Private Boarders!

[Ciel Rivage]

A quiet alarm went off, causing the young scoundrel to grumble as she stretched her arms above her head. It had been a good and calm night aboard the Pegasus. She still had to get used to how clean it was and how quiet everything seemed now that she was no longer with her gang on Nar Shaddaa. Ciel did feel a bit sad and empty - they had been her family for so long and despite her not liking the things they did, they had taken relatively good care of her. Bonds were hard to replace and these were all she had. Still, it was good to know that she wouldn't have to kill people at random anymore. And more than that, there was Jacques who she had grown very fond after having known him for only a day. She wondered what it was that made it feel so special when she was together with him - all she knew was that she'd like to meet with him now again.

The alarm was growing more obnoxious by the second. Finally deciding to get up, she rose up and shut it off. Ciel remembered how she had fallen asleep almost immediately after she had put all his tech things against the wall like he had instructed. After doing a few light exercises only relying on utilising her own body weight, she decided to see if Jacques was up. The girl moved surprisingly quietly for someone her size - in large part thanks to her being barefooted and the floor being so free of, well, anything. He really did make a point out of cleaning thoroughly. Moving through the ship, she looked for him throughout. It was a little disappointing that he didn't seem to be up yet but she decided to make the best out of the situation. Moving to the kitchen, she started raiding the fridge and freezer, scavenging whatever supplies she could find. Ignoring the military supplies he seemed to live on, it seems like he only had a little more than half the food two people would consume during the span of four days which was how long she expected them to be out. Without thinking too much about it, the girl was, however, using her own standards when she thought about it, not even considering the fact that some people ate far less than she did. Shrugging, she made prepared to just make a little more than she normally consumed for herself and started cooking.

Thinking that she was all on her own, the young woman started humming on a song she had stuck on her mind. The humming soon turned into outright song as she handled the pans in the rhythm of the music she imagined. It was fortunate that the food she was preparing was simple enough for her to do it as something more complicated might have been ruined by it. Seeing as he had already admitted that he hardly ever used the kitchen himself, Ciel started rearranging where stuff laid as she went, making it feel a bit more like home. Naturally, she wouldn't be able to achieve the same tidiness as he had, but hopefully he wouldn't mind.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

The sound of clattering drew his attention, as Jacques sat up rather quickly, confused as to who else was on his ship. Getting up to dress himself, it soon dawned on him as to what was going on; it was that Ciel woman that he had on board, of course. Thankfully that actually happened, and it wasn't some weird kolto induced dream; he had those every now and again after all. Hopefully she hadn't wanted out of this deal they had, he was rather fond of her, not to mention she was doing him a great service just by sticking around. They had only known each other for maybe less than a day, and already she was probably the closest friend he had made; which was probably due to almost no human interaction in person with other people. Having dressed himself some what acceptably, he left his room, and marched on down to the kitchen, where it seemed his newest crew member was at work in the kitchen. Sounded like she was humming something, though he wasn't sure of the tune.

"Morning." He stated, checking his watch to ensure it was roughly morning on Nar Shaddaa time, and to his surprise it was. Nice. He could already see that she was reorganizing his assortment of cooking utensils, and a small bit of anxiety took over. How was he going to know where everything went now? It was a tad bit distressing, but he tried to keep himself composed as he moved towards the small island counter that separated the pair. "Finding everything alright?" He asked, his eyes moving from the kitchen towards her form, which was still quite soothing to observe. "If you need to wash your clothes or what not, I um, I have faculties for that. I'll give you the space if you need that and um....yea." His thoughts tormented him about what she might look like without the limited clothing she already wore, but he pulled out of that rabbit hole; sadly he also lost track entirely of what he was trying to say, but hopefully she would understand the message. "Hope you slept alright. I was up setting up my feelers for anything we can score on, might take a day or two hear back, but we got time."

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

Among everything that was happening in the kitchen and her singing, she didn't hear him approach. Upon hearing his voice, the girl froze and quickly went silent as she raised her hands in front of her mouth. This was disaster! He had heard her singing, something which she was extremely private about. Like a deer caught in the headlights, she turned and let out a quick "Morning!" Feeling rather uncomfortable, she turned back to the pan and continued cooking. The fact that he didn't bring up the singing was appreciated but she made a note to herself to be more careful in the future.

Turning around, she brought the pan with her and laid down an omelette on the plate. It was large enough to fill it well from edge to edge "Yeah, I love your kitchen! Everything is so new and modern!" she chirped. Although she wasn't sure of the modern standards of more fancy kitchens and how new and modern it was in absolute terms, it certainly was impressive compared to what she was used to. Bringing out a fork and a knife from the drawer, it was clear that the young scoundrel had started to get used to his facilities. "Here" she said, pushing the plate and the cutlery to him with a pleasant smile. She turned around again to start making another one. "So yeah, everything is pretty great. But we're a bit short on supplies - if we eat normally, we'll be through it all in just two days" she said in a rather casual manner. She was confident that they would get through it but was a little bit sad that she wouldn't be able to maintain her routine.

She had already pressed some orange juice which stood ready in a canister with the peels laying next to it. Ciel slid it over to him over the kitchen island before listening to what he had to say, devoting her sole focus to him. He was so cute, stumbling about, almost tripping over his own words. But he had seen a need which she wanted as she knew that her underwear might become rather unpleasant after a while. She would have to stay in her room for the duration as she didn't have any spare ones, but it would probably be worth it.

Soon, the second omelette was done too and just like the previous one, it filled up the plate from edge to edge nicely. After having a look to be sure that he had a bar stool to sit on, she sat down on one herself and begun eating. "I slept well. Your bed is so soft and the mattress so wide" she chirped happily. "Usually, I have an arm or a leg or something hanging out from my bed back at home, but in this one, I fit!" she continued, maintaining a happy tone. She ate whilst listening to him speak. If they were lucky, they might get to dock somewhere sooner rather than later - at any rate, they'd need supplies. "That's good. Are we good to land anywhere?" Not waiting too long, she bent down and looked at him with hopeful eyes "So? What do you think? Better than military rations?" she asked, hoping that he liked the food.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

She seemed to be embarrassed, perhaps that he caught her singing to herself. Funny. He was surprised that she found his stuff modern, if anything he thought it was a bit behind the grade, but maybe she hadn't been on any newer class ship. His eyes widened at the omelette she seemed to have made, rather surprised that she found what was needed to make such a thing; he couldn't recall having eggs on board? "Well, glad you're getting set up alright. I know it's gotta be weird, being off world and what not." His gaze went to the floor and then bounced back up to her, just in time to see her pushing the plate down towards him. "Oh, wow, thanks!" He eyed the meal with a bit of interest, he hadn't had a home cooked meal in years truth be told. He took up the fork and took off a bit off the omelette, putting the delicacy in his mouth and humming in agreement as....well she wasn't lying, she knew how to cook!

He looked up as she commented about being low on supplies, seemed he needed to make a supply run in the near future. "Oh damn, sorry. I don't eat much, so I don't tend to ration myself that well. Um....probably have maybe three days given how I eat. We'll um...we'll stock up on the next world." Seemed they had a bit of work to do on the next world they stopped off on. He went back into eating, rather enjoying this meal she had cooked up. Hopefully she'd be staying for a while, he could get used to this. It seemed she made some fresh orange juice as well, which he took all to well to. "You're spoiling me over here. I'll have to pay you back next chance I get." He exclaimed, taking a sip from his drink and letting out a satisfied sigh. "I'll take care of your clothing once we touch down on the next world. Sorry if you're feeling erm...uncomfortable. Has to feel weird walking around shirtless and all." He wasn't going to complain, he just hoped she wasn't getting weirded out by it, though she seemed rather comfortable with it.

As luck would have it, there was a bar stool for Ciel to sit on, and this one seemed to support her frame as she joined the man at the island counter. Jacques seemed to be fine eating while standing up, he munched away at what she had made. He hadn't even thought about the bed fitting her size, though it seemed she had no issues sleeping on it; thankfully this was a luxury freighter and not on of those cargo ships. "Glad to hear it, if you have any issues just let me know, and um, I'll see what I can do. I was a tad concerned, mostly because no one's ever stayed in there before. But seems to be working out." Her question about landing any where in particular made him think about to the list he had made just last night, to which he had to take a pause. "Well, I have a few places in mind, but I'm waiting to see if they come back with some jobs I can do. Taris and Eridea are pretty nice, but Mon Cala is always looking for slicers to check the environmental data of those mining companies, and they pay pretty good. So...yea we got some options. Any of those three appeal to you?" He was hoping she wouldn't say Mon Cala, he hated that place; there was just fish everywhere. He nodded, taking another bite from his omelette just as she asked him if he was enjoying it. He could see that she was hoping he was enjoying it, there was a sparkle to her eyes that just seemed to be dying to know. "Oh it's great, thanks again for making this. I haven't had something like this in a really long time, so...yea I appreciate it." He beamed her a smile, trying not to linger on the reason for why it had been so long since someone cooked him a meal.

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

Sending him a wink, she smiled, almost a little proudly "It's my pleasure" she said, happy to provide him with something, now that she was living on his ship and all. "No, don't be sorry" she commented, looking at him as he thought of resupplying "Yeah, we'll get it done soon" she said before adding a final comment "Also, no wonder you're so little when you don't eat anything" It was a joke but for a moment, she worried that she might have hurt him or something. After all, she was not quite as good with words and stuff as he was.

"You can pay me back right now" she said calmly "Give me somewhere to sleep, food in the fridge and company to chat with me." Naturally, it was things which he was already providing for her, which went a long way to illustrate her point. He then offered to take care of her clothing once they reached a port. While she didn't need him to take care of her entire wardrobe, it would be nice if he could get her something to wear on her torso. With that in mind, she nodded "At least for a shirt or something, that would be great." She was a little surprised upon hearing him speculate about whether she was uncomfortable or not. "Oh no. I was so happy that you let me walk around like this. It feels so much more free and fresh" she said, content with her current situation.

The conversation moved on as he was making sure that she had a pleasant stay. A rather wonderful idea crossed her mind and she gained a mischievous look on her face for a brief moment "Maybe there's one thing. I can show you after breakfast" she said before taking another bite from her omelette. He then went on speaking about planets, none of which she had ever been on before which caused her to shrug "Oh I don't know" she replied and nonchalantly added "The more similar to home, the better" and let out a low sigh, obviously missing home.

Her face lit up in a great smile as he mentioned liking her food. Giggly, she chirped "Thank you" before resuming her grand smile from before. "Well, you better get used to it" she said, taking another bite to finish her plate, displaying an impressive eating speed. "Because I'm going to be cooking a lot" she said whilst turning around to start making another omelette, just as large as the previous one.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

Ciel seemed to be in better spirits this morning, which was good, he was growing rather fond of that smile she wore so well. The wink she shot over to him was enough to make his cheeks color, as he dropped his gaze down to the plate, before finding courage to look to her once more. "Hehe, I wish it was only that. I used to be taller, but my damn condition keeps breaking my spinal vertebrata and...well lets just say I've lost about two inches of my spine that I'll never get back." He realized that she might have felt terrible about what she had said, as he tried to wave it away. "But if I changed up my diet, that'd probably help!" He really hope she didn't feel bad, he knew she didn't mean anything by it.

"Well, I um..." He was at a loss for what she wanted to be rewarded with, but then realized that he had already been giving her such a thing. It was quite an 'ah' moment for him, as he nodded at what she had asked for. If that was all she needed, then he'd be able to keep her around for a while. He still couldn't keep his eyes averted for long, and there was probably something wrong with him; at the very least she probably thought the same thing. "You just tell me what you want and I'll get it, no questions asked." He was honestly relieved when she stated she had no issue missing her clothing, which was good, he didn't want her uncomfortable aboard her new home. He snickered as a stupid idea came to mind, but being a moron he had to share it. "I mean, I could walk around shirtless in solidarity to you, but I'm not as striking as you." He took another bite into the omelette, hoping she'd appreciate the humor.

He tilted his head at that look she gave him when she inquired about needing to show him something after breakfast. He couldn't fathom what that might be. "Hopefully it's nothing too serious?" He asked, though he probably wasn't going to get an answer from her right away. Seemed like she wanted to keep it a surprise. She didn't seem to have a strong opinion on what planet they went to next, only that it'd be like Nar Shaddaa. Well, that left the choices rather obvious. "Taris it is." It was certainly as corrupt as Nar Shaddaa, only the government of Taris were the ones letting things run amok, and not the Hutts. "Have you ever been off world before? Or has Nar Shaddaa been the only planet for you?" He could understand why she'd be so home sick, but hopefully once she saw what the rest of the galaxy had to offer, she'd have a different tune.

Seeing her light up like that did something to his heart, what that something was he didn't know, but it felt rather good. "I think I can get used to it. You're a terrific chief." He was only half way done with his omelette, and she was already in the process of making another. This girl just didn't stop it seemed. "Where did you learn to cook? Doesn't seem like someone an enforcer for a crime boss would pick up out of the blue." He would set about finishing off his meal as he listened, rather curious about who she was and where she came from.

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

She froze for a moment, the second time in just a few minutes. She had said something stupid insensitive and she didn't know how to get out. Usually, she'd just hit them in the arm or something to keep them distracted, or perhaps the them to be quiet so she could talk about something else - but her relation with Jacques didn't really feel like one of those. First of all, giving him a little punch might break something and telling him to shut up was hardly appropriate when he was sharing what she thought was a rather intimate detail. Raising both her hands, she went "No, no, no. I mean that you're little overall." and leaned over the table, placing two fingers on each side of his forearm to illustrate. Was she actually making things better or if she was just digging a deeper hole. Desperate to make it better, she blurted out "But your littleness is cute! So it's good little" she admitted honestly before turning back to the kitchen as her cheeks reddened. It was obvious that the conversation wouldn't go much further.

It was nice of him to offer to get her whatever. "Training gear would be great. Maybe I could pay you back over time" she said, thinking that she hadn't had a real workout for more than a day now. Being rather used to her strict regimen, it always felt bad when she couldn't do her workouts. Shaking her head, Ciel couldn't help but to let out an amused chuckle at the idea of him walking around half naked like her "No" she said rather simply before drinking up her orange juice in one go and then refilling her glass. "I don't want you to get cold" she said as her eyes went from her own rather thick arm to his thin one.

He inquired further about what it was she had on her mind. She was looking forward to what she had in mind. The bureau door she found last night was perfect for him to lay on top of and the handles gave her a good position to grip from too. He was going to be her weight, at least for a few reps. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind too much. But for now, she wouldn't tell him of it and simply shook her head "Later." she said as she continued eating. Ciel didn't have much of a reaction other than chirping "Sure!" to his comment. She had never been there and knew nothing of the planet either. "Yes! Well, I went to Hutta for a day once but Nar Shaddaa is much better. So, I think this is my third time on a spaceship" she said, apparently rather happy about being aboard one again.

A victorious smile grew on her lips as he praised her cooking skills. "Thanks!" she exclaimed, not able to hide her joy over the fact that he liked it. For some reason, she felt like she cared much more of what Jacques thought than most other people. When he was annoyed with her, she felt much worse than usual, and when he was happy, so was she. His following question confused her "Criminals needs to eat too, right? And since I wanted the right food, I had to do it myself" she said until she realised that she wasn't really answering his question "There was this guy, a couple of years older than me who taught me how to cook, the rest is from holovids" she said. It had always been a shame that she couldn't use cookbooks or recopies online but with her poor reading, she knew it would've been a rather frustrating experience. Glancing over at his plate, she saw that he still had a little less than half to go - meanwhile, her second one was already finished. Figuring that he'd probably be done with his first one by the time she had made a new one, Ciel swooshed over the third omelette to him and began making a fourth one for herself. Most normal people would be full before finishing the first one - but she was still hungry.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

Yep, he failed to relive her of what she said. The truth was he didn't really mind, but he hadn't expected her to blurt that out. She thought he was cute? Well, that was a pleasant surprise. He nearly choked on his food as he heard that, but obviously wasn't sure what to do with this information, so he just went back to eating, trying to think of what that meant.

Of course she was missing training gear, someone with her build? How could she not, she probably felt alien without it. "Sure, but you'll have to tell me what you need. I'm not familiar with this training gear stuff and all." In truth he really wasn't, but weights probably weren't the only thing she used to stay in shape. Judging by how she was built, well...she probably did nothing but work out. She didn't seem to like his suggestion, but that was fine by him, he didn't like the idea either. "You don't need to be shy, it's just the two of us after all." He snickered, "I can just adjust the air temperature on the ship, won't be an issue at all." He was rather enjoying getting her to laugh, it was a sweet noise that he thought should be heard more often; clearly tickling her would just be a death sentence after all, so this was a much safer alternative.

It was a tad concerning that she didn't want to reveal an issue she had with the room, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal? He hoped so, would make it much easier if he didn't have to fix something so early on in the day. To add onto that, he wasn't sure if she was excited about Taris, or was just saying that because she had no strong opinion of it; either way it didn't really matter. Though he did learn she hadn't really been much else other than Nar Shaddaa and Nal Hutta; both were neither good places in his mind. "Hutta? That's unfortunate. Never liked that place, but you'll be happy to know Taris is much more like Nar Shaddaa. Except it's the government that's corrupt instead of the criminals corrupting the government." Probably be easier to get her some nice clothing as well, which would go towards some good will on his own part.

He managed to get another gleaming smile out of her, he had to be on a roll today. It seemed like it was her turn to complicate the question, as he was nearly done with his first omelet, she apparently taught herself to cook. Jacques was going to comment on that fact, but she followed up by stating another man had taught her as well; though it did seem like she was self taught, which was rather impressive. "Oh, so, like a boyfriend?" He asked somewhat curious to how she would respond; how could someone like this not have a boyfriend after all, or maybe a girlfriend. Seeing she was giving him a second omelet before he had finished his first, he glanced up to her and tried to deny it. "I appreciate it, but I'm getting fully. Would you want it instead?" He hoped she'd say yes, but she was probably going to try and mother him; hopefully not though. "So how well known is your, erm, weakness? It seemed like that'd be pretty hard to hide in your field of work." Hopefully not many people knew about it, else that could become problematic in the future.

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

She looked up from her food. Increase the temperature? An amused smile appeared on her lips as she looked at him. "Well" she said, taking a bite from the food. "You'd have to be careful with that - if it gets too hot, I'll start getting sweaty and then..." she paused to take another bite "...and then, your ship will start smelling like me" Her words, whilst light hearted carried much truth to them as that was what was most likely to happen if he did. She was quite used to the smell but knew that others probably didn't like it very much at all.

"Hutta" she said with a dark tone, showing that she didn't like the planet. She agreed with what he said about it and listened to what he had to say about Taris with interest. She admired how much he seemed to know - even though it was one planet among millions, he could still tell her some facts about it. A slight smile appeared on her lips as she looked upon him as he spoke - he was such an impressive person. For a moment, she forgot that she was supposed to respond and just allowed her gaze to linger before regaining her composure "That's alright. If anything happens, I'll be there with you" she said, confident that they'd be able to get out from trouble.

Shaking her head, Ciel let out a small "no" upon being asked if the guy was her boyfriend "The guys I used to hang with didn't really like, uhm, you know... ... Me" she said, not quite sure how to put it in a good way "At least not in that way. They were often nice to me though. Liked to have me along for the more dangerous jobs" It was a little sad how she had failed so utterly in that department - but it was her lot in life and she had accepted it long ago. Besides, friends were great to have too!

With a raised eyebrow, the girl looked at him when she finally realised that few ate as much as she did. The fourth omelette was already in the pan, but she knew that it was well within her capacity to have three. Eagerly, the young scoundrel nodded "I wanted to work out after breakfast" she began but paused to return her attention to the newest omelette in making "If you don't want it, I'd love to have it. More fuel for these" she said before casually raising and flexing her free left arm. He then asked about her 'weakness'. He had good timing too as the fourth omelette was done. Turning back to the kitchen island and sliding the omelette onto a plate, she sad down at the bar stool again and began to eat, waiting a bit before responding. "It really isn't that hard to hide. Tickling isn't something people really try and if there are fingers and clawing involved, it's usually against my arms or legs" she said, speaking from experience. She then thought about how to answer his main question. Finally, she decided to put it rather bluntly "Out of all the people who found out about it - you are the only one who is still alive." she said, well aware that it could be a rather daunting and intimidating idea. She had killed a portion of them in battle, but many others were her friends or parental figures who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ciel was a quick eater. Especially when she wanted to do other things. It was rather obvious that she had picked up the pace and tried to finish quickly. She only paused to say "I'll take care of the dishes. No need for you to take unnecessary risks." Once finished, she stood up "Can we check out that thing now?" Her voice was eager - she had just eaten and was full of energy to burn. Besides, she hadn't had a real workout for quite some time now and was itching to get some exercise.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

He shrugged his shoulders, not exactly seeing the issue. She didn't smell bad or anything, then again she'd probably be self-conscious about it so he just decided to drop it. "Don't think it'd be that bad. You smell nice anyways." He realized he was talking aloud and kicked himself. He really needed to learn how to shut up. He was fine dropping it right then and there, hopefully that would be allowed.

It was nice to know he had her watching out for him, after all, who was going to try and go through her to get to him? Probably not many people. Taris wouldn't be too bad, he hadn't upset anyone in the government too badly, but if the price was right that could very well change. "We should be alright, long as the governor and his people aren't after me, shouldn't have any issue." He assured her, he honestly couldn't think of a problem that would be looming in the future.

He was frankly surprised that she didn't have a boyfriend, but maybe she just wasn't in the right crowd, or maybe she wasn't looking for one. Sounded like they only viewed her as a tool for getting the job done, instead of valuing the woman underneath. He could understand that, same thing happened in his line of work. If someone wanted to reach out to him, it was always about work and a job, never anything else. "Well, that'll be different going forward. Besides, I could use the company. Slicing is rather tedious, usually I'm just stuck talking to myself or reading up on something." He shrugged his shoulders, not trying to make a big deal about it.

He took one last jab at his omelet, before sliding his plate over towards her. Having finished one, it was rather clear she'd need the energy more than him. "Here, if you're planning on working out you'll need it more." He offered, before listing to her account about her weakness. It was a tad intimidating that he was the only one who knew about her weakness, at least living wise, which he hoped gave him a chance to make it in the long run. Did that mean people around her tended to die suddenly? Maybe that collar wasn't too far off of an idea, though it very well could have been due to the field she worked in. "Well, hopefully I'll outlive them all." Getting up, he went to grab the dishes, but stopped when she insisted on taking care of it. "You sure?" He asked, before throwing his hands up in defeat. He watched her go to work, no doubt she could tell he was doing it, but he just couldn't look away; she was just...so fascinating. Once she was done, he straightened up, ready to see what she wanted to show him. "Yea, what's this thing you needed to show me?" She sounded rather excited, and that got his mind racing. He had no clue what he was in for.

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

They had a rather pleasant chat whilst eating and he was being so sweet and nice. Standing in stark contrast to what she was used to with her gang. While change rarely came easy, Jacques was certainly making it much easier to live with. She enjoyed spending time with him, even if she didn't always understand what he was talking about. An impressed smirk appeared on her lips as he mentioned that the governor wasn't after him. It was becoming more and more clear on what level he was used to playing. Much higher than her gang on Nar Shaddaa, that much was certain. "We will" she said, confidence clear in her voice.

She was getting butterflies - his sweet words filled her with happiness. She liked it with her gang back home, at least when they were just socialising, but it was good to hear that she would like her, not only as a tool but as a person. Of course, her family, the gang, liked her as a person too - but their ways were much harsher than what she had seen coming from Jacques so far. And until this point, she was very, very fond of his softer ways. He mentioned needing the company - and while she hadn't told him, she really did too. Ciel liked finding safety among others. It always felt better to have someone watch her back than being all on her own. Not to mention that she had a few weaknesses which others could make up for. "I guess you won't have to talk for yourself no more" she said whilst thinking that he still wouldn't get much of a response from her since she really didn't know anything about slicing.

A happy smile appeared on the young scoundrel's lips as he pushed his plate to her "Thank you" she said sweetly before her speedy eating began. Judging by his facial expression, he reacted just like she expected "That's what they all say" Her voice was neutral as she continued eating. Soon, he got up to do the dishes. After making clear that she would do them, she rose to her feet. Having finished the meal, she walked over to the sink where he stood "But I like you" she said, wrapping a heavy arm around him, using just a little bit of force to push him again her. She then nodded at his comment "Yeah. As you said yesterday, a lot of things can go wrong in the kitchen."

"Yeah" she said and started walking towards her room, throwing a glance back to make sure that he was following. Once there, she pointed at the ceiling "I think something might be wrong. Lay down and I'll show you." she said, pointing at the wardrobe door which was placed on two low crates. If he hesitated, she would put a gentle hand on his back and try to guide him towards the platform. She was really itching to get a good workout now. Once he had laid down, she stood tall above him "Got your datapad with you? I think it's easier to notice if you've got one. Otherwise, you can borrow mine" In her mind, she had it all figured out - he would lay on top of the door as her weight, meanwhile, he could do his techstuff on the datapad. All that was needed now was some cooperation from him. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind that the thing he mentioned yesterday - the thing she liked as a weight - was him.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

She was right about one thing, he wouldn't be talking to himself anymore; which was probably the best for his sanity. "It'll be a nice change in pace." He agreed, feeling a bit more optimistic than was normal. It'd take some time to get used to having another person around.

She certainly had a ferocious appetite, as he watched her devour the meal like it was going to disappear any moment now. "Well, I'm intending to mean it, assuming the forces that be allow me." He chuckled nervously, hoping that maybe he'd be the one to prove her wrong. To his surprise she gave him another hug, and apparently even liked him. "I um...I like you too." He muttered awkwardly, his cheeks were fairly red. "Yea, you got a point there." It was rather nice of her trying to ensure he didn't end up hurting himself, but he felt a tad guilty for essentially making her his personal servant.

Finally, it seemed she was willing to tell him what was wrong with the room, as he followed up behind her, wondering what on earth it could be. She gestured to the ceiling, saying something was wrong, though Jacques couldn't tell what she was referring to. "I don't see an issue." He muttered, looking to the wardrobe door that had been placed on crates. "What are you doing in here? Was that broken?" He asked, a tad confused as to what he had stumbled into, but it seemed his friend wanted him to look at the ceiling. Sighing he laid down on the door, looking up to the ceiling, still not sure what she was on about. A datapad? No, he left his in his room. He looked bewildered now, as he cocked his head to the side. "I....I don't understand. What is going on?" It was rather obvious he didn't have his datapad on him, though he wanted an explanation before things went anywhere bizarre. He couldn't figure out what she was on about.

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

"You don't see it because you're not lying down yet" she said as she ushered him towards the provisional bed. He continued asking questions which caused her to sigh "Relax, Mr, Mino" she said, having forgotten the first part of his name. It was introduced to her right before the fight in the hangar and at that time, she had a lot on her mind. "Don't be so worried, you'll see what's up soon." she said, ignoring both of his questions. A smile appeared on her lips as she looked down at him when he lied down. She continued asking for the datapad which he didn't seem to have. "You'll borrow mine then" she said, bringing the small pocket device from a nearby table and handing it too him. Lowering herself to sit on her knees, Ciel spoke to him again "Relaxed? Try to read something, I think you'll see it then" Her voice was calm, soothing even, especially when accompanied by a few deep breaths. The girl remained by his side until she saw him open up a page of text. If she put an effort into it, she could probably get the gist of what it said, but all she wanted right now, was for him to have something to do and not notice what she was about to do.

Once he seemed distracted enough, she slipped back behind his head to lie down. She then scooched over towards the middle of the board where there was a gap between the two low crates. Ciel was a rather large girl but did her best to remain quiet and unnoticed. Once under him, she put both of her hands on the, quite perfectly designed, handles. With the same breath that she'd use to lift him up, she let out a few short advisory words "Don't move much" After that, she wouldn't say anything more. The young woman grunted as she pushed and held him up with extended arms for a few seconds before lowering him again. This was repeated five times before she stopped. She wasn't out of air but was beginning to feel rather warm. "Wow" she said from underneath him and immediately continued "Remember how you said that I could use it if I 'found something I like'? I think I've found it"

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

He did as she asked, though he gave her a slightly amused look as she got his name wrong. "Erm, that's not my name. You forgot it didn't you?" He just relaxed, see seemed rather nervous with whatever it was she was trying to do. "Hope this isn't some sort of pay back for yesterday." He muttered, eyeing her as she handed her the datapad. Using the device, he still couldn't figure out what she was on about. He looked through the library he had access to, and it was relatively small, but one thing caught his eye: 'Confessions of a Twi'lek Love Slave'. Well, that was interesting, seemed Ms. Rivage had a thing for romance novels. The door wasn't very comfortable, but whatever this was about, he'd let her explain it.

"I still don't see anything Ciel." He said, as he glanced over to see her working herself between the crates. He felt the door under him shift, as she warned him against moving, to which he wasn't exactly thrilled about. "Easier said than done." He mumbled, as he was rather powerless to do anything to stop her. When he had told her to find something she liked to lift, he didn't think she'd take that literally. "Right, well, I hadn't expected you to be taking this literally, but I'll just....read I guess." He selected the novel in question, but to his surprise it was an audio novel, as the narrator began to speak: "Resuming reading, on Chapter fourteen." The automatic voice spoke, before going into the text. "Her hand guided carefully over the well knitted shirt that clung to his form in all the right ways. 'I hate this shirt.' She said boldly, tearing at the seems with her bare hands, looking for the bare skin underneath...." Jacques wasn't sure what to make of this reveal. He knew women read stuff like this, but hearing it aloud was something else.

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

"Famino? Fomino? Fimino?" she asked but then admitted, "I forgot it." with an awkward shrug. He wondered if this was some kind of payback and not knowing if he would dislike it or not, she didn't know what to say. Already having been relatively secretive, she continued by turning her her gaze to him "You'll see" she said but maintained a friendly tone, hoping not to cause any alarm.

Just like she'd asked, he stayed on the board. While he was still asking questions about the problem, they had now gotten to the stage where she would be able to execute her plan and with that, she remained silent on the matter. He would know what was happening soon enough. She heard his comment about staying still might being tricky but focused on her workout. Talking whilst lifting at the same time was not ideal. It didn't seem like he was overjoyed by her choice of weight - but at the same time, he didn't protest. She knew that the macho boys from her old gang would've hopped off as soon as they realised that they were going to be lifted by a girl. It was yet another reason for why Jacques was great. "Hey, we're getting to spend more time together. Now you won't have to talk to yourself as you do your tech stuff or whatever" she joked, badly faking an annoyed voice - she still sounded rather happy and cheerful.

Soon after, she started lifting again. And just then, she heard a very familiar voice - a voice which she had been listening to for thirteen chapters. All the anxieties of the girl flooded her mind as she deeply regretted lending him her datapad. Still, when it came to working out, Ciel was extremely disciplined and continued the exercise to complete the five reps. He would, however, be able to notice that the speed at which she did the reps was increased dramatically, almost to the point where he would bounce of the platform when she pushed. It proved that he wasn't really at her max in terms of weights but also that she had something to say about what was happening. "Hey, that's private!" she exclaimed before continuing "Find something else. I've got an entire library of stories I'm not in the middle of and you've got the entire holonet on there" If he could see her now, he would see that her cheeks were violently red as she was currently feeling very embarrassed. She wanted to disappear into a hole somewhere - but her desire to work out was far stronger which was what kept her there now.

Soon, she began a third set, now with a more normal tempo. Faintly, a beeping alarm could be heard from the front of the ship. Whatever it was, it would have to wait as she continued to complete her five reps.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

"Nope, nope, and nope. You were close though. It's Filamino." He stated, feeling a bit amused as she threw in the towel. She probably hadn't heard his name enough, and there was nothing wrong with that. He wasn't quite alarmed, but he was rather curious as to what she had planned. Hopefully it wasn't too unpleasant.

He rolled his eyes at her comment, this wasn't exactly bonding time, but if she wanted to go about it this way, she was entitled to. Next time he'd just have to bring his work with him. "Alright, well, I'll be right here. Don't mind me." Hopefully it wouldn't take her too long, his back was starting to ache. It would probably be odd for most people to partake in this, and indeed, Jacques himself was found all of this odd, but if it helped out Ciel, he wouldn't mind; this was his fault after all, so if this was how he could repay her he would do it.

"You said I can read anything, and I chose this. Come on, this is the best part!" He snickered, knowing she had to be hating this right now, especially as she was pumping out reps. The book continued to play on, the content getting rather steamy now. "Two lovers intertwined, their passion clashed like two ships at war, penetrating, and breaking through one another's outer hulls, as there was no defense for the love that they gave..." Jacques had to readjust as Ciel's reps seemed to pick up, enjoying how he was getting to his new friend. "I can buy you the trilogy if you want. I think there's a whole series based on this." He stated, trying to enjoy what he could while his friend was burning up like crazy underneath him. Hopefully she wouldn't be too mad, but Ciel seemed like a sweet girl, surely she'd understand. He found it rather adoreable, knowing that this bodybuilder had such a soft spot for romance books. He could hear the beeping from the front of the ship going off, sounded like a hailing signal, though he needed to wait for Ciel before he could go and see what was happening.

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

Disaster! He continued playing the audio book. Disciplined, she kept going, now going for 10 as a final push before switching positions. She would have to be careful to not accidentally drop him during the switch. Next time, he would have to bring his own datapad, and perhaps a blanket or something to make it a bit softer for him. But for now, she just went on in a hurry, furiously letting her arms and chest work so that she could urge him to stop once again. Still, she also listened to the book, trying to follow what was happening and admittedly also got affected by the story. She was so happy for the two lovers, happy and envious. Part of her lived with them in the fantasy of the book as she was quite invested in it by now. Thinking about it, she liked the idea of sharing these moments with someone and Jacques was a thoroughly pleasant person. Still, it was way to intimate and personal for someone she had know for less than two days.

When she was finally done, the girl crept out from underneath him. A thin layer of sweat laid across her skin causing it to glisten. The pump caused her to look even more imposing than she usually did, and at the moment, she was standing right above him. She was supposed to be mad, furious even - but there was nothing. As soon as she saw his face and kind eyes, she simply couldn't be angry any longer. Her initially upset stare turned into a goofy smile "Y- y- you!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of emotions "You played it anyways!" she continued before letting out a low grumble as she considered what to do. "I'm going to curl you" she said, bending down and putting her hands on the handles. Using her leg muscle primarily, she stood back up with him on top of the board in front of her. It finally dawned on her that maybe that beeping sound was something which he wanted to check out. "Fine. You buy me the trilogy and I'll set you down right now" she said. Naturally, she would set him down regardless, but it was worth a shot.

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

It seemed that continuing to play the book might have been the wrong answer, as Ciel seemed to furiously go into her workout, making it difficult for Jasques to keep himself steady on the door. He set the datapad between his legs, as he held onto the small frame on both sides, trying to steady himself as Ciel pumped along. He thought it was rather funny, but clearly she disagreed. He never understood why women clung to such far away fantasy stories, when they could embrace a reality that was right in front of them; then again, when did women ever truly make sense. He could only sit here and wait for it to end, as she seemed to be quite adamant about finishing this exercise off; all the while the novel went on, detailing several scenes of erotic passionate love making that made even Jasques turn a shade of red. Perhaps now he could understand why she didn't want this information disclosed, but it was too late for him to do anything about it. "Okay, um, calm down please?" He asked, as he was waiting for this ride to over, and thankfully it was not long after.

He fully expected her to be furious with him, but this didn't seem to be the case, as she couldn't seem to stop smiling. He put his hands up in defense, though there was little he could actually do. "In my defense, I had no idea it was an audio book. I thought it was just a normal novel." He finally paused the recording, handing it back to her, slightly worried that she might secretly be mad at him. "Wait wait wait!" He started as she went curl the door, as he needed to check that message out first. He planned on getting her the book anyways, after all he did feel bad, but the message came first. "Sure, I'll do that, I just need to check the message first!" He remarked, hoping off the door and rushing towards the cockpit, nearly smacking into the wall on his way there. Who could be calling them this deep out in space?

C Ciel Rivage

 

[Ciel Rivage]

His defence was fair but she wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. He handed it back, good. "I on-..." she was about to reveal her secret but stopped herself in the last minute, realising that it was something which she would prefer him not knowing anything about. Instead, she simply made her comment about curling him and began to lift him up, not caring too much about the protests. Even though she couldn't bring herself to truly be mad at him, she was going to get some measure of revenge.



It went quickly, his promise to buy her the trilogy was made. But before she could put him down, he hopped down himself. Fearing that he would break his feet and legs from the fall from a bit more than one meter, Ciel quickly let go of the board with her left hand and brought it in to catch him. Her right hand made a small move to toss it away and soon joined the left in order to evenly apply pressure, just as he had taught her. She closed her eyes for a moment as he was suspended in air, trapped between her torso and her arms. She did rather enjoy hugging him. She hadn't done it much with the gang and unlike them, Jacques was gentle and soft. A short moment later, she set him down "Watch your feet" she said with a somewhat careful voice. He seemed much more concerned with the alarm than she was - but then, he probably understood what it meant too.

It seemed like he was feeling a bit stressed which made her feel a little stressed too. It seemed like she mirrored his feelings more and more. Following him with quick steps, she soon arrived by the cockpit. The call was picked up and soon enough, a human in her 50s appeared as a hologram. "Greetings Pegasus. I am Captain Krok. We are commencing a boarding of your vessel. Lay down your arms, cooperate with my staff and we shall drop you off at the nearest port. Krok out." she was speaking with a raspy voice, typical of those who had spent many a year in battle. She was very formal throughout and maintained a very good posture, hinting at a background within the military. Never really having travelled far in space before, Ciel found herself oddly scared "Jacques" Ciel spoke with a concerned voice "What's happening?"

Jacques Filamino

 

[Jacques Filamino]

He wasn't sure what she was going to say, but maybe she'd explain later on. What he hadn't expected was to receive another hug today, seemed she was rather touchy feely for someone this overly sensitive, but he didn't have an issue with it. He was careful to watch where his hands went this time, she didn't seem too fond of her neck being touched, and he knew well enough the the armpits were a no go zone; the sides seemed reasonable enough though, so that's what he went for. It felt nice, she felt nice too, and he could only wonder if this was going to become a normal sort of thing. It felt a little odd being manhandled by a woman, but he didn't mind. "So, I take it your into hugs? That's cool, that's cool..." He trailed off, patting her shoulder softly, as he suspected she enjoyed the contact as well.

Being set down, he pulled up the signal, and it was rather unpleasant to say the least. Pirates? Boarding? He had to have rotten luck if they were getting jumped this far out in space. He let out a low sigh as the message played, knowing that this ship didn't exactly have the fire power needed to repel the pirates. Running would be the best option. He wasn't letting them take the ship, that'd set him back a year and half, and he didn't want to start all over again. He looked back to Ciel, seeing that the woman was rather scared of what was happening. "Hey, don't worry about it. Just a few lousy pirates. We can shake them." I think. His ship was fast, but not maneuverable. "Ciel, mind getting up here? I might need to give you the gun controls." He began to pull power into the engines, as they were going to need to get out of here fast. He hailed the woman back, having no intention of letting them get ahold of his ship. He could hear the clamps and thuds of the airlock being clamped onto, as it seems they had come in from behind and docked with them. Damn it. He spun around, looking to the back of the ship, as he let out a sigh. "Ciel, rush back to the kitchen and look for a big red button, should say 'Seal' on it. Just mash that and I can get us out of here." Jacques put the power going to the engines on a delay, as once that seal was down, he planned on screeching out of here.

C Ciel Rivage