Private Monochromatic

[Makko Vyres]

Sniffle sniffle crunch crunch

Makko grinned like a child when Lula took the small snack. He'd found that she was much happier being fussed if it was being accompanied by a treat.

Obviously he'd listened to Colette and Shan's intervention, but he was certain one or two wouldn't matter.

He was sat on Cora's bed, wrapped in a towel and with stripes of foil in his hair. Makko always had streaks of colour in his hair. He would bleach them and dye them a bright colour to get it to stand out. This time, he'd picked a colour that he was really hoping would match the color of the dress Cora had chosen for the upcoming gala.

There were cases open on the floor. Hearing Cora, he tucked the packet behind his back. Unfortunately Lula saw this. She remained placid, accepting belly scritches, but would soon go after them.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Found them!" Cora called, trotting back into the room while holding a pair of dark purple heels aloft in victory. Her bottomless closet was both a blessing and a curse. Much of the clothing she had before her marriage had remained at the temple after her departure.

Cora bent down to place the shoes on the floor beside one of her overflowing luggage bags. She'd managed to fit them in later, somehow.

"How are you doing?" Rising, she peeked into one of the foils before sealing it back up. "Hm, a few more minutes."

Dying his hair to match her violet and cream gown had been Makko's idea, but after some trepidation Cora was eager to help. She'd never colored someone's hair before, and was initially aghast when Makko introduced her to cheap boxed hair dye.

She glanced down to Lula, belly up in Makko's lap. The two seemed to be getting along well, which was surprising given the racyon's grumpy nature.

"She likes you." Cora chuckled. "I'm jealous."

Lula sniffed, then slowly rolled over in Makko's lap. It was a laborious task.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

Makko enjoyed fashion. He liked shopping for clothes and looking for ideas on the holonet. On Denon, fashion was a strong part of identity, binding you to other subcultures whilst you tried to look as different as possible from the others.

Looking down at Cora's overstuffed case, he was reminded that he did not like fashion and clothing as much as Cora.

The racyon rolled slowly and with Lula on his thighs he became all too aware that she was not loose skin and fur.

He gave Lula a final stroke, but now she was not receiving treats she waddled onto the quilty to curl up in a circle next to him. Her nose gave a final twitch.

"If it wasn't like...proper obvious...at the zoo, I have not spent much time around animals," he said, shooting her a grin.

"I'm also a little nervous about the trip. I told Valery I haven't exactly...ever done a holiday before," he admitted. Makko wasn't used to new places and new customs and ordering at strange restaurants.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had learned that when Makko lacked knowledge in a certain area, he tended to be a rather thorough researcher. It was a nice quality to have, and one that she found endearing.

"You're good with her." Cora smiled and reached down to give Lula a scritch behind the ears. The racyon's nose twitched, tilting upwards to sniff at her hand. "Lula doesn't take to many people like she has with you."

That nose continued to sniff, beginning to follow an unseen trail that would lead behind Makko's back.

Cora was reminded that Makko had never had a proper vacation. Of course there would be a little trepidation at the prospect of having an entire week to themselves on another world.

"We don't have to spend the entire time trying out new things, you know."

She was crouching now, trying to fit the heels into her suitcase as best she could.

"I’ll force you to relax if I have to." It was a half-joke.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

Makko have a nervous laugh about the racyon's bought favour.

"There is a little room in my case still," Makko admitted. He had left it in case he wanted to buy something whilst they were away, but it seemed they would need to pay for another bag on the way back for that.

Lula meanwhile, had started to waddle around behind Makko whilst he was distracted.

"I will...try and relax," he promised. "We've got the nice place far away from anyone else to chill out."

He had thought it would be nice to get time away from everything and then to take a rented air speeder to places they wanted to see. It meant they could have some privacy and unwind from the bustle he was certain to get a little stressed out by.

There was a rustle behind him. Makko was quick to turn around and grab the bag of treats.

He turned to Cora, looking distinctly guilty.

"I only let her have two," he said.

Lula rocked back to sit down, holding up both open hands to beg for more. Makko almost reached to open the bag again.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora removed a pair of wedges from her suitcase, leveling the shoes with a discerning gaze.

"I'll make them fit." She determined, eyes passing over to a pair of black kitten heels that might've been on the chopping block.

"Try not to worry too much about relaxing." Cora offered him a placid smile, gaze flicking up in time to see him retrieve the bag of treats from behind his back. Her gentle eyes hardened immediately.

"Really, Makko?" She admonished, but didn't go any further than that. He already looked sheepish enough as he handed the bag of treats over to her waiting hand.

Not the only hands that were waiting, it seemed.

Cora sighed in defeat, opened the bag, and handed Lula a treat. She shoved the entire thing into her mouth in one go, munching happily.

"Don't tell Colette." She warned, putting the treat bag back onto the high shelf.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Really, Makko?"

Makko managed to look suitably contrite under her look. There were times when he would still pick an argument, but this time he had been caught. There was no real counter to this. He'd been there when Colette and Shan had expressed their concern.

"Don't tell Colette." She warned, putting the treat bag back onto the high shelf.

"I won't...And I will do better. I won't give her treats without asking."

Lula gave one final look to see if any more treats were forthcoming. Deciding she had been rumbled, the racyon curled back into a ball. Makko was permitted to lightly pet her between the ears. Any more significant attention would require an offering.

Cora had made another reasonable point. If he tried really hard to relax he was never going to to actually relax.

"I'll try not to stress about the break. How's she been taking to walks?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora grimaced at the mention of walks. She hesitated, weighing how to answer.

"She…does not dislike being outside."

It was the careful way of saying that while she could wrestle Lula into the harnass and out the door, the racyon did not take to the physical action of walking.

With a sigh, Cora plopped down on the bed at Makko's other side. She leaned back, taking a moment to watch him scratch Lula between the ears. The creature seemed content for now, used to Makko as she was.

"We made it as far as those big bushes in the garden near the cafeteria. Then she just plopped down and refused to move."

Lula's ears twitched as if she were aware that they were discussing her.

"Colette will probably have her down half of her body weight by the time we get back."

It was an absurd estimate. Losing that much weight in a week's time, even for Lula, could be dangerous. More to the point, Colette wasn't as liberal with the treats as Makko and Cora were.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"You hear that?" Makko said. "Colette will make you walk..."

The ears went down flat.

"...and she won't feed you treats."

The ears went up. As did the nose. The other of the words didn't matter. He had said treat.

Makko was glad that Lula was relaxed in his company. Cora doted on the racyon. She was perhaps one of the few pleasant threads through her married like on Ukatis. He was fascinated by animals, but that was not the whole reason why he had been bribing Lula.

"I'll try and chill. I guess with us both being Knights I'm expecting we might get assignments and stuff. And the war. And...everything. I'm sure we'll get time and all. Just worried it might be a little less after this."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Careful now," Cora warned, though there was no tangible threat in her tone. Just a note of humor.

"I don't think that Valery would give us any assignments for the week that we're away. Unless something urgent happened."

Cora idly ran a finger along Lula's back paw. She immediately tucked it beneath her, leg now buried below fur and chub.

It was true that they'd probably get pulled right back into missions and the like soon after returning. She hadn't initially recognized that the thought of taking a vacation was foreign to Makko.

"I'm sure you'll get into it once we're there."

Reaching over, she undid one of the foil pieces in his hair.

"And I think you're about ready for a rinse."

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Best get that washed off then," Makko said, standing up.

He was hoping that they would be become ships in the night, passing through the academy and sent their separate ways. It was a small fear; he had the sense that Valery believed in her Jedi having time for their own lives too. This was not the Jedi order long gone, with nothing for them but their duty to the code.

"Yeah..." he said, giving her a smile. He allowed himself to feel the warmth of optimism. He let it trickle down their bond, through all the little woven strands that had slowly reconnected.

"This party will be fun," he said. As he walked away the towel slipped from his grip. "And then we'll be on with the holiday."

At least he would be proven half correct.