Take Off The Mask

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


"What is so funny?" Danger would ask, suspiciously narrowing her gaze over at the old Tetan. His hand would fall by his side, and he gave a rather innocent expression as if to say, 'Nothing dear.' Carry on...

It didn't take long before the glasteel doors would slide open and the distinct cold front would blast them with a much cooler temperature. Belsavis would have been preferable to this. At least it was tundra.

A glower set upon Danger's face, and her lips would purse. He would pay for this, she thought to herself, and the distinct capture of his eyes with hers relayed that fact.

Danger was never one for colder weather. Being born and raised under the arid Twin Suns, she was more at home with the heat. She could deal with arid. She could deal with humidity. She could even wade through water, but that was an experience on its own. Yet when it came to the frigid cold of Hoth or other similar planets, she'd find herself right ornery because of it.

It didn't help matters that with her dress, it made her feel the chill at the more.

Up ahead were a series of ray shields with ice plants writhing behind them. There were also some interesting biolumincent cavern lichens. Well, interesting for the girls at least. The only lichen from Hoth Danger was ever interested was the rarest of spice.

Really, Hoth was full of nothing when it came to flora.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The fauna of Hoth certainly was...interesting. Truthfully there wasn't much to really see, at all besides a few bits of fungi and those odd plants behind the ray shields. There really wasn't much, and truth be told he was rather confused as to why they had an entire greenhouse dedicated to it. The joke suddenly seemed a lot less funny than he had originally wanted it to be, and the slight chill up his spine that settled in because of the cold pressed at him.

"Okay." Alric said frowning. "This is lame."

Suddenly he pushed all of them forward. His hand pressed at Danger's side and her wrapped his arm around Lily to push her forward as well.

Rose got the signal, and she quickly began to push herself along to keep up with the others. "Go go go!"

Alric shouted at them all, urging them to rush through Hoth.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Hmph." Danger was not amused, but she was more than willing to rush along. However, she could only do so much in heels. A quick, brisk walk was called for. Thankfully, the 'Hoth' exhibit was small in comparison to the others. Honestly who in their right mind would have Hoth of all places as part of a botanical garden?

She had choice words to say about that.

It would appear however, as the doors would slide shut behind them, they were not going to be completely out of the chill just yet. The sign would say, "Belsavis." A frozen world, but one with volcanic calderas that would allow for hot springs, and unique flora. It wasn't as bad as Hoth, but at the very least it was warmer.

Alric none the less received a faint scowl.

"I am glad you are amused," she'd say ruefully, goosebumps still running up and down her arms, the girls both ambling along ahead of them down. At the very least, they were a bit move jovial.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Instead of responding, Alric only looked around. The chill that still crawled up his spine and the cold that lingered in the air made his eyes grow wide.

"My god." Alric whispered quietly.

Suddenly the Titan pulled Danger very close, as though something bad was about to happen. He did the same thing with Lily, grasping her and pulling them both tightly against his chest. Pure horror crossed his features, as though there was a monster standing in front of his face. His eyes grew wide, his mouth opened, and then suddenly he wrenched both Danger and Lily up. It was easier than it looked. Lily was still stick thin due to her past problems and Danger didn't weigh all that much in the first place.

Plus, Alric stayed in shape.

"IT'S ANOTHER ICE WORLD!" Alric shouted as he broke into a sprint, throwing both women over his shoulders. "COME ON!"

Lily broke out into indignant fits of giggling, Rose broke out into laughter, running after her father.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

The world spun.

One moment she was on her feet. The next instant, Kurt had her and Lily over his shoulder. The sudden drop of her cordiality went out the window into the chill of the air with her abrupt, "What in the Nine Hells are you.."

That's when he began to run.

Oh gorram it! The jog would make her skirt flutter, so there she was, ass in the air with her legs slightly kicking. It was cold, and by all accounts this was the most ridiculous...

Laughter broke out from Lily. From Rose. Laughter echo'd as each step would prompt a mammaquatia that was enough to cause any bystander to give a double take.

Silver streaked hair would fall over her face, and she could barely glance past to capture the look of utter merriment upon Rose's face. It was that expression, that silly joyful expression, that managed to cut through Danger's final inhibition. It was a sign of relief.

A weight fell from her, that burden lifting. Oh she bounced, she jiggled, and Alric didn't help matters by exclaiming that they keep running; but for the first time since this meeting started, Danger began to laugh.

It was a genuine chuckle, bubbling up to float out and join the others. Small as it may be, it was a small bond. A tiny spark of potential.

Danger could live with that.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Eventually he managed to breach the next shielded barrier, rushing into the atrium section for the world of Kashyyyk. He stumbled slightly, almost falling over as the momentum of carrying the two women brought him a tad too far forward. Alric managed to catch himself, placing a foot forward and coming to a sudden stop. Lily let out another giggle, Rose came collapsing into the Greenhouse and Danger seemed to shake on his shoulder. The old man let out a loud breath, slowly putting Lily down onto the ground.

Danger came next, though he was a tad more gentle with her.

Rose's laugh slowly faded, her hand coming to rest on Alric's back.

The old man let out a deep few breaths, hunching over slightly. His age was unfortunately showing, and while the two women didn't weigh all that much, running that far while carrying the both of them did tire him out rather quickly. He hunched over a bit more, his breathing somewhat ragged. "Glad...we...made it."

There was a smile on his face.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger slid against Alric, his arms gently setting her down, but did not let her go. At least, while he was attempting to catch his breath. His face was flushed, but his eye were a bright blue. There was amusement plastered upon his face, that pleased lighthearted crooked smile as he would behold his girls.

"You old fool!" Danger would chide him, but it was with no real venom nor bite. She shook her head, her auburn hair all mused up and floating in different directions. Gone was the proper matron and in her place was Danger, the one who was more apt to sock Alric on the shoulder for doing something that he shouldn't.

"You'll hurt yourself doing that." she added, straightening her skirt so it wasn't up by her knees. One didn't need to feel only the temperature change to realize they were in a different botanical garden. This one came with the distinct scent of... trees. Evergreen trees. A slight half turn and Danger's eyes would widen.

This was the largest of the botanical gardens, its arched ceiling several stories high. Considering what lay behind her, she now understood why.

This was a representation of Kashyyyk.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Kashyyyk was all well and good, but Alric was presently dying. Barely hanging on, the old man let out ragged breath after ragged breath. His head was swirling, and he found himself wondering why the ground was slightly moving. A gentle, tiny, hand rubbed his back, laughter still erupting from its origin. Rose took no pity on her father, and Lily was huffing away in the corner, or rather, playfully huffing away in the corner. Danger simply admonished him, her words very clearly being true.

"Nonsense." Alric said. "I'm fine."

He wasn't, and likely he would be regretting all of that later tonight. "I'll have you know I could do that twice over and still have more left in me."

Oh god please no.

"Uh huh."

Rose said as she patted her father on the back, clearly not quite believing that he would be capable of such a feat. Another minute passed, and slowly Alric would be able to right himself, his chest still pressing in and out and his eyes fixing on the trees around them. Still a bit woozy, it took him a second to realize where they had wandered too.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Your wits are addled in your old age." Danger would chide mid chuckle. Shaking her head, she would smooth her hand over his flank. While certainly warmer in the Kashyyyk biome, it was also more spacious. Panning her gaze, Danger would search for a place for Alric to sit. A small bench wasn't too far off, and gently, she would drift her hand to his elbow.

"Come on, let's get you situated for a spell." nodding over towards the bench. They could do well to just collect their wits for a few minutes. This viewing area was vast, a circular enclave that would section off into various smaller botanical gardens based on the rich variety the forest of Kashyyyk had. The Shadowlands, The Canopy, and everything in between.

"There might be a water fountain somewhere around here."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Kashyyyk.

Alric had never actually been to that world, though he'd heard more stories than he could ever remember. The planet was a jungle, but not a jungle like Felucia. It was said that Kashyyyk was a planet of layers, of different levels. The were the shadowlands, the tree tops, the middle sections, and all of them were dangerous. There was so much flaura and fauna on Kashyyyk that it never could have been contained within a greenhouse, and as Alric looked up and around himself he confirmed that fact.

"I'm fine." Alric said, his voice a little less breathy.

Though the bench that he sat down on did help more than a tad.

"Just you know." Alric said looking at his daughter. "Lily is getting heavy."

The eldest twin quirked an eyebrow, the younger one chuckled once again. There was humor to be had a plenty today, and that was the important thing. Even if the whole thing ended up breaking him, Alric would at least have created a bond between the three women, and that was really all that he could ask for in the end. It was after all the goal of the day, to get them all comfortable with one another.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

At that, Danger would give Alric a gentle smack on the side of his head.

"Be nice." green eyes would meet the blue of the twins. "Don't mind your father, he just likes to get himself into trouble." the smack, however, was followed by an unconscious cafune. Her fingers threaded through his hair in subtle affection, one that perhaps the girls would realize would indicate a small portion of the depth of Danger's love for their father.

A glance up would look towards the various signs and sigils. "If I read that right, looks like there is some sort of treehouse up by the canopy section." glancing back at the three, she would add. "Along with the Shadowlands.... where would you like to go?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric smiled. There was a lot to see in this particular greenhouse, it was the largest out of all fourteen and featured the most things. That was only natural, given that Kashyyyk was perhaps the grandest of all foliage worlds in the galaxy, the Tetan certainly couldn't think of any that were more famous. Briefly he wondered if they had taken actually trees from the planet or if they had simply allowed seeds to grow and be shaped. He mused for a moment, knowing that the latter was far more likely.

"Let's do the treehouse first." Alric said with a smile. "Wouldn't want you to get scared."

He offered her an innocent smile, then slowly stood from the bench.

Rose was the first to move in that direction, clearly the most prepared to keep wandering through the gardens. Had she visited Kashyyyk before? He thought not, it wasn't far enough in the outer rim for her trip. Lily quickly joined her sister, and the two girls began wandering a good bit ahead of Danger and Alric, whispering between themselves.

Alric watched them for a moment then looped an arm around the small of Danger's back.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Alric's hand would slide over her back, just above the curve of her rear and come to rest along the generous hip. That was nice. This was nice. Her own arm would snake under his own, pressing against the small of his back to mimic the embrace. That was the first public display of affection during their walk that Danger made with the girls around. It was evident that she was feeling more comfortable, her nervousness waning.

It was a good sign.

"Are you sure you can go up the stairs?" that was if they wanted to take the scenic route. There was a lift as an option, but knowing Alric, he'd want to take the wooden bridge stairs to the top where the treehouse lay.

Leaning close, Danger would stare up at him. She caught his profile, the brushed peppered beard, the crows feet at the corner of those bright blue oceanic eyes. There it was, a well that just bloomed within her heart again. That love that she had for the Tetan, the man.

Her expression softened. For all her worries, things were going well. Far better than she had expected. Granted, the day wasn't over yet, but it echoed what Alric had told her many times earlier. That it would be alright.

A squeeze of her fingers would draw him closer to her, and she had a desire to hold him close.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric looked down at her.

"How old do you think I am?" Sure he'd just run up some stairs, but that didn't mean he couldn't manage to walk up some stairs. "I can manage some stairs."

His tongue stuck out at her for half a moment before retreating once again, the light squeeze on his hip sending her affections to him. He smiled, looking after Lily and Rose as they disappeared around the small bend into the forest like Botanical gardens. Things were going well today, and a surprising amount of time had already passed. There was a slight grumble in his stomach, hunger growing in him, though his small bit of exercise had probably helped with that.

A gentle press at her back, and Alric began moving them. "So what do you think?"

He asked her as they slowly meandered down the path.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Mmm.." the walk was slow, casual. The girls were ahead of them, their heads dipped close, murmurs and a few chuckles of laughter floating from them both. They were identical, but still very different. Each had their unique attributes, likes and dislikes that made them who they were.

"Not too bad," she would admit, telling him what he likely already knew but needed her to understand for herself. She had worked herself up for the past few months when it came to the subject of Lily and Rose. All the more after Rose and she had their first meeting back at the Stronghold. A lot of it was her own doubts and fears magnifying things tenfold.

"Lily is doing better." she certainly was healthier. Her skin was vibrant, and a little bit more flesh on her figure than she had in the past. While Danger couldn't quite say she had a favorite, she knew that she had focused more on Rose than she had with Lily. That was due to the high degree of risk Rose had put herself in when she was part of the Sith. When she was a Forcer.

Now, after all that, she certainly has done well for herself. "Rose has matured."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Yeah, they were both doing better. Alric mused to himself slightly, smiling as the two twins came into view again. They seemed to meander their own way down the path, talking, giggling among themselves. It was good to see that, and even after a week of spending time together it was clear that they were still catching up to one another after a years absence from one another.

It was endearing.

Alric had missed seeing his girls like this. "I think Rose is going to end up working for Vanir."

He admitted to Danger. His daughter had hinted at the idea of it, though not in corporate manner. Instead she had asked about scouting, Saeva Incorporated, and some of the more out there jobs that Vanir Technologies did. The old Tetan thought perhaps that Rose would go into scouting, or perhaps surveying. Given what she had done for the last year it made sense to him. More sense than her becoming like her sister.

"Maybe scouting." Alric whispered to Danger. "Or working for Saeva."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Reckon that makes sense," Danger would reply, her voice a low octave, matching Alric's tone. "She's been wanderin' the galaxy and enjoyin' that freedom." Danger could understand that; she herself felt the same when she was sixteen and had to Captain her own ship. Those were some of the most precious years of her life. Back when things were far more simpler. When she was more open and willing to experience new things without worrying if there was an underlying meaning behind it.

"Isn't Saeva strictly a mercenary company now?" there was a bit of concern in her whisper. She knew Kiran, knew what Saeva could do -- would do. Would Saeva be the best place for her? A slight frown drew over Danger's brow, furrowing it a bit.

They came across the first rope bridge, and it would wind up the Wroshyr tree to lead them up towards the canopy. This one wasn't on scale with the monoliths on Kashyyyk, but it would take a few minutes before they would reach the top.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He shook his head.

"Mostly, but they do some spec ops and scouting too." Not much, but if Rose could specialize in that and get more training in that avenue Alric would be more than happy. Kiran would see to the fact that she never came to any harm, he was sure of that. Though the idea that Rose could ever come close to becoming a soldier made him rather uncomfortable. That might have seemed off given that he had supported many warring factions, but when it came to children one was often hypocritical.

"Maybe just have her in Vanir." Alric said. "Keep her safer."

She would likely have to be talked into Vanir, Rose knew well that Saeva was where most of the action was, but he was pretty sure that if Kiran came him him it would be fairly easy to convince her.

They began to step over the bridge, Alric treading more carefully across the odd rope structure. It was clear that he was rather uncomfortable, though perhaps only because he felt like these things were a tad rickety.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Doesn't Vanir have an exploration division?" Her low query would continue the conversation. That would make more sense right? Exploration and Science expeditions. One still gets the feeling of traveling the 'Verse while doing something productive. It would also mean that Rose will keep a measure of her independence.

"I know I do..." it was a thought, but it was unlikely that Rose would be interested with anything in Arceneau Trade. Nor was Danger going to push it. This was just her mulling aloud, the slight creek of the rope bridge cutting her thoughts. With the climb, she would withdraw her arm from Alric's waist, and instead slip it to clasp his hand. The other would come to rest and lightly clasp on the braided railing for balance.

As they would walk, she noticed her own breathing becoming a bit more labored. Once again, she was reminded that she was getting old. Not to mention a lifetime of cigarillos as a vice didn't do wonders for her lungs. Exertion was a tangible flaw if she continued for too long. What she did back on Tatooine twenty years ago would likely have been impossible for her now.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Trying to steal my daughter, eh?" Alric said as they supported one another over the bridge, his arm lacing around her to hold on tight.

Things were moving well between all of them, and this day was going well. Danger was being a bit more open with the girls, the twins were agreeing with each other and with Danger and...well things were just good. He couldn't have asked for more, and even with the heavy amount of age that was holding him down Alric still felt more than well. He couldn't have asked for a better day, and as he looked away from Danger and up towards the end of the bridge he saw his twins standing there.

He smiled, stopping to watch them.

"I'm proud of them." He told Danger. "They're doing well, even without me."

That meant something to him, a lot, actually.