What once was ours [Irina]

The Araphel had begun her approach through the path of landing beacons situated outside of the The Spur, an orbital space station that was known for its vast market and melting pot of species. Karne had originally suggested Corellia, only to be guided away from the option when Rajeer had explained to him that the sector had developed into quite the powder keg in recent times. While their options were certain to be limited with what they could find here, Karne had no desire to place his precious cargo in any form of danger. There would be plenty of that in the future.

Crimson eyes remained transfixed on the slow moving scenery beyond the viewport, broad shoulders drawn taut and his hands clasped firmly together at the small of his back. Arkham was busy guiding the ship but Rajeer bustled around his quarters behind him, fetching various items that would be affixed to his person before they disembarked. Karne's brow crinkled in amusement. The man was a bodyguard, a valet, a scholar, and the biggest chatterbox he could recall meeting; where someone like him had been inducted into the ranks of The Devout, he could not say. Perhaps, he'd ask once they returned from their venture on the Spur.

A cloak was swept around his shoulders, a wealth of fur gathered around his nape and the thick, inky folds of the fabric draping forward in such a way to hide the hilt of his weapon. Pressed silver buckles, inlaid with swirling patterns, rested tightly against his abdomen and were the only addendums to his ensemble that were not black in color. The muted blue of his skin and the rich, carmine glow of his eyes would make him stand out enough. Once he was properly adorned for the outing, Rajeer made his exit to fetch Irina. Karne made his way to the rampway that had been extended upon their flawless landing.

Bits of steam and the snappy hiss of hydraulics wafted in from beyond, his footfalls echoing soundly against the strutted metal as he alighted upon the hangar floor. Humanoid and non-humanoid alike scurried about, attaching tubes to The Araphel and running checks that he assumed were customary. He watched them for a time and then, his gaze slowly cut to the side and his head tilted ever so slightly. His left arm peeled away from his side and his elbow was offered for his companion as she descended the ramp.

"We will not be here long. However, I believe we have enough time to explore. What would you like to see first?" He asked in his deep intonation, his eyes turning down to her once she was by his side.

Her days on Albaryn felt like an eternity ago, another life altogether. The dark longing for something, someone had been answered during her fated reunion with Karne. They knew each other, recognition the vivid invisible thread binding them anew. Irina had been told she was wide beyond her years too many times to count; and her fascination with cults and sorcery now made sense, now that she was on whatever life would bring her with the Chiss.

It was impossible to explain to anyone and she was glad she didn't have to. Karne had said they would find more answers later in their travels; and she trusted him. It wasn't pure blindness, even though her body always reacted when near him, igniting appetites that had only been fleeting curiosity in the past, not the voraciousness she experienced for him. She knew he was aware of it. Not that she had really tried to hide it. So far he had denied her in their flight to The Spur; even though his kisses were ones - many - for the books.

She knew they belonged together; but she was curious as to what had happened in their previous time together. There was both completeness and desperation in her now they had embraced their joint destiny anew. She wasn't sure what to make of it; but she trusted him.

She had left most of her belongings behind her; save for the three old volumes, datapads, and a large satchel with various items, she was carrying with her when Karne had found her. She had sent a message to her family, saying she was traveling and not to worry about her. Much to her surprise, it had gone well, although she knew she was far from the first adventurer in her lineage. Maybe they were just used to her being in her own world and vanishing for weeks at a time even though she had kept to her home world until then. And she had no plan to return.

While she could have stayed in Karne's quarters to get ready, she had opted to give him some space, appreciating some peace while she finished getting ready, instead of Rajeer's fussing. He was a competent man of many uses; but she liked silence. She was still clad in the practical dress and black boots she had worn before the Chiss plucked her up like some wild flower misplaced in a secluded garden. She had redone her hair and wrapped herself in her earth-tone embroidered cloak before making her way to her companion.

His commanding presence was always enticing, and she took his appearance in, not tiring of the sight. She nodded to his words, musing over the question. "I could use some spare clothing for our future travels."

She had some money of her own despite the formidable "kidnapping" he had done back on Albaryn and getting some extra gear would likely be smart.

Leather bound fingers folded over her hand, securing it within the crook of his elbow, and lingered. As she spoke, he was unable to resist the pull to move his gaze along her frame; imagination making up for what the earth-toned cloak shrouded from them. Rajeer had provided enough credit chips to fund their every whim while market bound and with a single, stiff nod in the man's direction, he began steering them toward the hangar's exit. Stares dogged their every step, pulled by the noble bearing that must have seemed far out of place for the usual rabble that frequented the station.

Once the starport was behind them, the drab durasteel corridors gave immediate way to vendor stalls that were swathed in an array of colors and materials. The further they walked, stalls turned into more permanent structures with doorways and artistic thresholds meant to tempt those with credits to step inside. The air was awash with shouts, delectable scents, and bizarre mechanical whirrings as merchants showed off their wares. His gait was purposefully slowed to match her own and his eyes swiveled this way and that, always perceptive to any threat the surrounding crowds might pose.

Halfway around the first bend of the station, Karne slowed their walk and notched a brow at an outfitters. Two guardsmen of sorts stood out front and the open doorway permitted them a view of a lavishly interiored shop. He canted his head toward it and only at her approval did he guide them towards it. The guards said nothing, allowing them to walk right in.

Immense tapestries of embroidered silk clung to the ceiling and electronic scones made to look as real flame protruded from the walls and cascaded down from the center of the oval room in the form a crystalline chandelier. They had only just entered when a opulent woman made an appearance...

"My lord, my lady... welcome to Labyrinthia. I am the proprietress, Sylvi Lintera." She swept an elegant curtsy and then set her dark eyes upon his companion. "We boast the very best selection in women's apparel. Dare I hope you are here to acquire this ravishing young woman a trousseau?"

Karne kept his eyes on the woman for a few seconds after she finished speaking and then used his grasp on Irina to turn her towards him. His other hand came up, index finger lifting her chin so their eyes met. "Whatever you desire, Irina. I'll wait here."

She fastened her grip onto the crook of his elbow as soon as he placed her hand there, not one to let go of the eye of her personal storm. While she had longed to travel and was fairly educated; it still dawned on her that this place was way beyond the somewhat sheltered life she had experienced as a a scholar raised in a minor house on Albaryn, above common mortals but too little a blip to be considered for more favorable positions in the aristocracy. She didn't fret, for she had found her place in this galaxy.

The place felt foreign and she grew curious about it; even though Karne's intoxicating nearness provided a poignant distraction. One might call it simple infatuation; but she knew it ran deeper, as if a lock was demanding to be bust open with the promising of unraveling great power. Deep in her bones, she knew they were an unbreakable duet and that together they were stronger. Yet, she forced herself to settle onto the task at hand. Part of her had hoped that her mention of clothes would have him throw caution to the wind and just take her back to the ship and forget about such proper concepts.

As they reached what proved to be a mind blowing boutique, even by her standards, Irina offered a curt nod to the woman greeting them.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Lintera."

No one could argue that her manners couldn't be exquisite and befitting someone from higher in the food chain.

She spared a glance at Karne when he turned her to face him.

"Thank you, kohanyj."

With a mischievous spark in her bright eyes, she raised to her tiptoes and kissed him, briefly but intently.

She followed the owner and they discussed what she was looking for. Irina was looking for both practical outfits, as well as several gowns, for she still favored them. As she went to try on a few, she was very pleased with herself, and she couldn't help inquiring about a few more risque pieces. Not pushing the envelope too much yet, even though the notion of Karne losing all manners and ravaging her was delightful, she tried on a lovely black dress.

She had to test him, just a little, or maybe more than that. Stepping outside of the changing room, she stared at him, not even trying to look innocent.

"What do you think?"

Kohanyj....

Her soft lips pressed briefly against his own and the hunger inside burned hotter; his fingers longing to clamp down on that innocent face and hold her there until she came to truly understand the inferno she enjoyed dousing in gasoline. The leather of his gloves creaked noisily as his fingers retracted at her absence, knuckles popping and a sharp breath expelling he hadn't realized he was holding. Once the proprietress had her sequestered away further into the shop, Karne strode slowly forward until he came to a chaise lounge facing the changing room. His brows furrowed and he swept his cloak aside as he sat, the faint sound of music lilting into a gentle crescendo in his ears.

The intoxicating scent of peony, bergamot tinged tea leaves, and ripened raspberries filled his nose and the ghostly sing-song of familiar laughter layered over the music. A memory, poignant and so very real, drew a stuttered breath between his lips and his hands gripped the seat of the chaise with such force that the wood began to crunch inward. He could feel the feather soft temptation of her fingertips ghosting over his adam's apple, the sweetly scented puff of breath that fanned against his ear.

What do you think? Kohanyj... Voices of the past and present melded. At some point, his head had bowed as the memories began to swirl and a single strand of midnight black hair had escaped from his impeccably sleeked back arrangement. When his eyes rose to find her standing there, they were furious.

"I'll just step outside for a moment to give you two some time to talk over the selection." The proprietress said with a knowing smirk on her face, removing a slim cigar from her side pouch before disappearing out the front.

He rose, every movement measured but fluid; his fingers releasing from the indentations in the lounge seat. It took two steps to close the distance, the small seams at the fingertips of his gloves trailing lazy patterns over the slits that exposed her delectable thighs. As his hands reached the hem of the fabric where the slit stopped, his gaze slid away from the collar of the dress and found her's. Then, a punishing grip seized her bottom and he pulled her flush against him to straddle his waist. His forehead tilted against her own, his breathing harsh as the shreds of his control clung to the last sane molecule of his brain.

"I think... you're a fucking tease..." He snarled before slamming his mouth over her's, great strides carrying them to the full length mirror outside of the dressing chamber. Her back crashed against it and on a gasp, his tongue swept into her mouth; coiling around her own as his hands squeezed her tight ass.

She was keenly aware she was poking the beast and she wanted to break through that thin veil of stoic civilization he had been maintaining. Could he tear her apart? Surely so; but it would be the most pleasurable of fall. As they locked gazes when she found him on the lounging chair, echoes of the past, sensations lacing pain and ecstasy rippled across her skin, and her heart skipped a beat.

She felt his ire pulse from him. It was frightening but so freaking invigorating. She vaguely noticed what Lady Lintera said, for her focus was solely upon her other half. Fear tugged at her just a little bit as he closed the distance between them at once; but she didn't flinch.

She wanted this, needed him.

Shivers ran down her back as his fingertips languidly explored the revealed flesh of her thigh. He had been taunting her, maybe for her own sake, maybe out of loving cruelty. She didn't know; but she was hell bent on breaking through the surface, even if it meant he would bend her over right here, right now.

When their gazes met, a maelstrom of memories, whispers of yesterday and promises of tomorrow, passed through her mind. Her hands gripped his shoulders as he pulled her to him, her lips parting in surprise and expectation. She grinned the brief moment he spoke before claiming her mouth in a devouring kiss. She might lack much practice but she had a few ideas of her own and she would willingly experiment with him, relearning what he loved best.

She bit his lower lip, trapping it between her teeth before sucking on it, only breaking their passionate liplock as he move them and slammed her against the mirror.

She cupped his face with her hands, pulling his head back again after she lost herself into the next kiss.

"It'd be a shame to break that mirror when you could admire your handiwork as you take me, Kohanyj."

She undulated against him, feeling his self control was soon-to-be history given the bulge in his pants.