Take Off The Mask

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

As it was, Alric’s gentle attentions managed to evoke another stirring within the Queen of Trade. They had their minds full with the well-being of the little girl, but amidst all the ruckus and finding time to take care of Myra’s needs and that of Alric’s injuries, the couple had not had the chance to take the time enjoying one another.

Sleep often came with a heavy hand and Myra had a tendency to panic a bit if either Alric or Danger were no where close to be found. Mister Tuggles’s involvement would aid a bit in relaxing that, but otherwise… life was certainly different when a youngling was in the picture. Alric was used to it, and Danger had some experience with it when Makai would spent a week or so with her.

Bright, blue eyes stared up at her, watching her as he drifted across, leaving a moist trail in his wake and a yielding in her embrace. There was something there hidden within their depths. What was he thinking, she wondered? Her expression reflected the silent question, only to give a small shudder ran down the length of her spine in the wake of Alric’s trace. A small smile grew and her body seemed to melt.

“You shouldn’t move so much.” she would remind him, bringing her hands up to gently encourage him onto his back. The whisper of the bedsheet would draw back with the brush of a hand, freeflowing over the scarred ripples of Alric’s chest. Like a receding wave, Danger slid the fabric down, moving with it with a glint in her bright green eyes.
“Reckon your knee can’t take much of a jolt or so.” it was half said with concern as much as a knowing in her expression.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric gently rolled onto his back, his knee thrumming with a jolt of pain as it was jostled against it's counter-part. The injury was still bothering him for sure, though the medication that the doctor had given him and the time that had passed meant he could now move more easily. He had already contacted Nel and the two of them had designed something that would hopefully help get him walking again, but for now there was still difficulty in even the simplest movement.

His hands sailed up Danger's back, one hand drawing away as he moved onto his back, floating over her chest with a gentle graze.

The other palm went through her hair, staying there with a gentle tug of red locks. A gentle push saw Danger digging herself into his neck, her lips pressing against his skin as Alric half stretched himself, getting more comfortable as his other arm found a place on the pillow above his head. "My knee can take whatever I give it."

The old man stated, smiling slightly.

"Could run a marathon if I wanted." That was a bold faced lie. "I'm still young at heart."

That not so much. Perhaps he was getting old, perhaps his body was slowly falling to pieces, but there was still that child like humor that stuck to him like glue. Part of him would always have that quality, there was no denying that. His fingers laced through Danger's hair, then slowly slid down her back, encouraging her to move atop him. "Bet you I can prove it."

​

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Things were good.

Really good.

He smiled slightly as he pressed the spatula down against the small fluffy cake that sat on the cook top, his eyes following the slight spread of patter on the opposite side of the heated surface. Both Danger and Myra were still asleep, or at least when he'd last checked in one them. He had slipped from Danger's grasp a few minutes ago, left her beneath their warmed blankets. Myra was similarly curled up within her own bed, Mr. Tuggles sleeping atop her like an extra heavy comforter.

It had been a nice sight, and in truth he hadn't expected to see it so soon, yet it seemed that the Tuggle had quite taken to Myra, and vice versa. The two were nearly inseparable, with the Tuggle acting like a living security blanket for his youngest daughter. It was a good thing, especially considering the trauma that Myra still suffered from. He frowned slightly, shaking his head for a moment as he dispelled memories of Dromund Kaas and instead focused on the moments ahead. They didn't have much planned today, though his leg was feeling surprisingly good after last nights activities. Perhaps they would go on a walk. He smiled again, then slowly flipped the fluffy cake.

There was a slight hissing sound, and then the spatula retreated.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

The small click clack of nails against hardwood floors would alert the Tetan that he was no longer alone. For paws would pad happily alongside the half sleepy six year old currently shuffling along Mister Tuggles. One fist was rubbing at her right eye, sleepies still lingering, face slightly puffy from sleep. It had taken a while before Myra was able to sleep without the constant night terrors, and Mister Tuggles had certainly helped ease that. There were still times when the little girl would knock on Danger’s and Alric’s door to sleep with them, needing the comfort of their bed to finally be able to relax.

She still didn’t talk; it wasn’t due to injury just her trauma. Danger and Alric agreed that they wouldn’t push the issue, but treat her as normally as they could. In time, perhaps Myra Elspeth would be able to grace them with her voice.

Her long brown hair was a bit of a mess, flyaways in all directions. She wore a simple shift that came to just past her knees that she used as pajamas. She wasn’t as shy as she was with others when it came to Alric and Danger, and it showed as tiny little arms came over to wrap themselves around his leg as he cooked. It was her version of good morning.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric reached down and tussled the little girls hair, smiling at her before flipping the pancakes on the griddle.

Myra had become rather comfortable in their apartment home, comfortable enough at least that she slept most nights with just Mr. Tuggles and was capable of running around on her own. It was a nice thing to see, especially since the little girl was actually beginning to smile. Alric let his fingers drum on the top of her head, Myra immediately backing off as the slight tickling motion hit her head. She frowned and then slowly stepped away, giving the Tetan expression that clearly meant 'stop that!'.

In response the old man simply grinned, peeling one of the pancakes off of the hot griddle and sliding it onto a plate.

"Take this to the table, will ya?" He offered the plate to her.

The little girl smiled, grabbing the plate almost greedily and nearly tripping over Mr. Tuggles as she made her way towards the table.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger stirred to the scent of fresh pancakes and nuna bacon. Tired and worn muscles gave a slight protest as she would stretch under the soft blanket she lay beneath. Rays of light filtered in through the large window of Elysium station, the distant sun shining bright against a backdrop of stars. A secret smile lingered upon bruised lips, and she shifted onto her back with a slow slide of her shapely legs. They were warm, filled with the scent of her husband and a hint of her perfume. Delightfully sated, the Queen of Trade went reaching out for the pillow that Alric used.

Snuggling it close, she nuzzled her cheek into it, giving a long sigh as the vestiges of slumber slowly faded. The smile grew, broadening. It was a good day.

Knowing that perhaps the two special people in her life were likely well in the midst of breakfast, Danger decided to join them. Slipping from under the covers, bare feet slid over the mattress and touched the heated hardwood floors by her bed. Silver streaked auburn hair fell in soft, rolling waves down her shoulders and at her back. Rising to her feet, careful footsteps brought her towards the upholstered chair where her vine-silk robe lay. The fabric gave a whisper as she slid her arms throughthe sleeves, bringing both halves over each other to wrap around her full figure. A small knot at her waist, and the belt was set.

The sonic toothbrush would be quick, and a quick fluff of her hair was last. Before long, Danger would silently pad from the master suite, following the scent of breakfast and the click clack of Mister Tuggle's nails.

"Good morning," she said, her smile broadening at the sight of Myra and her husband in the kitchen. She came up beside Alric, the closer of the two, and gave him a kiss on the cheeck.

"Busy this morning, hmm?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric gently floated his hand down Danger's spine and to her lower back, pulling her close in a half hug.

Myra had already wandered over towards the table in the middle of the room, and as one would expect was munching on the pancakes that Alric had given her just a few minutes ago. The Tetan watched her for a moment, being reminded of when he had done this same thing some fifteen or sixteen years ago. It seemed odd that his life would reflect in such a way, that things would be so cyclical. There was a part of him that wondered what true retirement would have been like, what it would have been like if he simply...did nothing.

He knew that was unrealistic. Even at the best time of times he was unable to sit still for very long. He doubted that he would have managed to keep from one project or another very long, it simply wasn't in him. For a moment he considered, then returned to his making of pancakes.

"Not as busy as I thought I would be." His hand drifted lower, fingers scrunching over the curve of her rear as he offered her a smirk.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

A small chuckle would rumble against the scruffy jaw of her husband's neck, amused as she gave him a playful bat to his hand. "Mmhm, the day has only just begun," she would quip, giving him another brief kiss against his cheek. A deliberate brush of her chest against his own and a mischievous glint in her eyes held more than met the eye. Chuckling, she would reach for two plates, moving to work alongside him.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked him, sparing him a glance as she ambled around him. The scent of pancakes and buttery Dantooine syrup filled the air. Sticky sweet, a new cherished memory. A measure of normalcy. She set the plates beside the counter by the Tetan, then turned to the caf maker to make a single cup.

"How is your knee doing?" another question, her attention swinging to the leg in question. Alric had been on mandatory bedrest while he had recuperated. While she knew that he did not want Myra to feel guilty, they had managed to compromise.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Alright." He said truthfully. "The brace that Nel sent over works well. It's just a prototype, something that they made for exoskeletons or something, but it works well enough. She said that if we wanted to come in they could tailor it more specifically for me, maybe have it work well enough that I won't need the cane."

That would be delightful.

Though he'd lost the original cane back on Dromund Kaas they had quickly found a replacement. This one wasn't as ornate as the other, and in truth was little more then just a stick, but it worked well enough. The brace that he had been talking about was a simple bending cloth with transistors and electronic microfibers built in. The small cloth like device slipped over Alric's knee and gave him a measure of support, allowing him to stand without pain and letting him maneuver along with the cane.

Of course, it didn't help at all with the wound that he had taken to his thigh, but that would disappear on it;s won time, bacta treatments certainly would help with that. "It's not the end of the world."

Alric commented with a smile.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

“Well, don’t go straining yourself Mistah Kuhn,” she’d say with a knowing look; the sort that said he should pay mind to his health.

“Myra, honey, how are you doing today?” Danger would swing her attention from her husband over to their newly adopted little girl. Honestly, she felt for the little tike, and every day that passed, Myra managed to wiggle a little bit more into her heart. She’d been thrilled that at the very least it appeared that she’d taken on to [member="Makai Dashiell"]. There had been some worry that she wouldn’t be able to socialize much. She still suffered a few night terrors, but having Mister Tuggles there along with the frequent visits of Rose and Makai did Myra good.

Myra would lift her small head at the call, giving a rare smile. She was now sitting on her chair, carefully using her fork to take bites of pancake. Often times she’d not even use syrup; it had been a strange thing for her then. There were so many things that the little girl had not experienced during her time on Dromund Kaas. Alric and Danger saw fit to change that.

Taking her cup of caf, she brought it over to stand beside the little girl. A slight frown of her brows would pinch between her eyes. “You’re lookin a bit pale there dear.” Her free hand came down to gently cup the little youngling’s face. She was a bit pale. In fact, had a bit of a temperature going.

“You feelin’ okay?”

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric watched Danger and Myra for a moment, a flash of concern falling over his features. Kids got sick quite a bit, Rose and Lily had both had their spells of diseases. It had been worse because the Twins had always refused to be separated, and as such whatever one caught, the other inevitably got too. Eventually of course it always ran it's course, but the week or two that it lasted had always been a very special kind of hell that Alric would rather not go through again.

Then again Myra didn't have a twin so perhaps it would be different. "Probably just a cold."

In truth kids got those more then anything else.

Alric had always found it rather surprising that Myra had been mostly untouched and unharmed when she had come to them. With the conditions that they had found her surrounded by, with the way she had clearly been living for the past few months of her life he had found it absolutely amazing that well...she was whole.

A part of him already ached at the thought of her in any other way, so it didn't even occur to him that whatever was wrong with her was something worse then a simple cold.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger wasn't too happy with that answer. However, Myra didn't seem to be too put out. She was happily eating away at her pancake. Mister Tuggles had joined her, turning into a large curled up body under her chair. Danger couldn't help the small chuckle.

"Perhaps." she bent down and pressed a kiss along the youngling's temple. "If you feelin' off, you tell us okay?" she murmured against the soft hair. Myra gave a little nod, but it appeared as if there wasn't too much to be worried about. If they only knew the truth.

Sitting down beside the little girl in her own chair, Danger turned back to Alric. "So the brace is workin?" she asked him, curious as she watched him finish another fluffy pancake.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Seems so." Alric said as he waggled his leg a little bit, shifting slightly so that he could go through a smaller range of motion and see if it hurt. There was that constant throb of pain, something that he wondered about, but in general the brace seemed to be working perfectly. Of course, Nel had also said that the brace wasn't for extended use, and that at best he could really only use the device for about an afternoon. It was a fair estimate really, and more then Alric had any right to ask for.

He shifted slightly and placed the last pancake onto the plate.

"We'll have to see if they can take it a step forward." Alric said as he began to move towards Danger, plate in hand. "It'd be nice not to have to use the cane."

The odd hobble that he managed across the room was of course at the assistance of the cane in his other hand.

Sometimes he wondered what his younger self would think of him. When he had been in his twenties Alric had been a frequent attendee of underground fights. He had been a champion there, or near enough, and had been fierce competition for even the most competent hand to hand fighter. That practice had of course died out as he'd gotten older, though he sometimes wonder how thing would have been different if he continued at it. Perhaps he would have ended up with some ring girl instead of Silara.

A small smile perked on his face as an idea crept into his mind.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

“Did you need me to get you any more of the pills?” Danger asked, taking a sip of her caf. Steam slowly rose over the black liquid, and a simple whiff was enough to perk up Danger from her sleep. She gave a small shift, likely noticeable by the Tetan, and for reasons known between the two. A secret smile floated over the cup of caf, only to be redirected over to Myra.

“Myra and I could send for a pick up. Maybe take a small walk at the observatory.” they were trying to slowly, but surely get Myra to become more comfortable with larger crowds. Elysium, while a large station, had only Vanir Technologies employees and a few other local residents. The population wasn’t high to the point of overwhelming, especially when they would go for a walk at the forest observatory.

“Unless you’ve any plans for the day?” she asked, her hand lightly running through the youngling’s hair, enjoying the sensation of the soft brunette strands sliding through her fingers.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"I don't think I can go too far." Alric said as he sat himself down at the table, letting out a muffled grunt of strain. Myra almost immediately looked up, concern on her face. "It's alright, just getting old."

He smiled at her, and although she gave him a weary glance she quickly returned to her food. The little girl was perceptive, and both Alric and Danger knew that Myra worried she had been the cause for his injury. She had been in a way of course, though Alric's leg had been bad long before they had ever scooped Myra up form Dromund Kaas. The truth was that his leg was not something that would be fixed any time soon, whats more, it wasn't something that they could just pretend was normal either.

There was a limit to how much his leg would allow him to do, a limit to how much pain he could actually handle.

"I think we can manage something though." He smiled and slipped his hand onto Danger's knee.

His finger's gave a gentle squeezes, his lips curling into a smile as he saw her shift and edge slightly closer to him.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger's expression softened when Alric gave her knee a gentle squeeze. Unable to help herself, she gave a small scoot closer, and her hand came to rest over his own. There was a slight squeeze of her own upon his larger hand, along with a soft rub that followed.

"Alright, as long as you are feelin' up to it." she murmured, setting her cup of caf down. Another small pat of his hand, and she lifted it to take a fork. The fluffy cakes looked good enough to make anyone's mouth water, and it was always a treat when Alric decided to cook. Breakfast was no exception, for he had gathered a few tricks of the trade during his time with the girls.

"You enjoying your meal there, Miss Myra?" Danger would coo, amusement in her green eyes. Myra gave another little nod, stabbing at her sections of pancake that she lightly dipped in a small pool of syrup. She wasn't used to having anything too rich. Butter and just a little bit of syrup was fine. At least, when she wasn't feeling up to simply eating them on their own.

"How's Lily doing?" she asked the Tetan, swinging her attention over to the man anew. After the coronation, she was sure that things were even more hectic. Danger had a doubt that she'd be able to run a world much less a business at the same time.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Alright." Alric said with a shrug.

He hadn't talked to Lily in a few days, mostly because she had been so busy. Rose called every now and again, actually more often then Lily now, but the old Tetan understood the reason for it. The fact was Lily held two positions that were extremely important and time consuming. He had told her before she had even accepted the posts that she would be stretching herself thin, and of course that was exactly what was happening now. He wondered how long she could keep it up, and just how healthy it was for her to do so in the first place, the stress of running a planet and a major corporation wasn't exactly something to scoff at.

He knew that from experience.

"I think she'll need help soon." He admitted. "Maybe pay a visit to see how she's doing. I don't think even I could keep up with that, though I guess Koros is relatively small compared to something like Titan or ATC."

Alric mused for a second. "Or Vanir for that matter."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

That made sense, Danger mused, taking a bite of the pancake. Chewing slowly, she mulled on that. While Danger had no experience with running an entire planet as Empress, she was well aware at how hectic one’s schedule could become when one’s attention was tugged at different direction.

However, upon the subject of Vanir… Swallowing, Danger took her cup of caf in hand. Bringing it up to her lips, she paused. “Speaking of Vanir, how is that shipyard going?” she asked him. Nell had been at the forefront of an ambitious plan to construct a shipyard for Vanir Technologies on par of Kuat Drive Yards. With Alric no longer leading the reins, they would off and on get some feedback on its progress.

“Anything new?”

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Uhh." Alric said, half thinking out loud. "I dunno."

There was a shrug that rolled over his shoulders. "I haven't really been keeping up. There were some delays a few months ago, pirates or something like that, but I'm sure it's almost done now. Projects like that normally take decades to put together, so it isn't too surprising that there were one or two delays to keep it on hold."

That was an understatement.

The shipyards were a comically massive project. They were built to be the size of industrial centers like Kuat and Fondor, the shipyards alone meant to construct entire armada's within a years time. The project was no joke, and the funding alone had come from dozens, if not hundred of different corporations both big and small. They would be finished eventually, but until then he would not be surprised if Nel had another delay or two before they were finally opened to the public.

Especially considering where the construction was actually taking place.

That area of space was more then a little dangerous, or had been until Vanir showed up anyway.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger's lips twisted in mild amusement. When Alric first mentioned going into retirement, Danger had assumed that it meant that he'd still dabble here and there with Vanir. The Tetan was a wonder when it came to his business acumen, so to imagine him completely detaching himself from a business didn't quite stick. Needless to say, retirement was exactly that to the former Titan. And he enjoyed it immensely.

Nell took the reigns well, if with a bit more practicality and logistical flair. No nonsense and sensible as a scientifically inclined mind would. The Vanir Shipyards were certainly a massive construct to complete. Danger had no doubt they would be impressive to beheld.

"Well, perhaps one day we'll be able to see them. Sooner than later I hope." She took a sip of her caf, turning up smile at Myra. "Would you like to see them honey?" That drew the youngling's attention. She didn't quite understand, but she comprehended that it meant being with Danger and Alric, so she gave a nod.