An Inauspicious Beginning: Part 2

The fitness center is nearly empty, most of the guests being at dinner at this time in the evening. Of particular note is a silver-haired human woman, paddling back and forth idly in the pool.

With towel thrown over shoulder, shirt off, swim trunks on and the usual self-contemplative expression drawn across his features, Larin looks ready to go for a dip in the pool. His clothing doesn't lie when it gives the impression of being fairly muscle bound in the chest and shoulders. All the same all it takes for Larin to stop in midstride is the splashing of a certain silver-haired woman.

Arizhel, never having been all that perceptive in the first place, is pretty obviously distracted to boot. Ergo, she doesn't notice the stopped-in-midstride Lunite, or anyone else, realistically. She simply continues to swim lazily back and forth.

Larin follows Arizhel's path around the pool, mouth agape for only a few moments. He blinks and seems frozen in place. Perhaps she might catch him on her next lap?

Arizhel happens to look up and do just that. She flinches visibly, her expression going from idle to startled. "Jesus," she says, still blinking. "I didn't know anyone was there. Ah..." She trails off, rubbing the back of her neck and looking away. "So... um... how are you this evening, Mr. Weyr?"

"Oh uhm ... good thank you.", Larin responds, not bothering to call her on her use of his surname. "I uh ... I can come back later ... after you're done."

Arizhel shakes her head vehemently, sending droplets of water flying. "No, no, no, I didn't mean..." She sighs then, and looks up at him with one brow quirked. "Ah... well... this is awkward," she observes. Bing. You got it. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Larin stares back at Rish with emeralds, licking his lips slightly before offering a slow nod. "I suppose it is...", Larin responds apparently at a loss of words. Its obvious he is trying very hard not to stare at her bathing suit but every so often fails.

"Mmmhmm..." is the bartendress' only response at first as she blushes faintly under Larin's gaze. "Er... you know, this all seems rather silly. We're adults, not a couple of dumb kids." She chuckles then, shrugging. "What that has to do with any of it... well, search me. I'm just trying to make conversation, I think. Ah... and failing."

"I'm sure its my fault for some reason or another.", Larin replies, managing that little smirk of his. He pauses for a moment to regard her for a moment before he walks a bit closer to the pools edge. "I'm afraid I have you at the disadvantage though."

Arizhel quirks a brow, tilting her head to the side. "How so? And... well, how so?" she inquires, her expression somewhat dubious. "I was the one that... ah... made a move, so to speak. Um..." The sentence staggers to a halt there, and Rish bites at her lower lip nervously.

"I meant that I have the high ground.", Larin remarks with a light smirk, standing right at the edge of the pool and crouching down a bit to talk to her. He pauses for a moment, trying to find the right words. "What happened was unexpected but ... I didn't resist. I uh ... how much fault is there really?". The last question comes with a slight shrug.

"Didn't resist, sure, but I'm not even sure if you enjoyed yourself," Rish retorts, some semblance of humor returning as her lips twist in a wry smirk. She tilts her head to the side then, her expression somewhat puzzled. "High ground?"

"In case you haven't noticed you're in the pool and I'm not.", Larin remarks with a smirk, his confidence returning as his humor does. That doesn't last long once however once he moves to answer the second question. "I would say I enjoyed it more than you must have... but that isn't important. You can just write it off as just a bit too much to drink and I'll do the same. There's a solution." The tone and expression seem to suggest that he doesn't quite believe that.

Arizhel blinks, and looks down at the water. "Well, stars above, so I am! I hadn't noticed. Thanks for the heads-up." She smirks, shaking her head. "And that would be a -great- solution, if you believed a word you were saying. I know I don't."

"Well I mean ... it /was/ a very good kiss in spite of the drinks.", Larin comments, clearing his throat. "But you're not available and I'm not sure that I even am." He tries to act serious but his emeralds continue to shine as he speaks completely ruining the noble undertone he was trying to make. "But damn...". A light sigh.

"Oh, stop being melodramatic," Rish retorts, rolling her eyes just a bit. "It was fine. Good, even. Ah... really good, okay?" She blushes faintly, and clears her throat. After a moment, a mischevious grin crosses her face, and she sloshes water in Larin's general direction.

Larin is just in the motions of preparing a retort when the water hits him in the face. "Hey s-sto...", Larin protests as he moves to stand up out of the way of the woman's vicious attack. Instead of standing up however his feet fail to find good fitting and he tumbles face first into the pool, towel still clutched in his hand. He lets out a yelp and is in danger of landing directly on top of Rish or very near to her.

Arizhel squeals and throws her hands up to block the wave of water that washes over her. It doesn't really work, though, and she just ends up giggling uncontrollably, her hair dripping into her face. "Oh man, that was nice. I rock. No bones about it." She laughs aloud, backing away a bit from the Lunite, her expression bemused.

Larin looks angry at first, his face a deep crimson before he looks at Rish with a very dire expression. It fades into a smirk, a snort, and then he can't help but laughing. "Oh you do, do you?", Larin asks with a smirk. "Eh I'll show you." He attempts to paddle his way over towards her with a menacing look on his face.

"You have to catch me f-" Rish starts to retort, but her foot slips on the bottom of the pool, sending her under the water.

Protect and serve kicks in instantly as Larin sees Rish go under the water. He isn't the most graceful of swimmers but when lives are on the line and all that he performs. He sticks his head under and attempts to aid her in resurfacing with strong arms not entirely worried about being gingerly.

Arizhel surfaces sure enough, spluttering and coughing for a good minute before she catches her breath. "Jesus, that was dumb," she observes, her voice a bit rough. "Ah... thanks." She looks up at him then, and... yeah, lost in that emerald green gaze again.

Larin blinks a bit as he comes out of the water, his hair now plastered to his forehead. "Are you alr-", Larin begins before he is cut off, his emerald gaze being caught up in her dark orbs. His hands remain on her arms for perhaps just a bit longer than they should.

"I think so," Rish replies, clearing her throat and shifting her eyes down and to the left, though she makes no effort to physically move away.. "Ah... yeah, I'm fine now." A faint smile sneaks across her face despite her awkward posture, and she chuckles softly. "That -was- pretty funny, now that I think about it..."

Larin blinks eventually as he offers a light laugh. He seems completely oblivious of the proximity for the moment. "Uh yeah...so much for training ay?", Larin asks. The eyes remain out in full force.

"Training?" Rish inquires, looking up at the Lunite again. "Oh, swimming. It's more of a leisurely thing for me than anything else. Obviously." She chuckles, rolling her eyes. "Still can't believe I slipped like that. If I'd have messed up like that at my old job, they'd have had my ass in a sling. Sheez."

"I more so meant my own footing.", Larin replies with a smirk. He suddenly seems to notice his hands on the woman. He pulls them away with a motion that sends a bit of water sloshing about around them. "Oh I uh ... sorry.". He's red again.

Arizhel flinches slightly at the sudden motion, her eyes still not leaving his. "Um... I... it's okay. Really." She tilts her head to the side then, one brow quirked upward. "You were getting a little bit grabby, though. I think you were doing it on purpose," she says primly, a faintly mischievous smirk on her lips.

"I was not!", Larin defends himself with a slightly less than serious tone. "I uhm ... I thought you were drowning and I uh ...". A mischevious glance. "You didn't complain."

"Were too," Rish retorts, the smirk becoming a grin. "But at least you've got the sense to be embarassed about it." She brushes a few sodden silver tendrils out of her eyes then, and blinks innocently. "And no, I did not complain. I could. If it would make you feel better, I mean."

"I'd feel a lot better if I could just figure you out.", Larin remarks with a sigh. "It would be better if I could figure /myself/ out." He looks back at her with a certain amount of intensity. "Why the hell you're so damn beautiful."

Arizhel shifts her gaze away, blushing fiercely. "I... thanks," she stammers, shaking her head. After a moment, she looks back up at him. "If it makes you feel any better, I can't figure you out, either..." She trails off, chewing absently on her lower lip.

Larin continues to tread water, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know if I could help much...", Larin remarks, his own color contrasting sharply with his usual pale Lunite complexion. "...you could always ask though."

"I... I'm not sure it's the kind of thing that you can answer," she replies, shrugging slightly. "I think it's more a matter of figuring out just what the hell I'm thinking. Or not thinking, as the case may be..." She sighs, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead with one hand. "But yeah, if I could figure out what it is that makes you so damnably attractive to me, maybe that'd be a start. Maybe not. I dunno. I really don't."

"So there is attraction then?", Larin asks, clearing his throat. "We aren't just playing a little game and trying to come out of it with a few laughs?" He smirks lightly as he looks down to the water in front of him. "Well I'm glad its mutual then because otherwise that would be embarrassing."

Arizhel clears her throat and blinks, pursing her lips as she looks resolutely off to the left. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. I just... don't know what to make of it. I... can you understand where I'm coming from here? At all?" She looks up then, her brow furrowing faintly as she studies his face.

"I know exactly where you're coming from.", Larin replies, eyes fixed on hers. "I know you can't and that I shouldn't ... but all the same." It's his turn to look away.

The bartendress growls in frustration, and slaps her hand down on the pool's surface, succeeding only in sending rills of water dripping down from her hair again. She turns her head away from Larin, glowering at nobody in particular. "This is... insane. Stars above, I'm an idiot." Rish sighs then, rubbing at her forehead with her hand again.

Larin hangs his head slightly as he begins wading away from Rish. "Yeah. Insane.", Larin remarks as he desperately tries to snatch at the soaked towel that floats just ever past his reach. He lets out a frustrated sigh and runs his hand through his wet hair. "Damnit.", his shout echoes through the fitness center pool area.

Arizhel flinches at the shout, turning to look after him. "I didn't mean it that way..." she says, sighing. "I just... I wish I felt like I had my head on straight. I haven't, you know. Not for the past couple of days. Since we met." She sighs, hanging her head as she turns away. "I didn't mean it that way, though..."

"No. You're right. You've got someone who appears to care about you a great deal.", Larin murmurs, his voice only audible by the acoustic effect of the pool and water. "I'm not really all that suitable for anyone, anyway." A sardonic smile and a shake of his head.

Arizhel frowns, her brows knitting together. "Now you're just feeling sorry for yourself, Larin Weyr." She punctuates the sentence with one brow finally quirking upward. "And yes, Karlan cares about me, but... Jesus, I don't -know-." she says, shaking her head.

"I stopped feeling sorry for myself a long time ago.", Larin remarks with a shake of his head. He swims just a bit closer so his voice does not carry. "What is there to know? He cares about you ... I'm just a distraction. One day I'll most likely just pop off and then you won't even have a reason to remember me." Again a sardonic smile and a shake of his head. Again he isn't all that convincing.

"And you don't believe that any more than I do," Arizhel observes archly, head tilting to the side, sending stray damp locks tumbling into her eyes. She ignores them, though. "You're also wrong to believe yourself so utterly forgettable. Fact is, you're not. Better get used to it already." She offers the barest hint of a wistful smile.

Larin bites his lip lightly, his hand moving lightly to brush away a few of the tumbling locks. "I ... God I know what I should do and say but I can't." He bites his lip a bit more. "I should have just left when I saw you in the pool but I /couldn't/. What's wrong with me?"

"Mmmhmm," she replies, looking up at Larin as he fiddles with her hair. "Eh, don't mind those... they do that all the time. Got a mind of their own, I think." Rish gives a faint sigh, studying his face. "I thought at first that you -were- going to leave... and I didn't want you to. So... yeah. It begs the same question, I suppose."

Larin gives up fiddling with the hair but not before dropping his hand down the side of her cheek and back into the pool lightly. There is a light smile on his face before he asks a rather odd question, "We're both sober aren't we?" It's asked in all seriousness.

Arizhel holds one hand up, palm facing toward him. "I swear I haven't touched a drop all day. I still don't know what had me getting myself drunk at noon ship's time anyway. When I figure that out, I'll get back to you on it." She looks over at Larin again, brow slightly furrowed as she searches his eyes. It doesn't even seem like she's sure what she's looking for. Just... looking.

Rish might just notice that his eyes are getting a bit closer. She might just have a chance to peer into boundless optimism, shattered hopes, and sincerity. Or he might just be attempting to lead into a kiss. He doesn't follow through the whole way, the choice really being up to Rish.

She continues to stare, lost again in that emerald gaze, edging closer almost subconsciously. Rish's hand goes to the side of Larin's face, resting there hesitantly as she chews absently on her lower lip, still evidently unsure.

Larin doesn't move in another inch. Only continuing to stare back as the water slowly moves around them. His lip isn't being bit on however ready and waiting in spite of his hesitance. Another micron closer if at all but still... he isn't going to force it on her.

Arizhel looks down and away, eyes closing halfway as she leans closer. Her arms slide around Larin's shoulders, and at that point she hesitates, risking one last glance up at his eyes, still looking for... something. Maybe she finds what she's looking for, or maybe she just gives up on looking, but either way, she closes her eyes and brushes her lips against his, her touch feather-light.

Larin's own hands slip down to Rish's sides as he press just a bit more into the kiss. Again he tries to be gentle but he also doesn't want to end it prematurely. As if remember by some sort of mechanical memory his hands play along her sides with just a bit of hesitation.

One of Rish's hands moves up the back of Larin's neck, her fingers sliding through his wet hair as she leans in against him. The kiss grows more intense as she completely abandons all semblance of resistance, or even hesitance.

Larin allows his hands to wander up Rish's back as the kiss gets more passionate and they get closer. He breaks the kiss only for a moment to catch his breath and start a new one. Green eyes and he certainly isn't a bad kisser (at least in his opinion).

Arizhel glances up for a moment before his lips are on hers again, but this time she pulls away after only a dozen seconds or thereabouts, nibbling on his lower lip as she does so. "Ah... so much for awkward," she murmurs, looking up at him again, a faint smile on her face. "So... um... what do we do now?"

"Well as a former detective I can say with a reasonable amount of confidence that it wasn't just the drink.", Larin responds back with a light smirk. He emits a sigh, a happy but conflicted one. "I ... I don't know." He looks around the pool guiltily. "Maybe though we should get out of this pool before everyone heads back for their after dinner swims...". He plays his finger lightly under her chin.

Arizhel blushes slightly, and smiles. "No, no it wasn't. All that did was give me a headache, I think." She nods then, looking around the room suspiciously, but still making no effort to move away. "Probably should..."

"We'll just take it one day at a time then right?", Larin asks, his hair stuck to his forehead in a rather comical manner. "You get to think about things when you get some rest tonight and I just need to think things through." Another light kiss to the cheek. "I don't think I'll be getting much sleep." He gives her a light tug towards the pool edge.

"But I don't -wanna- get out of the pool," Rish whines, but follows up with a sardonic laugh. "You think I'm going to be able to sleep? I've got things to think on... and stars above, I work in the morning." She chuckles to herself, shaking her head as she follows him to the edge of the pool.

"Well /I'm/ going back to get changed.", Larin announces with a smirk. He lets her go once they reach the edge of the pool and clambers up over the side. He looks down at her with triumphant green eyes. "You stay here and turn into a prune if you like...otherwise...". Larin trails off as he heads from the pool area. His towel continues to float in the pool. He stops to look back at Rish with a smirk.

"You forgot your towel," Rish observes, her head tilted to the side as she points back at the pool. She chuckles and turns away, walking over to pick up her own (dry) towel and starting to sponge off her hair. "And stop looking so satisfied with yourself, Larin." She punctuates that particular statement by looking back over her shoulder at him and winking.

"Wasn't mine anyway.", Larin replies with a smirk. "Nicked it from the ship." He chuckles lightly at Rish, returning the wink. "Not satisfaction just ... well yeah you're right. But not in the machoistic sense. You look as if you enjoyed the uhm ... swim after all." He walks over and plucks the wet towel up out of the pool and shivers visibly. "Alot warmer when you're in. Anyway have a good night ... tomorrow should be interesting when I get off my high and realize what I've done." Again a sigh, content and distressed at the same time as his emerald eyes gaze at her. Before long he is making his way back to his accommodations.

Arizhel blinks owlishly and watches him go, her eyes never leaving the Lunite until he's out of sight. She sighs and shakes her head as she wraps the towel around her waist. "You don't even know the half of it..."