Some Planet. Some Where...

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

The more Alric spoke, the more that Danger began to quietly contemplate the meaning behind his words. Behind his attempt to sway her towards taking a few step back. To a point, there was an idealization in that. To not be so intertwined in the events of the galaxy. The past year had seen them both do their fair share of doing exactly that. For the Queen of Trade, what she had done up until now had been a large delegation of power and oversight to Aeri, Saffron, and Tanieth.

While Alric hadn't pushed her or asked her until now for more, truth be told Danger wasn't sure if she could completely leave. Being in the midst of it all, in connecting others and in turn growing that web of a network had been all that she had known. All that she'd excelled at. Danger was good at what she did. No one else had managed to come to the point where she was now and still say that their company was a neutral entity that managed to travel throughout the 'verse with ease as she.

In part, what Alric was suggesting appealed to Danger. She certainly wanted to spend time with her husband and Myra, to see her be able to grow and mature. To hopefully be able to work through her trauma and be able to talk once again. That little girl had a wonderful laugh, how beautiful would her simply talking be?

A deep intake of breath filled her lungs with fresh air, lifting her chest and shoulders and the woman pondered over what Alric was suggesting --- offering really. He was trying to make a compromise by stating that they had conference rooms here to take care of what they required. That they needn't disappear completely as much as take a firm step back from the galactic politics.

Could I do it? Danger asked herself, mulling over what that meant. Stop doing the auctions. Stop going to the galas. Stop becoming involved in the greater part of the galaxy when it came to making the cogs turn?

Danger lowered her eyes, where they fell to where Alric was currently holding her hand. She let her gaze wander over the faint sunspots, the pale pink scars here and there across the top of his hand. The blunt fingers, thick knuckles that had been bruised and worn from a a half life in a pugilist ring. Slowly, Danger brought her hand and set it lightly over his own. There she gave his a gentle squeeze.

Could I do it?

Lifting her lids, Danger let the vibrant green of her eyes settle upon the much older visage of one Alric Kuhn. There her eyes traced over the crows feet at the corners of his eyes, the silver flecked hair that was thickening with every passing day. She let herself study the subtle plea in his expression. The request to simply just live out the rest of their lives within the facets that mattered.

Could I?

It was far easier really, to answer. There was a softening in her expression, and then the lifting of her hand to gently cup his bearded cheek.

"Alright."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Had he been a younger man he would have scooped Danger off the bench and spun her around in the air, but he thought doing it now would have seen them both crumple to the floor with more then a few broken bone. So instead he simply took her hands in his, brought them to his lips, and slowly kissed every single knuckle.

Perhaps it was a silly celebration. Perhaps it was a way to show his devotion, or perhaps it was just something he needed to do.

Either way he slowly passed over every single bone, pressing them against his lips before he eventually drew his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Alric held her there for a long time, simply pressing her against himself as they sat and enjoyed the sounds of the Garden. There stream within the trees bubbled, some of the birds that lived inside chirped, and the arid sounds of plants pressing in artificial wind seemed to permeate all around. Alric let out a satisfied sigh.

"You'll love it here." He said quietly, kissing the top of her head. "I made sure of it."

He was talking about their apartment, a place that had been built with everything Alric knew about Danger in mind. A place where she was supposed to find the same amount of comfort as she did on Tatooine. He smiled slightly and nuzzled the top of her head. "Though now that you've agreed..."

The Tetan trailed off for a moment and held her tight, as if he was trying to keep her from getting away.

"Inthewinteritgetstobenegativetwentysomenights." He said the words as quickly as he could.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger was sure Alric meant every word. There was no need for him to assure her of it. Ever since he stepped back into her life, he had made it his personal mission to do what he could to make her happy. To make up for the past. To start anew.

Granted, that wouldn't save him from the world of hurt he'd receive soon enough!

A sharp gasp flew from Danger's mouth as soon as his intelligible confession registered. Negative twenty at night?! He knew how much she despised being cold.

"Alric Kuhn!" she hissed out, with more bark than actual bite. Her full curves swayed as she shimmied and wiggled in his tight grasp, doing her best to try and smack him on his shoulder and chest but finding each of her attempts foiled.

What only made it worse was when she felt the shudder of his body. Is he laughing at me? He is! Indignation spread across her face, and she struggled in earnest -- well, sort of.

"Oh, you wretched thing! I bet you were just waitin' to let that one out!"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

There wasn't really much else to say on the subject. Sure it got cold sometimes at night, but the sun that usually sparked throughout the valley made it warm during the day...relatively. Either way, he knew that The Inside of the farm would at least always be warm.

He'd made sure that he had the best central heating system in the galaxy installed.

The entire thing had cost a fortune, and like the rest of The Farm was actually powered by the planets own geothermal energy. That meant the heat conducted within the building could build and fall depending on how they set things rather quickly. This was especially important because of how cold it got at night on the outside. The Farm would essentially make it so they never even felt the cold, even while they were sitting in this very garden.

Brilliant really.

Alric had once again thought of everything.

"Think about the cuddling." He whispered to her, his arms still squeezing her tight. "I'll make sure you stay warm."

He grinned slightly, biting back laughter.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

A heavy snort spewed from Danger's nose, enough to send the woman's generous curves shaking for a bit. Her palms set against his chest, and she halfheartedly pushed against that hard wall. Alric, of course, only gave her that half roguish grin. Their playful scuffle prompting dark forelocks normally slicked back to fall over his brow, giving him that typical smug air about him that only made her want to punch him.

Damn him! For being able to win her over so easily. Even at this age, there was no right for him to be able to still do so. And he knew it.

"You're just sayin' that because you're keen on gettin' handsy at night." she managed to titter out, whatever annoyed expression she had waned as he settled her against his embrace.

"And tryin' to butter me up."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I don't need the cold for that." He pointed out, though it would help.

The reality was though, The Farm would be good for them. The cold wouldn't be that big of a deal, and during the summer the heat would be nice. They had more than enough space for themselves, their family, and any friends that wanted to come. They could have parties and functions here if they wanted to and they could work with Myra right around the corner.

It was perfect.

It had been designed that way, created to be a perfect middle ground. Alric had spent a tremendous amount of money on the construction of the Farm and the land it sat on, so much in fact that he'd had to liquidate several other holdings that he'd had. Yet that didn't bother him. He had enough money that he didn't need to worry, and in time the Farm would pay for itself in the enjoyment he got out of the time he would spend with his family.

That was enough.

He would have payed any amount for that.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Mhmm..." her hum turned into more of a purr when the Tetan's lips began to trace just along the curve of her neck.

"Oh no, don't you try that now..." although the woman couldn't deny that Alric Kuhn could make her melt like hot butter in a pan.

Well... maybe just a little bit, Danger mused, the corner of her mouth perking upwards with a sly knowing grin. Lids fell, and a deep inhale of oxygen filled her lungs. Fingers spread wide, and her soft chuckle lightly resonated within the small garden nook. Soon, whether or not the cold mattered drifted from Danger's mind.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The rest of the day went about as well as you could expect after that. Danger and Alric had their fun, Myra eventually woke up, and the three of them explored the rest of The Farm as best as they could. Most of the day was spent wandering between buildings, showing Danger and Myra everything that they could do. The last stop was the opposing hall, the one filled with pool, game rooms, and offices. Myra of course squealed in delight seeing it all, Danger only smiled.

It was a smile that stayed for the rest of the day, perhaps a smile that told of joy or one that told she was finally willing to relax a bit. Either way the day concluded with Alric and Danger tucking Myra into her new bed for the night, making sure Mr. Tuggles was at her side and eventually, finally, wandering up to their own apartment.

Danger had yet to see it, which made the moment all the more exciting.

"Come on." Alric said as he pulled her along up the stairs, noticeably favoring the right side of his body.

The day of walking around and showing Danger everything about the Farm had a noticeable effect on his knee, pain spiking from it whenever he tried to put too much weight on it. Soon it wouldn't be an issue, but for now he was finding the stairs rather difficult.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"We should have taken the lift!" Danger would chide, but due to her obvious concern over the man and his knee. If he walked on it for too long, it began to ache something fierce, and this was exactly what she had wanted to avoid in the first place.

"How about we just get you in a hot bath?" she suggested, tugging at his arm so that he would slow down. At this rate she rather he simply takes his time. He was excited to show her their room, yes, but Danger would prefer it if he would stop trying to hurt himself more.

"Get that pressure off your knee." she was fretting like a hovering mother hen. Alric would have none of it, instead acting much like a child wanting to show off a Life Day present.

"You are incorrigible. Alric Kuhn!" she muttered along with a curse, sighing at least with mild relief as they made it to the top of the stairs.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I'll be fine." Alric said simply, shaking off the pain. What was he going to do? Make his knee worse? That was pretty bloody unlikely at this point. Really the only worse thing that he could do to the damned thing now was smashing the thing with a hammer. It wasn't something that he was likely to do, especially given that pain wasn't exactly his favorite thing in the world. He shifted his weight slightly and stepped forward onto the landing, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Okay." He said taking in a deep breath, motioning towards the door. "Go on."

The Tetan wanted her to go first.

The room, though in truth it was more like an entire apartment, had been designed for Danger. Pretty much every homely comfort that she could ask for, every single thing she might find warmth and home in was in there. The bathroom that lay attached to the room had even been decorated with Sandstone retrieved from Tatooine itself. That had been particularly difficult to get, surprisingly so, but in the end it had been worth it. The walls of the bathroom providing a sort of...natural warmth.

She would love it.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

He was insistent. Knowing the Tetan, Alric wasn't about to budge until she did as he instructed her to.

"And you'll lay down and rest after that?" Danger wasn't about to go so easily until he at least assured her that. "Get yourself off that knee for a while?"

They came to a stop right outside the door, and as expected, Alric was starting to shift in his anticipation. Oh, Danger was just as curious as to what lay behind the double doors. If anything, she knew that the Tetan had paid close attention to even the tiniest details when it came to surprising someone he cared for.

However, she wanted his assurance first.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I'll get into bed." That wasn't really an assurance, but double talk was always featured prominently in their negotiations. It was one of the cornerstones of their relationships in fact. Banter, double talk, innuendo. It was one of the reasons that they communicated so well even when others thought that perhaps they were a bit vapid.

He loved it.

His fingers splayed against the wall for a second, his weight being held aloft by a combination of the hard stone and his good knee. Surprisingly the pain wasn't actually as bad as it had been the day they had gone to The Foundry, but he assumed that was because of the weather. The warmth and sunlight did something to him, allowed him to walk a little further, stand a little taller.

It was strange, but nice. "Go on."

Alric urged her on, his face growing as excited as a young teenager seeing his first naked woman.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Oh, I'm sure you'll get into bed. Alric enjoyed playing with words. This was another classic example of it.

"And stay there and rest?" oh no, she knew exactly what he was trying to do. Danger brought her hand up and gave a slight poke of her finger on his chest.

Truth be told, he was rather adorable with how he was becoming more excited by the second. His eyes were such a bright blue, his smile, well, the Devil's own.

"Or will I have to pin you there myself?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Marriage was a lovely thing. It meant worrying about someone constantly, thinking about the, watching out for them, doing everything that you could for them however and whenever. That was really what marriage was about, well that and saving on taxes. He often wondered if it was the same for other couples.

For him and Silara it had been a bit different. They had been happy in their own way of course, they had played their own games and pushed each others buttons, but it wasn't the same as with Danger. It wasn't worse or better, not really. There was just a natural fluidity to conversation, to the amount of care he took to treat her well, to how he made sure she was always treated in such a way that she knew that she was wanted, needed. Were there other husbands that did the same?

He smiled slightly. "I'm sure you'll try either way."

It didn't matter. He was happy.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Mmhmm," Danger hummed out, bringing her hand up to gently caress his cheek.

"And don't you forget it." she added, shaking her head at the Tetan for his antics.

"Alright, alright..." pulling back, the woman shifted her torso towards the large double doors. They were carved by hand, at least with the measure of detail that was expressed by the artisan indicated that. Placing her hands on the doorknobs, Danger traced a small look over towards Alric from her peripheral. He was watching her, waiting. The minx within the woman wanted to tease him a bit more and delay a bit longer, but by now, that would be a bit cruel.

Slowly, the knobs turned, and the internal mechanisms gave a slight click as they were unlocked. With a little bit of pressure, Danger swung the doors open...

And was met by the soft light of the setting sun. For a couple of seconds, Danger had to squint to adjust her eyes, bringing up a hand to shadow the sun. However, once her eyes had adjusted, what beheld her then had her stunned.

It was as if Alric had taken her suite from Tatooine and brought it here. Oh, there were notable differences, modernizations that would blend the warm notes of an open balcony patio, full, bright spaces, and token knickknacks Danger was prone to collecting.

Hues of warm beiges, cool amber, dark ochres. Unsteady steps led the woman towards the center of the suite, where she could fully grasp the enormity of the project and attention to detail Alric had provided.

Jaw slightly fell, only to close. Stunned, Danger was speechless.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

It was something that had been crafted with love. Had he the ability he would have done everything himself, the carving of the doors, the shaping of the windows, the setting of the stone. Had he the talent to express himself in such means he would have, but alas he had not.

Instead he had paid others to do it, and their work had been done to perfection.

Alric had never actually seen the suite for himself before, not in person anyway. There had been pictures, video, and a few live holo-conferences. The Artisans had done their work, and they had done it well. Every penny that he had paid them had been worth it. They had paid every attention to detail, carving even the smallest symbols in the banisters of the balcony to make everything look absolutely perfect. His eyes fell on everything, then slowly turned to Danger to watch her reaction.

She'd already decided to stay, but this was...this was something more.

It had never been meant to bribe her into staying, it hadn't been meant that way.

It was more of a way to make her feel at home, to show her that they didn't have to be on Tatooine, that this place, The Farm, could be everything that they needed. It had every comfort, every warmth that they could have anywhere else. He smiled slightly. "Look at the bathroom."

Silly really, but it was the room that Alric had stressed needed perfection. It alone had been built as a reminder of Danger's home.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

So she did.

The refresher was down along the right wing of the tower. The entire suite had a circular appearance, what with it being the tallest tower within the estate. In that aspect, it had mimicked the stronghold on Tatooine as well as Elysium.

Hard, polished Japor Ivory wood decorated the walls, carved into intricate designs. It was a native wood from Tatooine, an ivory hue much like the bleach bones of creatures left out under the Twin Suns. Under her feet were polished planks of Kriin-wood, an expensive dark-coloured Alderaanian hardwood.

There were a pair of Corellian flame statues, lovely light-sculptures that gave off a warm light. A tapestry with the geometric designs of the Tusken tribe Danger was acquainted with. Knowing how uncomfortable Alric was with anything having to do with the Tusken Raiders, that in and of itself meant something.

Further, still, Danger would be able to see the entrance to the refresher. The entire room had been decorated in sandstone from Tatooine. She'd be able to recognize it anywhere. The soft pale coral along the bands of ivory and pale pink. A polished grain that made the entire refresher seem to be a small oasis in and of itself.

"How..." Danger began, unable to quite finish the sentence. Her vision began to blur, and she found herself blinking rapidly. It was hard to swallow, throat thickening in the well of emotion that filled her.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"It helps to have a lot of money." Alric stood in the doorway behind her, watching her with a smile on his face. "A lot of money."

He didn't want to make her feel bad of course, money was...well not to be callous but money was practically nothing to them. They understood its value of course, better than most, but they both had so much of it that they could basically spend whenever they wanted, and whatever they wanted. The truth of it however was that this place, and this room in particularly, had been incredibly expensive to construct and conceive. The Materials alone had been a small fortune, and transporting them? That had been it's own sort of nightmare.

The Tetan looked about the room for a second. They truly had done a magnificent job, amazing really. This had been the most important part of the Farm to him, it had been the place that Danger was supposed to feel most at home.

Some might have thought that the idea of a bathroom being a place like that was silly, but to Alric it was a thought of comfort. Here Danger could be without anyone, she could take a bath, read a book, be in silence and simply feel as though she were back on Tatooine. It was a small gift from Alric to her, the least that he could do since he was practically forcing her to live here.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

That made Danger burst out in teary laughter, a roll of her eyes directed at his direction but it didn't hide the appreciation or just how touched she was by his gift.

"You old fool," she told him, her full hipped saunter slowly gliding the Queen of Trade over to the former Titan. Still a bit emotional, with her eyes glistening with unshed tears, Danger came to a stop before him.

"Thank you," she said. Such simple words but there in her eyes was the image of a woman who truly felt loved by the man before her. Perhaps that was all that Alric actually wanted. For Danger to feel the depth of that affection from him. A cause he had committed to himself to express to her daily for the rest of their lives.

Leaning forward, Danger slid her arms over Alric's shoulders, looping them around so that she could press herself against him. Minding his knee, she drew herself up. A soft press of her lips slid over his mouth, a coaxing movement meant to express her gratitude following a deeper embrace.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

His arms looped around the small of her back, his eyes softening.

The room, the apartment, none of it had been meant as a bribe or anything of the sort, but it had apparently had that effect in a way. He'd of course never seen it that way, he'd seen it as a way of showing Danger what this place could be, what it already was for him. A place to feel comfortable, at home. If one extra-special room could push her over the edge to thinking that way, if one place could make her feel like this entire sprawling estate was home...then he would create that room.

He nuzzles his nose into her neck. "Soo..."

His words drifted off as his fingers gently crawled over her skin, half tickling, half teasing.

"What do you think?" He asked the words with a smile, already knowing the answer. He wanted to hear her say it however, perhaps for his own satisfaction, or maybe just to make her realize it all the more.