dark crown of Myra's head swiveled around, her long hair shifting around her shoulders. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth fell into a small 'o' shape. It was exactly the same as the kitchen on Elysium. It made the little girl wonder if they had simply plucked it from the station and set it down here.

Myra began to wiggle, wanting to be put down so she could verify it for herself. Danger allowed her slide down, the little girl's feet coming into contact with the floor before she was let loose. The Tuggle, of course, trotted behind her. From where Danger stood, she was able to drink in the vast fields of varying crops; lazy wheat blowing in the wind, a rainbow of flowers, and neat rows of vegetables. The place was a palace, but very well cosy enough to enjoy in their home.

Things began to add up together. Danger was no fool.

"One would wonder if you were trying to suggest something...." Danger managed to quietly say over to the Tetan. They both watched the little girl start to open cupboards and inspect the items there. Much to her delight, it was fully stocked as Alric had said, with many of Myra's favorite snacks and even a duplicate of her favorite cup!

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric made a dumb face, shrugging and pretending not to know what she was talking about. Sooner or later they would have to have that conversation of course, but Alric preferred to keep Myra from hearing any of it. The little girl had already seen enough conflict for several lifetimes, and the last thing that she needed to see was her parents arguing about where they should live. Of course, any argument they would have wouldn't actually be a screaming match, but still.

Myra was perceptive, she would pick up on any disagreement. Alric preferred to do any of that after she was happily taking her nap. He shifted slightly, turning himself to walk around the tall counter and settle himself down onto one of the seats. He leaned forward and patted the chair besides him, motioning for Myra to join him. "So, my love."

He looked at Danger.

"What are you gonna make us?" A smirk rolled across his lips.

Myra smiled up at Alric, spreading her arms so that he would scoop her up and put her onto the high chair next to him.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"You see that Myra?" Danger would point out, shaking her head and giving a slight wag of her finger over to the Tetan. "He's tryin' to pretend he can't make us somethin'" She teased, aware of the undercurrents of Alric's body language and posture. They would have that discussion later. For now...

"Hmm... well, let's see what we have." she'd said, wondering aloud as full hips went rounding the island in the middle of the kitchen. Her hands went reaching for the refrigerator, checking to see what they had. As expected, it was fully stocked with their typical groceries. Likely the pantry also contained the same too. A thought came to her.

"How about some nerfsteak sandwiches?" Pulling out a small container of nerfsteak cold-cuts. Now where was the bread? Brows scrunched together and she opened the cupboard that back at home would hold the bread. Ah! There we go.

"Want to help me Myra by spreading the condiments on the bread?" she asked the little girl, setting the bread down in front of her. The little girl gave an excited nod, and went reaching for the bread. Very carefully, as if it was the most important mission delegated to her, she opened the container and began to select the slices of bread. Danger set three plates beside her so that Myra could place the bread on top of each one.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric maintained his silence once more.

A man enjoying his family.

What more could he ask? What more could he want. Slowly his eyes closed, just for a moment. He tried to remember when he had demanded other things of life. When he had wanted money, power, some kind of untold...something. He remembered those days. The Lust, the greed, everything that he had worked so hard for. Alric remembered Titan, Astraeus, perhaps even the early days of founding Vanir. Had it all been selfishness?

He opened his eyes and looked at Danger, a slight prickle running across the back of his neck.

No.

Not all of it.

He leaned over towards Myra and whispered something in her ear, the little girl smirking slightly as he did so.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Between Myra and Danger, they had three sandwiches in a small line of production. Myra slathered some mayonnaise on her slices of bread, while Danger shredded some fresh lettuce leaves. Something told her that perhaps they were from the farm itself. Typically it would have taken some time to grow, but she knew there were methods to speed up the process. Pharmatech was currently in the progress of doing so with various botanical plants across the galaxy in the scattered bio domes constructed for this use.

"Want somethin' to drink?" She asked them both, the little girl nodding her head emphatically. Another smirk danced over her lips, and her gaze met that of her husband.

"Somethin' cold or warm?" She had a tendency of giving him tea, but perhaps he wanted something else. Meanwhile, Mister Tuggles walked a small circle at Myra's feet. He sniffed at the floor a bit, before plopping his heavy weight onto the ground.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Tea." He said quietly, his eyes watching Mr. Tuggles as the creatures heavy weight pushed Myra's chair slightly to the side.

It was odd to think that he would still be getting much bigger.

"We should feed Mr. Tuggles too." Alric said almost in a whisper, though the Tuggles head almost immediately perked up. His ears popped tall, moving slightly forward and his eyes grew almost as big as Myra's had been when she'd first seen The Farm. His heavy tail began to wag, striking against the floor and Myra's chair. "I think we have something..."

He began to trail off, watching as the Tuggle slowly began to crawl towards the entrance of the kitchen, moving as though undetected. "Under the cupboard."

Myra watched her pet with a small giggle, the white blob slowly beginning to slink towards where he smell food.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Tuggles were well known for their keen sense of smell. So once Mister Tuggles caught the scent, he was persistent until he found what he was looking for. Some said that they were very much like KathHounds in that aspect, able to pick up any scent and track it down, regardless of the environment. It was how they typically in the wild searched for prey.

"I think Mister Tuggles is already searchin' for his own meal," Danger chuckled, shaking her head as the Tuggle sniffed a wet trail. He was trying his best to act as if he could simply blend into the kitchen floor; which was ridiculous considering the bright white of his thick fluffy fur.

"Myra, honey, want to help Mister Tuggles?" the slight knocking sound of the creatures nose bumping along the cupboard drew the trios attention. He froze, as if he simply remained still, they wouldn't be able to see him.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He smiled slightly, slowly scooping Myra up and out of her chair to set her back down on the ground. "Better go before he tries to flatten himself into a pancake."

Tuggles were domesticated...in a sense.

Usually they were used as out door work animals, pulling sleds and the like. They were a very active species, requiring lots of attention, exercise, and pretty much a constant supply of food. By now that likely would have been a problem if Alric and Danger had been any other family, what with Alric's knee and his inability to move, but they had always ensured that Mr. Tuggles had enough space to move, run, and pretty much do whatever he wanted.

Myra helped with that too of course.

"Same place as on the station, Honey." Alric told Myra as she quickly dashed into the Kitchen. "Careful."

Feeding Mr. Tuggles had become one of the small chores that Myra was responsible for. Giving the creature food wasn't too difficult, and it was important to make Myra feel like she could do something to help.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Hearing Myra hurry over caught the Tuggle's attention. His tail began to slowly thump up and down, growing in more excitement as his behind began to wag. He was still an intelligent creature, and since Myra had taken over the responsibility to feed him, he cued in on the clues that the little girl would be feeding him now.

Massive paws pushed his thick body off the floor, and despite Myra giving him a little push to allow her some space, he still bumped at her thigh with the tip of his nose. Another giggle and a small hand sign waved in front of the Tuggle. Immediately he sat down, whiskers twitching as he anxiously waited for Myra to open the cupboard and bring out his bowl.

His tail began to thump in earnest when she did. Diligently, as Alric had shown her months ago, Myra set the bowl down in front of him. All the while Danger would watch in fascination as she finished building the sandwiches for them all.

Despite Myra's delay in speaking aloud, Mister Tuggles and she had created their own method of communication. It was all through hand signals, much like those done for training other pets. Danger nor Alric had taught Myra that, so it was interesting to see how she had managed to come up with it.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric didn't think too much about Myra's lack of speech. It was a concern, but in truth the little girl was developing well enough on her own. It was entirely clear that Myra was perfectly intelligent. She caught things quickly, formed opinions and thoughts just as fast, and was able to reason and logic her way through most things.

She was the type of girl that would she speak, would have asked endless questions.

The Titan could see that in the way she watched things, even when she was scared. There was an element of learning to the way she looked at things, a discerning eyes that tried to catch bits of information that she could use. It was the same way that he and Danger looked at things. Briefly he wondered if she would ever speak, watching her command the Tuggle as though he were a silent orchestra. He would be concerned if the never did...but it wouldn't have been the worst things.

A frown pulled at his lips, then he shook his head.

She was still young, there wasn't a need to worry yet.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Eat." Danger quietly instructed the Tetan. She had caught the expression of concern wash over his face. He worried about Myra. He worried about her as much as he would Lily or Rose. That endeared him to her. Made her love him all the more. Such terrible things had befallen Myra, and all Danger wanted was to ensure that she would be safe and okay.

Things were still a bit confusing for her. That is, in the whole mothering business. Of course, this had to do more with what went on in Danger's mind and her own confidence issues than actual fact. How she loved and mothered on Makai Dashiell for years was evidence enough of that. The harshest critic was always oneself, and in this, for Danger, it was no different.

"I'll get you that tea," she added after sliding his plate over to the Tetan. With everything in place matching that of the station, making them both a cup wasn't too difficult. Reaching for the cupboard that held the tin, Danger slid open the door and went reaching in.

There was something soothing about going through the motions of making tea. Personally, Danger preferred caf, and that is what she would make for herself.

"Your sandwich is done, honey!" Danger called over her shoulder, catching the little girl scooping up the Tuggles food and pouring it into his bowl.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric did was he was commanded.

The food was good, simple.

He'd always liked simple foods, ever since he was a kid. He supposed that all started with his sisters. A frown pulled at his lips, and suddenly he began to shake his head. There had been far too much nostalgia today. Another bite and he began to dispel thoughts of the past, instead focusing on the future. "Why don't we open the window."

Alric said it almost as an afterthought, as though he'd forgotten it were a thing, though he offered Danger a winning smile.

Before she could say anything he turned in his chair, dropping from it with a slight wince due to his knee but ignoring it. He crossed the kitchen quickly and headed towards a section of the wall that seemed almost conspicuously empty. He ran his fingers along the side of it, then slowly swept up part of one of the stones, pulling a small handle. There was a slight shift, and then slowly a portion of the wall began to fall away. It retreated into the base of the floor, revealing a massive window.

That too quickly fell away as Alric pulled another small lever, a fresh, almost perfect breeze rolling through the kitchen as he did so.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

It was refreshing.

The scent of wildflowers came drifting in as the light from the open windows brightened the room. It was nice. Different. The Space Station did not have the ability to open windows, lest one was keen on being ejected out into space. They had holographic viewscapes that would be mimicked along with a quiet air recycler that would blow fresh air into the suite. It did not, however, compare to the real thing.

Back on Tatooine, everything was made out of pourstone or carved out of the rock. Sand was everywhere, and grains would fly and pelt at all it could reach with every gust of wind. Not having to deal with that was a boon. Yet it wasn't the desert she had grown up in.

After feeding the Tuggle, Myra came back to the table to sit down. She carefully gathered her sandwich and took a hearty bite. Danger retrieved the cup that the little girl considered her favorite, and poured her some juice.

"Like that?" she asked, and Myra gave a nod. "Good."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He smiled for a moment, lingering by the open window. It had been something that he himself had wanted to put in, something that he'd actually always wanted. Their Kitchen at home could simulate views like this...but the real thing...there was absolutely nothing like it. He simply stood by the window for a moment, taking in a deep breath. The wind was a bit cold, but there was a pleasantness to it that he couldn't describe. He supposed in the winter he would feel different, but for now...it was pure bliss.

Even the Estate on Empress Teta had never had anything like this.

Alric sighed slightly, looking back towards Myra and Danger. There was a loud buzzing noise suddenly, and his line of thinking was broken. He frowned for a moment, then looked towards his jacket pocket. From it he pulled a small communicator. "Huh."

He shook his head and moved back towards the Kitchen.