So about last night

After an uneasy breakfast, Layla was once again sent off from the pair. She was still in her PJs and, trapped in space or not, Zac didn't want her to lounge around in them all day. So Carm was sent off to help her get dressed and maybe have the child show her new caretaker some of her favorite clothes. That should keep them busy for a bit.

"I wasn't expecting you to make breakfast." Zac said after taking a sip of his drink, "Even coffee. .. IS this coffee?" he gestured towards her with said cup.

The two adults found themselves in the cockpit of the ship, with Blackfire going over... controls he didn't know. Well he didn't know most of them, but from his training, he knew she wasn't working the flight controls. Rather it looked like she was accessing some records or other inventory.

"Hmmm? Oh that. It's close to what you drink as a way of waking up yes. You won't die from it." She shrugged without looking at him, " As for the breakfast, well; I had no idea when YOU'D get up or how long it would take the maid to finish, so I didn't want to wait. So I decided to make breakfast myself, even if it meant making some for the kid. After all it's been awhile since I've cooked, why not use her as a test subject?"

"..... you don't really expect me to believe that, do you?" He said in a huff as he put the cup down and folded his arms.

Blackfire rotated the chair a bit so she could give him a glare. Her eyebrows weren't as slanted and her brow not as furrowed as before so... maybe something was clicking in that head of hers. Closing her eyes in a sigh, she spun the chair fully around to engage with him, folding her legs over each other. A memory of an old movie passed through his head, something about 'are you trying to seduce me' or something, he'd only seen that one scene.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless, I had planned on making breakfast myself, and a large one. You see if there's one thing you should absolutely learn about Tamaraneans, we have large stomachs and appetites in ... well all things. Fighting, food, .... certain activities," she paused and drew her tongue over her lips while a glint was in her eye, "And after how much you oh so wore me out..., I needed to fill my stomach."

"So regardless, I was going to end up making a lot of food. And I knew if I cooked, Layla would probably pout or something if she didn't get a taste of my cooking. As much as she mocked me for having bad taste buds."

"..... you know she likes you."

"OF COURSE everyone likes me... or fears me, Or hates me. That's just how things are." Blackfire started to turn away.

"No I mean..., I know you're bothered by how she's acting, but that's how Layla is."

"Eh?" she turned back to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Layla has.... ways of trying to get attention. Usually trying to get a rise out of people or be incredibly hyper to make people keep up with her." Zac explained as he walked over to the co pilot's chair, "That's kinda what she's doing with you. She's excited when you show any interest in her because that's what she wants. So long as you're interacting with her, she's going to behave that way."

"And if she didn't like me?" Blackfire scoffed.

"She'd shut you out." Zac bluntly said, "Not really interact with you at all, ignore you or just be numb to you. Mopey I guess. She barely interacts with her mother and step dad cause they barely do the same with her. And usually when they do, it's something for them, not her." He gave a chuckle.

"The fact she's choosing to mess with you means she's.... excited to have you around."

Blackfire simply said nothing, puasing in thought as she slowly rotated her chair back to face the computer. Her lips were pursed in thought before she went back to feeding info into the screen. But Zac was pretty sure he saw an uptick in her lips edges. That seemed like a good sign or at least that she was taking that bit of info well.

And if she was 'doing well' right now, why not ask a question? Hopefully one that won't get him hung.

"So... honest question. Your powers..., they still ...."

"Shorting out or overcharging?" she held up a hand as it glowed at a steady rate, "No. Yet at the same time I don't feel as strong as I used to?" she got up out of her chair and moved to him.

Without a chance to react, Blackfire had Zac raised up over her head in one hand, his foot balanced in her palm perfectly. As he started to lose his balanced and tumble, she helped him back down into the chair... with a small thud on landing though.

"I still feel as strong as I used to be before Cupid's work and gift but I don't feel as.... contained now?" She cupped her chin in thought, "If I had to guess, my power reserves are actually greater now but currently my ability to accumulate said power isn't enough to overflow it. Before that's what I was dealing with, overflow and well..." she looked at him again and licked her lips, "You DID help me burn that out it seemed."

"Point is my powers are currently stable it seems and as I fully settle into my new parameters, I should become even stronger than before." She moved back to her chair, leaning on it as she brought her arms down her sides in a showy manner, "SO bask in the new and improved Blackfire 2.0, ah, I'll be cracking ships in no time at all."

"Right....," he muttered, hoping to move her onto another subject "That's one thing dealt with. .... so what's next?"

Blackfire clicked a button and pulled up a starmap on the main screen, showing off a few different colored routes and paths toward their destination. A few ended in 'X's or even a rare skull mark but there were more than enough paths it seemed to get back to her home planet which was shining a bright purple glow. The only big issue he was thinking about was some of the markings next to the 'clear' paths.

"I've plotted a few paths towards my home, we take one and make for it. Granted from what info I picked up while you were...., carousing at the bar.."

"HEY you're the one that..."

"WE should probably pick up more supplies before leaving as a just in case." She folded her arms before he could say anything, and continued on with her talk, "There's a few blockades, skirmishes and other interference on the most direct paths and any other path takes us out through the boonies region. EVEN more so than we are now."

"So do a little stocking before leaving? ....You have money for that right or are you going to steal it?" Zac huffed.

"I got actually PAID for taking out that gang, THANK you very much." Blackfire shot back, "It should be enough to pay for fuel and food just fine."

".....Are they going to let us back? Considering everything..."

"That depends on how much ownership the Syndicate has over the station as a whole. But I'm feeling MUCH better so I would be more than a match for anything they can throw at us." Blackfire puffed her chest and had a smile on her lips, "And while that was fun, being able to test myself in battle is... rather enticing now."

"So long as you're not like.... killing people in front of Layla or bringing more trouble into this." Zac said. Last thing they needed was wasting more time getting into fights.

"Well..., now if that's the case, I might need....," she pushed his shoulder a bit, sending him to the back of his chair and took a seat on his lap, her eyes tracing up and down his body, "OTHER ways of burning off this energy should it come back."

"Didn't you just say you'd go get some boy toy from a bar or something earlier?" he pointed out, "You said it yourself, affairs aren't against the contract you said so why do you need ME?"

"You've proven yourself you can keep up with me ONE night.... possibly even surpass me. ...And keep your mouth SHUT, 'dear'." she hissed out before he could get another word in, "I simply wonder if that's a... one and done type of thing. I have a wonderful toy so long as he doesn't TALK, why bother going and getting a new one? Besides..., being a good lay doesn't mean you instantly win my heart. I mean... HONESTLY, you think someone like you could keep up with someone like me? In power? In politics? In evil schemes and plots all the fighting the so call heroes? Please."

She got up off him and gave him a pat on his head with one finger as a chuckle came out her throat.

"You're a good lay 'dear' but you are too goody goody for my type, even if you were far more forceful in bed than your manners seem to make you. I highly doubt you'll be that determined when I'm commenting crimes. So..., just enjoy the ride, maybe I will too if you can pull off last night again."

He rolled his eyes as he sank back into his chair more. She did have a point; it's not like he was going to 'fuck' her into being a better person. Still, was this why he was picked out? Because he had experience with someone like her..., maybe not to this power and scale but..., that was a bit silly to expect that though.

"Look..., I'm... just a simple guy. I just want to get back home, and make sure my daughter is okay." he spoke up as he brought his head up to look at her, "You're right; I probably can't keep up with you. That's just not how I was raised or am, and nothing's gonna really change that. So I'm... not gonna make an effort to change you. I don't see a point if at the end of the day we're going to part ways." he got up and walked over to her.

Blackfire watched him approach and raised an eyebrow as he brought up a hand, offering it to her.

"I just ask for the trip you... limit your activities. After all, you DO have two people to take care of now. You can come back here and just like.... smash heads, take over the whole gang, and do your evil laugh on the burning wreckage of the station or ...whatever. Once we're out of your hair. Till then can you... kinda limit your villianous schemes in ways that might put US and thus yourself in danger?"

She thought about it. Taking what she wanted or tricking it out of people was her usual way of doing things. But if that put the man and his daughter at risk..., that wouldn't do. More so now with the ring, she did feel a sort of connection to him. If he was taken out, she was sure she'd be dragged down with him. And with as protective as he was of his daughter, her **** would lead to.... ugly ramifications on his part. None of which would turn out well if she was right in her thoughts.

Slowly, Blackfire raised up her hand and grasped his, a little harder than he had expected.

"I suppose that is... acceptable to me." she announced as they shook their hands, "However as an over protective father, I have to ask, would you kill for your daughter? If someone put her at risk, or you had to commit a crime would you?"

"...., In a heartbeat. So long as she'd be okay after the fact."

"Hmmm mmmm." a small smile formed on her lips, "Well then while I will... TRY to limit myself, you have to understand that at times it might be out of my control and a choice is going to be made. I will pick your lives and thus my own over your own morals and beliefs. Understand?"

"Crystal." he withdrew his hand from her small grin on his face, "I was a little worried, I thought you'd want like a blood pact or something."

"Well now..., if you want, we could do another pact sealing." she announced her eyes glinting and smile widening.

Zac was a little little worried about where she was going with this.