Wild Huntresses

[Laira Darkhold]

Manaan​

Ahto City Spaceport​

Laira brought the Explorer down on the landing pad, the Rekali-class hissing as it was brought to rest on the above water pad of the space port, waiting to be lowered into the hydrostatic shielded bays below the surface after the pilot had disembarked and made it into the city. The redhead pulled on a jacket over her low cut, cropped black shirt that showed off the muscle definition of her stomach and the dimples in her lower back, strapped her pistol to her hip letting her belt sagging slightly around her waist with the pouches not quite as tight it as it could be. She wore a pair of trousers that fit snugly to her figure and some knee-high boots with a slight heel. Her fingers ran against the bulkhead of the little armed freighter she called home these days as she started to make her way out.

Lots of things could bring a princess to this world; Kolto, hunting, fishing, the fact it was a trade hub. But all in all, Laira was just looking to spend sometime swimming and relaxing, doing nothing that required her to take responsibility for anything. A vacation where she didn't have to be a princess or represent a company, where she didn't have to fret over credits or whether she would eat tonight. She had cracked open the trust-fund for the first time since leaving home and withdrew her monthly allotment to spend on this particular vacation which was about enough to buy a luxury corvette new off the lot. She would be splurging this week, one way or another.

The woman poked her head into her cabin, opening a hidden compartment in the bottom of a drawer to fetch her identification papers. There was a legitimate one that labeled her Laira Organa-Vereen, Princess of Alderaan and Duchess of the Apalis Coast, a handful of poorly constructed but sometimes useful fakes that could hold up on the outer rim away from most intelligence organizations. And then her primary alias, Laira Darkhold. Using her maternal grandfather's name she and her father constructed a fairly useful fake with a history and background that could be picked up, not too clean to draw suspicion, not to cloudy to throw up any flags. A handful of non-violent offenses as a minor on Bothawui to a pair of deceased former CIS colonists that were expunged from official documentation. Someone good with the Spynet would be able to find out it was forged with only a few phone calls, but home many people like that were there. Of course, Darkhold wasn't exactly a household name and her grandfather hadn't always been unknown.

Once she was satisfied she was only carrying the papers labeling her as Darkhold, Laira left the ship locking it behind her as she always did. Three selkath were waiting, all in mechanics uniforms. "Just fuel cells, my droid can handle the refueling while I'm here. Thank you." She said as the first scanned her identification papers. Once he was satisfied they went about lowering and storing the ship out of the way, away from notice while Laira left them for the city proper.

Ahto City was built specifically for visitors, rather than the native selkath who lived on Manaan and so wasn't unlivable for a human girl. It was a little humid but not wet with puddles in the floor or dripping from the ceilings, and warm with the sun bearing down overhead. Laira smiled, happy to have the bright rays against her skin after so long in the deep dark void of space. The redhead made her way deliberately through the city to a waterfront restaurant, carefully placing one foot directly in front of the other with a kittenish sway to her hips as she went. She wasn't carrying her spear at the moment, just a knife in her jacket and her pistol. Once she entered the establishment the service droid seated her on the patio overlooking the water at the edge of the city where Laira could hear the gentle lapping of the ocean water against the plastoid and durasteel, feel the calm breeze roll off the water.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Elpsis heard the soft sound of waves lapping against the metallic walls of Ahto City, along with the brimy smell of seawater. Warm rays of sunlight fell down from the heavens, kissing her skin, and there was a strong feeling of serenity and tranquility. Yellow rays glistened across rippling, cerulean waters.


Ahto City had not been built for the native Selkath, though many of those had left their oceanic habitats and now frequented its streets, but for foreign visitors - both to attract them to the planet to do business and to keep them out of the natives' real domain. Time and again, the city had become a battleground - and been sunk an awful lot. Hopefully, this day would not be spoilt by the Republic, Sith or Cthulhu deciding to drag the city down into the depths of the shark infested, kolto rich ocean again.


Regardless, Elpsis happened to be in the restaurant that a certain Laira Darkhold, alias Laira Vereen, had decided to visit. From her seat, the redhead had a good view of the beautiful ocean that encompassed most of the planet. There was a gentle breeze in the air that brushed against her skin and blew her long firemane around. Firemane reps were busy sweet-talking the local government to get lucrative contracts, but Elpsis found business talk remarkably tedious and boring, so she'd wandered off and replaced her formal wear for something less stuffy and more comfortable.


The scarlet-haired young woman wore a red tank top that left her toned arms bare, revealing some intricate tattoos that seemed to be tribal or arcane in origin, while her legs were covered in by a pair of trousers that clung nicely to the curves of her behind. Her feet were tucked into practical yet fancy Bloodwalker boots. What seemed to be a pendant was slung across her neck. In actuality, the trained eye would realise that it was a hold-out bolter. The perfect toy to remove unwanted attention at close range when you wanted to blow someone's face off instead of set them on fire. Her worn leather jacket hung over the chair.


Currently, Elpsis was digging into a rather tasty fish burger. Unsurprisingly, the Selkath were quite fond of sea food. In case anyone was curious, it was lobster burger with browned butter lemon aioli. The girl had quite an appetite, but fortunately she'd learned enough tact not to assault her aforementioned food like some half-starved barbarian with no sense of decorum. She took a break from feasting upon the delicious burger to wipe her mouth with a napkin and then wash the food down with a glass of coke. It was in this moment that she took note of the young woman who'd appeared on the patio. Milky-white, sightless eyes, for Elpsis was physically blind, locked on the newcomer as she took a seat. Her aura was quite nice.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira quietly ordered a drink and sandwich, some form of sea food no doubt given her current situation. The redhead's withdrawal from the bank had her slightly annoyed. She had forgotten to request small credit chits and only had her card and large bills to pay for her trip. Not such a bad thing except for paying for meals which made things awkward when requesting change or leaving tips. One couldn't very well drop that much on a simple meal, but also couldn't leave a normal tip. It was one of those social things Laira hated and why she had always let her aides deal with paying for tabs on Alderaan.

The redhead chewed on her food contentedly, watching the waves roll in from the horizon of the aquatic world. She let the rest of the world sink away along with many of her worries and woes that troubled her life. There were always stresses that came with the life of a smuggler, even more so as a princess, and for Laira they were combined and mashed together. It was a complicated life she had chosen to live for the time being.

So lost in her relaxation, it took Laira several minutes to notice she was being watched by the other redhead. When she glanced up and saw the woman's head turned towards her she noticed the milky white eyes. For a moment she thought the blind woman was simply staring because she didn't know there was anything in her field of vision until Laira noticed the feeling of being watched in the back of her mind. Perhaps not with her eyes, but the woman was certainly looking at the Princess.

Laira smiled, waving a hand at the woman politely. "Beautiful isn't it. Just all of it." She blushed as she acted like the woman wasn't visibly blind. "I mean, even the sound of the water and the smell of ocean air." Storm grey eyes regarded the other redheaded woman closely, looking her over. Like Laira the other woman was toned and physically fit, both tanned even if Laira could use some time sprawled out on a beach under the sun to add a little more color to her skin. Both relatively young women with bright red hair, and both appeared to be at least somewhat Force Sensitive. "Mind if I join you? I've never been to Manaan before and could use someone to talk to over lunch." The princess was a social creature after all, despite her love of flying and running around on her ship all across the galaxy, she did enjoy talking, chatting, and spending time with people.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Force Sight was an odd thing. It allowed Elpsis to see and perceive the world around her after a reactor explosion had robbed her of her physical sight. She saw other sentient beings, but what she got was a blurry outline of their shapes.


Bottom line, what she saw was their aura. This made it easier, though by no means guaranteed, to perceive someone's nature if they tried to cloud themselves via esoteric illusions. She could also see through walls, which got confusing sometimes. But it also meant that she had difficulty discerning gestures and facial expressions. It was also awkward to perceive inanimate objects. She knew the burger was in front of her. Not the least because she could smell it and the meat was still hot enough to cause heat. If she was not careful, she was very likely to spill her drink.


Thus she noticed that she'd gotten the other woman's attention. Her blindness made it a bit difficult to drink in the full extent of her toned physique and red mane, alas. She liked her aura though and the vibes she got via her empathy were pleasant. "Sure! Please come over. It's my first time here, too. Never been to a place like Manaan before. I'd like the company," she declared in a warm, friendly tone, flashing the other woman a bright smile.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira stood and moved over to the other red maned woman's table, grabbing up her food and placing it down at the new table quickly. "Thank you, its always good to have someone to talk to." Sitting, she crossed her legs and straightened her posture with proper manners rather than slouching like she might normally do. There was a new person and she wanted to be polite and show at least some etiquette. She munched happily on her own sandwich. "Mmm," Laira swallowed the mixture of bread, seafood, and vegetables and regarded her meal with some appreciation. She took another bite and covered her mouth politely before continuing to speak. "I'm here on vacation, hoping there is a tourist spot to lay out by the water. Maybe take a nap while I sun if the place is safe enough." A few weeks stuck in the void had given her a mild case of cabin fever, coupled with her desire for social interaction made one of the artificial beaches a must see for her while she was on vacation.

She could tell the woman was blinded, but seemed pleasant enough as far as the princess could tell by her demeanor and the little subtle hints she got from the Force. Laira wasn't exactly an empath, focusing much more on elemental shaping and enhancing her own body's capabilities, but she got hints about people. She got flickers of a persons aura here and there, slight hints if someone was being dishonest or meant her harm. She didn't sense any of that from her new companion which made her instantly likable. The only downside to the new woman was that Laira liked to be compliment and sought attention, she enjoyed having her ego stroked by others after years of it being second nature, and her new companion couldn't see Laira to tell her how pretty she was.

"Afterwards I don't know, maybe do some swimming, fishing if that's allowed. See if there is a club or party scene in the city tomorrow night after I've recovered some from being in space so long." The redhead caught herself, "I'm sorry, I'm babbling. My name is Laira Darkhold, I'm a freighter captain." Her companion would certainly be able to sense more from her, a fair aura that was innately benevolent if not Light. The mild lie came as second nature to the redheaded princess though, it wouldn't do if anyone could see she wasn't telling the truth every time she used her most common alias. She had come to live as Laira Darkhold more than she did Laira Organa-Vereen over the last months.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Empathy could give Elpsis more insight into someone else's emotional state and motivations. At least if she focused enough. In this case she read surface thoughts. It was enough to tell that there was more to Laira than the apparent freighter captain was saying. But she would obviously be unable to magically discern that she was the Scion of House Organa-Vereen or an Alderaanian Duchess. Her faira aura read as innately benevolent, showing a good soul, and she could sense that the Force was strong in her. It was a fair conclusion that Laira was concealing something, but it did not seem malignant.


"Oh, I don't mind you babbling. It's cute," she flashed the other woman a smile. It was a slight of cause of sorrow to Elpsis that she could not see Laira's face. "Your aura's pretty," she coughed slightly and cleared her throat, realising that this might be an odd thing to say. "Nice to meet you, Laira. I'm here for some vacay, too! Name's Elpsis. Elpsis Elaris. I'm with Firemane," she stretched out a slightly callused hand towards her new friend. Elpsis would be unaware of the fact that her mother had met Laira's father once under somewhat awkward circumstances. Small world, huh?

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira grinned, rather pleased with her current situation. On vacation on a pretty aquatic world like Manaan, eating a nice sandwich, and chatting up a new acquaintance. At least she could have her ego stroked some by the redheaded woman across from her, and would return the favor. Being a little flirtatious had its advantages in many situations, but for Laira, she did it mostly because it was fun to get reactions from her companions and elicit such behavior from them in return. "Thank goodness, I'd hate to drive someone as pretty as you away because I am too chatty." She swallowed her morsel of food again, clearing her mouth so that she could speak clearly and without having to hold her hand up or a sandwich.

The princess blushed a little at the comment, speaking kindly and letting her voice convey that she was quite pleased with the comment rather than put off, "My aura, hmm." Laira's view of aura's were simplistic. Light or dark or in between, hazy at best, and mild impressions from surface thoughts or immediate intentions causing slight tremors in one's Force Aura. She had no idea what it might appear as to someone who saw them regularly.

"Well miss Elaris, do you know anything fun to do on Manaan or is it one of those, 'we have to make our own fun' sorta deals here?" She asked as she took the offered hand gently, giving it a light squeeze. "A pleasure." Laira's hands were smooth like silk, with only a few barely noticeable places were flight controls or weapons had tightened the skin, as though she took great care of them herself.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Yay! Compliments! Laira was not the only one who was a bit addicted to getting a ego stroked. After all, Elpsis was a hot redhead, and liked to be reminded of that. "You're so sweet. Don't worry, babe. You're not driving me away one bit," she grinned broadly, giving Laira's hand a squeeze and stroking her thumb over it before withdrawing.


"I can't see like normal people do. Reactor explosion. Makes me a bit sad I can't really see your face. I'm sure it's pretty though! So if I miss gestures or expressions you make, it's not because I'm not paying attention. I'm pretty new here. Landed like yesterday and it's only now that I got to steal myself away from boring meetings with stuffy Selkath." In all fairness, Elpsis did not mind the Selkath. She had manifold flaws, but racism was not one of them. However, they took ages to finish a sentence and she was not a patient person to begin with.


"So I guess we'll just have to explore. There's gotta be some nice beaches or cool clubs here. Sure the two of us can make our own fun together." Little did she know that she'd soon get a call about a sea monster that needed killing. "And please, call me Elpsis. Ms Elaris sounds stuffy." Besides, it sounded old. She wasn't old at all. Unlike Auntie Sio.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira paid attention to the sound of Elpsis' voice, the words she used. They were already getting pretty familiar, which was easy enough for Laira who was a social butterfly under normal circumstances. On Manaan, given her determination to cut loose and relax, she was decidedly more open minded and easy going than normal. "Well I'm glad to hear it. I'll do my best to keep you interested and around."

The redhead listened carefully to how Elpsis saw the world and what she saw around herself with wonder and interest. Laira wasn't much for Force Sight or pressing auras like that and so it was interesting to hear. "I'm sorry to hear that, sweetie. Don't worry, I'm pretty patient and easy going. I won't take offense." She grinned contentedly as Elpsis complemented her. It was possible the redhead was just being polite and trading compliment for compliment, but Laira was more than willing to accommodate such an arrangement.

"Well, it sounds like you need a little stronger drink, Elpsis. I think I do too." Laira smiled and batted her eyelashes at the redhead across from her, flagging down a servant droid and ordering the pair a round of Mai-tai's, fruity tropical drinks with rum and liqueur, as well as a local map of the city with lists of local attractions. It didn't register with Laira that her companion couldn't see her flirting at first which would make things a little difficult on the princess. She would have to adjust her tactics slightly.

"And once we finish these we will hit the closest beach, assuming you have swimwear." Laira did, but if they needed to go do a little shopping before hand the princess wouldn't mind. "And after, I could use some excitement after weeks in a cockpit."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


"Aww. Thanks. You seel real nice to me, babe." Flirting and complimenting was always a bit difficult when you were blind, but assuredly the two ladies would find a way. Where there's a will, there's a way. Or so Toyota says. Anyhow, on with the plot, for there is one in this post.


"Sounds like you read my mind, hun. A woman after my own heart. I got a swimswuit with me. Just gotta pick it up," Elpsis chuckled. "So, Laira, whaddaya do exactly? You said you're a freighter captain. Been to any cool places? Any fun stories?" she asked innocently.


It did not take long for the servant droid, a mechanical waiter ubiquitous amongst the better class of restaurants in the galaxy, returned with their drinks. First it placed a glass and a local map in front of Laira, then passed a drink over to Elpsis.


Maybe the bot was canny enough to realise that the redhead would have trouble seeing, since it was nice enough to push the glass right in front of her. Cautiously, Elpsis attached her hand to it, running her fingers across it and gripping it tightly before she raised the glass and put it to her lips.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira brushed hair out of her face with a smile, as the bot returned with their drinks and a local map brochure, purposefully not acknowledging the droid and focusing all of her attention on her redheaded companion.

"That's great. We'll swing by and change before heading out to the beach." She said with a wink, internally kicking herself. Perhaps it was that her companion was so functional that it didn't heavily register with Laira. She reminded herself that any gestures she made needed to be non-visual and so she determined to replace that wink with a familiar touch instead. The redhead reached across the table and grazed her fingertips lightly across Elpsis' arm.

Laira retracted her hand slowly back to her drink and took a long draw of the fruity beverage before answering her new companion. "Oh, yes. I ship some stuff to and from the Core. Places like Duros, Alderaan, Kuat, Corellia. I had some good times out on the outer rim, Lianna, Nar Shaddaa. Fought at Kaeshana."

She tilted her head to side a little and took another drink from her glass, working on finishing it fairly quickly. Surely there would be a bar on whatever beach they ventured to. "I don't think I have any stories that might interest you. I haven't been in many shoot outs, mostly just a couple of dogfights in space against things like patrol ships and their little escorts out on the outer rim." She was trying to keep from saying which governments she might be associated with, but fighting at Kaeshana limited those choices to First Order, Alliance, or Outback. "Really, you are the most interesting story I will get to tell."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Elpsis unconsciously leaned into the touch when Laira's fingertips grazed her arm, feeling pleased with the physical connection. Now that she had been robbed of her physical sight, other sensations such as touch and smell had become both more important and vivid for her. She felt slightly mournful when the contact was over almost as soon as it began and the other redhead withdrew her hand and returned it to her drink. For her part, Elpsis downed a good portion of her sweet, fruity liquor. Much like Laira, she was eager to get to the beach, where the real fun could start.


The firemane would have taken advantage of the chance for more flirtation that Laira had given her with her last line, but she heard 'Kaeshana' and 'fighting' and pounced on that. Her carefree expression retreated, being replaced by something more serious and somber.


"I was at Kaeshana. With, Firemane, GA and some Mandos." Little did she know that the Mandalorian commander she'd encountered on the battlefield was Laira's father. "I beat up fascist bastards and wrecked their mechanical toys. Didn't go well. Evil monsters. There'll be retribution." She seemed to realise the fierceness in her voice and looked a bit embarrassed, taking a breath to compose herself.


"Bit of a raw topic for me. I lost friends there. You were with GA?" Perhaps Elpsis put a bit too much faith in her Force sight, but she figured Laira's benign aura proved her right. Fortunately for everyone involved, she was actually right. Otherwise things would have taken an unpleasant turn.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Yes with the Alliance." Laira stammered, noticing how strongly her companion felt about Kaeshana and was a bit taken aback. Yes it had been a battle and her father had mentioned he lost some of his clan mates there that died fighting on the surface, and she had remembered straffing through First Order infantry with a thirty millimeter rotary coilgun and watching them turn to a fine red mist as she had flown, but Laira hadn't been very attached to the battle. She showed up to fight with the Alliance for fun and had ended up getting to flex her flying wings a bit before the call to leave was given.

"It's okay Elpsis. I heard the fighting on the ground was rather... intense." The redhead couldn't think of a better word for it as she sifted through her mind to try and help console her new found friend. "I was with the Alliance starfighter groups. I flew passes over the First Order armor and infantry a couple times and did a little dogfighting in Atmosphere." And Laira had flown under her alias if her new friend decided to look it up she would find records of a Laira Darkhold flying as Rakehell One with her ship the Far Runner flying under command of Rogue Squadron.

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I know it must hurt." The princess placed a comforting hand on Elpsis' arm and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Let's cheer up the mood some with a to-go drink and leave get changed. Hmm?" She asked, rather anxious to put the topic of death and gore behind the both of them and go back to enjoying the sun and water of Manaan with her new friend. Besides, Laira wasn't particularly proud of running through stormtroopers with her cannons and was not interested in reliving those memories any time soon. She lifted a hand to summon the servant droid back to them careful to maintain physical contact with Elpsis just in case she needed the reassurance.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Well, that had escalated quickly! Due to Elpsis' empathy, some of her emotions might have bled over to Laira, giving the incognito Princess a whiff of just how strongly the other redhead felt about the matter of Kaeshana. Elpsis had never lived on the planet. Her connection to the Eldorai was by proxy - and she was not even that fond of most of them. Still, the loss hurt, especially for an empath. Friends had died in that terrible battle. The Tygaran homecoming had been just as unpleasant.


"It's ok. Sorry for reacting so strongly," Elpsis said apologetically. Fortunately, her new friend seemed to have taken her outburst in good grace. "Intense is one word for it. We'll get the bastards next time." She took a breath, composing herself and putting a lid on the empathic spillover. She did not want to dwell on the battle, especially since Laira had been there too and might have her own demons. Through the Force she could sense the other woman's desire to move on.


Then she cracked a smile. Stepford Smiler, thy name is Elpsis. "Yeah, let's leave the doom and gloom behind us. I got enough of that back home. Just wanna blow off some steam with a cute girl here," she said in a more perky tone, reaching out to squeeze Laira's hand. The droid soon returned, bringing their drinks. Carefully, Elpsis took ahold of hers, though she spilled it slightly. "Here's to new friends," she said brightly.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Its no problem hun, don't fret. The day is still early and we have a map full of things we can do." The second drinks arrived and Laira had not yet finished her first, though it was mostly empty. Two was probably her limit as far as maintaining clarity and good sense, but then again the Princess didn't come to Ahto city to play things safe and be on edge, so she might have a few more throughout the day.

Laira perked up herself when Elpsis put on a fresh smile and returned to the cheerful aspect of the day, letting her tone seep back into her comfortable semi-sweet voice. She certainly enjoyed the comments, and decided to add some of her own, raising her unfinished glass in response to the call for toast and repeated Elpsis's words with a little embelishment. "To new and prettier friends than the last." Before draining it and dropping it heavily to the table, a drop of the fruity rum dripping down her chin from her mouth as she let the mixture rest for an moment to get a good taste of the alcohol and fruit juice before swallowing.

"Alright, lets go get changed. I'm in desperate need of a tan." the Princess said with a chuckle, motioning to her fair skinned stomach as she stood holding her fresh drink in one hand and dropping credits to the table with the other. It was more than they had spent on drinks and sandwiches, but the princess had no intention of waiting for change. "You lead the way since I have no idea where your place is." The little map sat in her hands, waiting to be opened once they were ready to hit the beach itself.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


"Me, too. Everyone keeps telling me I'm too pale. Me, I don't really see it!" Elpsis joked lamely. So off the two new BFFs went, leaving the nice restaurant and tasty drinks behind them. Best friends forever!


Ahto City was a pleasant sight to behold. Especially since no one had tried to sink it today. The soft sound of water lapping against the metallic walls filled the air, along with the call of alien gulls in the distance. A pleasant breeze wafted down the streets and alleys of the city.


Despite her blindness, Elpsis led her new buddy with unerring precision, steering her past the manifold shops, restaurants and administrative buildings towards the hotel she was staying in. The place was fancier than the redhead would have liked, but Auntie Siobhan had insisted on it. Comfortable couches and porcelain vases with nice flowers filled the lobby.


For no real reason over than being mildly eccentric, Elpsis insisted on using the stairs. "Turbolifts make me a tad uncomfortable," she said randomly. Fortunately, her room was not at the top of the hotel. So they finally reached the appropriate floor and Elpsis opened the door, revealing the fancy hotel room, which offered a lovely view of the skyline of Ahto City. "Here we are. Wait a sec," Elpsis stepped over the plush carpet and headed towards the closet, rummaging through it until she finally pulled out a very brief swimsuit that would probably please the fanboys and fangirls.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

The stairs weren't so bad, only a couple of flights to get to Elpsis' floor and it didn't hurt either of the girls any. And the room was the kind of lavish Laira could get used to during her vacation. A comfortable suite with couches, a beautiful image of the skyline from the window, and a balcony overlooking the city. The glimmer of light off the water of Manaan's oceans flickered and glinted off the window and ceiling in the early afternoon sun. Laira turned and inspected her new bestie's swimsuit, "Well, between you and the skyline at least I'll have a nice view, hun." She grinned roguishly, a little look she had picked up from her mother when she enticed her father throughout the years.

Not needing a changing room, Laira wore her swimsuit under her everyday clothes and so she quickly pulled off the outer layer of clothes in the foyer of the suite, tossing them on a couch and pulling her jacket back on. Her jacket had her her cash, ID, and a hold-out pistol tucked away in it, so she didn't feel like she could afford to leave and walk around Ahto City without anything. If she lost it, it was nothing she couldn't replace anyway.

The redhead made herself comfortable on one of the couches by laying across it on her side, sipping on her second drink while she waited, admiring her companion. "You said you worked for Firemane. I guess they take care of you pretty well if they pay for fancy places like this. I'm a little more impressed with you than I was, though my first impression of you is hard to beat." Elpsis was pretty, a thin and beautiful young woman with flaming red hair like her own, a hair taller than the princess, though Laira was a bit more busty than her companion. The two could easily pull off claiming to be sisters if they wanted to even though Elpsis' aura in the Force, at least what Laira could sense, was far greater than her own. All in all, Laira couldn't do much better for a companion if she wanted to. Contentedness and comfort exuded from the redheaded princess as she eyed the room and all its contents.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Modesty had never been one of Elpsis' strong suits. So she did not think twice about stripping right in front of Laira, then bending down and slipping on her rather brief swimsuit. Suffice to say Laira got quite a view, should she choose to take advantage of it by admiring it.


Elpsis was just a bit taller than Laira, but her bosom was perky and compact as opposed to voluptuous. However, she had a tight, round derriere. Her long legs were toned and athletic, though marred by scars. Harsh silver lines were etched into her skin, for some wounds never faded despite the miraculous healings capabilities of bacta and the Force. However, she wore them with pride, rather than feeling misplaced shame about not being unblemished.


In response to Laira's, Elpsis laughed after slipping on her swimwear. "Hahaha. I'm very happy with your company. But I gotta I say I hope you're more impressed with me than my room. Glad you like it. I think it's a bit...big. But Auntie insisted on me going on vacation 'in style'." Yes, she actually used air quotes. Turning around, her gaze fell upon Laira. Those intense, empty eyes that showed naught but white could be a bit disconcerting to look into, but the expression on Elpsis' face showed warmth. It was a cause of sorrow for her that she could not see Laira's face.


She would have loved to see what she really looked like, see her expressions and so on. But by seeing past the undoubtedly pretty exterior she could look into her soul - at least as much as you reasonably could. Her aura was most pleasing to Elpsis' eyes, showing a benign character. The content and comfort that radiated from the other redhead did the rest.


"That's Auntie Sio. We're close. My mum's a good friend of hers. Mummy saved her arse a couple times." Why mum settled for the frigid elf is beyond me, she silently thought to herself. She had not yet warmed to her 'step-mum', who seemed to have the personality of an icy glacier.


She pushed these thoughts out of the metaphorical airlock, slipped on her leather jacket and strutted back towards Laira. Her hand rested upon the flame haired woman's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Come on, hun. The beach calls us. The map told you where to go?"

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira was a tad more modest than her companion, and averted her gaze politely with blush filling her cheeks while Elpsis changed in front of her, a bit flattered that Elpsis was that comfortable with her presence and thought highly enough of her, and a bit uncomfortable. Laira was at heart, a flirt, who could lay on the charm thick as she pleased, would make innuendos and tease, but was surprisingly slow to get intimate with anyone.

"Very impressed with you. The swanky room only adds a tad. Your aunt has good tastes, I'm glad she convinced you to get a bigger room." She raised her eyebrows for a second as she admired the now dressed, if barely so, form of Elpsis. She had to admit she felt a physical admiration for the slightly taller redhead and had the distinct desire to show off what she herself had worked so hard for, the toned muscles on her arms and legs, the visible abdominal muscles on her stomach. She wasn't shredded, but she had a strong physique and noticeable muscle definition even relaxed. Unfortunately, Elpsis couldn't see her.

Laira had heard stories about Siobhan, but not much. All Laira knew was the woman was one of the most powerful individual regarding telekinesis and that her family was unable to use such powers. She also didn't know enough to make the connection instantly between Elpsis and Siobhan. Yes, both were associated with Firemane, but Laira wasn't big in the corporate sector or very knowledgeable. It took the redhead a moment to put two and two together. "Oh, so... You are one of Firemane's important people." The redhead covered her mouth as though she had just made a terrible comment when in fact it was just another reason to be impressed with Elpsis.

"Yes, its not a far walk from here to get to one of the local beaches. One with a bar." Laira grinned as she stood to walk out with Elpsis. Part of her was considering ways to get around Elpsis' blindness during their day trip mostly revolving around convincing Elpsis to touch her without being too upfront about it, part of her was just happy to have the company of another gorgeous redhead. "I don't know about you, but I'm hoping not to have to pay for drinks."

Laira bit her lower lip as she looked her companion over head to toe and back once more, doing so pretty blatantly. The scars added to her character, a warrior woman with many battles under her belt. The blindness a unique trait that forced the both of them to have to move beyond mere physical admiration for one another. Elpsis was certainly an interesting figure to spend a vacation with.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Elpsis flushed slightly, a scarlet hue spreading across her pale skin until it resembled her flaming red hair. "Nah, I'm not important. Or a master. Auntie Tegs, Sio and Mum - they're big league. I'm just a blind girl who goes places and sets bad guys on fire. Sometimes I get visions from the Great Spirit. A few actually let me help people instead of only giving me headaches," she laughed self-deprecatingly.


The Order of Fire had named her a master, but she still did not think of herself as such. Partly because she did not think she'd earned it, partly because it sounded like responsibility. "So please don't treat me any differently now. I get enough of this Firemane Princess chit on Tygara." The irony was tremendous since Laira was royalty and Elpsis had no clue! She visibly brightened at the prospect of sandy white beaches, cerulean oceans and fee drinks! That tended to put her in good mood.


"Off to the beach. Lead the way, hun. By the way, I may be blind...but I know when you're oggling. Keep it up." Elpsis had no sense of shame. As they headed out, the hand that had rested on Laira's shoulder travelled down to explore one of the woman's strong arms. "Nice muscles," Elpsis said appreciatively, whistling slightly. Perhaps she'd sensed Laira's desire, or just felt like getting touchey-feely. With her physical sight lost, touch had become more important to her.