Private Tales A Sizzling Egg Across a Hot Wok

[Dieder J Strietz]

There was always somethin about finding one of Lucy's eggs hidden away neath one of the countless nooks and hideyholes the old hen liked to roost in, aboard the Lucky Star. A regular ol' game of chance. Was it good? Had it spoiled? No way of really knowing from the outside. Less you floated it in some water of course. Old trick he had picked up along the way. How much of the clutch would sink, the late night rogue wondered, his hair a right mess as he poured water into a clean clay bowl, dark rings under his eyes, and dark stains spattered across his pants.

Up three of the six went, lifted by the water line.

DJ frowned. Three eggs between the two of them wasn't much. But it would do. "Lil bit of rice to help it stretch," he reminded himself as he tossed the three bad eggs out the window. They plopped into the moonlit water.

His stomach growled, but the rice-pot had already been set to boil, and the wok was heating up on the cookfire. Nothing like a quick meal to steady the nerves after a bit of trouble. Least, that's what he told himself as he cracked two eggs into the bowl and started whipping them up with a bent old fork.

 

[Izara]

Izara, in a flurry, came into the room, holding up a small bag. A wild grin was on her face, her cheeks tinged with crimson. It was a long time on the Elby Cheesesteak Sandwich, and longer yet were their tribulation that was sure to come when they docked. Regardless, tonight, Izzy and DJ were alone. A rare occasion indeed. Usually Izzy always picked up some mercenary to aid them in their travels but she had plans on finding someone along one of the isles.

“DJ!” Izzy breathed out triumphantly. “I have a treat!” She opened the sack and pulled out a handful of dried apricots. Wrinkly and orange but still edible— at least by the looks of it. Skipping over to her partner in crime, she looked down at the eggs, ears and tail twitching.

“Ooh. Eggs?” As if on cue, her own stomach growled. With a raucous laugh, the letai stood up tall and taking one of the dried apricots, held it up to DJ’s mouth for him to eat. “Always wise to have a snack while cooking, rule number five of cooking in the wonderful kitchen onboard the Meatball Sub!”

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

"A treat?" he asked as he went on mixing the eggs. He needn't ask what sort. Izzy wasn't the kind of gal to hold on to such secrets. Least, not from her crew. All one of them, currently.

The smell of the oil told him it was getting hot. He glanced down and saw the golden stuff shimmer in its pool at the bottom of the big bowl shaped cooking iron, and he grinned just before he poured the egg into cooking instrument, biting the dried fruit from Izzy's fingers as he did so.

The eggs sizzled as he chewed proudly, his hands worked the wok smoothly to let the oils poor over the eggs. "Ooh," he said delighted. "that's a tasty lil snack," he quickly reached out with a long arm and grabbed up a flat wooden spoon, turned the egg over gently as it bubbled and stiffened. He folded it. "Could make a nice lil side for our rice bowl if we fry them up with some soy sauce and vinegar," his eye scanned their chaotic pantry and shelves. "Wonder if we have any nuts layin around..." he thought outload.

Izara

 

[Izara]

“Right?” Izzy was grinning at DJ’s comments about the dried fruit. She nodded her head a bit absently, chewing on her own as she considered DJ’s words. “Eat ‘em now or enjoy ‘em later?” She contemplated. For awhile she just watched DJ work the eggs, listening to the crackle of oil and the comforting sizzle as the eggs were cooked into a fluffy yellow cloud.

“Peanuts, maybe.” Izzy perked up, setting the pouch of dried fruit down and rubbing at her nose. “I do have a good nose!” She added as she began rummaging through their pantry. It was a series of, well, sauces, for one. Made the food taste delicious, but offered nothing to fill one’s belly. Nor did the pouches of dried herbs or salts or pepper. “DJ, when we land, remind me before we leave that we need to do some shopping.” Izzy said, pulling out the soy sauce and vinegar, but still trying to find those—

“Aha, peanuts! Got you, you lil suckers.” She picked up the tin can, shaking it to see if any were inside. A few rattled against the tin. “Anything else for our meal, chef?”

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

"Hmm," he hummed, a proud smirk at the corner of his lips as let the eggs sit for a quick second. He liked it when she called him chef.

He took the rice pot off of the fire and set it onto one of their cramped countertops, sure to rest it on a thick braided fabric and not the old wood. "Well, if you would kindly stir the rice and start scoopin' it into some bowls, then we can get to grubbin here pretty soon," he said easily, and took the wrapped up bundle of fluffy, folded, glistening golden, egg out of the oil with a quick scoop of the wooden spoon, and plopped the spongey food stuff onto a plate gently.

It steamed and let out its light eggy aroma into the room around them. The nutty scent of sesame oil added body to egg's fragrance, but DJ wasn't done. He snatched up a wooden board hanging on the wall, and put it down on the counter. The stone walled cooking pit gave off waves of heat with each lick of the fire.

Quick hands saw the dried fruit sliced into thin and even strips, the tin opened, the peanuts spilled out onto the counter, too few to enjoy all sauced up, but... "Not bad for a garnish," he said, and scooped up the dried apricots with flat blade and cupped hand, spilling them into the sizzling oil. They crackled some and sang as their sugars quickly carnalized. Dieder picked up the soysauce bottle, and the vinegar, uncorked each and with a flourish, poured them into the wok.

The aroma swelled across the cramped little galley.

"How's that rice comin, Iz?"

Izara

 

[Izara]

A nod and Izzy was at the pot of rice. Finding the wooden paddle that DJ insisted to be used to scoop the rice— although she would much rather use one of their wooden spoons— the letai woman began to stir and fluff out the rice. Like always, it was cooked to perfection. Humming a little tune she heard from some bard in some tavern in some part of the world, Izzy leaned her head close so the steam could warm up her face.

“It’s looking good!” She answered her right-hand man, putting the lid back on the pot.

Moving around DJ, although her tail flicked along his lower back as there was only so much room in the kitchen, Izzy got their two bowls. She had done the dishes earlier and inspected them. She shrugged. They were clean enough. Using a nail to scratch at some debris in the red one, she went back to the rice pot. She opened the lid and a cloud of steam puffed out once again. She scooped the rice quickly into each bowl.

The green one had more, and she handed it to DJ.

“You get the green one, tonight.” She said with a grin. “Red has always been my color anyways.”

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

Bowls filled to the brim with steamy hot rice, Diedre turned quick in the cramped space of the Star's kitchen, a proud grin spread across his lips.

"You do look good in red," he confessed, and winked as he scooped up the jiggly mass of egg rolled into little omelets, and gently laid them onto the beds of rice with the help of two wooden spoons. Their golden fluffy flesh just let go of the spoons lip and jiggled gently atop the steaming pile of airy white grains. "Yeah," Dj sounded with excitement, grabbed up the red bowl first, and dashed some deep golden brown sauce across the top of the egg.

It oozed over its round sides and poured down onto the rice. Fat, plump, pieces of cooked apricots were gently placed by the egg, drenched in the aromatic sauce, and finally, he crushed up some peanuts and sprinkled them on top.

"Missin somethin," he said as he looked down at the steaming bowl. He clapped a fist into the palm of his hand, and turned about, his hands fell to Iz's hips, held her firmly, "Scuse me, Iz," he said and turned her about, swapping places with an easy two step. "Need some green onions," he reached over and grabbed a little plant that grew out their window. Another quick tango, a miss-step causing them to bump and DJ's face turned red. "Oh, pardon me," he half-laughed before he was back at his station.

His knife chopped quick, and the green rings of onion dressed the last bit of Izzy's plate. He nodded, joyed, scooped up the bowl, and presented it to her with a little flourish.

"For your enjoyment, partner," his eyes seemed to twinkle, and his teeth showed bright.

His green bowl was still missing its fixins, but, she always came fist when he cooked.

Izara

 

[Izara]

“Look even better in nothing.” Izzy retorted, chuckling at her own wit. Dear Kress, was she funny or was she funny? She was about to ask DJ one of her infamous questions that would inadvertently turn into her bragging about her good taste in humor, but paused, if only to enjoy the moment that he made her bowl. She was leaning over the counter, focusing on the egg and the smell when—

Izzy’s eyes narrowed coyly, a dark brow raising up as her lips curled up into a smile. Now where was he placing his hands all of a sudden? Her blue eyes watched him, and she leaned over further on the counter to rest her chin on the palm of her hand. Her tail swished back and forth as if she were creeping up on her prey instead of watching the finishing touches be made to her bowl.

She took the bowl with two hands, standing up straight, their eyes level.

“It smells really good.” She said softly, looking about and rummaging in a drawer for utensils. She pulled out two old shaped spoons, crooked and bent but clean. Giving one spoon to Dieder, the letai made space on the counter by shoving things off to the side and then easily hoisting herself up to sit down. She took a bite and purred immediately, a rumbling in her chest that was warm and pleasant. She scooped another bite, the perfect bite with rice and egg and sauce and peanut and apricot and green onion, and then held it out to the man before her.

“Here, try it. It’s freaking delicious.”

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

A pleased little sound came out from his throat. "I can think of something that smells better," the warmth in his voice hinted, and he plucked the spoon from her fingers as she offered it up. He seemed to float forward after her as she hopped up onto the counter.

The way she shook the air between them with the rumble in her chest. It sent tingles down his spine. had his skin pucker up with excited little bumps and had his hair stand on end. His nose flared, and he took in a deeper breath as her tail whipped about and the warm vibrations thumped through the air between them.

She seemed to like it, and his smile grew wider in response, if by a fraction. He took the bite from her spoon. Quick and hungry.

"Not bad," he said still close to her, his heart pounded lively after all the work, and his hands rest on the counter to each side of her as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face from the fire's heat. "Coulda used a little meat," he said with a toothy smile. "Remind me to pick some up after we get our next pay day, will ya?" the idle spoon in his hand bit against his palm, but he could hardly feel it.

Izara

 

[Izara]

Izzy watched DJ intently, from the way his lips closed around the spoon, to the way he chewed, and especially the way he swallowed. Her azure eyes found their way back to his lips, and despite the fact that they were both hungry, there was another hunger that had lingered within Izara throughout the day. Maybe it was the boredom, maybe it was the fact that soon enough they’ll be at some random dock and business will be the only thing on their minds?

Of course, it could have just been because they both found enjoyment within one another. Often, the simplest solution was the correct one.

“Yeah, of course I’ll remind you.” Izzy said, not even realizing that her voice had dropped a whole octave. There was a raspy breathlessness to it now, and using her index and thumb, she picked up another piece of egg. “Open wide for me.” She whispered to Dieder, her lips pulled into a smirk as she leaned her face closer to his. “Ahh.” She added, moving her fingers to his mouth, waiting for him to open wide.

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

She spoke lower, and it just drew him closer, the heat of her breath, the way her voice rumbled the air. Reminded him of the rumble in his gut. The movement of her hands drew his eye down, the long curl of her nails pinching the plump flesh of the eggs. Her voice warmed the air about his ear, he opened wide, the corners of his mouth pulling up as she smirked at him and made a sound.

"Ahh," he echoed, and moved his mouth toward her fingers. His mouth came shut around the egg, teeth come closed about the plump flesh of her digits, lips wrapped round to feel the click of the gently crisped yolks. His eyes never left hers as he chewed. Slow, as he enjoyed it.

The moment between them. As the Star rocked gently with the water. Pots and pans clinked soft against the wood of compact cabinets, clay plates and bowls clattered in the wash basin as frogs croaked along the reedy shore. Even the plop of a fish could be heard breaking the water as dragon flies flit about lazily in the air.

He passed the egg down his throat. Moved in slowly so his lips hovered about the side of her face, "Ok," he said with soft and quiet breath. "Its better than not bad," he could feel the electricity that came with such proximity, as hairs and skin grew excited to brush past another, to sense the stimulation. "It's pretty damn good," he said with a little rumble in his throat.

A breath, in through his nose, warm and full of a delicate musk, like wild flowers tinged with the heat of pepper pods. Pleasant as pleasant could be. A scent that made him ache.

It was a high strung life they lead. Always on the move, always on the hunt, chasing the next big thing. The little games they played to dance around the truth. They were just a couple of miscreants, lucky enough to share a ship, for however long its hull lasted. For however long their lives lasted. Or the thin thread that kept them bouncin' together. It was just of matter of which and when. A sweet sorrow their smiles would never show.

He eased back, pleased as punch.

"Nice of you to share," he said with a wink, and unglued his fingers from the counter top, slipped towards his own bowl, still pieced apart. "Sauce came out ok then?" he asked idly, his skin covered in goose flesh, and the hairs of his arm on end.

Izara

 

[Izara]

Izzy’s ears were pricked up, the translucent hairs along her arms and the back of her neck raising in unison. Time passed slowly between them in that moment, dragging out longer and longer like the idle waves of the ocean that gently rocked the boat every now and then. The rocking boat brought a sort of dissonance to the rhythm of her rapidly beating heart, so out of touch was the ocean to the mounting tension between the two.

With them alone in their own little world, Izzy almost believed that they were the last living things on Arethil.

“Your best humble-meal yet,” Izzy said, and then added in a bit of impish Kaliti, “thank the hundreds it’s not ful medames.” Izzy took time to answer his question, taking another bite of the food and chewing slowly, giving herself time to calm down. Hopefully it gave her the added benefit of making DJ sweat a little bit. He knew the sauce was fine— surely he did, he made it after all. Perhaps fishing for compliments, perhaps genuine? Regardless, she would speak until she had swallowed her mouthful.

“More flavor than that mush I made us the first time we camped out.” Izzy said, giving him her best cat-like grin. “Remember when I tried to make soup stock out of rat and pigeon bones?”

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

Dj grinned. "Sure do," he said as he put the pieces together. A little looser for his own bowl. Though the egg was just as jiggly. "Had me out with the bubble guts for damn near a week," he took a look down at his bowl, and decided to skip on the sauce.

Good as it was.

"Hey," he said with a tilt of his chin, and walked toward the door. "Want to eat on the deck?" his eyebrows did a little dance. "Morning light looks real pretty off the water and uh," he stopped at the door and ate some of his egg. He could make her sweat a little too. "Bet it looks nicer with you to catch it," he walked on out.

 

[Izara]

Oh, DJ, you sly, sly dog. Izara grinned at the back of DJ’s head, not waiting another second more to go after him.

“I got cat-like reflexes, I can catch anything!” Not smooth like his flirt, not even a little bit close, and to hide her florid cheeks she quickened her step to speed past him. “Last one on the deck is a rotten egg,” Izzy said as she extended her stride, holding up her bowl as if it would help to keep its contents from falling over.

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

Talkin smooth and movin' smooth were two different things entirely. Dj talked smooth enough. Even walked smooth like. Izzy though? She damn near glided across the Star.

Long limbs flexin and a workin. Muscles in concert. He'd be a rotten egg every race, if meant he could take a moment long to appreciate her art made motion.

"Damn," he said, comin in last. He sat down on the nose of the ship, bowl still in hand as the wind hit his kitchen sticky skin. "Looks like you beat me again," he said with a smirk, eye on the prize of his meal. He dug in, and looked to the most elegant lady he had the pleasure of keepin' company.

Chewed his food. "It's a damn fine day," he said with a wink. "With you around,"

Izara

 

[Izara]

“AHA! I WIN!” Izzy shouted loudly once she entered onto the deck in first place. She held up her bowl of food in triumph over her head and pivoted on her heel to look back at Dieder. Darn, it was like he hadn’t even tried. Her expression fell from haughty to shy immediately after DJ’s comment. Scampering over to where he sat, Izzy took a few seconds before sitting down beside him. The nose of ship was narrower and because there was less room, she sat so close to him that her hip was pushed against his.

“It’s still night, you…” the letai woman searched her mind for a good comeback. “You goober.” She settled on, and began to really dig into her bowl of food. She ate quickly, scarfing everything down like a alley cat. It wasn’t long til she had finished and she looked over to Dieder, rubbing her mouth with the back of her wrist.

She kept the bowl safely between her thighs, her tail flicking back and forth in time with her twitching ears. She would’ve purred but… well, that was a bit rude in this sense. Or rather, it was too vulnerable. But how couldn’t she not enjoy herself in this moment? Good food, good company… but dang it, wasn’t it a bit cold?

Izzy leaned her torso into Dieder, resting her head on his shoulder and nuzzling her cheek along the curve.

“Thanks for the meal.”

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

His face turned red. Not because she corrected him, because in truth, she was more often right than wrong, and that was enough reason for him to trust. "So it is," he grinned, and took a spoonful of rice into his mouth. Chewed, let the goober slide off his back like water off a duck. "Gotta forgive me, being in such bright company, it's easy to get confused," he took another spoonful, and just watched the light of the stars and the moon dance along the crest and valleys of the water.

But, her movement called his attention back. His eyes trailing around the bend of her wrist, the trace of her long languid line of her forearm, the subtle swell of her muscles, the cut of her form against her round bits. The way she hugged the bowl, and how her tail drew his eye down.

His face was hot, and he pulled his eyes up quick. Took another bite, and smiled wider as she let her weight come against him. Rest her head against his shoulder and started to move about. Warmth of skin against skin growing hotter with the friction. With the motion.

Thanks for the meal.

"Yeah," he said, shorter of breath. "We're partners," he scooped up another bit of rice, and crammed it into his mouth. Swallowed it down, and then just sat in the luxury of the moment, his head come to rest against hers as his whole body eased some.

He was a little worried he smelled. A little worried he was sticky from the kitchens heat. Smoke kissed and oil splashed. But her being so close made it all the easier to forget those worries.

Izara

 

[Izara]

Izzy closed her eyes, feeling the chill of the late night… early morning (?) air against her skin. Gooseflesh decorated her bare arms and belly and thighs, but she had grown up with the Kaliti nights. The moment the sun had fallen beneath the sunset sands, a chill creeped in as if it came from the screaming spires of the Spine itself. She could handle this, as long as she continued sharing warmth with DJ.

“Yeah. Partners.” Izzy repeated softly, continuing to nuzzle against DJ’s neck. “You’re so smooth all the time.” It was a statement, not a accusation. With his head resting on hers, she took a hand to go behind them. Her fingers pressed searchingly against his lower back, searching for one of the hard knobs of his spine. She traced over the curve once, then twice, and even three times before beginning her journy upwards.

Her fingers continued their ascent, caressing over DJ’s back until she got to where his shoulder blades were. Izzy’s hand started with his left, tracing and drawing over the slate of bone before doing the exam to the right.

“Will I ever get Smooth DJ? Or honest DJ?” Izzy prodded, her eyes fluttering open. She couldn’t see his eyes, couldn’t see whatever it was that DJ was thinking. Perhaps that was why she could be so bold.

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

"Hardly, smooth," he said, taking another bight as he felt the warm ease her strong fingers worked into his chorded flesh. What tension he carried there, loosed, by the firm press of her touch. "Just a fool trying to keep up, really," he said with half smile. He looked over at her, watched as her eye looked on to the world ahead of them.

Part of him wondered if she ever really saw him. Or just saw the prizes they could win together. Even then, was that so bad?

He laughed. At himself. At it all. Let his eyes look away. Took another bight of his food, and let the bowl down. "You doubtin' me, Izz?" he asked, grin cocksure. But it was a frail thing. Near hurt. "Or am I just bein the fool again?" he couldn't help but look to her.

Anirian born. How could he ever feel sure of anything between them. What choice did he have but try and smooth the wrinkles that came up.

Izara

 

[Izara]

Her fingers paused for a moment, right as they reached the base of his neck. Izara was still, and then she pulled away from DJ. She looked into his eyes, tilting her head curiously for a moment before her hand began to move again. Along his neck towards his jaw, feeling the hard edge of his bone. Her lips were curled up into a playful smile was she looked at DJ with mirthful, half-lidded eyes.

“Just a fool tryin’ to keep up? Dieder… J… Strietz, you poor fool.” She gripped his jaw to hold his face where she wanted it and leaned in close, her nose nearly touching his. That grin hadn’t left, and despite her tight grip on him, there was a moment of gentleness. “I don’t think of you as a fool at all. Unless….” Izzy paused, letting the words hang in the air between them.

“Unless you’re foolish enough to have me sleep alone again.” She shivered dramatically, letting go of her hold to then cross her arms over her chest and rub her hands up and down her biceps. “Brrrrr.” She even gave a award-winning shake of her ears and tail to mimic the cold her body felt when she wasn’t in DJ’s warmth. “Although, I think a snowcone would be the shit right now. Nothing like beating the cold by eating it!” The letai woman quickly added.

She had been brazen enough for the both of them. And she had butterflies dancing in her stomach after just a few sentences.

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

He was left breathless. Stunned. Mouth still agape as he watched her pull away and just sit there, proud as proud can be.

He took a moment to taste the air, the warmth of her breath quickly leaving his lips, and the place where she'd grabbed his face, warm hot drops of her strong and measured touch, eased back to the chill of the air. He licked his lips, greedy as he eyed her full grin. Her shivver had him smirk. The way she shook all over. Traced the lines of her strong arms and squeezed herself together.

He gulped.

He had goosebumps all along his arms, and the pit of his stomach felt full with something warm and stirring. He inched forward, like a mouse goin for the trap. His body pressed closer to hers, smooshed where they met, and his right hand laid flat behind her, length of his arm supported her back as his chest pressed against her shoulder.

"A snow cone sounds fuckin awesome," he said with a big stupid grin. Near fell over himself as he went to kiss her.

Izara

 

[Izara]

Izara tilted her head just right to capture DJ’s clumsy kiss. What else was new? For someone who had the smoothest slight of hand she had ever seen, he sure seemed to fumble over himself when it came to her. It made it all the more endearing as their lips touched, somehow with her leaning her face up towards him.

His lips weren’t cold, and as she pressed her mouth to his, Izzy felt nothing but warmth. She felt heat flourish beneath her skin. The tips of their noses touched— ah, perhaps there actually was a chill in the early morning air after all. A prickle of cold to remind the letai woman how warm she was when she was pressed up against DJ.

A hand went to caress his cheeks, her fingertips sending pinpricks of cold when they first landed on his skin. But they soon warmed as well. Izzy pulled away, for only a moment, her blue eyes looking into DJ’s.

“Can you move that bowl in your lap out of the way now?” She said, carelessly tossing her empty bowl behind them and hoping it would land on the deck and not the ocean.

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

But damn, if she didn't have a way about her. The kind of way that had him all wound up and turned to goo all the same. Hot breath flushed against his face, across his lips, hers and his mixed and stolen by the pulls of their lungs. Her hand against his cheek, cold enough to make him shiver.

Nah. That was jut the excitement.

Her lips came free of his, his eyes closed and his mouth still wanted more, lips pushed out and fat as the cool breeze traced the wetness that gleamed across them. He smacked his lips, as if to taste the lingering of her flavor, and his eyes came open lazily. Looked into hers, and he grinned, foolish and large with her so pressed against him and close.

"Gladly," he said through heated breath. Knocked the bowl away, as he set it to slide across the deck, far from where they half tangled together. A little bolder from the warmth they'd shared, a little hungrier from the taste she'd given, he leaned in, calmer as he craned his head down toward her, planted his lips against hers, moved along with the motion of the rhythm they shared. The hand behind her back peeled off the deck, and slowly traced up her strong and leanly muscled back.

"Damn if I don't love how strong you are," he said, short of breath between warm parted lips.

Izara

 

[Izara]

Izara paid little attention to the bowl being tossed to the side, the only thing she recognized was that she could now have her seat back. With all the grace of a large cat she swung her leg over, facing DJ full on. With subdued fervor she moved with him, hands caressing his shoulders and neck, fingers curling into the soft hair at the back of his head. All of her gestures were clear: focus on me, only on me.

“Oh? And here I thought you had a fetish for cat girls.” But since he had commented on her strength, she decided to let him get a glimpse of it and their future actions later into the night. The hand clenching at his soft hair pulled down, exposing DJ’s throat, her other hand at his shoulder moved to his chest and with ease she began to push him down onto his back. “Silly me, I should have realized it was the muscles.” Izzy said, angling her head to kiss at the center of his throat.

A particularly strong wave rocked the boat, more than Izzy expected and despite making to steady herself, her forehead knocked into Dieder’s jaw.

Dieder J Strietz

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

---

Come the crowing of the cock, and the break of day's light. Limbs wrapped around like lengths made most pleasant press against warm other.

A plop of fish. The break of water. A flutter of lashes, and the easy crack of grin across pink lips. A clatter. A clang. Blinks, frantic. His dark gaze looked about. His arms came loose from the languid exhaustion. Spent as he was. He came to that most easy grin. Pleased as punch, for the strange sound that had come across the planks of the Lucky Star.

"Woah," he said as he propped up onto elbow. "Did you hear that?" he asked as he sat up, hinged at the hips. Head on a swivel. Another clatter of tin and metal come clang against wood.