AU: Alderaan

[last_kallig]

Ibani has not only made plans, she's made PLANS, plans for supplies, transport, the ideal location, ideal weather conditions, and several other factors besides.

Excessive for a picnic? Probably. It could even be excessive planning for a picnic that, energy and mood of all participants permitting, might include seduction. Ibani does not care.

Besides, she might as well USE that enormous patch of wilderness that came with the title of Lady Kallig and that nobody's allowed to build structures on for SOMETHING, right?

She's slipped into Milliways in the hopes of finding Ben.

(OOC: Warning for adult content)

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[last_kallig]

"Good," Ibani replies, snuggling closer. She's content to just float and BE like this for a while, held in his arms.

After a while, there is a feel in the Force of a small predator, and careful eyes might see a tiny blue furred, horned, Vorn tiger cub stalking through the brush.

The cub crouches in the weeds by Ibani's discarded clothes, fascinated by all the new scents it has never scented before! Its back end wiggles like a house cat about to spring, and it leaps for Ibani's clothes in a pounce!

Ben and Ibani are upwind, so the cub hasn't noticed them, yet.

[acertainpov]

Ben eventually shifts in the water, lets go of the use of the Force that he's been keeping up to maintain the floating, and starts gently treading water. He puts a finger on Ibani's lips and smiles, letting his eyes shift to the shore.

[last_kallig]

Ibani follows his gaze and smiles at the sight of the cub. The cub which is now rolling in her clothes. There is going to be SO MUCH blue fur on them, she's sure, but she can't quite make herself mind that right now.

The cub sniffs her boots, then crawls into one. The boot shakes and trembles as the cub turns around and sticks their head out the top of the boot.

Ibani covers her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle. Surely the cub's mother should be somewhere nearby? It can't be anywhere near old enough to be out on its own...

[acertainpov]

Ben tries to remember what Bail had told him about Alderaanian wildlife, and fails at the first hurdle. That's definitely a young predator, though, and Ibani's concern is probably right.

"We should probably go save the rest of our picnic," he observes, but shows no inclination to start yet.

[last_kallig]

"Yes, some of that is surely not safe for them to consume," she says quietly.

Like Ibani's belt, for example, which is now being gnawed on. "Don't eat that, you don't know where it's been!" Ibani hisses.

The cub stops gnawing, looks at them in surprise, and makes a chirping noise.

Then there's the sense in the Force of a much bigger predator in the area, radiating a feeling of concern and searching. The cub's mother, maybe?

[acertainpov]

Ben sends out a gentle call through the Force, just a hint that the predator in question probably wants to head this way. Then he lets go of Ibani and dives under the water, only to surface much closer to the shore, where he can stand up to his chest in the water.

[last_kallig]

The predator responds immediately to the gentle call and heads their way rapidly.

Ibani dives underwater and surfaces near Ben.

There is a chuffing noise from the weeds and the cub chirps in response. Then the mother tiger comes out of the weeds and picks the cub up by the scruff of the neck. She stalks off into the weeds, carrying her cub.

"Most people don't get to see Vorn tigers," Ibani says after the pair are gone. "They're solitary animals and they stay away from civilization."

[acertainpov]

"I don't think I blame them," Ben says. He wraps an arm around her shoulders as they watch the tiger pad off into the trees.

"I think we're probably safe from further interruptions," he says now. "She'll give us a wide berth."

[last_kallig]

"I don't blame them either," Ibani replies. She leans into his touch. (She always does, she gets so little touch that she is always hungry for it.)

"I bet we could dry off in the sun, she muses, if you're ready to get out of the water?" The sun has moved enough that part of their enormous blanket is in full sun. "Maybe open a bottle of wine."

Not terribly AMBITIOUS plans, just possibilities.

[acertainpov]

Ben stretches in the sunlight, though it's entirely possible that his skin shouldn't take much more exposure to UV radiation than it already has, and when he returns to the blanket he'll pick a place that isn't in the direct light.

"I could go for some wine," he agrees.

There are a few more possibilities, but they're just variations on a theme already explored.

[last_kallig]

Ibani opens a bottle, pours two glasses and curls up with Ben on the blanket.

There are other possibilities, yes. Ones they will likely explore later.

For now, they can just rest and enjoy each other's company.