Private Where the Engines Dream

[Nyra Kairo]

Objective: Show of the Drift
Location: Spaceport, Dantooine
Outfit: Comfy PJs
Tag: Saul Whesai

Nyra's giggle softened into something warmer as Saul admitted he actually liked her being clingy. "Well..." She made absolutely no effort to put any additional space between them. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I just haven't found anyone I liked sticking to this much before."

Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Don't get too proud of yourself." Though the smile that followed probably ruined the warning. His offer to make breakfast every morning if she kept putting her hands on him only made matters worse. "Careful." Her fingertips moved lazily against his chest. "That's dangerously close to giving me positive reinforcement." She grinned against his shoulder. "Keep feeding me pancakes and I'm going to become much clingier."

When Saul finally agreed to try recording something with her, Nyra's expression brightened. "Really?" The excitement was immediate, but she caught herself before turning it into plans, schedules, and camera angles. She knew he'd hesitated. That mattered. "We'll make it easy."

She gave him a reassuring smile. "No pressure. No live audience. Just you attempting to teach me something while I probably make your life unnecessarily difficult." Her smile became considerably more mischievous. "And if we record something good enough to post, great." She leaned slightly closer. "If not..."

A shrug. "I still get you teaching me how to cook." That sounded like a victory either way. "And for the record, I think they'll like you." She bumped her shoulder against his. "They might even start asking why you're not in every stream."

His confidence that she wouldn't get rid of him because she enjoyed the view of his rear earned a slow, appreciative glance downward. Nyra made absolutely no attempt to pretend she hadn't looked. "Hmm." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "You make a compelling argument." Her gaze returned to his glowing eyes. "I suppose I'll have to keep you."

The casual words brought another little warmth to her smile. Keep you. She rather liked the sound of that.

Then she caught the quiet muttering. Nyra's small seated dance came to an abrupt stop. Her brows rose. "Did you just call me the cutest thing alive?" She tried to look offended. It lasted perhaps half a second. Her cheeks were already coloring. "You're lucky you're making me pancakes." One bare foot reached out and lightly nudged his leg. "And that I think you're pretty cute too."

The suggestion that she could fly him closer to work earned an immediate nod. "Of course." There wasn't even a question. "Wherever you need to go, I'll take you." She shrugged as though offering someone passage aboard her ship was the most ordinary thing imaginable. "You've already got a pilot." Her smile grew. "And apparently I'm trying to squeeze every possible minute out of your vacation anyway." She was only partly joking.

The realization that they would eventually have to part had already started lingering unpleasantly at the edge of her thoughts. Even if it was only temporary, she didn't particularly want to think about it yet. There were still two days. She intended to use them.

Saul's admission that he didn't want someone else to claim her before he could brought a different sort of smile. "Getting possessive already?" She leaned toward him until her shoulder pressed against his. "I don't think you need to worry." She hadn't expected herself to say it quite so easily. But it was true. She wasn't particularly interested in looking for someone to replace what she'd found yesterday.

The promise that she could ask him anything after their next couple days intrigued her considerably more. "Anything?" Her brows lifted. "Good or bad?" Nyra studied him for a moment. There were things about Saul she wanted to understand. Sometimes his reactions hinted at stories beneath the surface that didn't fit the constantly teasing man she'd met at the carnival. But she didn't want to interrogate him.

"Deal." She held out her little finger toward him. "But that works both ways." Her smile softened. "Anything you want to know about me, you can ask too."

Once breakfast was served, Nyra happily settled beside him. Her enthusiastic review of his pancakes had already been delivered, but that didn't stop her from proving it with another bite.

Then Saul suggested that riding behind her on the swoop might prove distracting. Nyra slowly lowered her fork. Her eyes met his. A grin spread across her face. "Oh?" She leaned closer. "Are you worried you're going to be distracted..." Her shoulder nudged his. "...or that your distraction going to distract me?"

She let the question linger. "Because I'm pretty sure holding onto me is part of being a passenger." She took another bite, imagining what it would mean to ride a swoop with him pressed close behind her.

"But..." Her eyes suddenly widened slightly. She looked down at herself. Then toward the corridor leading to her bedroom. A slow smile appeared.

"Actually..." Nyra pointed her fork at him. "We might need to take the landspeeder." She was already imagining what she'd picked out for the day. "You haven't even seen the outfit I was going to wear yet." Her grin became positively wicked. "And I think it's going to make things pretty hard on you riding behind me on a swoop." Apparently Saul wasn't the only one capable of creating distractions.

 

[Saul Whesai]

Saul sure hoped she hadn't had anyone she liked sticking to this much before. Otherwise, he wouldn't feel special. And maybe she didn't want him to be with her "Don't get too proud of yourself." line. As he enjoyed the feeling of her warm fingers against his chest, the way she talked only made him shake his head. "Sounds to me like you want me to make yourself fat." Because if she was going to get more clingy, he was going to fill her stomach up to the brim.

Turning his head behind him just long enough to see her face light up. Nerf, that smile of hers was infectious... And the way they walked about it made this video actually make sense. The sigh that came out of his mouth was one that fully admitted she had won. "I'm going to have to make a mask or helmet to hide my identity. And get a fire extinguisher... maybe more than one. But no, it does sound like fun, and I want to see how you go about making videos and livestreaming, how you act on camera." Saul didn't know if her audience would like the nervous him or not, but he did know at least one reason he couldn't be on streams often. "Probably because we would be so enamored with each other that we would forget everything else and lose track of everything else." But like she said, teaching her to cook would be a good life experience for his new partner. The Cyborg just didn't know who would win first, her or the kitchen.

Saul certainly was winning in the flirting department though, trying to hold back the giggles as he felt her eyes on his backside. "Cmon, it isn't that big..." But as those brown eyes came back up to his, that look couldn't help but take his breath away. "Yeah, I guess you will because you are going to have to kick me off this ship otherwise." And that warm smile told him she wasn't close to doing that yet.

Saul couldn't help but chuckle as she nudged his leg in mock annoyance. "What, you have your awards for being cutest baby, cutest toddler, etc. in the common room, so I thought it only made sense you are the cutest thing alive now." He pulled the last pancake from the pan and put it on the stack, taking the apron off and hanging it up as he said. "Now can you start doing that again? I want to record it to show our kids if we get that far." That and having a recording of Nyra admitting he was cute wouldn't hurt.

Having Nyra as a pilot for him was another thing to be thankful for, leaving him to smile and nod his thanks. "Looking forward to it." And he truly was looking forward to getting to know her more. And then she said the line that almost made him double over laughing, holding onto the wall as his laughter bounced off the walls. Eventually, he came upright and wiped his eyes, thoroughly amused. "Yup... I'm sure you will..." Ones, the double meaning in that line was just too funny... Crude, but funny.

It was nice that Saul didn't need to worry. He rubbed his shoulder back against hers, leaning into her as he said softly. "Nice to know, same for you." The Cyborg was honest in his feelings for her and his want to be an open book. How could Nyra get to know him otherwise? When she offered the same, he couldn't help but think up a question. "Well, what did your family think about taking on your profession?" It was an honest question. Especially since streaming at first must not have been that profitable. And Nyra definitely wasn't making enough to afford this spaceship. But then again, maybe they had seen the bright light their child held in her hands. It was just figuring out how best to share it.

Yeah, the swoop bike was probably a bad idea. Mostly because he could hide how attractive to her he really was as his fists curled up, trying to keep his mind off that image. The soft groan as she tried to worm her way in by mentioning their outfit only reinforced how much of a hold the dark-skinned woman had on him. "You are going to drive me crazy, you know that? But yeah, landspeeder it is." And that's how he found himself in the hangar after he had done the dishes. The cyborg got dressed in a basic t-shirt from her guest closet, shorts, and borrowed sneakers. Now it was just a question of how long Nyra wanted to take.

Nyra Kairo

 

[Nyra Kairo]

Objective: Show of the Drift
Location: Spaceport, Dantooine
Outfit: Comfy PJs
Tag: Saul Whesai

Nyra giggled at the accusation that Saul was trying to make her fat. "Oh, you are really not going to enjoy the workout if you don't think I can burn off a few pancakes." She gave his stomach a playful poke. "I've got a whole regimen. Cardio, core, legs..."

Her grin threatened trouble before she deliberately shook her head. "And before you say anything, we're not at the point where we get to count the fun kind of cardio." The way her eyes lingered on him suggested she was increasingly aware of just how tempting it was to accelerate that particular timeline. But she wouldn't. Probably.

Saul finally surrendering on the video idea earned a delighted smile. "Don't worry. I'm not throwing you in front of a camera alone." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'll be right there with you." Nyra nodded with exaggerated seriousness. "And I'll keep you in line." A pause. "...Sorta."

She couldn't even say it with a straight face. "And if we get too enamored with each other..." Her thumb brushed idly over his knuckles. "That's what the stop button is for." Another shrug. "Or editing."

Her smile became impish. "I'm very good at editing." Considering how easily Saul distracted her when there wasn't a camera pointed at them, she suspected editing might become extremely important.

Then Saul tried to defend his rear. C'mon, it isn't that big… Nyra's gaze immediately wandered back down.

"Hmm." She gave the matter a moment of apparently serious consideration. "It's perfect." Silence. Nyra blinked. Her eyes slowly widened as she realized exactly what had just escaped her mouth. Heat rushed into her cheeks.

"I meant—" She stopped. There really wasn't a better explanation. Her lips pressed together as she tried desperately not to laugh. "...I'm not taking it back." She turned her attention very deliberately toward breakfast.

His comment about someday showing their children a recording of her dancing hit considerably harder. Our kids. Nyra's little dance stopped again. Her cheeks remained warm for an entirely different reason. Kids? She wasn't anywhere remotely close to thinking about children. She'd known this man for barely a day. The idea of becoming someone's mother felt like it belonged in some distant version of her life that she hadn't even begun imagining.

But unfortunately her brain was perfectly capable of connecting children to the thing that had to happen before there could be children. Her eyes briefly flicked toward Saul. That particular activity...She swallowed. Well. Considering the way things were progressing between them, she was increasingly confident that wasn't going to remain hypothetical nearly as long.

"You're getting way ahead of yourself." She nudged him with her shoulder, smiling despite the blush. "But..." She started moving slightly to the music again. "...I suppose you can have your evidence."

Nyra was still recovering when Saul immediately took advantage of their agreement to ask each other questions. Her brows rose. "Wait." She laughed nervously. "We're starting now?"

Apparently so. His first question, thankfully, wasn't particularly dangerous. "My family?" Nyra considered it. "They weren't really that strict about it." She shrugged. "I was already doing the things I liked. Traveling when I could. Fashion. Holos. Showing people whatever adventure I'd gotten myself into."

Her smile became fond. "And then people started paying me to do my hobbies." Another little shrug. "They were pretty happy about that." She laughed. "I think once everyone realized it could actually become a career instead of me just talking to strangers on the Holonet, there wasn't much to complain about."

There was obviously far more history behind how she'd gone from that to owning the Drift and everything attached to her brand, but Saul had asked about their reaction to her profession. There would be plenty of time for the rest.

Once breakfast was finished and the galley cleaned up, Nyra disappeared into her cabin to prepare to finish off the morning while Saul did the same. Eventually she emerged and led him toward the Drift's small vehicle hangar. Two shapes waited beneath protective covers. One was clearly narrow and compact. The other was considerably larger.

Nyra stopped between them. She looked at Saul. Then at the vehicles. Then back at Saul. A grin slowly spread across her face. "Okay." She strutted toward the larger covered shape with just enough exaggerated sway in her hips to ensure Saul's attention wasn't entirely on the vehicle. "Since we've established you're apparently too easily distracted for the swoop..."

She caught the edge of the cover. "...meet our ride." With a flourish, she pulled it free. The NX-R Wanderlust sat beneath the hangar lights. Low, wide, and aggressive, the custom landspeeder looked every bit as personalized as the Drift itself. Its weathered dark bodywork was broken by magenta accents and the familiar collection of sponsor markings. Twin repulsor engines dominated the rear while the open cockpit featured two heavily bolstered magenta seats. Even sitting motionless, it looked fast.

Nyra stood beside it wearing an expression of shameless pride. "Ryce Engineering NX-R." She ran her fingertips affectionately along the bodywork. "Custom repulsorlift drive, upgraded suspension, twin engines, concealed storage, integrated holocam..."

Her grin widened. "And she'll do about nine-fifty near the surface if you've got enough open space." She leaned casually against it. "Eight-fifty once you actually get some altitude." Nyra gestured toward the passenger seat. "And unlike the swoop, you get your own seat, so there's considerably less danger of wandering hands causing us to become part of the Dantooine landscape."

A beat passed. "...Considerably less." She gave him a knowing wink. "But before you get too excited..." Nyra pushed away from the speeder. "We aren't going anywhere yet."

Her expression became entirely too cheerful. "We ate your pancakes." She pointed toward the ship. "Now you get to experience the morning workout I warned you about." Her eyes swept over Saul from head to toe. "And since you seemed so confident about whether I can work off those calories..." She started backing toward the interior of the Drift, curling one finger for him to follow.

"...I think you should come find out." Her smile turned positively wicked. "Try to keep up."

 

[Saul Whesai]

Saul wondered if she had thought about how his arms and legs couldn't change or gain more muscle mass... Because they were metal. Defeated the point of working out, at least to him. Not like abs were going to stop him looking like a ghoul. But as Nyra poked his stomach, all he could do was shake his head and smile. "To be honest, I'll take physical over mental trauma any day of the week." When she got to the point of saying she wasn't ready for the fun cardio yet, all he could do was chuckle and put his hands in the air. "You know, my mind isn't fully tainted. I do have some good in me yet. But you know what they say, the more you breathe it into the world, the more it's going to happen." And as much as Saul hoped that to be true down the line, right now all he was trying to do was savor the first human touch he had had in a long time.

The smile that sprang up on Nyra's face was enough of a reward to make Saul think this video-making thing might not be so bad. His hand squeezed back; the smile on his face was because he actually was happy. "Mhm... Sure, keep me in line... Part of me thinks you just want to have a food fight with flour to post on the holo." But the way she made it all sound, being on camera didn't sound so bad. But then again, she could be in the sewers saying maintenance of the pipes wasn't so bad and the Cyborg would probably believe her.

Well, he would believe her in most things. That his butt was perfect...? That he didn't know how to start to believe. The look she got from Saul as she tried to defend herself was one of disbelief. Silence filled the room for a moment as he tried to comprehend what just happened. For once, the Cybrog had been shut down. Well, at least he knew why that one Mando customer was staring at him so much.

And maybe he should have stayed silent. Saul had just mentioned kids to be funny. He hadn't planned on having any anytime soon or even knew if he could produce any... But that look that sprouted up on Nyra's face... It told him that he had just struck a nerve. Or at least, he had hit something in her brain that she wanted to keep to herself. But thankfully, those thoughts didn't seem to be too bad. The Cybrog playfully nudged her back as he commented. "I don't know, seems like I'm not the only one." But then Saul just leaned back against the opposite wall, watching her dance with a smile that it seemed like nothing could ever take off his face. Who knows, maybe living in the moment wasn't a bad thing.

As the new woman in his life laughed nervously, Saul only shrugged as he took a bite of pancake. "Well, I have to get to know you somehow, and I thought that question was easy enough that it wouldn't unlock some secret box of trauma." But her answer was... interesting. If he were her parents, he would have been much stricter, having seen firsthand what can come out of the holonet. Thankfully, it seemed to have worked for her. Needless to say, the Cyborg made a note to upgrade her holosite security as soon as he could.

Why was it so hard not to stare? Hell, Saul thought she wanted the attention from him, walking around like that in her skintight exercise gear. And this is the woman who wanted to go slow... The Cyborg tried to push the uncleaner thoughts from his head as she tried to pay attention, and there was a lot to pay attention to. She had clearly put all that ad money where it counted. And this baby was definitely meant for making bad decisions.

When she said how fast it could go, Saul looked at her in bewilderment, not quite understanding what he was hearing. "So you are saying this thing can go almost as fast as a podracer full out? Now that... That I need to see." If that was the speed of her landspeeder... Ones knows what the speed of her swoop was. A bike having the speed of a Tie Fighter seemed ridiculous, but Nyra had a way of making it sound possible.

Well, if she didn't want him to be excited, Nyra shouldn't have taken a mechanic to a place where vehicles were. But as she walked away with that grin that could make even a droid feel something, Saul couldn't help but wonder something. Trailing behind her as she walked out of the hangar, what he was thinking couldn't help but come out. "I was wondering if either the Daughter or the Son made you for me... Now I half think both worked on you together." Because no matter how much light that smile of Nyra's brought, only he knew how much sin was trapped in that mind of hers. And he hoped it stayed like that.

Nyra Kairo