Yacht Club

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"] [member="Makai Dashiell"]

Danger wasn't so inclined to part with the youngling, that much was evident as her embrace would linger on the half Galan, her hand brushing away the curls away from his face. His chubby cheeks were slightly flushed, spiky lashes wet from his tears. Little patches of blue scales would glisten with an iridescent hue.

She gave a faint smile, but it would wane as the Dashiell would rise, his son in his arms. "Likely needs some rest s'pose," she told him, reaching over for her ginger tea. The rocking of the ship would now be a distant memory, the pills and the tea doing their job to settle her stomach.

"Reckon a few hours might do him some good." she said quietly, drawing her hand back from Makai's brow.

Funny, she'd come to spend time with the younger Dashiell but now will have to wait. Perhaps the few hours Makai might sleep the CEO of Salacia and her would cover some work.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

There was a second crying episode once Judah tried to disentangle himself from the boy inside the . To say he was confused was beyond an understatement. Hand went to his forehead, feeling a slight heat. Was it from the weather and exertion of the day? Different oceans had different microbes and such, right? Slowly he came to the conclusion his son was coming down with an ear infection and administered the proper medications.


It took a moment for Judah to get everything situated and for Makai to knock out like a light, still taking little raggedy breaths in his fitful slumber. The cabin door was left often for the half-Galan to wander out later, as Judah wouldn't be far away to begin with.


After changing into something dry and less hideous than orange shorts, there was the question of finding Miss Arceneau. It was becoming clear that the redhead loved his son. As in head over heels, rose-tinted glasses type of love. It was something he couldn't explain. Perhaps she was one of those women that were natural mothers. Maybe his son was already a charmer, reeling in the women.


Pulling a shirt over his head, he went in search of the Trade Queen.


[member="Danger Arceneau"]

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Needless to say, [member="Judah Dashiell"] would find her where he left her, if a few steps away from her perch. From first glance, it would appear as of the Queen of Trade was feeling better from her bout. For now, she was leaning against the railing, holding onto her cup of tea, breathing in and out of her nose in a nice steady pace to keep herself steady.

The nausea was within her means of handling, and the fresh air was doing wonders. Thankfully, the rocking of the boat was waning; likely due to the calming of the wind. No doubt it would pick up again, but for now, she stood under the sunlight, bright red hair feathering from her braid about her face.

Her brows were drawn together, green eyes mulling over what had happened with Makai. The younger Dashiell comment made her ponder just what they meant, and while she knew it ain't none of her business, she was still concerned over the youngling. Slowly, images and memories came to the fore. Slowly she thought back, retrieving the brief instances she had worked alongside the Salacia Consolidated CEO or interacted with Makai.

She had yet to formally meet Judah Dashiell's wife. Actually, she quietly thought, she had yet to see the CEO with his wife in any business gala or get together. Normally, he came alone. Or in the rare instances, he had Makai with him. Another consideration came to the holotabloids horrid gross exaggeration about the status of Dashiell's marriage. Most of which often times included her. The paparazzi would do what they will, but Danger knew where she stood. Granted, this didn't stop her from feeling concern rise within her.

Quiet steps would alert an approach, and Danger went panning her gaze towards its origin. It was Judah. A little more drier and looking a bit worse for the wear. Did he look a bit skinnier? Frowning, she studied him. Wondering.

Now that was a thought.

"How's he doin?" she asked him, speaking about Makai as the elder Dashiell padded his way on over. All around them, work was still a part of the day. Good thing they had the subject matter experts conducting the experiments on the algae. Danger knew she had come to this knowing she wasn't going to be much of a contribution, this went beyond her normal set of skills. At the very least, she could provide Salacia the resources Arceneau had for their green energy power platform both were working towards.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Rounding the corner, Judah spotted [member="Danger Arceneau"] leaning over the railing, staring out into the water. Below, the research team was hunched over a datapad. No doubt they were just starting to get the first readouts of the potential energy output of the solarium glass cylinders. He would be curious to know the results later on, once the averages had been calculated.


When he turned his attention back to Miss Arceneau, her green eyes were boring into him. Judah felt a bit under the microscope, her sharp gaze appearing to not miss a thing. It was a little disconcerting. Did he perhaps offend her in some way earlier? His brain racked the events thus far and tried to come up with various possibilities.


Maybe the woman was on the mend. With the boat on a more glassy ocean now, there wasn't a great paleness about her anymore. Color had returned. That or she was getting sunburned already. Judah would think a person from Tatooine wouldn't burn so easily, but the ocean was a different beast.


Judah came to lean against the rail next to her, a small breath of space between their shoulders. His own blue gaze would search out the sea, avoiding the green ones that continued to search his features. He came to settle on the island that stretched out shortly before them, watching the tiny waves lap against the beach.


"Cried again when I laid him down....He's been in the water since past breakfast. Maybe he has some type of ear trouble, different water than he's used to. Gave him some medicine....I just.....I don't know. Could be tired too. Makai isn't one for cryin' like that unless he's sick."


"Speakin' of, are you feeling alright? Can't imagine this is easy for you, which makes me all the more curious of why you're here. Not that I'm complaining, of course. Just doesn't seem to be your thing, the ocean."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"Likely..."

She said quietly, remembering what Makai had said. Her green eyes took note of the slight frustration that ran through Judah's stance.

Or just missing his momma.

She straightened and gazed out to the sea, a soft shrug of her shoulder, "Fine as rain," she began to say wryly. Turning she took another sip of her tea, letting the ginger settle her stomach. Her back came to rest against the railing, and she spread her legs a bit, bracing herself.

"Well, Tatooine has its fair share of seas," she'd add with a touch of sarcasm that was directed more to herself than to Judah. "But it deals more with dunes than actual water." a light chuckle came after, both hands coming up to bring the cup to her lips. Green eyes would peer at Judah over the rim, watching him.

That he pegged her right for not being the sort to come out her was a bit disconcerting, but it was a topic that was unavoidable. Folk knew her to deal in business, rarely did they actually see her get to the nitty gritty of things. Much the less, without the bright red lipstick or the stilettos to match. Truth be told, without the additional height, she lost about ten centimeters of height. A little bit taller than average, but where she lacked in height, she made up for it in sheer grit and independent flair. Not that the rest of her wasn't easy on the eyes either.

At his subsequent question, a ghost of a smile played upon Danger's lips, "You suggestin' I'm steppin on toes showing up Mistah Dashiell?" the comment was said with a feint note of affront.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Not at all. Most of the time you're interested in the final project, not the process. Makes sense though, you being busy an' all. Couldn't imagine that you'd have time for every single thing out there."



Judah remained staring out at the waves, the little ones lapping at the beach. Wearily, he rubbed his face a little, rough hands gliding over an almost over grown beard. Gaze torn away from the beach, he found Miss Arceneau staring at him again. It seemed....abnormal. Perhaps there was something that needed to be said between them.


[member="Danger Arceneau"] could be a hard read.


"Besides, its nice to have another person to talk to. One who isn't obsessed by a cartoon show or building toys. I will admit though, I pick out half of those sets just so I can put them together."


Judah offered an amused smile, shaking his head slightly. Now or never.


"Am I dying Miss Arceneau? You keep glancing in my direction. Its making me a mite nervous."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Maybe it was a sign. Maybe it was the will of Inari the Reviver. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that Danger Arceneau was spending more and more time with that there boy and his father, coming to learn trends and what have you that comes from spending time together.

Either way, this was a mite bit of a turn around for he and she. Last time around when the cee ee oh of Salacia Consolidated peered through with his azure stare, he manage to penetrate certain defenses of the Queen of Trade. Managed to see beyond the veil that there was more going on there than would appear to be.

Now it was Danger's turn, and in her verdant eyes lay a knowing. And awareness. Her head went canting to the right, a slight gust of wind picking up the loose tendrils of her auburn hair and sending them flying into the air. A slow blink, a piercing thoughtful expression.

"You ain't eatin'." Danger would finally say, pausing to elaborate. "Right that is." she told him. Her eyes swept over his narrower frame. The man was as toned as a man born and raised on a backwater planet could be, toned but with a healthy measure of padding that a woman could appreciate to hold on to. However, recent months have certainly seen his face narrow, a bit of weight leaving his frame.

"You're thinner." she then, flicked her gaze up to his face, noticed the slight darkened circles under his eyes. Barely there, but told of a possible lack of sleep. A restlessness. One would figure Makai, but something didn't strike her right.

"You been gettin' some sleep?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]



There was something a little unnerving about having Miss Arceneau pick him apart so quickly. Most wouldn't have been so adept at picking up on weight loss. Dark circles? Others would have contributed it to his career choice. Folks like him didn't exactly have a set work schedule, something the fellow business owner would know well. Perhaps there was a concern for her investment. Miss Arceneau did have much to profit from this algae venture.


At least, thats what would have been easier to believe if she wasn't staring at him. Twin emeralds looking not at him, but past the physical. He hadn't seen seen that look in awhile. It used to be attached to a beautiful siren, her ice azure gaze knowing without even opening her mouth to question. Sometimes Judah could have sworn they used to be able to communicate more in a glance than they ever could in a day.


That was long ago. A different time.


To see it on the face of someone else gave him great pause. It brought back feelings he would rather keep buried and secret. To spill his guts to Miss Arceneau though? She was a business partner. The last thing Judah needed was for her to think him incompetent at his job. That the personal was interfering with the work.


"I've been working out. Too much sitting at the desk at headquarters. Suppose I am overdoing it."


It was partially true, so perhaps later he would feel better about lying to the Trade Queen. Sleep was harder to lie about though....


"As for sleep....yes, I do sleep. Late night business meetings, I've had to.....reschedule around Makai. Make sure he eats dinner, gets a bath. Spend some time with him. Doesn't help the offices in Etti IV and Tabaqui are on a totally different time, so I've been trying to accommodate the teams in the Sanctum sector as well."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

As Judah spoke, Danger would knit her brows together, a furrowing of the auburn slashes in contemplation. In her trade, she spent years being the bullshitter, playing a role, being a hostess, learning how to read body language, and well, understanding men. It is what made her easy to confide in, to talk to. Why business deals with the Queen of Trade went well. There was just something easy going about Miss Arceneau and more aptly, perhaps it also dealt with the hush hush nature of the Companions she took on under her wing.

So she heard the sing song of Judah's voice, understood the explanation, the excuses. And while all that may very well be the case, a woman's intuition thrums deep inside of her, coiling like the rattle of a snake at the hint of a disturbance. Her mind went back to Makai, only to return to the man worth his salt and a whole lot more.

"Reckon that would be enough to get anyone strung out," she began quietly, contemplative. Pensive. The cup of ginger tea came up, and she took another sip. The warm liquid settled her stomach further, while a soft rock of the boat with an incoming wave prompted her to latch onto the railing. No need to go overboard.

A pause, then Danger swung her verdant gaze upon the elder Dashiell, "I take it Mrs Dashiell's been busy as well?" the question was conversational, but the quiet expression of concern would relay that it was more than just that.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]



A wry smile graced his features as Miss Arceneau took hold for dear life after a small wave lapped the rafted boats. Hand came to gently grip her upper arm to prevent her from tilting over. It was quite possible the woman was never going to gather her sea legs, although it did appear that she wasn't going to lose her stomach on the voyage.


Judah dropped his hand once he thought she was steady enough. Last thing he needed was the most powerful woman going overboard. There was a high doubt in his mind she'd ever been in a body of water bigger than a large bathtub.


As their conversation continued, it seemed Miss Arceneau was on a mission. Judah rarely talked about his personal life with the woman. It simply did not come up. Not that it would. Business tended to be on both of their minds at every meeting. If anything, most of their conversations centered around Makai.


Part of him wondered why she was suddenly so interested. Perhaps it was the less formal environment.


"I don't know. I suppose Thessa is very busy. "


Admitting that he didn't know where his wife was stung. Like pouring salt in a wound he was trying to forget. Granted, [member="Thessa Kai"] didn't just up and leave. They fought together on Ziost and then she suddenly disappeared under the guise of an assignment. In the back of his mind, a nagging voice was convinced she was running from them. From him.


"Honestly....this is a topic I prefer not to dwell on. I came out to Mon Cala to try to escape my situation, not dwell on it."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Now there was an interesting tidbit.

Not to say Danger flourished in gossip, but it would be a lie to say that she didn't make it part of her daily reports. Whatever manner of rumor had it up and down the Hydian Way meant a heads up for her. Be it lie or be it truth, how well it may be coated in either, gossip ensured that her business stayed ahead. It allowed her to keep things on point, to be careful in specific topics, to encourage or back off from a potential client.

When it came to Judah Dashiell... well now, his manner and his body sent all kinds of signals.

There was frustration there, faint but in the tension that rose along his shoulders. In the way his jaw would flex, how his blue eyes would dart from her face to cast upon the sea, as if pushing what manner of thoughts away, down to the rear of his mind. It was there, despite his good nature, along with the diversion tactic she often used.

Granted, she was never up front about it like he. Back on the Expo, their situations had been reversed. But now..., she thought as her brows furrowed, now there was something more. It started with Makai, and now that nagging sensation only grew with the manner that the elder Dashiell was acting.

"One can respect that," she said plainly. "Everyone has their own reckonin's they want to avoid."

To say it? Or not? Then the image of that child bloomed in her mind, and she just couldn't hold her tongue.

"Just seems like Makai feels that perhaps somethin' he done did is keepin' his momma away."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"] could be a calculating woman. One could argue she had to be in order to reach the top. So when the redhead mentioned his son, well, Judah knew the woman knew exactly what she was doing. Trying to get under his skin. One could say it worked, that she struck a nerve.


Deep blue gaze would settle on the redhead. There was no anger. Brow furrowed slightly, deep in thought. Processing the information that Miss Arceneau presented. It was something he had suspected yet remained unsure of until now. A free hand reached up to run through his messy curls before speaking.


"I had suspected something of the like. Really....its my fault anyways, this situation. I will have a talk with him later. Makai will be alright, he's a good kid. Thanks for telling me...must've been what he was cryin' about earlier."



"You could have told me sooner, I wouldn't have thrown you overboard."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


Danger tilted her head, watching Judah for a moment as if to determine the validity of his statement. After a second she gave a ghost of a smile, more in light of the mild joke to lesson the tension than any real sense of humor. She could understand that need.

Shaking her head, she turned, moving to set down her cup of ginger tea by the small table beside her. "It's the first time he's mentioned it." she told him truthfully, giving a faint sigh. Her free hand rose, pushing the wayward wisps of auburn hair away from her face, tucking the stray strands behind her ear.

The boat gave its gentle rock, and the cries of seagulls could be heard just off in the distance. The low murmur of the nearby researchers would drift over to them every now and then. With this progress, they hopefully would be able to get solid data. Her frown returned.

"'Sides," a glance back at Judah would follow, "Throwing me overboard would just be another pain in the ass."

A pause.

"I don't know how to swim."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Don't worry, I'll handle it."


Judah would nip the thoughts that Makai had in the bud. It was quite typically the reaction of a child and one he should have expected. However, it seemed parenting didn't come with a manual. Or at least they had forgotten to give him one at the hospital. The farmboy turned back to looking at that island, seeming lost in it.


"I'd jump in to save you. I learned how several years ago." Judah turned his head to look to her. To share information that only Miss Arceneau would understand. "Still feels foreign though. Water. You learn to swim, there's still this panic in the back of your mind you're gonna drown."


[member="Danger Arceneau"]

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]


It was good to hear that Judah was going to see to soothing over Makai's fears. Danger had a soft spot for the youngling, and she didn't want him worrying his head over things that weren't his fault t'all. With the way that his child took to heart what he could only explain in his mind, it was enough to tug on heart strings.

No child should believe they were at the fault for an absent parent.

Taking a deep breath, Danger inhaled salty sea air. Her nose would crinkle, and in the wake of Judah Dashiell making it known that he had not grown up with fins, well there was one more commonality to them both. The corner of her mouth would perk, mild amusement rising in the depth of her emerald eyes.

"Yeah well.. Reckon I'd sink like a rock and take you don't with me there Mistah Dashiell." she'd say, "But maybe I'd have more luck out by the shore. I'm good at standing on my own two feet."