Adrift

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]


"I'll keep it in mind."


Delila wasn't too sure on striking off with someone. It wasn't that she minded, whatever he did in the military obviously kept him busy and on the move. She wasn't sure if being in close quarters was wise anymore. It wasn't as if she burned a bunch of bridges previously. Maybe sticking to herself this time would make more sense. Exile. Semi-hermit? Something of the sort.


She finished off the first drink and poured another of a different liquid. It didn't seem Scars was in an overly talkative mood, not that it bothered her. Delila had been quiet for years. She shifted, pulling her feet up underneath her and leaning into the arm of the couch.

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Locke grunted, but did not push.

Instead the man followed suit and emptied his glass, before picking another bottle at random. The glass was filled with liquid amber soon enough and the taste of a burn filled the edges of his mouth, but it was the good kind of burn. The burn that reminded him of the here and now, the one that made him wonder why he was feeling the way he did in the first place and the one that pushed him towards a different direction with his thoughts.

"So, what did ya like to do, before you got stranded here?" The tread of his talk loosened ever so slightly. It wasn't intoxication, wasn't even the hint of tipsiness, just a man trying to direct his own thoughts into more... positive grounds.

It was one of the things he was experienced with.

Localizing when clouds hung around him and when it was time to try and disperse them.

"Hobbies?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]


Delila watched the liquid swirl around the glass as she held it. Scars was speaking now, asking about what she did before arriving on her jungle exile. Or what she liked to do anyways. Hobbies. Truth be told, she had a few but it wasn't nothing of importance. Most of the time it had been solo activities, things she struck out and did on her own. Another sip of liquid. She was regulating herself.


Probably wasn't wise to test her cloned liver without knowing if it working properly.


"Funny enough...I used to love to hike. Used to be my favorite thing to do. Something about being out in nature and the peace it brought. I needed it.Nothing like stepping foot on another planet and just exploring. "


"I think spending time here has diminished that though...although I hope not." A pause. "Other things too, firing range was another favorite. "


Delila fell quiet, thinking. How much life had changed. How much it had passed her by.


"You?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

[double post]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

That got a low chuckle out of him.

Wouldn't surprise him at all if the little jaunt on this planet would have wiped off any stomach she had for hiking. It only took a few months of forced activity to remove any traces of your previous joy, wouldn't surprise him if a few years of this? Would have completely knocked her off that particular path. Locke had never been much of a hiker, truth to be told, he preferred the urban, the streets and walks, the alleyways and the clubs. The soft cadence of the city humming while you were walking by, it was a thing that you couldn't get out there in the forests.

"Never had much time for hobbies, honestly." Elliot responded after a while. "Loved to cook though, get a few ingredients and just shape it the right way and make something tasty."

A shrug of the shoulders.

"Go out for a few drinks, dance a little, had a mean karaoke voice."

The usual.

"You had anyone waiting for you at home?" This wasn't about the bridges she had burned with her friends, he was asking for something more... specific. Might be a subtle angle to something more serious, might be he was just curious.

Who knew with Locke?

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]


A small nod. She knew about not having any time for hobbies. Hiking had been worked into assignments to far-flung locations. Had an off day from observing a bunker or setting up communications? What better way to pass the time then take a little jaunt and see the sights. Brow lofted at the mention of karaoke and dancing. Scars, a singer?


"Yeah, I did." Delila took a long sip of her drink and set the glass down, finished. "About three houseplants. One was half-dead already. Not sure why I bothered trying to keep them alive. Something to come home to I guess."


"As for you....I'm going to peg it. You've got a gal waiting a home. You look the type...as in the type of guy who needs a wife to keep him in line. Keep your ego in check. Feet in reality. Some type of shelter in the storm that is your chaotic life. I get it, doing this type of work. Its rough. You either need a strong person at home or lets face it, you're better off going through your life alone."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

There was amusement apparent as she spun the tale of Locke's possible wife.

Very amusing tale, even if it wasn't based in any form of fact.

There were women, there were always women and one among them still tugged at his attention sometimes. The zeltron lady whose life he had saved on Atrisia and had met up a fair amount of time. Locke wondered if Joza would even miss him, if he never returned her calls anymore because he was busy fending for his life on this wreck of a world. Probably not, they weren't that close, met up about two times and that was about it.

Pleasant times, but she'd probably assume he was either dead, undercover or simply moved on.

"Nah, you can rest easy." A sip of the glass and he grinned softly. "You still got a shot, I might even let you take it, if you keep being this charming."

It was slowly turning from teasing to a serious thought.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]



A bit of red flushed her cheeks before reeling herself in. Of course Scars was just being charming. Delila charmed by a gentleman? Quite a rarity.


"Oh really?" Brow lofted slightly in mock surprise. "I, little old Delila Castillon, can be the Mrs.Scars? Well, well....This truly is my day. What colors for the wedding darling? Open bar? Oh...I know, a tropical beach theme."



Grin graced her features at her own jokes. Dells had never been one for relationships. Typically she ruined them, wasn't her style. It made the previous statements all the more amusing to her. Grin slowly faded and she kicked back against the cushions, turning to see Scars more. He wasn't bad looking. Handsome even. Fairly decent personality, especially putting up with her for the last couple of days.


"I'd ruin you for all other women Scars. Doesn't seem fair to the legions of women lined up in every port, waiting for your triumphant return."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Scars wasn't really a relationship person either.

Couldn't really be with the kind of job he was in - it meant traveling all the times, so no opportunity to settle down and it meant that more often than not... he had to do shady crap to fit in. Kark whoever, whenever, get karked, Elly wasn't gonna claim it wasn't fun sometimes, but you couldn't expect a lady to just accept that crap.

Never really found a woman who would have anyway.

"It's fine, Dahlia, you aren't gonna be impressed by any man after me." An amused shrug followed soon, before he took another sip from his glass.

Emptying it.

"Seems only fair to repay the favor."

The glass was put on the table, almost as if it was a statement of intent.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]



There was a snort of amusement.



Delila watched him set down his glass with a sort of finality. It was a statement. A yes or no.



"Alright Scars, lets see what you've got."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Something was prodding against his spine.

After a momentary inspection Locke pulled out a bottle from underneath him. He inspected it - empty... brandy, so much brandy - the man coughed and shook his head at himself. Putting the bottle away to the side stirred some movement next to him, warm, close, soft, suddenly the memories started rushing back towards him of the last night spend.

That had been... oef.

Most of his bones hurt right now.

The sheer ferocity had caught him off-guard, but in a good way. Aggressive passion, nails digging in, teeth grinding, muscle tension rising, there was a soft spot for him if there was any.

"Mmhm." He leaned back against the uncomfortable couch and closed his eyes.

Figured if she was still asleep, he could take it easy.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]


His stirring drug her out of her slumber. Being alone for the last ten years, noises like coughing or rustling against fabric were out of place, odd for her to hear. Odder still for a warm body to be pressed against her, a slight weight against her own form. Delila stretched slightly, trying not to take up too much space on the already cramped couch. Support bar was digging into her hip, causing sore muscles to protest even further.


Going to sit up on her elbow, Delila realized she tried that move entirely too fast, laying back down. What had happened? Brandy, right. Scars had gotten into his head that it would loosen things up. To be fair, he was right.


Turning over, she rested her head on his chest as if it was magically going to stop the world from spinning. It did to a point, but only because she had stopped moving and relaxed again. There was a comfort about being this close to someone else. Not that she would readily admit it out loud anytime soon.


"Scars?" She paused, wondering if he was awake. It didn't matter. "I think I'm getting old, every muscle is screaming in protest."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Once her head rested on his chest and her breath shifted Elly realized she was awake.

Already his arm automatically curled around her, pulling her slightly closer without choking her out needlessly. They all needed their space sometimes. But some measure of affection wasn't going to kill anyone in his mind. A chuckle escaped him once she started complaining of muscle ache.

In truth he was experiencing the same in equal measures.

The night had been.... wild and it had surprised him pleasantly. The banter had suggested things, but it was only when executed in practice that Elly had it confirmed.

"Same here.... same here." his hand softly brushed her hair, before he closed his eyes again and tried to enjoy the moment. "No regrets here though."

Definitely no regrets.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]


One would think years on a jungle planet, doing nearly everything by hand, walking kilometers on kilometers, moving stones would have put her in enough shape. She was doing her best to convince herself age combined with a complete lack of certain muscle groups. Yawn escaped her as Scars mentioned no regrets.


Mouth quirked in a bit of an amused expression.


"Little late for regrets now.Not as if you can do much about it."


There was another small stretch. Delila was going to have to motivate herself in a moment. Take a shower. See if Scars had any tea available. Then work on the vessel. Personally she had doubts about getting it air worthy again. There was a thought in her head to boost the signal. Delila had brought some extra parts before they had gotten distracted with her electrocution.


Might actually be able to make it work.


As her mind drifted so did her hand, running across his shoulder. Thumb ran across his collar bone, lost in thought about the ship. A raised bump brought her back to attention, her thumb following the line and realizing what it was.


"Sorry about the scratches....thought my nails were shorter honestly...." A smirk. "Should disappear by the time you get back to your adoring fans."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Considering she was already awake he might as well get a smoke in.

So Locke's hand started exploring the floor, until he arrived at his pants.

Took some digging through his pockets, but eventually the cigarettes came out and a lighter to boot, perfect. Didn't take long for the tip to be lit and the smoke to softly curl from it into the air. No offer was made for her to get a smoke, because he recalled her saying she didn't actually smoke. Elly didn't judge, didn't seem to be a reason to, people did as they wished and that was that.

He looked down once she mentioned the scratches.

It was honestly just at that point that he noticed them and the soft sting humming at the back of his mind.

"Didn't even notice 'em til now." He drawled from between his cigarette, while pulling her in closer. "It's fine though, scars of war are always appreciated by the ladies."

A stretch of his own followed as muscles ached and complained.

"Probably best to take a shower soon."

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]


"Alright Mr. Too-Cool-For-School."


Eyes rolled at his 'scars of war' comment. Scars certainly lived up to his nickname in her opinion. Smoke drifted around him, looking as if he was some character straight out of a Holo Film. Ego for it too, even though there was a second side to Scars, so far he wasn't completely insufferable. Hand patted his chest as if to say 'yeah, sure they do'.


"Already ahead of you on that."


Dells was slowly sitting up, head still pounding but the room wasn't spinning anymore. Useful. As nice as it was to lounge around with Scars and forget for a little while, there were things to do. Shower.Tea.Communications. Pushing herself off the uncomfortable couch, curse was muttered under her breath as she started towards the 'fresher. Next time he got the wild idea of staying on the couch Scars would be staying out alone.


"Come on Scars, finish up and join me. Can't be wasting valuable resources like soap and water."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Locke snorted in response to her response.

Perhaps she had taken him a bit too seriously, because most of his attitude was simple satire and joke. He didn't truly think of them as scars of war, but he knew that some truly did. So, perhaps that was where the confusion had come from. He was quiet content with letting her take her own impressions from him though. In fact, it was probably better this way.

It meant that once he acted outside of the scope of her impression she would be surprised.

That was always a positive in his book.

"Uhuh." He mumbled from between his cigarette, while his eyes sized her up. She had a few marks herself now, teeth, nails, it had been a pleasant evening, but Elly agreed with the couch sentiment.

Thing was far too crappy for an extended stay.

"Warm it up, I will join ya in a second."

Might be time for a round two as well.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]



Ragged breathing echoed in the small space. Hand curled around where Scars' neck and shoulder met, using it as a balancing point. Forehead rested against his chest as she caught her breath. At this point, it seemed Scars just might be the death of her. Perhaps its what she got for asking him to wash her hair and make himself useful. Certainly made himself useful alright.


"At this rate you're never going to get off planet."


In a short time span he already knew how to push her buttons, elicit a response even when she wasn't looking for one. It bothered her on a small level, wondering if she had become that easy to read. Wondering if she wasn't the same hard-hearted soldier that was presumed dead. To have someone figure you out so quickly? It was unsettling.


Forehead removed from his chest as she reached for a towel, taking him in once more. She was still trying to figure him out. A decade removed from other sentients made her people-reading skills more than rusty.


"So were where you a decade ago? Could've used you in my life."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

It wasn't her, not entirely.

Might have been that her edges were a bit dulled after being away from civilization for a decade. Might be she was easier around the interaction-side, because some part of her needed the interaction after a decade away, but the honest truth was that this was Elly's job at the end of the day.

He wasn't even doing it consciously, wasn't maliciously getting under her skin or anything.

But the SIS agent had a talent for figuring out people and making it a pleasant affair for all of them around. It's what made him a good agent, it's what made him a successful one.

He nuzzled at her hair softly, before she pulled away.

"Gotta have some off time, Dahlia, otherwise we will go mad." Locke followed her out, figuring play-time was over, so he let her handle her business while he took out a towel of his own. He shivered slightly as the cold hit him and bit his skin, but it was manageable by and large.

A decade ago?

"Hmm... think I was elbow deep investigating a Hutt Cartel back then, but it's fine." He chuckled softly. "You got me now, better late than never, eh?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Elliot Locke"]


"Yeah, I've always struggled with that. Jungle exile not quite what I had in mind. More white sand beaches and fruity drinks, less oppressive humidity and lack of basics."


Delila rarely took time off when she worked. Didn't see the need when she had off days sprinkled in between the action. Wasn't in her nature. Or its what she liked to tell herself. Lounging around without something to occupy her mind just led to thoughts she'd rather not explore.


"Hutt Cartel? Never tangled with them. Busy with the Bando Gora. Its how I got this."


Hand motioned to the faint inverted Y-shaped scar running between her breasts and off to each side of her abdomen. There was a bit of a shrug and grin.


"You're not the only one with some badass scars to impress with. Not that everyone gets to see this, obviously."


Shirt went over her head, pants wiggled back on and her well-worn boots back on her feet. Towel hung back up on the rod, brushing past Scars in the tight space. She playfully shouldered him before retreating back out for her tea and that ship manual.