The Last Supper (Fable)

[Dire Wolf]

[… from the briefing room, see cookie bunny's last reply there]

The little smirk that had since crept across the man's big face disappeared once he saw that the Vahlan woman didn't quite catch his teasing. He sighed slightly. It wasn't exactly the greatest attempt at joking with the purple eyed woman, or maybe it just wasn't one of good taste? He mentally shrugged... it didn't matter why his attempt failed, only that it did.

“Heh, its Major now, and do I now?”

The little (comparatively) smirk returned to his face as as he spoke, the man also noticed that she stammered. He almost laughed. Almost. He never thought of himself as someone that could have that kind of effect on a woman, any woman, so on the few occasions that it happened he couldn't help but simply chuckle a bit on the inside. The big man gave another slight sigh. It was very unlikely that the woman would catch any teasing, so he wouldn't continue to do so...

Though, just to note, he didn't think that it was right. She smacked him upside the head with a plate, broke it, bruised his face up real good. But then, in his limited experience with woman he found that the lines of “right” and “wrong” as far as that area was concerned was often blurred. Well, not so much blurred. More or less ignored. Again, he mentally shrugged.

“Okay, follow me back to that restaurant?”

((apologies for fail, muse on crit. condition after those big posts I dun made))

[Keilara]

Major... that was... that was a promotion. It was silly and she knew it, she hardly knew him at all, but she felt a huge bit of pride hearing he'd earned a promotion. People talked and Fable was good at blending in. What she had heard in her little time on the base of the mission on Coruscant just served to reaffirm her belief that he was an incredible man.

A blush graced her cheeks again when she saw him smirk and she cursed her stammer. Being jolted from her thoughts always did tend to have that sort of reaction. It took her a few moments to reorient and broaden her focus so she could not kill what had startled her. Her irritation at herself settled quickly into sarcasm and she tossed him a saucy grin.

"Indeed Major, you do in fact owe me dinner."

If she could have, she'd have stuck her tongue out at him. But settled for winking at him as she turned and began to walk out of the base. She halted a moment and tossed her hair over her shoulder, turning back to face him a mock look of consideration on her face.

"Sir... Are you sure that particular restaurant is safe for you to visit? It may be in your best interest to pick another location as the dishes of that establishment tend to launch themselves at your head... If you insist on this course of action, I shall consider it my solemn duty to protect you from any incoming glass projectiles and as payment will expect a kiss goodnight when you drop me off at my quarters."

Her eyebrow quirked up and she gave him a challenging look. He would either have to brave it and take her to the same restaurant and pay up after dinner or he could take the easy route and pick another restaurant. Hopefully her smartassing hadn't counted dinner out entirely.

[Dire Wolf]

(( starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tiingilar ))

Mal gave a little smirk at the blush that flushed red across the purple eyed woman's cheeks. Yup, he liked this woman... she was smart, a smartass, and was even funny about it. Most of the time, in his experience at least, those that were well versed in the art of smartassery tended to be incredibly unhilarious... this was not the case with Fable.

“Yes, those plates do seem to be attracted to the side of my face, don't they? Perhaps its magnetism?” Mal let out a little chuckle, “you'd protect me from incoming enemy fire? Awww, you're my hero, Fable.”

He duly ignored the last part of that comment. Not only could he not come up with some smart remark about it but he felt that anything that he may have been able to come up with would have been a little... above PG-13. Mal planned on going to the same restaurant for a simple reason: He owed them some money after the plate “magically” flew up and smashed him across the face.

“Well, there's no time like the present... wanna go now?”

The large man waited for her to answer before turning his body about and walked towards the entrance of the head quarters. He turned back every so often to make sure that the Vahlan woman was following him out. It took the man a few minutes to get out of the military installation and actually get back to that restaurant.

His greeting wasn't exactly happy. A few of the waitresses didn't exactly enjoy the fact that he and the woman that he was with just left with a rather big mess to clean up. Had he not been dressed in his BDUs, Mal doubted that he would have been allowed entry, not that he cared. Well he did... but that was only because the particular restaurant served the best Tiingilar he'd ever eaten. That and he wanted to pay them back for the damage that Fable caused. The massive man sat down at the very same table that they sat at before the briefing and echoed his previous words... after looking at the menu.

“So, what'll it be, Fable?”

[Keilara]

She followed... of course she followed. She'd have been a fool not to, and he was one if he thought she didn't catch his lack of comment over kissing her goodnight. But since he was insisting on going back, she assumed he was fine with it... If he wasn't, well... she'd deal with that when the time came.

She had been planning to come back, and had already pulled the credits to pay both for the plate and for what she hoped were sufficient reimbursals for the poor waitresses who'd had to clean up her mess. She winced inwardly at the looks she received as the came back in through the door and stopped momentarily to speak to the head waiter as Mal moved to the table. She passed him a credit chip with the money, apologizing for the mishap.

As the man took the credit chip from her, she turned towards the tables and headed to Mal, a satisfied smile on her face. Rounding the table she pulled out her chair and took her seat across from him, determindly ignoring that he had chosen the table of their previous outing and started it out precisely the same way. No, strike that, she wouldn't let that slip by this time... Fable was through playing games.

"Besides you? I'd say a glass of water and the best thing they have here... I assume you know what it is... You did say you liked the food, though hopefully this time the company will be more enjoyable than it normally is."

She tucked her menu under her arm and quirked her eyebrow at him again waiting for his response.

[Dire Wolf]

(( I know, laugh, its cute, but Mal yelled at me so badly after I tried to take out the stupid little flirty comment ))

Mal frowned slightly as he saw that she payed for the damage and wage of the plate and bus-boys, respectively. Right as the action may have been, Malak was a gentleman... and would have preferred to just have the damage added onto his tab. His reasons for sitting at the same table was to ensure that he got the same waitress that he had before, so he could adequately tip her. By “adequately” tipping her he really meant “handsomely” repaying her for her services and the previous hassle he had a hand in causing.

He let out a flirtatious grin as she toyed with him in her response. Play as it may have been, he thought about what he was going to eat. Not the choice, however, no... as said before, they made what was easily the best Tinglaar that he ever had. He was thinking about the spicy-goodness of the stuff... which was so much that it often left his tongue feeling like ashes.

After thinking about it for a relatively short time, Mal realized that there really wasn't anything the restaurant made that was bad. It was all good... easily the best. And all at a relatively low, non-fancy schmansy pinky-extended atmosphere and price. The big man closed his menu and kept his back straight as a board. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable... but a decade in the military teaches you to keep your back rigid at all times. It just screams confidence, professionalism, and skill, two of which Mal had an overabundance of... the former of the three, however, that was a different story.

“Big fan of Tinglaar? Its hot, like you, but I like hot.”

[Keilara]

Fable's eyebrow twitched in response. So he was upping the stakes was he... That was fine, she was up for the challenge. If he thought he was going to win he was in for a fight. Older he may be, experienced he may be... but this was still gonna be one hell of a rodeo and she hoped he held on to his hat.

"Hot is good, but sometimes I feel in the mood for something exotic. Maybe has a bit more depth or height rather, than everyday cooking we're used to"

Her eyes twinkled. Oh was she enjoying this. It wasn't necessarily true as long as her food choices went. Regular Mandalorian cooking, even the kind she'd grown up with, came very close to her tolerance level for spices. She was very picky about what off-world type foods she had... Except desserts. Fable would try any dessert out there and had yet to be too disappointed.

She had caught his frustration that she had paid, but she was independent enough to want to pay for her screw ups on her own. No one would ever be able to say that Fable didn't do the right thing. She shrugged mentally, that's why she had Kistra for that matter. And she wanted to enjoy this meal, let it go where it wanted and maybe get her kiss at the end of the night.

[Dire Wolf]

A wry smirk contorted his facial features at her response. So she planning on having a little flirty war, eh? Well, he hadn't exactly had too much experience at the stuff... but that didnt' mean that he couldn't dish out a few good comments. Little did he know that it actually did, but who cares? He was having fun, she was having fun, thats all that counted, right?

“Exotic... hmm... while height has always been a quality I prefer, I must say... I'm in the mood for something with a little purple in it. Its a little different... and just good looking.”

He could tell that she was enjoying this by the little twinkle in her amethyst eyes, and to be honest... he was enjoying this as well. A great brow quirked slightly at the woman after he offered up his little flirty comment, sure, wasn't the best... but again, who cared? Those crystalline blue eyes shifted over to the waitress as she approached the table and asked for orders. He could tell that she wasn't exactly happy with them... but she would be once they were gone.

The man had more-than-alot of credits left over from his bounty hunting / mercenary days, and ten years of being paid while having no expenses and spending nothing, along with the rent collected from the family that was taking up residence in his former home. To say that he was rich was, well, an understatement. So the waitress would be getting a fairly sizable tip, to say the least.

“I'll have the Tinglaar, though I'm not sure what this fine woman will have just yet.”

He said, looking over at Fable with a little smirk about his face.

[Keilara]

Fable turned to the waitress and gave her a dazzling smile to cover the smirk she wanted to make at Mal's semi-weak comeback. She was winning, and she was proud of it.

"He just makes himself even hotter doesn't he?" She chirped sweetly at the waitress "Myself, I'll have the Red Gourd Soup. The heat from the other side of the table is making me a little warm. Don't need the extra spices."

She settled back into her chair and toned down the brightness on the smile, there was no need to blind her date. She delicately lifted her glass of water and took a sip, watching him over the rim of the glass. Boy did she like him. She couldn't even really put a finger on what it was. The thought had drifted through her that it was some sort of hero worship, but she quickly dismissed it. She'd liked him almost from the second she saw him in the med bay.

Her thoughts started to drift as she set the glass on the table, her fingers mindlessly running up and down. And there was a lot to like about him just from that meeting. Tall, handsome, kind... bit of a sense of humor... appreciated being flashed... A grin and a blush crossed her cheeks. Yea, she could admit it, part of it was just habit, but most of it was instant attraction that caused her to flash him.

She glanced up at him, forcing down the blush. And oh was she glad he enjoyed it.

[Dire Wolf]

Mal knew he was losing, and promptly decided that it was best for him to just concede defeat... not that it was much of a decision. A little smirk etched its way across the side of his face just as a very light blush graced his cheeks. He may have enjoyed flirting... a lot... but he was never really all that great at it. He looked up at the waitress, who by now decided that she had enough fun with this pair, as she nodded and promptly walked off with their order.

The blue crystals that were set into his head shifted their position so that they gazed back at the Vahlan Mandalorian who sat opposite of him. For a moment, a very brief moment, the image of Fable as she walked out from around that curtain flashed across his mind. Mal furrowed his brow ever so slightly as he tried to figure out just why she did that... walk out while in the process of putting on her shirt.

A large hand wrapped around the glass and brought the edge of it up to Mal's lips to drink at the water. After taking a little (for him) sip, he set the glass back onto the table with a somewhat inquisitive look on his face. He wondered what she'd been doing since he saw her last... well, since she was ten. Why didn't that sit right with him? He thought about that for a few moments... something just didn't sit right about her being so much younger than him.

“So what've you been doing with yourself?”

That was a question that had been floating around in his brain since he first realized that she was that cute little girl that he met back on Mandalore all those years ago. By Mandalore's blade, why did that sit so wrong with him? A normal man would be simply ecstatic that a woman who was a decade and a half his junior was attracted to him so fiercely. Oh, he was happy that she was... don't think that he wasn't... but there was just something about the whole thing that made him feel like he was “robbing the cradle,” so to speak.

[Keilara]

She felt the mood somber up a bit as the waitress walked away from the table and Mal drank his entire glass of water. Sighing internally, she tried to figure out what had happened this time to make his attitude shift so sharply.

What had she been doing with herself... She assumed he meant since they'd last really seen one another, not that she thought for one second he'd paid all that much attention to her and her brothers. He and his wife had been far to reclusive to notice them much.

"Nothing much. Truly... When my brothers died I spent time preparing to go into the military. I knew I couldn't stay there in the village. Not when their bodies weren't even with me. Kistra and I trained night and day." She laughed softly and continued. "Day and night. I didn't speak much till I joined up. And even then, hell, even now I communicate most with that strill."

She gave him a quick grin.

"You're pretty lucky you know. Few people have gotten this much out of me in so little time." She sighed again, audibly this time and drew patterns on the table with her finger. "I haven't been back to the village since I joined up. They gave us leave and all, but I just couldn't go back. Always found reasons to give as to why I was to busy. Special training, needed more time alone on the rifle range. Buir sent me a message once asking if I'd taken a rest long enough to get to know some young man and I never responded. Of course I hadn't taken a rest. The military, my rifle, Kistra... they were all ways to get away from becoming attached again to someone. It's a bit damaging to feel the fear of death as the last thing you feel from your brothers."

Her hand had stopped moving and she stared intently at the table. So many memories she didn't want to think or worrying about at this moment. She had so been hoping for a nice dinner.

[Dire Wolf]

Mal furrowed his brow at the woman's reply, she hadn't gotten back to her family and clan since she joined up. Now that was hard, not necessarily for her, but it would be a fairly strong emotional strain on her parents. They seemed like good folks from what he'd seen of them all those years ago, actually they were only a few years older than Malak himself. The man gently shook his head back and forth at the thought. He may have looked young, only a little older than Fable, but that still didn't erase that picture of the smiling ten year old girl that this woman used to be from his mind.

“Heh... that's been said about me.”

Fable had no clue how right she was by calling him “lucky.” It seemed that no matter how hard he tried the Force, or whatever other divine entity that called this 'verse its own, refused to let him die. Instead, it took that honor and gave it to others; like a young man with a very pregnant wife, or that pregnant wife, or any number of other people that called him “friend” or “lover.” He gave the slightest of sighs, if only Fable knew how lucky she was...

“I don't mean to sound like I'm preaching, Fable, but I'd go back to your folks every so often. If not for yourself, than for them... they wouldn't mind seeing you every so often, you know.”

A slight smirk etched its way across his lips and he gave a quick shrug.

“... and if you don't want to do that, at least shoot them a message or two every so often.”

If only she knew how lucky she was, having people in this world that called her their “daughter.” Mal had no parents. He never did. It wasn't a story he cared to tell to many people, and he most certainly didn't care to share right then unless Fable wanted to know. The woes of being born out of a glorified test-tube and never knowing a mother's love... while it was a perfect start for a killing machine, it was most certainly not one for a person. So which one was he? To be honest... not even Mal knew the answer to that question...

[Keilara]

Fable tossed him a smile.

"I talk to them... Just not about men."

She was quickly getting frustrated with the evening. Somehow their nice, light and flirtatious start had turned into what was starting to feel like a talk with a favorite uncle. She did not like it in the slightest. Weirded her out a bit. A thought sprouted in her mind and she had to cover a smirk. There were ways to drag the atmosphere right out of the friends zone and just because she had very little experience didn't mean she didn't have basic knowledge.

She returned to playing with her glass and slid her foot out of her shoe.

"So what have you been up to since you left? I freely admit that I didn't really keep on top of things but," Fable slid her foot across the floor and gently tapped his foot. Boots... She gave a small frown as she continued talking. "But we didn't hear from you at all. A new family moved into the farm and everything."

Her foot slipped it's way up his boots and lightly rubbed his leg with her toes. Fable never changed the look on her face as she continued.

"You were quite the role model for a lot of the boys in the village. They looked up to you in more ways than one."

[Dire Wolf]

Mal nodded slightly as he heard that she was, in fact, keeping communications with her family. As for his own communications with the clan? He albeit cut them off once his wife died... he never felt as though he was accepted by them. That couldn't be further from the truth, however, they accepted the large man with open arms. The few passing moments between her comments were exceedingly uncomfortable... at least for Mal, he couldn't be sure how Fable felt.

He didn't feel the very soft and gentle tap of her bare foot against his heavy combat boots, so he tilted his head slightly at her frown. The large man formed the answer to her question in his mind for a few very brief moments before speaking to her. Not that it was a complex answer... actually it was fairly simple. He just didn't want to sound like an idiot.

“Not much really, I've mostly just been in the mihihl-,” he was cut off by Fable's toes rubbing against his leg. Now that was a different feeling. A deep red blush flushed across his face, “... I-... I've been s-serving in the military s-since I left.”

It was safe to say that any previous memories of her as a child that were previously in his mind were instantly cast out. Under normal circumstances he would have commented on just how much of a role-model he wasn't, especially to the boys of the village... but these were not normal circumstances. Even a man as woman stupid as Mal knew what was on Fable's mind, and the same carnal act was on his mind as well. Though, he more than succeeded in suppressing any thoughts of that nature... apparently she did not.

He was saved by the bell, or in this case the waitress bringing the food, an act that he thanked the woman for. Mal then proceeded to put space between her foot rubbing against his leg and him speaking by taking a bit of food with his fork and putting it in his mouth. The tinglaar was incredibly hot, so hot that it felt like his tongue was nothing but ash as he chewed. But he liked the spicy sensation... every mando did...

[Keilara]

Fable took a sip of her soup, allowing it to cover the smirk just dying to break out across her face. The foot lingering just above his boot slowly slid higher as she took a sip of her water.

"So how is your tinglaar? Spicy enough? I have to say the soup is excellent. Not too spicy, a good depth of flavor, almost has me thinking of a nice tall dessert."

She took another spoon of soup and watched him. The stuttering was adorable. His whole reaction from the blush to the way he tried to pretend like he didn't notice her foot stroking his leg made her feel oddly older. Or at least more mature. It was something of a relief to have leveled the playing field a tiny bit.

Fable tormented him another few seconds and then slid her foot down his leg and let it lightly rest on his foot where she knew he couldn't feel it.

[Dire Wolf]

The flame that sparked in Mal's cheek only grew in intensity as her foot slid up his leg, he would have said something... if he knew what to say. That, and anything the man said would have come out in a studdered and broken mess. It was far better for him just to take another bite of the still steaming tinglaar.

In the moments that he took to regain his composure it seemed that Fable decided to bring slide her leg down and off of his. He could only barely feel the slight tap of the woman's light foot as it came to rest against his combat boot, but nothing after that. Malak took a few long moments to chew his food, taking in the super-spicy-hotness of the dish, before swallowing and finally replying to Fable. He knew what she was implying by the final comment, and if the deep red flame on his cheeks could grow darker, or burn hotter, it would have.

"Heh... its fine, actually, strike that... the heat thats coming from the other side of the table makes this tinglaar taste like that soup."

Any memories about her as a young child were just that: memories. Now? Now she was a fully grown, adult, and utterly beautiful Vahlan Mando'ad who, for some odd reason, was interested in him. It baffled him. But he quickly shoved the surprise out of his mind, it was of no use... and it was very likely that she could sense his emotions. Yes, he knew that Vahla were force sensitive, therefore were more keen on other's emotions than he.

[Keilara]

"Heat? It's decidedly cool on this side of the table. My soup is a nice proper temperature... I couldn't possibly fathom what you mean..."

She couldn't help the grin that was beginning to work it's way across her lips as he started to work back up to playing with her.

"But that's all the more reason to have dessert. And maybe a long tall drink of water. Cool yourself off there..."

Her foot crept back up his leg, lightly rubbing the area just above his knee. It was quite amusing and very adorable to see the giant man blushing like a school boy. She took a few moments and forced the grin from her face before innocently asking,

"So is this a good place to get desserts... or should we go somewhere else?"

Her foot slid slowly back down his leg and onto the floor as she shoved her chair back and stood.

"Actually, I just realized something Mal... I have little in the way of comforts in my rooms. I definitely should get some shopping done. You're welcome to come with me... we could have some dessert afterwards..."

Fable shot him a wink and moved out into the aisle towards the front door. If he didn't follow she would pay and probably never bother him again, but she was fairly sure he would be leaping up out of that chair as soon as her leaving sank in.

[Dire Wolf]

((x.x sorry, very reactive. I dunno if you wanna end it here or not *shrugs* I dun care either way))

Mal gave a slight sigh, he had been out of 'the game' a long time. Too long perhaps. He was never very good at flirting, and didn't pretend to be. It was fun, sure, but he couldn't help but feel outclassed by the Vahla woman who was now walking away. Wait... what? Walking away? When did this happen? His mind quickly scrolled past all of his responses to her statements, none of which should have pushed her into leaving so suddenly.

Then his mind began to scroll through all of her flirtatious comments (and actions). It didn't take him long to figure out just what she was doing, and trying to get him to do. Unfortunately, he liked to think of himself as a (somewhat) classy guy, and wouldn't partake in such carnal actions so soon after meeting her. Sure, he'd known her for ten years. But ten years ago she was a little girl. She was a woman now. She most certainly changed. Normally, the giant man would have most certainly kept his over-large arse planted on the chair, but he knew that if it did stay planted on the said chair it was likely that she'd take it the wrong way.

So, with a heavy sigh, he left a handsome tip for the waitress and pursued the Mando'ad. He knew what he would do: Walk her home, show her to her room, and promptly turn-on-a-heel and go straight to his quarters. Most likely without kissing her, it was preferable (seeing as kissing could easily lead to other things that he'd prefer to avoid.)

And so, he followed.