Continuing the Search

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

"Just about. Got it," eyes refocused on verdant. Forearms propped against his chest as she stared down at him. Dark-brows rose slightly. Never brought her...

What was he talking about?

Oh. The high school crush?

Kinsey realized where she was. Where they were, was a very private space. A space Armaud would be saying goodbye to for awhile. A space marking transition for him. A space of great loss. He'd been through so much in the past twelve hours.

"You don't have to explain anything to me," words that seemed fitting finally left her pinched mouth. She meant it. He didn't. Her mind reached for some kind of scoundrel remark. Some half-cracked joke. Her calling card to lighten the mood.

But she came up empty.

 

[Armaud Eden]

“I know…” He stated warmly as he met her gaze. Moving his hand under his head, he maneuvered himself in a way to look at her without hurting his neck.

It wasn't all too difficult.

“That's why I told you, because I didn't have to.” And maybe because he wanted to. Tilting his head just slightly, he smiled, finding blue eyes that seemed so capable of swallowing the world. “And because you wanted to know.”

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

As if she could ever make this man tell her anything he didn't want to. But she couldn't help the smallest of smiles shimmer across her lips as she looked down at him. It wasn't a scoundrel's smile or a knowing smirk. It was something different. Perhaps a smile reserved just for him.

Finally, she eased herself down back on her side, her head resting comfortably close to Armaud's. Her side pressed against him. Head turned up, so she could stare at the belly of the thatched roof they lay under. They'd face a lot tomorrow. For Kinsey, a horrific water crossing. The First Order. For Armaud, the latter and leaving something behind.

For now, she couldn't help but ask.

"Are you ever going to kiss me?"

 

[Armaud Eden]

He smiled as she averted her gaze, studying the thatch roof of the shelter. There was a peaceful silence between their words, a casual symphony of breath and crackling fire and the distance chirps of wild animals.

He’d like to blame his powers on his hesitation. With combined touch, perhaps he couldn't isolate his feelings from hers. In that way, he couldn't be assured that the feelings were mutual and instead, just the result of their temporary bridge.

And he clearly didn't want to take advantage of the recently concussed.

“To be honest…” He stated quietly as he turned over on to his side, facing her now. “Pibs seems very territorial, I was worried about offending him.” With his elbow propped against the pillow, holding his head up, his other hand moved to Kins chin. With clear tenderness, he tilted her eyes away from the roof and towards his verdant gaze.

The truth was that he simply didn't want to complicate things. He had precious few friends, one of them had sacrificed himself for him and Kins. And what if she reciprocated and everything fell apart, then they were just memories to one another. He had enough memories, it was one of the few things he collected.

But he did want to kiss her, he had for some time if he were being honest with himself. And leaning forward, he offered her an honest reply to her question.

Yes.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

And she didn't want to take advantage of someone who'd recently lost so much. Was still losing it. Little did she know he shared her same hesitations. And little did she know her chance encounter with the dread-locked bohemian would end up meaning so much. That they'd share more adventures beyond that first hire. That she'd find his presence on her ship something completely natural, like he'd always been there.

Always been there throwing his dagum seed shells everywhere.

Couldn't help the flash of white teeth in that small smile as his lips met hers. Thoughts, anxieties, hesitations muted. The hand that wasn't propping her own head found the side of his face, fingertips spreading into his hair, tangling in dreads.

It was like kissing the wild. It was safe without being safe at all. She could easily get lost and go deeper in. Wheat fields rolled to thick forests to craggy peaks. The higher the climb meant greater risk. But also greater reward. The kiss deepened before her brilliant blues refocused and she gently released.

Air. Breathing was good. The fire crackled sleepily in the background. The spacer found her voice.

"You taste a bit like mint." The explorer extraordinare grinned at her companion. "And you're right about Pibs. That droid easily offends though, so you should be okay. He likes you, anyway."

 

[Armaud Eden]

Mint. He had never heard that one before, though in truth his exploits weren't exactly brimming. As the kiss deepened, Maud had managed to shift enough that he was hovering partially over Kins, pressing her head into the pillow. Their lips separated long enough for her to crack a joke about Pibs, about the small robot liking Maud.

He found that comforting, juxtaposing Kins perception onto the robot. He assumed that if Pibs liked him, that was simply because she did.

"Well..." He leaned forward a placed a gentle kiss against her lips. "I'm right fairly often so..." He ran fingernails against the sharp edge of her jawline, feeling the subtle hint of warmth. Since he had met her, Maud had rarely found the opportunity to stargaze into her eyes - particularly without drawing her attention. Like contained starbursts of cobalt, pattered with trails of sky caught in the swirl of the explosion. He could lay on hills and watch the clouds roll by for days, he could assuredly stand for time and watch the snapshot of stars forming behind her eyes.

Nuzzling her nose, he offered another tender kiss with a smile. "Sorry for hitting your head..."

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

Funny how it could feel like she was floating in zero-g, though her back was pressed against the bed. Head on a cloud rather than a pillow. Instead of the pinpricks of starlit sky peaking down into the verdant earth it was the opposite. She looked up and found herself floating in an endless canopy of greens. Myrtles. Mints. Limes.

Every time his mouth brushed against hers, she felt the gravity line tugging a bit looser until she feared it would soon snap. It was a mixture of fear and delighted anticipation. Him being right fairly often?

Lips pursed and a puff of hot air hit his freckled face.

"You think so, hm?"

Any further sass in her retort was quickly forgotten as he leaned in again.

Stars, he was good a this. Too good. She'd never tell him so.

She took a breath. "Well," she drew the word out, thumbpad lightly brushing against his cheek, though there was no more dirt this time. "I suppose I could forgive you," thumb tapped against his cheek. Tap. Tap. "If you promise to let me hang onto your back across the water tomorrow."

With a roguish smirk, she kissed him before he could respond.

And just like that, she was falling and floating at the same time.

 

[Armaud Eden]

There wasn't time for an answer, beyond a simple nod to accompany a tender nuzzle. He might have said yes to about anything at that point. Except for eating potato chips. Never.

He fell asleep with her in his arms, the taste of her on his lips, and the soothing impression of her breath against his neck. With all that had happened, it might have surprised him with how deeply he slept. He had always fallen asleep well, but never with such trauma preceding it.

~~~

He stirred from his sleep as the sun crept through the open window of the hut, cutting across the room. The flames in the fire place were nothing but a smolder, black char and debris sitting in a amorphous pile. The birds were chirping and the wind was steady, he could hear the lapping of the lake against the shore of this small island. Blinking steadily, he finally opened his eyes to the woman curled against him.

Stretching with a yawn, he draped his arm across her and pressed his hand into her back. Rubbing slowly. "Kins...we..." He yawned again as his head fell back into the pillow. "We need to get up. The sun says so."

Slowly shutting his eyes, he started to drift. "N...not my call."

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

It wasn't how she usually got up. Yes, yes, the whole 'in the arms of another.' More so the non-recycled air and lack of starlight. Something much brighter. Birds instead of Pibs' chatter. No swinging hammock.

"Mmm," she nuzzled into his neck for a moment.

Lashes fluttered as her eyes opened. "Whelp. The sun is most certainly wrong," she yawned. "Make me sun. Make. Me," she yawned, a tired roguish grin nipping at her lips. With a tug, she pulled the blanket they both shared over their heads.

It was a somewhat effective sun blocker.

 

[Armaud Eden]

He had very little reason to start the day. Between the company and the worry over what was looming at the groves edges, where burned trees turned to fields of waving grain, he was content to stay where he was. It was warm, he had someone to enjoy the swamp with, and there was nothing to worry about that couldn't be easily compartmentalized.

But sometimes people had to do things they didn't want to. It was naive to think the First Order would forget them and even more naive to thing Kins could be happy in this place for too long. It was, after all, an island surrounded by water and he assumed her comfort in the night's past was due, in part, to the obscuring water by the night's shade.

"Pibs is going to get awfully lonely...and worried." He said as he yawned again, pressing his nose against her hair line. The sun may have been gone, for now, but he still knew his way around. "Can't hide in here forever."

They could. But they probably shouldn't.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

"Not forever. Just a few more minutes." Turning her head, she pressed a quick kiss against the man's lips, finding them in the semi-dark beneath the blanket. "Don't tell me you're scared of Pibs."

Eyes closed for a few moments more.

But then the birds were being loud. Kinsey kind of missed the white noise of the engines traveling through hyperspace. Then again, she didn't. She'd always been an explorer and that required sleep outside her hammock from time to time. Gently pushing off Afmaud's chest, she finally eased up and for our of bed, taking the blanket they shared with them.

Arms went skyward as she stretched, tossing the blanket back on Armaud or the bed, in a heap. Fingers wove through wheaten hair, trying to untangle the sleepy knots. "If it came down to it, I believe Pibs would beat you in a fight."

 

[Armaud Eden]

There was a certain joy in the act of a lazy kiss, like they had always been comfortable enough for it but just never felt the need. As intimate as they could be, as common as they wanted them to be, it was nice to find someone to be close with. Even if it required particular circumstances for it come to fruition.

"You've caught me." He smiled amidst their kiss beneath the blanket, more than happy to admit that he had no inkling of the limitations of Pibs. He could be a God for all Maud understood, concealing his presence only to reveal himself at the least opportune time.

"I don't know...I'm pretty good at running." He rolled over on to the bed, stretching trying to find his shirt beneath the frame. "His batteries gotta run out at some point."

He found the shirt and clutching it, he folded it up before pulling it over his head. "He runs on batteries right? Or...fuel?" Had to get this specifics before he threw his hat into the ring with God Bot Pibs.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

"Batteries," filling a cup of water, she rinsed her mouth out with it and wandered just outside the hut to spit it out. "But they last a long time and he's good about charging them." That's right. He. "I'd be more worried about the paralysis particle beam."

Heh.

http://starwarsrp.net/topic/53166-sd-0f-pebbledrone/

Wandering over to the edge of the water, she kneeled down, fingers tucking hair beneath ears. Palms dipped into the liquid but not before her eyes cast the depths with a wary look. Cupping water, she brought it up to rinse off her face. A few times, leaning slightly over the water's edge.

 

[Armaud Eden]

“Paralysis particle what?” Maud blurted out incredulously, watching Kins move from the hut to outside. He padded out of the bed and continued to watch, hands on his hips. “That's my worst fear. You know that right?” She probably didn't, they hadn't disclosed all that many fears with one another.

Well Paralysis was one of his. Right next to being stuck in confined spaces, being forced to eat potato chips, and maybe having to live in a space colony.

Instead of continuing to ramble on, he watched her quietly at the water's side. And realizing that he was still quite sleepy, he did what any normal person would do.

Running to the other side of the hut, he stripped down, leaving his clothes on the shoreline, and cannon balled into the water. He’d like to think the splash and noise was impressive, but he was busy sorting out how deep the water was. Not too warm, not too cold, just right.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

Eating potato chips and living on a space colony? Fears? Who knew this couple was doomed from the start?!

"I had no idea. Figured I stunned you pretty close to paralysis the first time you saw me." She chuckled at her own joke. "Just means you better show Pibs the respect he dese---," she sputtered as her eyes caught a flash of flesh. Then a splash of water soaked the front of her clothes. Insrinctively, she rolled back on her heals, landing on her rear.

"Hey!" The girl sputtered and wiped her face on her damp sleeve.

"This is a NO splash zone." Coming to a stand, she began wiping off the dirt from her clothes. Turning, she saw the pile of his discarded robes. Scooping them up, she dangled them in the air over the water innocently.

"Hmm. When was the last time you washed these?"

 

[Armaud Eden]

This was the preferred method for looking for baubles. Like a swamp trapped mermaid, he could be content simply looking for shiny things for the rest for the rest of his days. But it wasn’t particularly deep and in spots next to the shoreline, it was waist deep at best.

Good spot for muck and roots and little fiddling crabs, but not much else.

Breaching the water with all the elegance that would have been expected from a typically clumsy hippie, he bounced for a moment and smacked the side of his head.

“Water…got...stuck…” One final bounce and he yawned, smiling. Approaching the shoreline, he stood in the waist deep water with his right arm held threateningly. “I didn't see any signage about it being a splash free zone…”

And she was in an easy splash radius.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

"Hm. You obviously missed the signage," she smirked but eyed that outstretched hand of his. "Since we both know you're going to splash me anyway. Again. I suppose you've given me no choice."

There was a mischievous glint in those glue orbs as her shoulder shrugged innocently.

Outstretched palm opened, his bundle of clothes falling down toward the water.

There was no regret there. Her retreat from the water's edge matched the speed of her clothing release.

 

[Armaud Eden]

As soon as the word ‘choice’ left her smirking lips, he swung his arm and sent a massive wave of Swamp water towards her. And by massive, it was more like a small meager wave. Enough to maybe spritz her a bit, really get the message across.

What that message wasn't, he wasn't really sure.

As his clothes hit the water, he feigned surprise and shook his head. “Now we’re never getting out of this swamp.” Sighing, he plucked the clothes from the water and hung them from a branch of a tree, currently overhanging the water. Content that it wouldn’t fall in again, he slumped back into the water and paddled out.

“Really too bad about you not liking water…” He said as he back stroked around. “It's pretty nice out here.”

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

Looking down at her damp clothes, a small scowl crossed her face. Arms shook out and palm wiped the dripping moisture from the curves of her face. "Nice for you, maybe." She tried not to look too hard out there. Backstroke. Being naked. Yeah.

Not like she was embarrassed or shy. Kriff, not even like she was so modest herself. It was just.

She wanted to respect him?

Yeah. Sure. That was it.

"Atleast you're finally taking a bath," that familiar smirk was back on her face. Delaying leaving? That was okay with her. Even on Armaud's back, the whole water crossing thing made her nervous. Being knocked out before had been sort of a blessing.

"I'm gonna pack up," giving him one last look, she went back toward the hut and her pack. Looking up, she frowned, seeing smoke beyond the tree line.

 

[Armaud Eden]

There was a part of him that didn't want to leave this place. Not because he adored this island or enjoyed the current company, though that didn't help. The truth was that so long as he continued to swim through the water, or lounge lazily on the shoreline, he didn't have to face up to the reality of things. The grove was gone, his family was nowhere to be found, and Relit was most likely dead. The smoke rising in the distance ever lingered on the air and he had almost forgotten. Almost.

He gave her a gentle nod as she headed back and he soaked up the moments that remained. Wiping clean his face, catching a bit of moss hanging from his ear, he exited the water and got dressed in the damp clothing. It would dry out eventually. At least, that's what he told himself. Truth of the matter was that there would likely be chaffing and he hoped that would be the most of his worries.

"It's not a long trek..." He stated quietly as he padded it, tone somber and somewhat removed from the jovial attitude that splashed her with water. "Be back to your ship in no time." Entering the hut, he scrounged around beneath the bedto find a small towel. Drying off what wasn't under the clothes, he checked over his items in preparation for leaving.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]