Down on the Pharm

[Judah Dashiell]

Eden BioDome | Dilbana | [member="Danger Arceneau"]



Judah stood in the inner circle biodome and looked up,finding beauty in the curvature of the place. Hands shoved into his pockets, head craned all the way back it was clear he was lost in his own ideas. PharmaTech had asked him to come out and look over their station, see what ways things could be improved.


To be honest, he was impressed enough already. Biodomes in space, why hadn't he thought of that sooner? Well, he wasn't too much of a space guy beyond salvaging. Ocean biomes had been his thing. There was some success there....agriculture under the ocean? It could cut down on imports.


Task at hand first.


"Bioluminescence.Won't be bright enough for the plants but it will be for most workers, most sentients."


Talking to yourself, that looks sane.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"You always do have the most interestin' of ideas." the throaty drawl would come drifting from behind [member="Judah Dashiell"]. It would follow along with a small chuckle and a curving crimson upward smile.

The years had softened her figure some, left a few crow's feet at the corner of those vibrant emerald eyes, and left streaks of silver through that thick corseca gem red hair. Yet there was no denying the striking and classic beauty of Dangeruese Arceneau. Like an excellent cask of whiskey, age had mellowed her and developed the woman of ripe flavors and spice.

The faint tattoo of her heels brought the Queen of Trade to the man who could very well be considered her best friend. While Alric had held that position as well as her heart the early and later part of her years, it had been Judah and Makai that had been the ones to help bring her out of her misery.

"How's it going Judah?" honeyed words and a genuine smile through that drawl fell from her lips as she came to a stop in front of him.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

It took a moment to realize [member="Danger Arceneau"] was behind him, that he wasn't hearing things. The woman slowly approached, looking as beautiful as the day they first met at a Southern Systems Expo. Judah tended to proclaim she looked more beautiful each time they met but he wouldn't today. Instead a small kiss would be planted on her cheek, a boyish grin that hadn't faded over the years.



"Interesting or insane?" Grin faded slightly. "I'm alright, been busy so I'll apologize in advance for not coming to see you more often."



Truth was, Judah was keeping himself busy on purpose. Thessa had made it very clear his presence wasn't exactly a welcomed on, especially considering their "first" meeting. To keep the misery and tension away from their son, he had dove headfirst into work. Not the most adult way to deal with the issue but it was the best he could do for now.



"How have you been? Your husband? Miss Myra? Where have you been hiding out at?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"Well folk would say that often time it's both." her joke would bubble forth, green eyes twinkling. Leaning forward she went to give him a hug and a quick kiss to his right cheek. What bit of scruff lay there tickled her lips, a stray dark hair flopping over against his temples as ususal.

"Doing alright. Myra's doing better. With luck things will go over well with her." just had to keep working on it. "Alric's been busy, but I reckon we all have in our own way."

Slipping her hand and arm around his own, she encouraged him on a little walk, "How's Makai doing?" she inquired on. While PharmaTech was here to work with Salacia, Danger figured she could take some time and catch up with Judah during the process.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]



"I'm glad to hear everything has been going well. I'm sure Myra will do just fine. She's a great girl, you and Alric should be proud."


Taking the hint to walk around the station, Judah started to slowly meander through the complex they were in. Eyes took in the biodome, wondering what and where to improve. It was something to distract him from the question of Makai but only for a brief moment.


"He's....been better. More than a little hurt I couldn't work things out with Thessa. I was more than a little angry at our reunion meeting. I don't blame either of them, I take full responsibility for what happened. Every kid wants their parents together, to get along."


Judah shook his head.


"I'm mad at myself I can't provide that for him. I didn't want Makai to ever have to be shuttled between parents or feel like he has to choose between us."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

That was about the point in time where Danger gave a double take. There were few things that would bring the Queen of Trade to a level of speechlessness as she was at that present point in time. The woman had always considered herself to be the kind of business woman who was able to keep her emotions cool when conducting deals and always keep her focus on the end goal.

Unfortunately, there was no account for how the real Danger would be when it came to those whom the fiery redhead considered to be close to her bosom. In this case Judah Dashiell and Makai.

Back on Maramere years back, she and Judah had had their first argument, if one could call it that. Words had been said and Judah, obviously hurting, had quite distinctly set Danger in her place when it came to the subject of his previous marriage to Thessa Kai.

Since then, the woman had up and disappeared, only hide or hair heard from her had been the delivery of divorce papers. The end result had poor Makai as a youngling questioning if his mama's leaving had been his fault.

Nothing stirred her ire as much as it did then.

So to hear about the fishwife, about even the subject of Thessa apparently having a reunion with Judah and Makai just about shocked her to her bones.

Coming to a pause, the woman gave a slow blink.

"What, what?" a husky raspy inquiry.

"You met with Thessa?"

So much for the talk of business.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Judah could feel a subtle bristling coming from [member="Danger Arceneau"] at the mention of his ex-wife. Long ago he had laid down rules that he wasn't going to discuss his relationship with Thessa. It had been part head-in-the-sand move in retrospect but it was an attempt to smooth a few issues out on both sides. Clearly it had gone wrong.


"When she first disappeared I hired a private investigator to look into the situation. My thoughts ranged from her running away into the arms of another man to kidnapping to Thessa being murdered. Over time I left the investigator on my payroll but the priority shifted to finding her to raising Makai. I realized I was too focused on her disappearance and focused on my son, the business."


A small shake of his head.


"Recently,I get a call from my investigator. He's following her. I instruct him to follow her, don't let her out of his sight. She's followed to a large agricultural world in the fringes of nothing. So I go out there alone. I go out to the planet and confront her, laying into her. I'm unusually pissed off. I think she's lying, trying to avoid the responsibility. Apparently not, she has amnesia. Doesn't remember me, or Makai pr her parents or being a fighter pilot. Nothing. So I fill her in, by this time I can tell she hates me. Either way, I invite her out to stay at the guest house on Mon Cal to be with Makai."


"She's clearly not comfortable with me being around her so I run off on some work trips to leave the pair alone. This leaves a lot of questions with Makai. He wants us to work it out, to be together. I can't do it....Thessa isn't the same....Seeing her....its brought up a lot of feelings, ones I thought I had dealt with long ago."


There was a long pause before he spoke again.


"Remember when she left for a year on a pilot mission? She accused me of letting Makai getting too close to you when she came back. That no woman should hold such an interest in the pair of us. We fought over that til she left. Never trusted me after her return. Somehow in the back of her head I think those feelings are still there....Not sure how but...." There was a small chuckle. "I must have been a horrible husband."


"Maybe she was right. On Maramere I would have taken you back to my room if I wasn't married. Hell, it was tempting on the elevator up alone. Not just your physical looks either. You absolutely loved and still love Makai. Caring, warm, yet a powerhouse when needed. Was I attracted? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."


"Would I ever act on those feelings while married? Never. That's something she never understood, never trusted me on. "

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Truth be told, the more Judah spoke, the more Danger wasn't quite sure how to even process everything. No, that was a lie, for the way her blood was boiling was indication enough as it was the further Judah went on with his tale.

The gall. The absolute gall of the woman. A subtle trembling took Danger, and it was all she could do but curl her fingers into tight fists. If Thessa Kai were right there in front of her, she'd be sure to get a piece of Danger's mind. Hell, a gorram fist to the face more like it. There were few things now a days that got her blood pumping in a frenzy like this and hearing how the Galan had thought such things that --

Well, the more Judah went on, the more the proverbial swing of emotions took. Then came a heck of a confession that seemed to knock her over with a feather. Or at least felt like it. Green eyes went wide, and Danger couldn't quite grasp it all.

Oh, it wasn't to say that the emotions hadn't been mutual at the time. A thought had come to her now and again, but with Judah being married and her past at being burned from being left for another woman was the hard barrier that prevented anything of the sort from happening.

It was just a bit of a shock to hear it all come out then. Judah and she were good friends; at one time could have been more had circumstance not seen them tied to others. Ain't no one else that loved Makai with the depth and breadth of a mother as much as Danger -- Thessa's actions certainly put that into question. What woman in her right mind would do that to Judah and Makai? It just made no sense.

Trembling in her anger and roller coaster of emotions, Danger did her best to try and take a breath.

Oh, but good heavens did she want to lash out with a blue cussing streak to give that woman a piece of her mind. Long ago Judah had made it clear that his marriage was his own and he didn't need anyone nosing about.

Years later, it was that same respect that made Danger hold her tongue. But now, oh now how difficult it would be.

Especially if she ever had that woman in front of her.

Yet for now, how to even begin a response back?

 

[Judah Dashiell]

It only took a few seconds to watch the emotions play out Danger's face to realize he might have made a mistake. There was an immediate feeling of guilt on his part.


"I'm sorry. That was unfair."


Apology was warm and genuine, clearly concerned his admission of one time, long ago feelings had shocked and upset the Trade Queen. Judah didn't tell Danger for any reason beyond trying to add clarity to his issue with his ex-wife, where a lot of the problems had started. Much of the situation with his ex-wife and later married years was still a bit of a mystery to him. Best he could piece together was it had started with his budding and now real friendship with [member="Danger Arceneau"] .



"Lets try this again..."


Hand went out towards her, as if meeting one half-way for a hand shake.


"...Judah Dashiell, massive idiot who unintentionally makes his friends uncomfortable. When I'm not being an idiot,which is rare these days, I can be found co-running Salacia Consolidated, surfing with my teenage son, and tinkering on new ideas like a mad scientist."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Now that was some conundrum that both Judah and she were facing. Danger recognized it fairly quickly. The Dashiell men were always quick to apologize, feeling at fault for perceived slights when that wasn't the case at all. Seeing him go on and apologize like that took a bit of the wind out of Danger's sails. Sometimes, being straightforward was the best policy.

"Judah..." Danger began, licking her lips and fascinating on how to actually start on this. For a woman who was well known for her use of words and ability to cut a deal, she was unsure of herself then. Anger still colored her cheeks pink and it was evident by the fine trembling that she likely would still be upset about Thessa Kai even after the fact.

"You ain't making me uncomfortable, Im just mad as hell at you ex wife." She at least was honest about that, Her jaw flexed, " and It ain't as if situations had been different, then you can bet I wouldn't have let you leave that night on Maramere last time." There were parts of her history where it was still difficult to talk about, but at least it was out there. No sense in hashing over what may have beens, she was happy with Alric, a dream come true really. But if circumstances had not fallen into place as they did and Judah hadn't been married? Well, things between Judah and she could have very week been very different.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Nice to know I wasn't imagining things then."


Judah grinned, taking her arm again and forcing [member="Danger Arceneau"] to walk around the station with him once more. Having her confirm the attraction didn't cause him to pause or think. Danger seemed happy with Alric, Judah considered himself relatively happy with his own life. Beyond the entire 'I didn't think I'd be divorced' angle of course.


"You're mad at her? Don't be, I'm probably upset enough for the both of us."


It was an odd feeling to harbor such emotions. He certainly wasn't used to it. Hard reality had set in quick during their reunion. Reality that his personal life wasn't going to play out the way he had expected or be as successful as his professional life. Failure followed him like a horrible cloud, reminding him of what he lost the minute he woke up in the morning to the minute he fell asleep.


"I don't know....I must have been one bastard of a husband. Probably for the best." Judah did his best to keep the hurt out of his tone, clearly trying to joke off his comment. "No more nagging, right?"