Take Off The Mask

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

“Want to help me pour the blue milk into the cups?”

Myra gave a shy little nod, and Danger mirrored it as she slid the jug of blue milk over to the youngling. She had set three mugs, allowing the little girl to scoop the powder hot cocoa into each one. There was a bit of a spill but Danger only laughed, telling her that it was okay. They could easily clean it up.

The tip of Myra’s tongue barely peaked out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. She was trying desperately hard to not spill a drop of the blue milk. Her tiny face scrunched up, and although her hands shook a bit, Myra managed slowly pour the blue bantha milk.

“There you go!” Danger said with praise, giving a cafune of Myra’s hair. “Well done.” she then took each mug to be warmed in the processor. All the while, Danger would study Myra. She was so thin, Danger thought. Having Doctor Yund look at her before he left would be prudent.

Not to mention Alric and she still had to decide what to do now….

A small beep would inform them that the warmed milk was done. “Alright, now --” Danger took a small spoon, bending down at the waist to shine a smile at the six year old little girl.
“How about you help me stir?” she suggested, holding out the spoon out for her.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Concern etched the doctors face, deep lines of worry as he inspected Alric's leg. His eyes fell from the scanner, then to the old mans knee and then back to the scanner. it was clear that the muscles within Alric's leg were not doing well, he had overextended and overworked the limb to the point of deterioration. The muscles and ligaments were now damaged, unable to properly heal without some serious help. The doctor frowned for a moment then shook his head.

"I doubt even Bacta will fix this Mr. Kuhn."

The old man gritted his teeth. That wasn't news that he had wanted to hear. "Permanent?"

It was really the only thing that he could think to ask, and when the doctor nodded in confirmation Alric could help but let out a silent curse. It seemed that his leg wouldn't repair itself this time, that the pain he was currently experiencing was here to stay. He frowned for a moment, tipped his head back and closed his eyes. A sigh escaped past his lips, a mixture of pain, frustration, and just pure annoyance at the situation that he had now put himself into. His hands came up and ran through his hair.

"Thank you, Doctor." It wasn't the best news, not even good news, but it was at least news. "Is there anything I can do?"

The other man wondered for a moment, checking his scans.

"I can give you medication for the pain, there's a few exercises, but I'm afraid that to do away with the pain you'll require surgery, and even then it's more than likely you'll lose the use of your leg entirely before getting it properly repaired."

Alric stared at the man, his teeth grinding down.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

“Okay darlin,” Danger would coo, handing Myra the warm cup of hot cocoa for her tiny palms to cradle. “You can bring that over to Alric now.” A bright smile shone within the youngling’s face at that. Heartstrings tugged within Danger’s breast at that tiny smile.

“I’ll take yours and mine on over. Careful now, it is warm.” It wouldn’t be hot to the point it would burn Alric’s lips. After all this time, Danger knew that Alric wasn’t too fond of typical hot drinks, and the few he was had a tendency to be more lukewarm than anything else.

Very carefully, with that same concentration Myra had shown when pouring the blue milk, the youngling carried the cup of hot cocoa in front of her. It was rather amusing, really, as she held it aloft as if it were the most precious thing in the verse.

This was exactly how Alric found Myra slowly walking over to him to give him his hot chocolate. It was a good thing too, because Myra didn’t manage to catch the rather grim and frustrated expression that had briefly fixated itself across the Tetan’s visage.
Danger, however, caught it. There was a question in her eyes as she met the bright blue of her husband’s.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He gave Danger the smallest shake of his head, a tiny nudge more than anything else, a sour expression that quickly disappeared as Myra drew near to him. The pitter patter of tiny feet reached him and his frown almost instantly turned upside down. He smiled at Myra, fighting through the pain that emanated from his knee and projecting an air of calm, confidence, and glee. It was a lie of course, or rather, it was a massive readjustment of how he actually felt in that moment.

Oh he was delighted to get hot chocolate, even more so to get it from Myra, but the pain in his leg was enough to make him want to screen.

"Why thank you young lady." There was a high inflection to his tone as he took the drink from Myra, gently pulling his fingers around the cup and taking it away from the small girl so she no longer had to carry the hot beverage. The Doctor beside him smiled, putting away the small scanner and taking on a more pleased expression than he had been wearing a moment ago. Alric appreciated that, seeing that the man understood exactly what was happening.

"Hope she didn't give you too much trouble." Alric looked up at Danger. "She likes to do things a certain way."

There was the tiniest twitch of a smile on the little girls face, a small perk of her lips that disappeared almost instantly.

It was something though.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Myra gave a small shake of her head, her dark hair flowing about her shoulders.

“Don’t you listen to him none.” Danger told Myra, a smile perking at the corner of her mouth. “He’s prone to tall tales at times.”

Myra brought her hands up over her lips, but there was a brightness in her grey eyes. It was good to see her this way.

“Honey, I want you to meet Doctor Yund.” the woman would introduce the youngling to the Etti V doctor. “He’s here to help Alric get better.”

A glance would dart over to Alric. Myra did need to get looked over as well.

“You think you can let him look at you a bit?”

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The little girl looked up at the three adults, her gaze panning between all of them as she frowned slightly. There was a hint of apprehension in her eyes, and Alric knew that look well. Having raised two daughters he knew well that none of them particularly liked the idea of going to the doctor, especially at the age Myra was at. The Doctor wasn't really someone to be trusted or looked up to, instead he was something to be feared. Of course, Alric knew how to fix that.

"It's alright honey." Alric said as he gently scooped Myra up and put her onto the couch. "The good Doctor helped me get better after I hurt myself earlier, he's a nice man and all he wants to do is to make sure that you're okay. You can do what I can, can't you?"

It was a challenge.

He often found that with young children a challenge was something to be met, even when they were slightly traumatized. Right now Myra needed to feel like she accomplished something, she needed to feel in control, and what better way to take control then to emulate one of the only two people that you trusted.

Slowly, apprehensively, the little girl gave a nod.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger gently set the two cups of hot cocoa down along a nearby table.

"You may take sips of your hot chocolate in between, okay?" she would tell Myra, giving her a small smile. The challenge that Alric had given her was the best thing they could do. It gave the youngling a sense of control and choice. Not to mention, would make Doctor Yund's medical scan easier.

Myra gave a tentative nod, and Danger went reaching out to gently comb her fingers through that brown hair. A small nod towards the doctor, and Yund took the cue.

"Hey there, little one." Yund came crouching down so that he was level to Myra's grey eyes. A friendly smile would shine at her direction. He knew well that younglings were not to particularly fond of doctors, and while those of the Corporate Sector were a bit stiff lipped, Yund still had a heart for children.

"I'll be using this medical scanner here to check you." he told her, showing her the medical scanner. "It won't hurt at all. It is a small light that passes through you like this." his thumb would activate the button and he would scan at his hand to show her the proof. Younglings were visual creatures.

"See, just a light."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric smiled at Myra, encouraging her to cooperate with the doctor and maintaining a happy visage.

On the inside however his mind was racing.

The Doctor had essentially told him that his leg was utterly ruined. His knee was damaged beyond nearly all scope of repair, his muscles torn and his ligaments ripped to a point where walking would not only be painful, but substantially difficult. The idea was...terrifying. Alric found the thought of being in a hover-chair for the rest of his life completely and utterly impossible, the thought...the very idea made him want to jump up and run away. Rather ironic considering that running was now impossible.

The Titan fidgeted slightly.

There had to be a solution, a way around this.

Surgery wasn't an option, not at his age. Sure the procedure could fix his leg, but half a dozen other things could go wrong and he could end up completely crippled. He could have the leg be removed and replaced with a cybernetic...but that option seemed out of the picture as well. He didn't like the idea of laying in bed with Danger, one leg metallic and unfeeling. The Titan looked down at his knee, his lips turning to a scowl for half a second.

He would have to contact Nel.

There was something he could do, something Vanir could do, he just didn't know what yet.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

While Doctor Yund would talk in a low murmur to Myra, slowly showing her how he would use the medical scanner, Danger's attention fell upon her husband. He was deep in thought, not to mention, also in pain. He could hide much from her, but there were a few things Danger had managed to discern from their time together.

Whatever the diagnosis was, it was enough to bother Alric. Which mean it wasn't a prognosis that could be easily fixed. Not at his age and with his current medical condition. He had the set look in his eyes that told Danger that he was already thinking of a way to fix it. It was a reminder. A startling, and very loud reminder that they were not as young as they once were.

Whatever Doctor Yund had spoken to Alric about, Danger and he would need to take some time to discuss it. Likely whenever Myra was taking a nap again. For now, if they could at the very least get something for Alric for the pain...

"See, doesn't hurt at all does it?" the doctor's voice would come back into Danger's awareness. Her smile deepened as the youngling gave a shy shake of her head. Her chin was tucked in, and while she had faced the challenge given to her admirably, it was clear that she wasn't quite warm to the thought of the doctor getting any closer than he needed.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Myra did well enough with the doctor, better than Rose or Lily had at her age. Both of his daughters had been rather spoiled at one point...his fault, and neither of them had reacted very well to getting their first vaccine shots. Of course this was a bit different, but given what Myra had been through over the last few days he suspected that the idea of vaccines, or any shots at all really, were completely and entirely out of the question. The Titan smiled slightly and rubbed the little ones back in a comforting touch, pushing away the thoughts of his own injury and thinking instead about her.

"Easy as pie." Alric said to the little girl, Myra looking up at him with a confused expression.

Apparently she'd never heard the expression before.

"It means it's not a big deal." The Titan explained, a look of perplexity falling on the little girls face. "Don't worry about it, something that adults say."

He smiled at Myra, the little girl looking away from him and then towards Danger. Alric mused for a moment, thinking that she was far more observant then his own daughters. He supposed that was because of what had happened, though perhaps it was just her nature. The Titan wondered what would become of this little girl, if they would finally find some family, or if they would take her in. His eyes wandered over to Danger, searching her expression for an answer.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

There was a slight frown over the Doctor's face as he read the scans. However, he shook his head. Giving a smile to the two conglomerate giants, the Etti V doctor would give a nod.

"Mister Kuhn, I will send word and a chit for what you will need." He wouldn't elaborate, but the expression he would give Danger indicated that it was likely medicine and pain killers for the pain.

"We can discuss your options at a later time." he would send in his memo that spending time off of his leg would be beneficial to him. Right now, the swelling would need to come down. Time would help with that, but in regards to him walking again...

That was another story.

"Thank you Doctor Yund." Danger would say, reaching forward to shake his hand. A smile to Alric would relay that she would be walking the Doctor to the door.

"It was a pleasure meeting you young lady." the doctor would tell the youngling. A rather shy pose took the little girl, and she turned her attention to Alric as if seeking guidance.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric looked at the little girl for a moment, a look that told him that she would not be saying goodbye. Myra hadn't said a words since she had been with Alric and Danger, hardly even a peep in fact, and from the look that she now gave him it was clear she wouldn't be starting now.

That was okay however, and instead of urging her on Alric simply patted the spot on the sofa besides him.

The little girl lit up slightly, not quite showing a smile, but enough light in her eyes that he could tell she was pleased. The Tetan shot the doctor a look of apology though the aged man seemed to completely understand the situation. Myra meanwhile disregarded the doctor and made her way onto the sofa, carefully holding the cup of hot coca in front of her so as to not spill it. She sat beside Alric, settling herself and nearly burying into the comfort of the cushions.

Alric smiled at her, watching as Danger walked Doctor Yund towards the door. His knee was still throbbing with pain, the constant reminder of what foolishness he had conducted on Dromund Kaas. A slight grimace crossed his features for a moment, the ache settling into his bones as time went on. The cup of cocoa in his hand touched his lips for a moment, warmth filling him as he briefly forgot about the pain that he was feeling.

There were other things to worry about after all.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Those other things they had to work their way through the next couple of days.

The search Danger had sent Aeri in had turn up with no other living kin. What Alric and Danger were now up against was on how to relay this to Myra, and what to do about her situation. Truth be told, both had become quite fond of the little girl. Each had their own reasons, of course. For Danger, it was the ability to be able to dote and care for a youngling; for a little girl. There will never be a child that could replace the one she lost, but there was certainly something missing in the Queen of Trade's life that she had taken to Myra.

The child wasn't too keen of cities nor of crowded areas. They spent the majority of the time in the apartment, and if they had to travel elsewhere, it was done with the least amount of contact with others. Not as much to shelter, but to ensure that Myra didn't become too perturbed. She still suffered from night terrors, not to mention the post traumatic stress of it all.

At the very least, they had begun to slowly introduce Mister Tuggles to the youngling. Thankfully, the Tuggle managed to keep himself calm under Alric handling.

"What options have you considered?" Danger would ask Alric. They had already discussed Doctor Yund's diagnosis, and if anything, she was sure that Alric wasn't the sort to keep to idle for long. His was a brilliant man, and Danger was sure that he already had some thoughts on the matter.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

His muffled voice rang out as he slowly scooted his way up, lips pressing against slightly tanned alabaster flesh. "We don't really have all that many to think about."

Alric sounded stern, serious, but not angry. Of course his wife was talking about his injury, the knee that had been completely shot by his actions on Dromund Kaas. It was a wound that now deeply hurt him, the pain of it echoing throughout his entire body. The swelling had gone down, and the pain medication that the doctor had given him worked out well enough that he could move, but anything besides a hard limp was completely and entirely out of the question. It was nearly impossible to get around without a crutch of some sort, and thus Alric and Danger would eventually have to find other solutions.

Of course It should have been obvious that this was what Danger meant, but over the last two decades Alric had become less and less selfish. His mind was not focused on himself, not on his injury, but instead on the thing that he had risked ever walking for again, Myra. The little girl was something that they would have to mull over, something that they had to make a decision about and for. To Alric however, and he suspected to Danger as well it wasn't much of a decision at all.

Both of them were just waiting for the other to say it.

So when Danger asked him what options he had considered, Alric naturally didn't think about his knee or the injury that he had sustained, instead he focused on the other big question in their life, what would be done with Myra.

"We have to take her in." Alric said definitively, reaching Danger's neck and placing a kiss there. "We can't bring her to an orphanage or back to Dromund Kaas, we can't leave her, that would absolutely devastate her, I can't do that to her, and I know you can't either."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Normally, Alric's attention would draw a smile upon the Queen of Trade's lips. However, in this moment, a rather pensive expression would darken her eyes. One hand came up to gently thread through the peppered length of Alric's hair, a half muse that would flick a few gray and black forelocks over his forehead. He typically kept it so neat, combed back away from his face. In her presence seemed to be the only time he wasn't so put together. Wasn't all that refined. Oh he still held that edge, but at the very least, she could see a side of him that rarely made itself known.

There was a truth to Alric's words. Danger knew it well. Had known that perhaps this would be the route they would take. Danger took in a deep breath, her chest rising to press against the Tetan. There was concern in her expression. Worry. Oh it was evident that Myra had already latched upon Alric. There was a connection there, and considering what the youngling had gone through, it made sense she would do so. Alric had already raised two girls, he was more apt to know how to care for one.

Danger certainly wanted the best for Myra. There was affection there, but also... a disconnect? Maybe she was worrying too much. In truth, she realized she was being rather selfish then. No, they had to consider what was best for the child. Her own worries and inadequacies were her own to work through.

"What do we tell her?" she asked him, her voice a low murmur as she lightly played with a lock of his hair.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric let out a sigh. This wouldn't be easy by any stretch of the imagination, by any thought really. Things weren't going to be easy to explain, though he suspected that Myra already knew more then she ever wanted to. She was young, too young to really understand anything about this, at least in his opinion. However, the look in her eye, the way that she watched things, and the fact that she had been brought up on Dromund Kaas...Alric suspected that she already knew everything they did and more.

It was odd, but a look in her eye gave it away.

"The truth." He said slowly as he pressed his lips against Danger's collarbone, his finger slowly moving up her spine to calm and distract her. This was stressful, for the both of them, his gentle touch was meant to take away from his words, to relax her.

"I think she already knows." Alric went on, his finger still gently stroking up and down her spine. "She's just waiting for confirmation, denying it...but...holding something like that in, keeping it to herself will just tear her up inside. We have to tell her, gently of course, and then we ask her if she wants to stay with us."

He already knew the answer to that as well, though saying it was difficult for some reason.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

There was gratefulness at Alric's attention and comfort. Honestly, the Tetan had ways of calming her that she had struggled through with in the past. Whatever toils they may have had in the wake of their fall out and then subsequent reconciliation, Alric went above and beyond at doing his best to show his affection and love for the Queen of Trade. It was as if he placed Danger's well-being and state of mind above his own. He took great pains to express what he felt for her. Maybe it was due to a sense of wanting to make up for time lost. Or perhaps due to his two decades in a previous marriage and the growing pains of raising a family. It could very well be both; however, there was no denying that Alric Kuhn did everything in his power to tangibly reflect this.

"You are right." Danger would murmur, turning her head to lightly press a kiss upon his temple. She couldn't help continuing the slow stroke of slender digits through his hair. Beyond their bed, those feline green eyes would seem to drift across the length of their bedroom.

"How do you supposed we start?" Danger could hold her own with Senators and business sapients without any worry or concern. Yet the prospect of having to discuss this with Myra evoked a nervousness akin to that when they had that first family day together with Lily and Rose. This was an area that Alric had more experience in, and she was not shy at admitting it. It had to go as smoothly as they possible could make it so.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I'll tell her." Alric said quietly. The idea didn't much sit well with him, but there was a truth to the fact that Myra had grown a small bond with him. That bond would help this, she would hear the truth from him. Though Danger would be there for her in another way, to hold her, love her, as only a mother could. "She'll need you after. To hold her, keep her safe."

Essentially, they would be setting her up.

That was a harsh way of putting it, but it was the only way to properly do it. They would put her in Danger's lap, and then Alric would tell her the truth. She would shy away, cry, perhaps even try to run, but Danger would be there for her. The small bond that he and Myra shared would perhaps be damaged in some way...but in the long run this was the way to do it, it kept Myra safe, gave her an out, and supplied her with something to believe in and hang on to, that being Danger. The logic of all of this was harsh, but much like in the business world, it was often to pre-plan these things.

"It's the best way to do it, directly." Alric said quietly.

There was no lying in this, no way to make it easier, the situation was what it was.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

That he would take it upon himself to do it was a testimony to Alric’s strength and character. It had to be done, and he would know better how to handle it. He had almost two decades of experience with the twins to know what would be the best route.

It made her feel out of her element. To be honest, a bit jealous of Alric. At how he had all that experience. That time with his daughters. To raise them from the time they were babies until they were young women grown. Danger was only human, and in that due to the loss of two children of her own… she couldn’t help it.

It was an experience she knew she would never have. It wasn’t the same. Watching a child that was an extension of oneself, a legacy, was perhaps an idealized notion for the Queen of Trade. Her loss and her inability to change that made it all the more poignant. Perhaps that is why she latched on to [member="Makai Dashiell"] so much. Why he was, by extension, a youngling with her heart in his hands. She loved that boy dearly, and in his own innocent way, Danger could sense that he also cared for her.

Maybe that disconnect between her and Myra would change. Grow. It was a worry, but only something time would tell.

A ghost of a smile would draw tight over her lips, and she gave a sigh along with her nod. Holding him to her, Danger brought the Tetan close to her chest. A kiss grazed his forehead, lightly brushing back the silver and black forelocks that had fallen over it.

“Alright.” she murmured, rubbing her hand down from his head and over his back.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He pressed his lips against her soft alabaster skin, fingers still trailing down her spine. The old Tetan was almost entirely sure that Danger would be the crux for Myra, only because of his experience with both LIly and Rose. His twin daughters had been a little different growing up, with Lily latching on to him and Rose more following after her mother, but Myra...Myra was different. She had seen her own mother die, had been held in her arms to protect her. He suspected that was why the disconnect between Danger and Myra existed now, she was afraid.

It made sense in a way, a childs thoughts. Myra was afraid that if she got close to Danger, if she allowed the woman in, then something would take her away. It was an irrational fear, not something that really made any sense at all, but for Alric it was pretty clear. He knew that by doing this, by telling Myra the truth...it would push her towards Danger.

It was something that needed to happen.

Something that Myra had to accept and something that needed to be done so that she could move on and grow up without horror lurking around every corner. Alric didn't like it, the very thought made him cringe slightly, but the old man knew that it had to happen. His finger trailed down Danger's spine, his lips parted slightly in a gentle kiss, and then he looked up at his wife. He wondered for a moment how things could have been different, how it all could have been changed.

The back of his neck seemed to itch slightly as the thought pulled through his mind.