Take Off The Mask

[Alric Kuhn]

He did as commanded, scrambling as fast as he could. The blaster was stuffed into his pants, his arms were quickly filled with dried brush and worthless plants, what little space remained in the backpack was similarly filled.

Alric ran back and forth across the ledge until he had gathered every visible scrap of dried plant matter he could find, then with another look towards Danger, Alric scrambled back into the cave as fast as he could. The backpack was thrown in front of him, keeping it safe and secure so it didn't get scratched or torn. Similarly he made sure not to harm himself as he pushed through the small opening of the cave.

Another injury would only set them back.

Unlike Danger, Alric had never been in a sandstorm. Empress Teta did not have them, instead it had massively powerful monsoons and rainstorms. Were it one of those Alric would have been more experienced, but this? This was entirely new. The sand had risen from the horizon to the sky, biting and eating its way across the sands.

It had looked like a hellish monster threatening to consume all before it.

He shifted slightly, dropping the pile of kindling onto the floor before turning and taking a step back towards the exit.

Alric stopped.

Going back out would only hinder her, his cracked lips thinned.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Meanwhile, Danger spent her time doing what she could. While Alric collected brush, she went sliding over nearby boulders and rocks to collect what she would need -- well as much as she could.

While more plants were sheltered here at the Wound, it didn't mean that they were easily found. She had mere minutes. A small patch of familiar yellow flowers with big globular type purple fruit was a familiar sight. She picked as much as her robe turned into a carrying bag could carry. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Three minutes passed. The approaching maws of the Sandstorm grew louder.

Desert Sage -- she caught sight of a familiar blue 'gavie plant. That... that just took precedence. She went looking around. She needed something sharp...

She dropped to her knees before the plant, her eyes narrowing on a particular rock. She took it in hand, feeling it, giving it a quick confirming inspection. Flint.

Another larger round rock came next. Striking them together, sharp slivers of flint broke off. They weren't the best, but they would do.

Four minutes.

The next two minutes were spent on cutting a small round section at the base of the cactus. Precious time spent on doing something that she'll have to cover after. It was a small hole big enough for her fist to go through.

Six minutes.

Sticky sap clung to her now bloody fingers, but it would have to do, after scraping what she could from the inside. Carefully she placed the circular cover back onto the base of the cactus to cover it.

Seven minutes.

Rocks were placed over it, to protect it. She wasn't sure how long this storm would rage on... but this would likely save their lives later. Grabbing the fruit, she stood up.

Wind was already starting to toss her scarf, draw up sand, and blow strong gusts down the Wound. Danger precariously began to make her way back to the cave. The sound of the approaching storm was near deafening now. The ray's of light from the Twin Suns now blocked from the maws of the storm. A dark orange glow would blanket the area.

Eight minutes.

It was getting hard to focus on her footing, and she was stumbling as she made her way back to the cave. The wave of sand soon hit her just as she stumbled into the mouth of it, squeezing her way back inside towards the shelter it would provide.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Danger came stumbling into the cave almost end over end. The powerful gust of wind pushed at her, and Alric stepped up to catch her in his arms and steady her.

Her hands were full, and he did not want her to fall.

Alric caught her, like the proverbial white knight. Though of course, Danger was no Princess that needed saving, still, she fell into his arms all too easily and Alric managed to hold her in place, keeping her upright and off the ground just long enough to get her steady on her feet.

Then, he slowly released her.

Alric didn't want Danger getting any ideas, one night of cuddling was enough, for now.

“Get everything?” Alric said as he felt the slight brush of sands against his features. The cave was not completely sealed off after all, perhaps they would have to move deeper.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Danger gave a curt nod, but motioned for him to move back.

"Go," she choked out, sand still blasting behind her through the crack. The bats were stirring due to the sandstorm, a flurry of chaotic activity that would fly above their heads.

"Move as -- far back to the cave as you can." She tossed a metal cylinder at him. The saber.

"Use that for light." Here's to hoping he won't cut off his own arm. Or hers. But she had her hands full as she adjusted her makeshift pouch made out of her robe.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He caught the saber and modded to her, picking up his backpack and the bundle of sticks, tossing one on his back and sticking the other under his arm.

Alric eyed the metal tube inspecting it for a few moments before finding the switch. He frowned, then held the weapon away at arms length. He pressed the trigger. The blade zapped into life within a split second, a snap and a hiss and suddenly a bright tube of light erupted out into the darkness. It was startlingly bright, and for a moment he had to look away from the blade.

With a shake of his head, and a look back to Danger, Alric began to move into the cavern.

They moved together within the darkness, the bats stirring and jumping on the ceiling but avoiding them, avoiding the light. They moved back farther and farther, the hard rocky ground becoming soft sand and as they moved further back into the cave. The ground becoming less covered in bat poop and more covered in a fine layer of white dust.

As they moved Alric noticed the profound amount of nothing within the cave.

As they walked the Cave seemed to get cooler, to the point of almost being cold. All the noise of the bats stopped, and Alric began to look around within the darkness, waving the saber around slowly, so as to not hurt either of them.

Then suddenly, the cave came to an end.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Coughing in an attempt to get what bit of sand out of her throat, Danger would come up behind Alric. His sphere of yellow light from the saber revealed that what they had... well was a whole lot of nothing.

A light dusting of sand would cover the area, which was a relief comparatively to where they had lain before. No bats were coming this far back, which was a mild relief.

Behind them a growing cloud of fine dust would float into the cave. At the very least, this far back should provide them some shelter, and less sand to inhale.

She went as far back to the cave as she could, dropping the purple fruit and small handfuls of sage. A leaf from the 'gave plant was there. As well as the make shift flint knife she made.

A sigh of weariness fell then, and she plopped herself down onto the ground. Her head would slowly shake from side to side, gesturing with one hand for him to sit down.

"We can make a fire," she told him "But that will suck up what bit of air we have and fill the place with smoke. We already have the blasted sand to worry about." it was really more of something she was saying to herself than him, but one would figure he would understand.

A motion went to the saber. He might as well shut it off.

"Might as well rest... we don't' know how long that storms gonna go."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Slowly Alric made his way over to her.

He kept the saber on for now, only as a source of light while he dropped the bundle of sticks onto the ground and gently laid the backpack next to it, The blaster he quickly retrieved from his pants as well, placing it on top of the pack. Then Alric slowly sat himself down next to her, his sides throbbing slightly, but not too badly.

When he was seated Alric reached up the cylinder of the lightsaber hilt and flicked the switch.

The effect was immediate.

The blade shut off and Danger and Alric were plunged into complete and utter darkness. What little light could have made it into the cave was suffocated by the raging sandstorm, the howling winds and thrashing sands eclipsed the suns of Tatooine.

The cylinder was placed into his pocket, and for a few moments Alric simply sat in place.

He understood why they couldn't have a fire, or rather why it was a bad idea. He wasn't a survivalist, but he wasn't an idiot either, there was no ventilation back here and the smoke would choke them out more than the sands would. The cold however was noticeable, back here within the rock the heat didn't penetrate as well, were he capable of feeling his back he would notice the cold slowly encroaching over his spine.

Instead he simply shivered slightly as his arms and upper shoulders became cooler.

After five minutes, almost without thinking, Alric reached out and wrapped an arm around Danger, pulling her warm body close to his own.

The bats squeaked.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Goosebumps were starting to rise along her skin due to the cold. Already her body was starting to shiver when abruptly she felt an arm snake through the darkness. It went slipping behind her back, curling round and drawing her to his side. Despite the howl of the sandstorm outside, the sound of sand and grit sliding as she was brought closer was loud in the darkness.

It was an awkward position, and he'd be able to feel the tension that ran down her body at the initial tug. However, she understood it. So she didn't fight it. Instead she drew her legs up to her chest, wrapping her own arms around her legs. If anything, they'd be able to share some warmth through their sides.

It was a rather peculiar situation. Once again, with nothing else to do but sit in the dark, her mind would start to wander. A knot seemed to form in her throat, and she swallowed hard.

Slowly, her head would fall forward, her forehead pressing onto the tops of her knees. Every once in a while she would shiver. The silence broken by the sound of their breathing.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric stayed in that way for a while.

The dark and the cold seemed to be oppressive, and goosebumps began to prickle across his skin. He didn't feel as cold, his back pressing against the wall prevented that, but he could feel his skin begin to get cold. A shiver ran through Danger at his side and he could feel her shake. He frowned slightly, rubbing his hand in her arm to try and give her some more warmth.

His mind began to think, to plan.

They had to get out. They had to find a way out of this forsaken desert.

It would by no means be easy, but he would learn, he would pick things up, he would get better, more useful. How many days would it take? Three? Four? No. More. The Tuskens had traveled fast. Alric scrunched his face, looking to Danger, whom he couldn't see, to try and gauge something.

A hard shiver ran through her and he could hear a cold breath leaving her lips. He frowned, and shifted slightly. “Here.”

Perhaps she would reject what he was about to do, and perhaps it was a bad idea considering the five day old history between them, but it didn't matter. He knew well enough that warmth was important, and he knew well enough that they could not sit there shivering for however long this storm lasted. Alric moved behind Danger, shifting sands and slight fumbling of legs and arms saw him repositioning himself in place.

When he was there Alric waited a second behind the curled up Danger, then reached out to her.

His hands would reach out and touch her shoulders, grabbing them gently to try and get her to lean back. Once she did, if she did, Alric would envelope her in large muscular arms.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

“Here.”

His voice was a husky murmur. The only forewarning before she felt him shift, and slide. There was the scraping sound of boots across the dirt, her head turning in the darkness as if to see but only following what her ears would pick up.

"What are you --" She couldn't help but tense as she felt him slide at her back. Left leg went scraping past on one side, right would go sliding down the other. She could hear him breathe, then move at her back. Then she felt his hands at her shoulders, tentative, lightly pressing and hesitating for a moment before attempting to draw her against him.

Her back went rigid as a board.

Of course, she knew what he was trying to do. Share warmth, much like she had told him last night when she told him to lay down and rest. It was just that he was flipping it around on her. She knew what warmth they could share would be beneficial to them, but it was a heck of a lot easier to go through it when she was the one who initiated it.

It was awkward. And it would show in the stiffness of her body as it would lean back against him. Her head would drop forward a bit, feeling the light brush of his breath over her right shoulder, tickling her hair right by her ear.

Just before she could draw her knees up, his arms went wrapping round her, over her shoulders, and across her breasts, his hands coming to rest just over her belly. While warmth would certainly start to permeate along her back and her sides, it didn't stop the proud woman from having her lips draw into a thin line. This.. was a position she wasn't too happy about. That sharp intake of breath was a key indicator of that.

Her heart kicked, and it was a wonder if Kuhn would not be able to hear it. She would draw her knees up anyways, telling herself that she was getting the better end of the deal. More warmth.

Right.

The silence grew only ever more awkward. She was half grateful for the howl of the storm.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric didn't move.

There was a layer of awkward that now hung in the cave that was too strong to ignore. He frowned slightly, his breaths falling on her supple neck. His arms tightened a few times, his muscles flexing and pressing against her, involuntary twitches from the spasms of pain that still sometimes touched his sides.

Her heart was racing.

Or more accurately, it was pounding.

His bicep felt it, her heart pushing against him, her breath on him. She was nervous, awkward, this was strange for her. Alric didn't blame her, she likely recalled the last time that he had held her in an embrace...at least the last time they had both been awake.

His arm twitched slightly, and he looked down at it, smiling. His hand would curl on her stomach.

“When I was a kid.” Alric began, his voice even and steady, breaking over the sounds of the wind. “When I was a kid, there used to be this tree in the garden. We'd climb it, Vi and Fi, and I. Every day we would climb it, and every day invariably one of us would fall out of it and get hurt.”

He chuckled slightly. “More often than not it was me. Anyway, one day Violet fell out of the tree and broke her arm. My father, not understanding the ways of children then decided to have the tree cut down. Of course, my sisters being stubborn as all hell replanted the tree. Years later, when were were older and the tree was bigger, I was climbing the tree.”

One could hear the smile in his voice.

“I fell out of it and broke my arm.” He deadpanned.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Idiot."

That single chide would cut through the distant howls of the storm. Here, between breaths, Danger told him what he probably already knew.

Granted, what else could she really say? He was getting... personal. It was awkward. Though he did a good job at distracting her, painting her that picture with the story. There was an uncomfortable shift as his fingers would curl round her belly; she was no svette Coruscanti twilighter to say the least. At a size fourteen by fashionista standards, she was certainly a lot more to hold on to.

And maybe the bulk of it was on her breasts, hips and thighs. But her momma done taught her that what she had could be used to her benefit -- and rightfully so she did as the Trade Queen.

None the less, feeling Kuhn's arms round her was enough to get that awkward feeling of vulnerability she didn't quite take a liking to. That wasn't who she was. Damnit why was he making her mind race.

Oh she knew why, deep down in the depths of her mind where that pandora's box of self conscious weaknesses nagged at her. She let her guard down; that wasn't a type of mistake she was wont to take now well into her prime. It irked her something fierce that he managed to do so.

Now here they were. Feth, I just called him an idiot when I very am well one too.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He let out a soft chuckle. “Funny. Thats exactly what my sisters said.”

Alric smiled, as if recalling something else.

“Of course, my father would have been rather angry about it all.” His hand uncurled, as if it was an unconscious act, not even something he was thinking about. “That was something my sisters knew. I was too young to remember the last time, but Violet and Fiona both knew that dear old dad would likely cut the tree down again.”

His shoulders sagged slightly, his muscles relaxed and some of the tension drained out of him. “So they had me hide it.”

The amusement was carrying through his tone, the nostalgia clear and the memories of his sister being fresh on his mind. He recalled their faces clearer than he had in months, he remembered their voices, their laughter, their smiles, he couldn't help but continue telling the story.

“The bone was snapped, but not so bad that you could see it.” He explained. “Their solution was to have me wear my thick winter coat.”

He chuckled. “It was summer.”

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Danger couldn't help it. Her shoulders would start to shudder. The image he was painting for her only made her laugh. Granted, it was a muffled one that sounded more like a heavy snort.

Yet a small victory for the Tetan none the less.

"Out of the frying pan, and into the fire..."

However, his story didn't account for setting a bone straight. Especially if it was broken. A coat wouldn't be able to hold a broken bone in place. Not for the length it would require to heal it. Granted, bacta stints could do the trick.

His chest would lightly shudder at her back, his laughter prompting short puffs of air to tickle her neck and ear. She was grateful for the darkness as she went leaning forward to avoid it. She rested her cheek over her knees, using that excuse to get away. However, that also managed to press his hands tighter against her belly and under the curves of her breasts.

Great.

Between a rock and a hard place there.

She gave an internal groan.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He smiled.

Small victories.

That was all that he really needed, her small bouts of laughter, the feeling of amusement that she felt. When she leaned forward his arms were caught by her, hands pressing against her stomach and muscled arms pressing slightly against her breasts.

It was an oddly nice feeling, having her in his hands once again.

“Well, as it turns out, twelve year olds don't really think these things through. Neither of my sisters were medical professionals. It took two days until my arm was bigger than my leg. Obviously there were...complications.” He smiled slightly, though oddly enough he never brought up the pain that he would have been in as a child.

A broken arm was no small thing, especially for a nine year old. “My sisters decided the best thing to do was to fix it themselves.”

His arm shifted slightly, clearly the arm that had been broken. His hand brushed against her, moving slightly in an almost soothing motion. Though he did not do it on purpose.

“They found a medical book in my fathers library.” Amusement played through his tone again. “Fiona dressed up as a nurse.”

He shook against her as he laughed, his arms pressing tightly against her and his hands making that soothing motion again. “Years later, when I asked her why, she looked at me with the most deadpan expression I have ever seen. She simply said 'Because It would've worked better.'”

Alric laughed out loud.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Why did he have to do that?

Truth be told she didn't quite catch the rest of his tale. He would laugh low at her back, voice dipping an octave. Once or twice, his voice would take on a rasp over specific syllables. She would amount that to his state of weariness, but truth be told, she recalled it well. It was the same tone that he'd reverted to in the midsts of his hallucination.

It was also the same guttural rasp that would --

Mehr

Oh great. Danger nearly groaned aloud. Questioning her own sanity, Danger attempted to focus her thoughts elsewhere. Beyond how he had sounded a week ago.

Of course, that's when she felt the press of his hand start to lightly rub over her robe just under the heavy weight of her chest. She took a sharp intake of breath, one likely mistaken for another shudder of laughter. She could deal with that. What she couldn't quite deal with was how he kept on doing it. Side to side. It wasn't the motion in it of itself as much as the sensation of the fabric being slid back and forth. Awareness. Memories. Flashbacks. His hands. Hands that were rough, but not painful. The way the oddly calloused hands would --

poodoo.

Heat shot over her face. She was never so blasted grateful for the dark. Biting her lip, she took a deep breath. Just had to focus on something else.

"...when I asked her why, she looked at me with the most deadpan expression I have ever seen. She simply said 'Because It would've worked better.'”


Her question came next. But while the query was short, and the wind would howl in the distance, her voice took on a husky edge one would liken to weariness.

"Did it?"

Or for those with an apt ear for Danger's tone, something else entirely.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric wasn't sure if he had heard her at first, or rather if he had truly listened to the sound of her voice. The husky rasp that came form her, the hushed tone that erupted from her without seeming breath. For a moment he simply tilted his head, trying to think, to remember.

It seemed to familiar.

He had heard her speak like that before, but the memory was faded, hazy, as if he could not quite recall even though it was only a week ago. His lips thinned, and he tried to remember, yet the thought escaped him. He shook his head slowly, his hands shifting against as he moved, body pressing against her back as he righted himself, his hands gripping her roughly for only half a second before letting go again.

“We never got to find out.” Amusement in his tone. “My father caught us just as we were about to perform our little operation.”

There was a slight edge to his voice. “I remember his words still...”

Alric trailed off, then spoke in old tetan. “Meine Kinder sind entweder Idioten oder geniuses.”

The CEO of Titan Industries grinned.

“Not sure what he thought in the end.” Those were strangely solemn words and they were accompanied by another soft unconscious stroke of his thumb.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Her eyes would squeeze tightly shut. Why did he have to talk like that? She gave an involuntary shudder; one that perhaps could very well be considered to be due to the cold. Although to be frank, the chill of the cave was quickly growing to be the last thing in her mind.

Another snort left her. A method of trying to keep herself in control. Father. He was talking about his father -

A throaty rasp of Old Tetan would murmur in mild amusement behind her. “Meine Kinder sind entweder Idioten oder geniuses.”

-- Mehr.
Gib mir alles.

Damnit!

She tried to regulate her breathing, but even that didn't stop the shiver of a growing persistent need. Feth. Feth. FETH! A mental groan came to her. What the heck was wrong with her?!

It was clear that she had gone through a dry spell long enough. After this, she was gonna take care of things discretely. Someone who could do her right and won't talk so that she can get her head on straight. That is all it was. Hormones. She might be sterile but that didn't mean that the biological clock stopped ticking. Menses or no, once a month her body got illogically persistent for an itch to scratch and that was all this was.

She had to latch onto something. Okay, a distraction.

Granted the way he kept rubbing over her abdomen was not helping. So, she shifted a bit, legs stretching out. She even nudged his arms away.

"Hungry?" she asked, starting to move from his arms towards the area where she last left the big purple fruit. Thank Inari the reviver for an excuse to move!

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric didn't try to stop her from moving. Why would he? He had no idea of her current thoughts nor did he think she was actively trying to get away. To him, she was simply hungry.

Though the race of her heart had been steadily increasing against his arms, the soft thumping becoming harder and faster. Had he been thinking in that way and not telling a nostalgic story of family, Alric's reaction very likely would have been entirely different.

She moved quickly, leaning forward and reaching out over his leg, scooting away from him slightly but still remaining within touching distance.

His hands came to rest on his knees, brushing her hips as they fell from her.

“No.” He said quietly, still a hint of amusement in his tone. Alric was still lost in nostalgia, his mind placed firmly in the past. Hunger wasn't a thought to him, at least not right now. He let out a breath, ragged and tired, weary of the world around him, hands resting against her hips.

An odd sort of happiness floated around him, a sense of joy that was almost palpable, infectious.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Danger went scooting forward. Small blessings. There was a tremble to her fingers, and she was thankful for the dark. She could use it as an excuse to prevent any hint of vulnerability.

As it was, Alric was well down memory lane, reminiscing in his past. Good for him. At least it kept him occupied. Who knew how long this sand storm would last. The gentle search of her fingers would soon lightly nudge an oblong globule. Ah, there we go.

This... this was a way to help out. Her fingers would greedily wrap around the fruit, bringing it close to her chest. He had stretched out his legs, and now his fingers were lightly resting against her hips. Okay, she could counter this. She could get through it. She drew her legs up to sit cross legged while Alric continued to be oblivious.

Her fingers would tighten around the ripe purple fruit now in her hand.

With this.

Silphia. It was the fruit of a Silphia plant.

This dessert species of flora first saw its use within the Tusken Raider community. With the nomadic lifestyle of the Tusken Raiders, the need to use what manner of plants and wildlife in the dry arid planet of the Twin Suns brought about the knowledge of Silphia's most useful commodity.

The history of this particular plant species begins in the common raids taken by Tusken Raiders. As raids needed to be handled promptly and quickly, with weeks at a time out in the dessert, the need for the men in these raiding parties to remain focused and attentive to the task at hand was of the utmost importance. To be distracted by the baser desires of the opposite sex in these raids was something that the Tusken Raiders did not want to have to worry about.

The juice of the large oval like purple fruit of the Silphia provides a means to ensure that such distraction is no longer a concern. When drank fresh, the herbal properties of the fruit provide a means to lower a sapiant's more baser desires, that of their libido. It provides a mean to focus, much like a strong cup of stimcaf, while ensuring that distractions of any attractive slaves remain at the back of the mind. The normal length of the juice effects can last for twenty-four hours upon ingestion, with the side effects of a slight increase of heart-rate and heighten sense of alertness if overdosing more than the recommended 1oz intake.

So, to Alric, she might have seem a bit too greedy with the fruit. Maybe too hungry. No for her? In her current state. It meant one thing.

That she would be able to curve any urges for at least twenty four hours.

So it was with careful fingers, she would start to peel the skin of the fruit.