Take Off The Mask

[Danger Arceneau]

"Alright." Danger chuckled out, taking the leash from [member="Alric Kuhn"]. Mister Tuggles swung his wide head up at the woman, his large black eyes curious and excited at the same time. Once they entered the lift, he began sniffing around, moving about and in between the Old Tetan and she. His big fluffy tail would off and on lightly rap at Alric's and her leg. It felt like a big fluffy duster was smacking them off and on.

It made her chuckle.

"How are you doing?" she'd ask her husband, watching him enter the lift. The doors slid shut with a hiss there after. She waited for him to get settled, then she went reaching over towards the console to tap at the floor selection that would bring them up towards the dome. This was one of her favorite walks, although if she was honest with herself, it was getting a little more difficult in the breathing department now and then.

The toils of getting old.

Glancing back up to meet the deep blue of Alric's eyes, Danger smiled. Unable to help herself, she reached over to kiss his lips with a quick peck. "You get tired you tell me."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I'm Alright." For now he was. The leg didn't hurt too much when he used the cane, and they had only been out for a few minutes anyway. He might have been injured, but he wasn't that injured. Shifting slightly the old man leaned down and began to scratch Mr. Tuggles behind the ears. He smiled slightly as the little creatures tail began to swing back and forth, smacking his leg and then Danger's over and over again until eventually the Tuggle fell down onto the ground in a contented sitting position.

"It's fine with the cane." The Tetan explained. "As long as I'm not running all over the place."

Running was basically impossible anyway.

He'd briefly considered taking Aspha for his leg, repairing the damaged muscle and ligaments, but...well, he had to accept that he was getting older. He had never really thought that he needed limitations of any sort, but his leg was a good reminder that he wasn't as young as he used to be, besides, aspha...well it wasn't always the most pleasant experience to go through and Alric doubted that he was in any shape to actually survive it.

Especially with his heart the way it was.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Alright." she gave him another kiss upon his cheek, smiling against his skin and the pelt of his beard. "Just makin' sure." The turbolift they were in was encased in glasteel, allowing an unprecedented view of the entire section of the station. Clean white lines that were pocketed by bursts of vibrant green. Hydrophonic gardens would allow the use of real plants throughout the station, not only providing a natural venue of filtering water, but oxygen as well.

It also served to provide a sense of harmony. Nothing compared, however, to the nearly twenty-four hundred meters of forested trails and artificial lake. A bit over the top one might say, but it served it's purpose well. Living in Elysium wasn't meant to be cheap.

Besides, Alric had already bought this particular skyhook for Vanir Technologies.

The turbolift came to a silent slow stop. Mister Tuggles drew up on his short stubby legs again, his tail wagging as he would peer up at them both.

"Almost there, Mistah Tuggles." she'd say wryly. "Impatient like others I know..." she'd slide her eyes to her peripheral towards the Tetan. The door hissed open, and the trio stepped off into the wide, white path that led towards the forested park.





[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The park, as Danger liked to call it, was more of a greenhouse than anything else. The place was a reminder of the very greenhouse that they had visited on Empress Teta, save this one was a representation of a massive temperate forest, completed with massive holo-display representing the sun in the sky. It was rather nice, and of course had been designed so that all the residents of the skyhook were perfectly happy with living in space.

Truth be told, Alric didn't mind it.

It was nice to visit something like this every once in a while without having to go directly onto the planet below. He supposed when they had their ship that wouldn't be a problem, they could go wherever they wanted whenever they wanted.

Mr. Tuggles ran ahead of Danger and Alric, scurrying forward quickly and sniffing the air every few steps as he let out little stomps across the stone pathway. The air here was fresher than on the rest of the station, colder, but nice. Alric watched the little guy, following after him by Danger's side. The cane made a slight thwack every time it hit the ground, the decorated wood having been a gift from his daughters. The old man smiled slightly. "Maybe getting old Isn't so bad."

His words were quiet, almost inaudible.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

​

​

There was a refreshing scent of pine that would waft over the trio. The lift was one of four that would lead off into four distinct bridges over the lake. Up overhead, the solarium glasteel dome was reflecting the holographic image of mountains along with the natural starry sky overhead. Their slow amble would take them to the bridge, where they would see a few of the other Elysium inhabitants taking their own little strolls.

"Mmm, I say age agrees with you Mistah Kuhn," Danger would drawl out with mild amusement to the old Tetan, hooking her arm around his own. Mister Tuggles darted up ahead, slowly learning to stay within the distance his harness would grant him. A gentle tap would rap and then rub along Alric's forearm.

"I'd say it ain't fair that nature so sees it for men to age well, while us womenfolk have to worry about filling out here and there." she'd joke, the bubbling sound of a small waterfall a pleasant ambiance. Being a space station, there was no true wind. Instead, there was an artificial climate changer that would simulate it. A small gust went drifting past, sending tendrils of auburn waves to lightly dance by Danger's chin.



[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Mrs. Arceneau." The cane tapped against the rocks. "Are you fishing for compliments?"

There was a breeze that pulled through the trees. An oddly simulated effect, created by massive fans contained somewhere within the grand dome, but it was calming, nice. Alric wondered how much money had been spent creating all of this, just how much they had paid. He had never really thought about it, though his company had bought Elysium after he had taken up residence here. That had been a business investment of course, and now this place was home to a variable pantheon of Vanir Employees.

All good people, some of them now Danger and Alric's friends. He smiled at his wife, squeezing her hand gently with his free one. "Because I think we both know who the head turner is in this marriage, especially with those hips of yours still floating about."

It was true.

Alric might have looked decent for his age, but even now he was nothing compared to Danger. Most men would still chop off their left hand to even touch his wife. Alric wasn't ignorant of that fact, instead it amused him greatly to think about. Danger Arceneau was a prize above anything anyone could even dream of. The Titan had attained the unattainable, though he had never even tried to do so. He smiled slightly, everything that they were now, everything that had happened, it had all been so natural.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Mistah Kuhn," she'd sing, a twist of her lips in wry amusement, "Do I look like the sort of woman who would fish for compliments?" her throaty chuckle would bubble forth, turning into a soft laugh as they ambled along. There were no actual wildlife in the Arbor; that would cause certain difficulties in and of itself. Yet that did not deter the beauty of the area.

The lake, on the other hand, was seeded with fish. Sustainable methods of maintaining the hatchery along the lake providing a venue to not only relax but to maintain a balance. All in all, it was beautiful.

Danger certainly still missed the arid desert of Tatooine. The rise and fall of the Twin Suns. However, spending time with Alric was more than worth it. It also wasn't to say that she wouldn't visit her homeworld. She still did.

"And my hips don't go floating around." she'd quip, patting his arm with her hand again. Although, that comment was enough to prompt a snort of disbelief from anyone.

"Can't blame me for what my momma gave me."


[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric looked at her, an eyebrow slowly floating up. Mr. Tuggles was barely holding to his leash, sniffing around the edge of the path now and stomping around in some of the crumpled leaves that lay there. The Titans gaze followed him for a moment, then a smile perked at his lips as the little Tuggle forced the couple to stop dead in their tracks. The creature sniffed the air, then the ground, pressing it's nose tightly against the grass as though it were something he'd never seen before.

The Tetan's cane dipped slightly, leaning against his leg as Alric slowly took a half step around Danger and slipped a single arm around her, disentangling himself from her grasp so that he could reach over her flat stomach and rest his hand on her opposite hip.

"Are you sure?" The Titan pressed his lips against her neck. "I might be able to blame you plenty."

He nuzzled her neck. "The things you do to me with those gifts."

Alric smirked into her neck, kissing her skin once again as his wooden cane went falling onto the ground, forgotten for a moment. The noise spooked Mr. Tuggles, his head suddenly snapping up as he looked back towards Alric and Danger, eyes narrowing in suspicion before slowly turning back towards the grass.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Now this was an avid public display of affection.

Twenty years ago, Danger would have none of this. In fact, she'd have been very upset if Alric had even attempted such a thing. Back then, her reputation was all she had; the illusion of being unattainable and ensuring no romantic or even sexual interest would be tied to her name is what had managed to procure those connections. Men were all about the chase, if they could all pretend that perhaps eventually they might strike aurodium, they'll keep playing the game.

Alric had bulldozed through that during that first Expo meeting.

The change now would be extraordinary for the younger Danger to even wrap her mind around it. When the Tetan took her into his arms and began to nuzzle her neck, instead of pushing him away, Danger only gave a low chuckle. Her hand rose to cafune his hair and she simply enjoyed the brush of his lips against the curve of her neck. Perhaps it was a bit racy, but Danger didn't mind.

"Mmm, well I figured you enjoyed those just fine." she'd quip, aware that his cane had tumbled to the ground, forgotten for now. Mister Tuggles went back to sniffing the grass, walking about in little concentric circles as he searched for something in particular. Until he finally did.

That's when he rolled up on his haunches and proceeded to clench his cheeks, leaving his first steaming deposit in the grass.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric began to laugh.

"Well..." The Tetan chuckled into her neck. "Maybe when Mr. Tuggles doesn't ruin the mood."

The Tetan slowly let go of Danger, though found a slight problem when he noticed that his cane had fallen onto the ground. He let out a slight noise of exasperation. His leg might not have impeded walking too much, but it did rather limit his agility in the worst of ways. Picking things up off the ground was nearly impossible, bending his leg becoming something that was incredibly painful, not because of the actual bend, but in the straightening of the muscle and ligaments in his knees. He frowned for a moment.

His fingers softly grazed over her stomach. "Danger, my beautiful lovely wife."

The Titan began to schmooze.

"Would you mind terribly..." He kissed her cheek. "Getting my cane for me?"

Alric tried to look as innocent as possible.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


“And when he ain’t busy marking his territory.” Now was the question on what they were supposed to do to take care of it. Maybe she could get a droid to come clean that up --

Green eyes slid over to the old Tetan, catching the wry glimmer that swept over the deep blue of his eyes. “I reckon I can do that.” Oh he was trying to play coy too!

Well two could play this game.

Without any further ado, Danger took a step back from the former Titan. With deliberate care, the woman bent forward at the waist, leaning her torso forward as her hand went stretching out to pluck the wooden cane off the deck. Oh, if the subject of hips were still the topic of conversation, the display right now would be the final punctuation on that mark.

Mister Tuggles gave the duo no mind. He had done his duty and was now sniffing to find another suitable spot. The Arbor was large enough that it required plenty of marking.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

His eyebrow perked once more, something that it seemed to be doing quite a lot lately. Couldn't really blame it of course, thing practically had a mind of its own when it came to raising and waggling and such, though then again his eyebrow wasn't really alone in that. He frowned slightly, shifting his gaze away from Danger's ample hips and rear to the delightful scenic horizon that lay before him. There was the lake, the trees, and of course the hint of space that one could see within the glass.

It was a nice view, though not nicer than the one his wife made.

"Why thank you, my love." Alric said as Danger slowly pulled herself back up and offered Alric his cane. The simple wooden stick was decorated quite neatly with an odd assorted mesh of flowers and gears, a perfect symmetry of life and machine, both themes that Alric quite enjoyed, and a symbol of things that Alric had worked with his entire life. The cane had been a gift from his daughters, a nice one that he quite appreciated.

"You're too good to me." The Tetan said as he planted a small peck on her lips. "Whatever would I do without you."

Probably whither away. Alric thought, his face still split with a smile, the grim idea kept to himself.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

“LIkely forget to go to your medic appointments,” she mused, returning the kiss with a small press. Turning, she hooked her arm around his anew.

“We’ll need to call upon the sanitary committee to tell them about Mister Tuggles.” The area wasn’t made for wildlife, but it wasn’t any trouble to find someway to handle having Mister Tuggles around. A thought came to her. “Reckon other folks might want to have pets around?”

It was a thought. Perhaps they could put something in place. If they could enjoy it, why not others? Considerations would have to be put into place for a larger influx of critters.

“Speaking of which, we can’t forget your appointment tomorrow.” They had dinner tonight, but his appointment was set for tomorrow in the afternoon, after their usual brunch with the Richter’s. They were a couple living on Elysium, employee’s of Vanir that both Alric and she had taken a liking to enjoying Bedunday brunch.


[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Pet's were a good idea. Many people enjoyed the thought of animals, a few already had cats, that much Alric knew. "Pets would be nice."

It would create another job or two, but when was that a bad thing.

Elysium was essentially a massive home for Vanir Technologies employees, a residential self contained city. There already were shopping centers, homes, even a few laboratories that were operated by Vanir. The place really had been converted into a neat little home for those who had worked for his company, and even partially for those who worked for Danger's. It was nice, a place to call home, where many were more than happy and safe.

Why not let everyone have pets.

"I'm sure you'd never let me forget." Alric said with a slight yawn. "As good as you are to me."

A slight wink pulled at his eye.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"You bet I won't." she shot back, the corner of her mouth twitching upward in a wry smile. Of course, that was rather amusing seeing as the woman should also be paying close attention to her own health. Over five decades of smoking and drinking bore their burdens and consequences, most notably in her lungs and liver. Not the sort to take Aspha serum, she simply lived by the motto of, 'what happens would happen.'

Danger had long ago made peace with the fact that she was mortal. In that meant that she only had one life to live. As the last Arceneau of her line, there wasn't much she could do about the years she was given the privilege of living. Granted, that meant that now more than ever she'd have to sit down and think properlike what would happen in the future. After she was gone.

Something to consider.

"Heard anything from Lily?" she asked, moving along and calling out to Mister Tuggles to follow them. He perked his head up, before trotting over towards them, his tail wagging with interest.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Nothing new." Alric said with another slight yawn passing his lips. Both of his daughters were not adults, fully grown with their own occupations, goals, and paths in life. A part of him had always dreaded the idea of that, his girls growing up and becoming adults. He knew that it would end with them being married, meeting people and becoming fine young women, but...well they were his daughters, his little girls. It was never easy seeing your children grow up, something that he imagined most parents went through.

"Everything's pretty much the same with Lily." The Tetan Shrugged. "I think she's too busy for a social life, and she's happy with how Koros is growing, her work with Vanir is going well too. With that all happening I think she's perfect now, her condition stable and everything settled."

It had been some time since her last little 'episode', and now thankfully everything seemed to be okay.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


Hearing that Lily was doing well brought some comfort and relief there. Danger was well aware of the fine line the elder twin had walked upon a year ago. That she had stabilized and was now being productive and working hard made the Queen of Trade happy with the news.

“Reckon she’ll turn into a work-a-holic?” She’d muse with a wry twist of her lips. Considering that by definition, it suited Danger to a tee, brought with it a measure of amusement as much as a new wave of consideration. Danger didn’t want that sort of life for anyone. She lived it far too long and while it had brought Arceneau Trade to the household name and conglomerate it now was, it made for a mighty lonely home to come back to.

“Don’t want her settling into that,” came her low murmur of concern, her green eyes panning out towards the treelines. The artificial climate would sway the leaves to and fro. It was startling how lifelike it appeared. The entire facility had the sort of accommodations most would enjoy retiring from.

The sound of bubbling water would bring them over the arch of the bridge, where free flowing water flowed onto the lake underneath. Large lily pads would float over the crystal water, with large koi fish idly swimming to and fro.

“I hear that there is an investment opportunity with similar stations like Elysium.” She’d say, mentioning about word of a limited amount of stations that would come up for purchase and investment.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric shrugged. "I'm not about to tell her what to do. I've said that she should enjoy herself more, make some friends, do something outside of work, but if she wants to focus on what makes her feel good, on the accomplishments she's making...who am I to tell her to stop?"

The Tetan looked at his wife for a moment, contemplating.

"I mean really." A smile pulled at his lips. "We're not exactly the poster children for active social lives are we?"

That was true in part, though the real answer to the question was of course far more complex then one would think. Danger and Alric both knew plenty of people, hundreds, perhaps thousands, but none of them were really what one would call 'friends'. Neither of the two business Titans had anything resembling true friends, at least, not really. They had close associates, acquaintances, a person or two that knew plenty about them, but not really someone that you would hang out with or talk to often, not what most people in the galaxy would call a friend.

That was what they were to each other, no one else really took that place for either of them.

"Always something new to buy." Alric commented with an amused grin.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

A snort came then.

"Mmm, perhaps." She'd say wryly. Credits were never an issue between she and he. They both built conglomerates of the like never seen. By far, if there was anyone who could claim to be the richest woman in the 'Verse, it was Danger. Some might even say that she was the richest sapient regardless of sex. With the reach Arceneau Trade had, it wasn't impossible to believe.

Their wedding alone was the perfect example. No price had been spared, complete with platinum coins as souvenirs. The entire galaxy had been invited, and the result was a wedding of the sort never seen. However, it did not compare to the intimate service they had earlier. That one meant more to the Queen of Trade than anything else.

"However, we do enjoy this one. Might be of interest to see what else could be done."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He thought for a moment. Between the two of them they had enough money to buy every station in orbit, in fact, they could probably build a few just for good measure. It wouldn't be the most difficult thing, and truthfully he expected that in the end they would end up with the majority of the stations in orbit anyway. It was the way of things. Some might have called it aggressive corporate expansion, but the truth of it was that Danger and Alric just wanted to do good.

The Tetan watched as Mr. Tuggles ruffled around the grass, slowly following the two of them.

An idea bloomed in his mind, a slight twirk of his lips in an upward direction. "What about a nature preserve? One of the stations would certainly be large enough, and if we convert the entire thing to be something like...well this."

Alric gestured all around them.

"It would mean endangered species could be safe." The galaxy wasn't exactly kind to some animals, mostly because people hardly seemed to care when war was tearing through the stars. "Perhaps get some of the galaxies universities involved."

The two of them had enough connections there that they could easily do it, and with a project of this size, a nature preserve that exceeded thousands of meters...well, it would take a lot more than just Danger and Alric throwing money at it. If they created a true sanctuary, with the backing of academics and some wild life professionals, it was another mark of what the two of them could do, what they could leave behind when they were gone.