Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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An Aur Diamond in the Rough [Kinsey]

The man kept breathing and his heart kept beating, accompanied by a sickly silence and a persistently high fever.

His body shook and quivered for nearly an hour before stillness returned. The fever lasted another hour. An hour after that the man stirred faintly. He didn't move much and his eyes didn't immediately open, but it was clear he was regaining consciousness by the pained groan that sounded from the back of his throat.

Felt her hands on him, sensed her presence there, but could not fully grasp where he was, or when.

"...what happened."
 
“Thank the stars,” she murmured.

There was a cold compress on his forehead. Pibs had managed to clean up the vomited mess from earlier. Rune was still on the floor, cradled by various cushions from around the ship. She had managed to clean up the dark liquid from most of his skin and hair. A discarded cloth was evidence to that on the floor, stained through.

“I’m not sure,” she began.

Those few hours had been long and tense. Her muscles were far beyond crinks and cricks from staying by his side. He’d feel a cool and light touch on his wrist as she checked his pulse. Still weak but stronger than before.

“I think you saw something I never meant you to see. And I think,” compress shifted on his forehead. “It came close to killing you.” There was a cup of water in her hand. “Can you manage to drink anything?”
 
The man winced as he attempted to roll to his back, finding his side aching from the metal floor of the ship - not an ache he was unfamiliar with. Several months in a prison cell did not leave the memory so easily. With a groan Rune lifted a hand to his head, fingers pressing past the cold compress to rub gently at his eyes.

The happening had slowly begun to trickle in. Short glimpses. He was beginning to remember.

And strangely enough he didn't care much about the fact that he'd nearly died. Or the glass of water in her hand.

"Miss Kinsey," he remarked with the same amount of surprise as he had felt initially, "you're a Force User."
 
“Easy, easy,” she tutted and fussed as he rolled over, his back went against the hodge podge of ship cushions and blankets. She froze as he voiced his realization. A part of her wanted to run fast and far away. Jump out the airlock.

Only a few and far between knew what she was.

And it was for their own protection that most didn’t. One day, Sage would find her and any that got in his way - or he found connected to getting to her...would pay. Rune was powerful and she had no doubt his family was as well. But Sage was....well, Sage.

The pilot who was more than she seemed, set the water down. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she began to pick at her hydrospanner-fluffy socks, blue-eyes down. “I try not to be,” she admitted, slowly. Gaze lifted, zeroing on his.

“You have to promise me, Rune, not to tell anyone. Ever. No one.” Voice was urgent, serious. Quiet.
 
The man made a sound of discomfort, finding the cushions to be a bit jarring in the way they had been placed. Not quite fully beneath him on his side, now only half-so on his back. He furrowed his brow and pulled a cushion out from beneath his back, setting it off to the side so that he could recline more easily.

Once settled, or as settled as he could be, his eyes slowly opened. Glacier blues looked tired and concerned, recalling the tiny glimpses of her Force signature he thought he'd detected at other times. Things made some small amount of sense, more pieces of the puzzle that made up Kinsey Starchaser. A sigh of resignment to her request issued from his nose followed by a nod.

"I promise. Not a soul, I swear it."

And he recalled something he'd picked up from his much-too-short-lived step-child and thought to help break the tension. So he lifted his right hand and held it up all fingers curled save his pinky.

Pinky promise.
 
A slow quirk of her lip. A little sparkling glint, flashing in her eyes.

Seriously?

Of all people offering a pinky promise, she never pictured Rune one. Beyond the lightness he brought to the moment, she knew she could trust him. He’d kept his promise on the dark world they’d just left.

“You’re really something, aren’t you?” Pot calling kettle. The twitch in her lips turned into a full smile as she hooked her pinky in his own and did a quick shake. The girl replaced her hand with the cup of water.

“Drink. Your captain’s orders.” Uncurling her legs, she stood, grimacing from the stiff muscles.

Oooph.

“We should land somewhere and get you a proper bed for a few hours. And better food than ship’s rations. I can’t deliver you half dead to this deal. Don’t need anymore powerful families on my tail.”
 
He returned her smile with a careworn smirk of his own. Good, that's what he'd been aiming for.

And then blinked as the water was placed into his hand, smirk broadening just a hair in amusement, "Yes ma'am," uttered after her as she stepped around him to make way for the front of the ship again, talking about another pit stop. He wouldn't mind one so long as it was any fraction better than the last stop.

He drank from the glass, finding his throat far more parched than he thought, and downed it in a few gulps. Then he was slowly pushing himself up, first into a sit and then carefully back to his feet. An ache still remained in his joints and a sickly wooziness set in as he stood, but these were things he was not so unfamiliar with. Wasn't the first time he'd been blasted by Force Light and, he thought with a morbid grimace, likely not the last.

Passing a hand through his hair and finding it still damp and slightly sticky despite Kinsey's efforts to clean him up, he resigned to the fact that he needed to take those matters into his own hands.

"You have no need to worry about my family," he said as he began to unbotton the layers of clothing, pulling off the vest first and moving to his shirt, "none at all."
 
“Oh yeah?”

At the controls in the cockpit, she pulled up a starmap. “How can you be so sure?” In her experience, family tended to be vengeful of their own. Giving a quick glance back, she caught a shirtless Rune. Wasn’t the first time she’d seen him shirtless. Only this time, she noticed it a little more closely.

Head turned quickly back to the chart.

“Lesse. Looks like we’re close to...huh...looks like a tourist station. Advertised as Paradise Getaway in the Stars.”

Kinsey snorted. She, obviously, never went to these types of places.
 
Rune smiled silently to himself as he thought of the morbid circumstances that brought him to the position of being able to say she had nothing to worry about of his family.

"Because the ones you would have had to worry about are long dead and most of the ones left think I am, too."

He folded his shirt and laid it over the chairback where his jacket currently hung, adding his vest on top of that. Moving next to collect his bag from the storage block, he perked a brow at the name Kinsey called back to him.

The man hummed thoughtfully, adding a "Sounds perfect," with a mild smirk over his shoulder before heading into the fresher.

Rune reappeared a short while later dressed in clean pants but still shirtless, damp platinum hair combed to a sleek sheen and still leaving drips on the floor. Setting his things aside he looked around at all the cushions and pillows still on the floor and began to tidy them up as best he could. Honestly he had no idea where half the stuff had come from. Clearly Kinsey had more Force magic up her sleeves than she lead on.
 
They were just docking at the station as Rune got out. The transition to real space had been the smoothest yet. She bet he hadn’t even felt it in the refresher. From her vantage point, she could see a large swimming pool with different levels, fountains, slides, and all type of folk in floaties. Clear glass was the only thing between the water and the void. Must’ve been extremely fortified and shielded.

That was terrifying because Kinsey couldn’t swim.

Definitely not going to that level. As the u-wing landed on the assigned platform, she glanced back.

“Heyhey. Stop that. You’re supposed to be taking it easy, remember?”

She’d spoken too late because he was already done tidying.

And his shirt was still off. Kinsey found herself staring. Pibs whistled, saving her. “Yeah, yeah, stay with the ship. Rune, erm, are you ready?”

Eyes focused on...not his chest.
 
He was pulling out a clean tunic and frowning at the wrinkles as she asked if he was ready. Rune did not typically abide by wrinkles when he could help it, but Kinsey seemed itching to leave the ship. Unusual, but he wouldn't ask questions. He pulled it on, tucked it in, and topped it with his vest and coat. Moving to his bag to procure a few more things to fill his pockets, he stowed it back into the storage block and nodded after her.

With a gesture of a silent ladies first, he followed her out - steps a little less clipped than usual. Hadn't quite shaken that episode yet.

The man's brows lifted and he took a moment to take in their surroundings. It wasn't as upscale as some places, but it was a far cry from the dark pit of despair they'd escaped from or the shadowports they'd stopped in.

"Well, where do we begin?"
 
“Maybe get you a room? Room-service meal?” They were winding their way to the inner levels of the station where a wide-open space erupted with flashing holo-screens, lifts, maps, and multiple desks. Clearly the concierge level.

Kinsey did not include herself on the room or food situation on purpose. Places like these just made her uncomfortable. The spacer preferred her ship and the work there.

Although, a part of her didn’t want to leave Rune alone. She didn’t trust his health level quite yet.

“Oh wow. Look at that,” she said dryly. “They even have a casino level. Theater. Beach, Hoth-like ski slopes.”
 
He joined her by the screen, blue eyes reflecting the light of the holoprojected lists and images with great vibrancy.

"It has been ... a long time since I've stepped foot in a casino," he wasn't a gambling man, but he'd found himself partial to a casino at a darker point in his life, "or a theater for that matter. But a room sounds like a good place to start."

Peering at the screen, he pressed a call button for a cab and found much to his amazement that one appeared as if out of thin air. Not like they were lying in wait for the opportune moment or anything.

"Since the last meal was less than stellar," Rune looked to Kinsey, "allow me to treat you?"
 
Kinsey opened the door and slid into the back of the seat, making room for Rune to follow.

“Are you going to make it easy for me to say no?” There might’ve been the slightest twitch in the corner of her mouth. “And you’re in luck in the casino thing. Looks like there are rooms open at the Palooza Royal, one of the more popular casinos here.”

Once Rune was tucked inside, the cab was off.

Kinsey carefully tucked the chain with Rune’s ring on it beneath her tunic. Could never be too careful in a place like this. It was a pickpocket’s dream.
 
The man donned a faint lopsided smile, looking to Kinsey at her first question and shaking his head.

No, he was not going to make it easy. Kinsey would be fed, and she would be fed very well.

"Where we off to Boss?" the cabbi asked back through the separator window.

Well, what the hell. He'd not played a good round of djarik in forever, "Palooza Royal."

"You got it."

Rune caught the gleam of the chain and ring as she stowed it away and frowned to himself as his mind drifted back to that place. He frowned not for the ring or anything else one might expect. The frown was for her forgotten jacket. Perhaps, he thought, there might be a shop here that he might find her a new one.

"Do you play djarik?" he asked of her, thinking that if she didn't she might like the opportunity to learn. Kinsey had a spitfire attitude, she'd likely be pretty good at it.
 
“Never been much of a gambler,” the girl admitted. She gambled enough with her job. Not to mention, she didn’t have many credits to spare. Not for recreational activities.

Lights got brighter as the cab got closer to the gambling strip. Kinsey pressed her face to the window, tilting her head back to look up.

“Impressive. Could almost forget we’re in a space station.”

“That’s nothing,”the cabbie called back. “The hot springs and baths are tropical themed. Very classy.”

Kinsey rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Rune. “I take it you’re an avid player? What other skills do I not know about you?”

The cab pulled up in front of the casino/hotel. All types of folk wandered in and out. Some with exotic costumes. Or well, maybe just their regular clothes. Hard to tell. Some even lead some animals and beasts on leashes.
 
"I was pretty good at it for a short period of time in my life," the man admitted, partly craning his head to look out at the views of his own window. Space stations were truly a remarkable example of ingenuity and engineering. He had to wonder if this station might not have been designed or built in part by CETO - something he'd have to look up later. Space Stations had been part of the onboarding package.

"I'm also proficient in Porg-Pogs and Tiddlywinks," a humored smirk, his mind thinking back to the games he played with his step-son, "did you say hot springs?"

"Aye Boss, ask for the Malua Tropicana, and make sure you try the Sex on the Beach. Best in the station."

Rune was pretty sure the man was referring to a beverage, but his brows raised mildly at the words regardless, "Thank you for the suggestion," and passed him a credit chit, "keep it."

"Pleasure Boss, if you want a station tour or need anything else just put in a request for Randall. I'll get you wherever you need to go."

A pale hand patted the top of the speeder as he closed the door after Kinsey departed, a turn on his heel bringing him to face the entrance to the casino. A myriad of colors and races surrounded them, all in vastly good spirits - the polar opposite from their last destination. It was a welcome change of pace.

"What are you hungry for Miss Kinsey?" Rune asked as they stepped in to the line for the front desk.
 
The girl was about to state very strongly that she would not be joining Rune for any activities that involved water. But for the moment, she kept her mouth shut, knowing he might ask why. Not being able to swim was....well...embarrassing.

As they went inside, Kinsey couldn’t help the worried look around. Just making sure there were no unfriendlies. Bounty hunters. Assassins.

Would be rare to run into the like here but one never knew.

Starburst-blues flickered to Rune as they got closer to the front of the line. “A nerf burger and some chips. Something simple.” Made sense after the fiasco of Avrill. She didn’t want anything that reminded her of Lord Umber’s table.

“Sans sex on the beach,” she smirked.

A woman with blue skin at the front desk greeted them. “Hello and welcome to Palooza Royal. What kind of room are you looking for? We have several honeymoon suites available. Nice heart-shaped jacuzzi and everything.”

Kinsey’s eyes bulged.
 
"Mm," Rune replied, hands folded at his back while the line slowly inched forward, "the elusive chips." He said nothing about the sex on the beach.

Gaze casting to the blue-skinned woman, the man offered a light smile and shook his head, holding a hand up to stop the woman there, "No, thank you. A suite for myself -" he gaze panned to Kinsey questioningly. The man wasn't want to make the woman leave her ship and, given how she'd slept fretfully at the last hotel, she'd likely prefer her comfort zone. His instincts weren't wrong.

Kinsey shook her head.

"Just the one, thank you," he passed over his credit bar, "best place for ..." a brow larked at Kinsey with a half smirk, "burger and chips?"

"Darzo's Grille," said the woman with a bright smile, "level C2. Here you are Mr. Shamalain, your room is on level S1. Here is your key. Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, that's perfect."

"Lift gates are that way. Enjoy!"

Tucking away his credit bar and room key, Rune walked alongside Kinsey to the lift gates and stepped inside, pressing the button for C2, "You know, there might be some place here to find a new jacket..."
 
Fingers came up tuck freshly brushed hair beneath her ears.

Ah yes, the jacket. A part of her was surprised he noticed and remembered. “Maybe.” She didnt doubt they sold all sorts of jackets here. But her previous jacket she’d had forever. There were so many memories tied to it. Ruffled up spots. Smells. It wouldn’t be easy to replace.

The lift dinged, doors opening to another level. Looked like the gambling rooms were on the same level as the restaurant.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for a new one yet,” she admitted with a sad-quick smile. “But Rune,” The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel bad. “It’s just a jacket.” The girl lied through her teeth.

The Grille was small. Diner style. And popular.

Kinsey looked around, leaning into Rune. “I think we just seat ourselves.” Chin tipped to a small booth in the corner with a view of the bustling casinos just across the street.
 

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