Dark Dunes

[Seo Linn]

Her little sisters weren't yet fully conversant on reading people. They were learning though. The three of them looked at each, then Seo and Mereel. All of them made kissy faces at the same time and giggled. Whatever had transpired between her and Mereel, these girls had a very good idea. Saraid cleared her throat at the girls and chided them slightly. That almost set them off more and his laughing just contributed to it.

All of them watched him as he brought his glass to drink and when he looked at her father, he raised a glass as well. Not just him, but everybody else.

"Similar. A fruit grown on Lorrd and made here. Not quite as potent as Tihaar, but drink enough and it wouldn't matter."

She knew her family very well and with the raised glasses, they wanted one of them to speak. Similar to a toast, but not totally. More something spoken from the heart. As Seo was about to say something, her son spoke for the first time since they had arrived.

"Happiness is not ready made. It comes from your own actions."

He was coming of age soon, his voice indicated as much. A deep tone, but still would crack at times. She turned and smiled at him, taking a seat next to him and on her other was Mereel.

If Mereel had noticed anything different about dinner...there was no silverware to eat with. A platter in the middle held extra food and on his plate was thin bread wrapped around some meat and vegetables.

Looking at Mereel, Seo actually made sure all could see her expression.

"I hope you like it and what my father said is true. You are even if you don't think so."

[member="Mereel Vaun"]​

 

[Mereel Vaun]

There was a hint of a faint blush on his cheeks ever since Seo's little sisters had done their thing, but other than that he conveyed no other signs of embarrassment as Daithi told him what the drink was and Aodhan spoke for a short toast.

The lack of silverware didn't surprise him, he was well travelled and the meal looked like fingerfood anyway.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll love this." He said confidently. After being forced to eat the same small critters again and again while on Endor's forest moon, he viewed almost all new meals thrown in front of him as a delicacy.

He didn't say anything in response to the latter part of her comment, although he did give Seo a small smile. In all honesty he didn't believe he was a good man. Even his path to becoming a Jedi had one ill intention: becoming powerful enough to return home and kill Detrik. At best he viewed himself as somewhat okay, and at absolute worst he saw himself as a self-serving vengeful soul.

He picked up his food like any other wrap and took a hearty bite, washing it down with a small swig from the not-tihaar drink. As expected, he genuinely enjoyed the food, and the not-tihaar packed a little less of a punch than the normal drink, which was a nice touch.

He made sure he had swallowed everything and looked at Daithi with a grin, "Wow. If I didn't know better I'd swear you were trying to get me back off the wagon with this. Thank you, it's really good."

Then his head tilted to Saraid and Seo's sisters, "And the food is great too."

Before taking another bite, he looked at Seo with an amused grin, "You know, you're not such bad company yourself. I am curious as to how you learned such a dirty word though."

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

What her sisters did, brought a small chuckle from and smile from her. When Mereel laughed at the Mandoa insult, everybody seemed to just let out a sigh and relax. It wasn't that the atmosphere was very tense, but some tension was present. They all dug into their food with a little common conversation.

Daithi laughed with good nature at what Mereel said about taking him off the wagon.

"You're more than welcome to have as much as you want. If you think of it like juice, you'll be feeling really well after about three glasses."

There were clear similarities between Seo and Daithi. While her mother had not yet been given much opportunity to speak, if Mereel made any mental observations, he would notice Seo was more like her father in many aspects. Humor, temperament and intelligence were the most noticeable. Her mother was intelligent too, but in a different way than the logic the other two used. The children, even her son were still finding where they belonged and who they took after the most.

When he said the dinner was great, Saraid gave him a nod and a smile that looked like something Seo would give him. At the time Mereel made his comment, Seo was in the process of taking another bite of her food and it caught her by surprise.

You realize my parents are going to put us in the same room now. Not that I mind...​

With a blush of her own, she pretended to be choking on her food to hide it from her family. It was a total failure and all the kids including her own just burst out laughing. Not at either of them, but because of the humor of them both blushing and acting like two kids that had a crush on each other.

"Idiot is not a dirty word. There are worse ones. I learned it when I was a teenager about Aodhan's age. The then government had various encounters with Mandalorians. We of Lorrd are people that can pick up languages, inflections and the attitudes of any human race or culture. In the past, it is what made us spies and even assassins."

A brief answer to a lon​g story and a bit of history of her people wrapped all into one neat package.

"Thank you, Mereel."

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

The duality between Seo's mother and father became incredibly obvious to him as Daithe told him to freely partake of the drink and Saraid gave him a familiar smile.

He was about to tell Daithe that he would much rather not fall back into his old creature habit, but he was cut short by Seo interjecting herself into his thoughts.

He thought he had gotten over the shivers he got from her telepathy, but apparently he had been wrong. His face turned ruby red, and suddenly eating was the last thing on his mind.

Thankfully, Seo took some of the pressure off of him with her fake choking, and he was able to mutter through a stiffled laugh, "Don't mention it."

I can't say that I want you to be wrong.

"And I think I'd recognize a Mandalorian obscenity when I hear one. I'm the one who almost wore the armor here after all."

He mockingly chided. He wasn't afraid of her parents finding out about his Mandalorian roots, he had already inquired about tihaar, and he carried himself like a man who wore armor, they probably could've put two and two together.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

The laughter came to a close, but everybody was in quite a good mood. It was natural and Seo was glad she had invited Mereel here. Not just so they could spend the time together, that was a selfish reason, but to meet her family. She was exceptionally pleased he accepted the surprising news of her son and hoped Aodhan would accept him in his life. No matter how fleeting they might be here, Seo felt she would continue to spend more time with Mereel.

Deciding to forgo any further attempted deception of her budding feelings for him, Seo took a hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze. The motion would not be missed by her family and it wasn't worth it anymore. Not that it ever had been.

I​ am not wrong and I'm glad. Even if we spent the entire night talking, they will have us together. Somehow my intuition tells me there wouldn't be too much conversation. Is that som...nevermind.

"You know I thought hut'uun was worse than dikut. Am I wrong?"

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

As the laughter settled down, the red drained out of Mereel's cheeks and he took a moment to just take it all in. He wasn't sure how Seo or her family had managed to do it, but they actually seemed like a fully functional and happy family. Despite Lorrd's awful history, and despite the terrible things Seo had been through to have a son, they all seemed genuinely happy.

Even with the rocky start, he also felt happy here, certainly more so than he could recall himself ever being when he was growing up with his clan, and perhaps even more than how he felt around the crew of the Iviin'yc. The jury was still out on that one, but he wasn't even sure he should have been comparing the two in the first place. The bond between Seo and her family was without a doubt different than what he had with his ship's crew, but it was the only real bond that he had to compare.

It was a sobering thought.

Better fix that.

His left hand began reaching for the mug of Lorrdian lambic beer just as his right felt the warmth of Seo's hand and the familiar squeeze that so often accompanied it. He stopped reaching for the drink in an instant, and a grin formed on his face as he returned her squeeze with a gentle one of his own.

Although he found telepathy somewhat unsettling, he had gotten used to having her pop into his mind, and enjoyed the fact that they could have their private conversations. However; he was something of a pragmatist, and her verbal question had presented him a perfect opportunity to zap two mynocks with one blaster bolt.

An ardent glint shone through his eyes as he looked into hers, "Your intuition's right on the mark."

The glint only partially faded from his eyes as he started addressing her actual question, "Being a coward is much, much worse than being an idiot in Mandalorian society. A lot of folk consider that to be the worst possible insult you can throw at another mando. But besides all the honor crap, my personal belief is that the imagery behind hut'uun is worse too. No one wants to picture being a hutt."

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

He did not answer her unfinished mental question with a mental one of his own and instead answered it verbally. There was a glint in his eyes as he did and that wasn't missed by anybody. Even if they couldn't be sure of what went on between them through the Force, they would know more now. And it did answer the question. Seo didn't blush, but returned the smile. In her opinion, the two of them had just sealed their fate and she was happy with that.

There was a reason she had asked her question out loud. Her sisters were still learning. Cursing was one of the first things taught usually. Everybody cursed at times and the timing of doing it was key to fitting in. To know when to cuss, how to use the words properly and what they meant. When he said nobody wants to picture a hutt, those girls started giggling.

Her son was still pretty observant like Seo would be after meeting somebody new. This might be his home, but he took careful note of Mereel. Like he was reading him like a book. The joke Mereel gave did get a little smile from the teen though. Seo leaned over and whispered something to her son. Whatever she said caused him to look at Mereel and nod. He also relaxed and started eating. Not looking again at Mereel, he focused on his dinner. Like any growing boy, he practically inhaled his food and took more. When he finished his second helping, he asked to be excused and left the table.

The rest of dinner was pleasant with all parties catching up on things. Aodhan returned when she was retelling her family on what happened to get her captured and what happened after. After the dishes were cleared away, he set something up on the table. Looking at Mereel he spoke.

"Go on and open it, Mereel."

It was a larger package than what Seo had given at the spaceport. Once it was opened was a set of clothing that would hopefully fit Mereel. They were what somebody from Lorrd would wear in the desert.

"You can try it on later. I don't need to see you change."

He might have been distant since Mereel had come, but like with Seo, warm up took a little bit of time and this was just a start.

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

When he first noticed Seo's son staring at him, he thought that something must've been stuck in his teeth. After running his tongue across the back and front of his teeth and coming up empty handed, he realized that her son was probably looking at him like that because of the look he had given his mom.

Either that or he had just inherited the oberservant nature from Seo. One of the two.

Although Seo had seemingly stopped Aodhan from staring at him with a whisper, it didn't stop Mereel from thinking about what he could do to make the boy more at ease. Even after Aodhan took his leave from the table he continued thinking about it.

When Aodhan returned and sat a package down on the table for him, he couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. "You're too kind, really. Not 'strip down out of everything in front of you' kind, but too kind all the same."

Mereel popped the package open and inspected the contents eagerly. The first thing he noticed was the fact that the pants and shirt only contained shades of tan. Aodhan had given him a desert traveller's outfit.

He brought his eyes back to focus on his company as he looked between Aodhan and Seo with a small smile. "Thank you. This'll match the scarf nicely."

He then focused his attention solely on Aodhan, "So.. Lorrd can make a pretty impressive brew. Tell me, do you have any impressive wildlife to match, or?"

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

The new gift may not have quite as much of the same touch that the scarf did, but it was still something personal from Aodhan. As Mereel opened the package, the family watched and her sisters nodded.

"You'll look like Papi and Col."

Her youngest spoke up and started to answer the question posed to Aodhan. The boy smiled at her and made a small motion with his hand. Turning to look at Mereel, he was silent for a moment or two. Trying to decide what he was after by asking what he did.

"There are many animals here. Anooba, Bantha, Dewback, Bergruufta, Sand Worms, Fathier, Cracian Thumpers and many others. Very few native to Lorrd and have been brought here over the years of occupation."

As he named off the diff​erent animals, the girl that had spoken up before would make child sounding sounds imitating what they sounded like. It was like a game and the girls tried to one up the other in sound accuracy. Eventually the game ended and they fell quiet again.

"Where are you from?"

A first sign of interest came from Aodhan, but he did want to know the answer.

"You're welcome for the clothing. They are going to be easier to keep sand out of than what you're wearing now."

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

Mereel flashed a small smile when Seo's sister said he'd look like Papi, which he assumed was her father, and someone named Col while wearing the outfit. The smile only grew wider from amusement as the youngest sister began answering Aodhan's question for him. The smile didn't linger on his face long though. When Aodhan mentioned sand worms, Mereel visibly recoiled. He had heard spacer warnings of an entire planet in the mid rim being deemed to dangerous for even crash landing on due to native sand borrowers, if the local sand worms were anything like those carnivorous monsters, he might be convinced to back down from his idea.

Even with the negative physical reaction on hearing of sand worms, the grin quickly reformed on his face as he listened to the girls imitating the sounds of the various beasts. Mereel glanced at the clothes again after Aodhan's last comment. The outfit looked like it had the potential to be a tight fit, he just hoped it wasn't as form fitting as some of Seo's current attire. When he wasn't in his armor, tight getups weren't his style - it was too hard to hide his lightsaber and blasters while wearing them.

Still, the novelty of receiving the present kept him beaming during and after his short inspection of the gift, "Thank the force for that. Sand is my third worst enemy." First being glitter, second being ewoks.

Mereel looked over to Seo's sisters for a second, "I grew up on some rock in the Unknown Regions that you've probably never heard of - Glacies Domum.. but I was born on Mandalore. Don't much act like that lot anymore, but I've still got the armor to show for it."

And then he looked back to Aodhan with a concerned look, "Hypothetically speaking, if I were to go on a hunting expedition for a day, how worried about the sand worms would I have to be?

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

He was right, none of them had heard of Glacies Domum, but Seo had been taken there before when they were captured. That trip was an interesting one and part of the tale she had been telling her sisters and mother earlier. The name Mandalore did mean something to them and Aodhan nodded briefly as a reply.

"The worms here aren't all that dangerous. Might loose an arm or leg, but they won't eat you whole. Small children can be killed and eaten though. Get more than one on you and you might be in danger."

Aodhan spoke with the confidence of one that had grown up here.

"Before you go out hunting, I would suggest learning how to live in the desert first. If that is something you already know, then you can go any time."

Seo was quiet during the exchange, but was happy to see her son speaking with Mereel instead of looking at him like he was an alien or some freak of nature. She met her son's eyes and smiled at him slightly and looked at the rest of her family.

"I also think you rest the night before."

He now looked between Seo and Mereel. Which brought a slightly lifted brow from Seo and he quickly looked away.

Even my son is putting us together in his mind. Are you ready?

"I am worn out and have that after eating sleep settling in."

Her parents looked at her, him and each other again.

"Go on you two. Make your bed."​

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

Mereel let out a sigh of relief at Aodhan's explanation of the worms. In hindsight, the fact that any other wildlife inhabited the surface should have told him what he needed to know, but it was better to be safe than sorry when dealing with things that had a remote chance of possibly being even slightly related to spacer bar stories.

Although the sands sounded relatively safe of worm attacks, he realized that the desert itself could present a problem to him now that he didn't have his armor. He would have to get used to the sands if he wanted to eventually take Aodhan out on a hunting trip without being a liability. The revelation didn't deter him, but did make him realize something: he needed to cool his jets. He was trying to force himself into Seo's family at breakneck speeds, either because he lacked his own or because of his feelings for Seo - or both.

As Aodhan looked between Seo and him, Mereel muttered,"That's reassuring, but I think I'll need some time to adjust to the sands before any big game hunting anyway."

In Mereel's mind, his sentence was punctuated by Seo's telepathic message. A small grin came back to his face as he responded to her question with one of his own,

Do you think you are?

Thanks largely to her warning, his expression wasn't exactly floored as her parent's told them to go ahead, but a little red still came to his cheeks. He stood from his chair and straightened himself out. He looked to Seo's parents as he waited for her to get up to inevitably drag him off to somewhere, "Thanks for dinner."

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

It was nice to know Mereel realized his current limitations and Seo appreciated it. The advice of her son was sound, but delivered in a rather blunt manner. Maybe she had been away from home for too long, but now she might have phrased it differently. Seo also knew it would take time for Aodhan to fully welcome Mereel into his life. In a way, they were quite alike. As she thought back on their various adventures, she remembered how she had been when they first met. Distant and blunt. Just like her son was at the moment.

Her sisters though welcome him and didn't act as closed as her son. Then again, they were children and acted like them. They could see the heart of a person with far better clarity than somebody older. So far in the hours Mereel had been in her home, only her son remained distant in any manner. Her parents were themselves as well as her sisters. Even Aodhan was himself, but held his true colors muted. She knew what they were though and just how much time it would take for them to show.

When Mereel answered her question with one of his own, she nodded, but remained silent. Jedi she might be, but she was human before that.

Yes. If I wasn't, do you think I would have invited you to meet my family?​

It really did fit. At first she had assumed it was because she had met his father, but now she didn't think that was fully the case. Not quite dragging him, she did motion for him to follow her. Seo knew where she was going on lead him into her old room. Now it was set up more as a guest room, but there were still touches of her remaining. Nothing from her childhood, but certainly from her own teenage years. She had been forced to grow up, but her own parents had done their best to allow her some sense of being a normal teen.

When the door closed behind them, Seo turned to face Mereel and held a hand out to him. She suddenly did feel like a child with a crush again, but knew the difference. He was real and not some fantasy. Mereel might not be a knight in shining armor and Seo was not some damsel in distress, but they could make a good companions and partners. He accepted her hand and in a deft movement, similar to what it had been on Ciomia, she pulled him close. It was different tonight though. In the privacy of her home, behind a closed door and away from any public attention, this moment had that much more meaning to her.

Seo held her hand locked with his and looked up at him for a moment, her breath slightly shallow and fast. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, but she wasn't that nervous. Her other hand moved to rest on his shoulder and she leaned in to whisper loud enough for only him to hear. If there were any little ears against her door, they wouldn't even hear what was said.

"Those kisses at the festival were mild. If they made our month...these will make our year."

She gave him a moment to answer if he wanted before sealing what she said with a kiss.

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

Just like it had on Cioma, surrendering his hand had proven to be a good idea when she pulled him in close.

Unlike on Cioma however, he didn't have any self doubts or worries about holding back his feelings due to codes or obligations. Looking into the subject had taught him that entire Orders of the past had been tolerant of relationships, and it wasn't like he had grown up with only the views of the Jedi Code to guide him during the first 28 years of his life anyway. He still carried some of his beliefs from before he joined the Remnant's Jedi Order. As long as he felt in control of his passion and not enslaved by rage, fear, or jealousy, he didn't see any point in repressing his feelings for Seo.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as his own slowly-paced breathing brought him back into the moment.

Her whisper stoked the flame in his heart more than any telepathy she had directed toward him ever had, and so he didn't slip in a snarky response right away. Instead, he just closed his eyes and locked his lips with hers, letting all of the feelings he felt for her surface and translate themselves into a desperate, passionate kiss.

He held it for a few seconds before pulling back just barely. Longing was the only thing in his eyes when he opened them.

Following her example, he brought his own volume down to a whisper, "I think you might be underestimating. You forgot that I'm not distracted by glitter tonight."

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

If it was possible to have melted, that's exactly what Seo would have done. Those kisses shared at the festival were like light pecks compared to those give now. She was not a stranger to the needs of a human, being one herself she also had them. One of the most basic needs was that of touch and that is exactly what she did.

Their gazes locked when the kiss ended. For just a moment, she was unable to catch her breath, that kiss had stolen it from her and she could barely nod in agreement with his words.

"And I am glad."

Standing, they held onto each other like two people caught in a storm. Neither one wanting to let go and allowing nature to flow around them. ​Everything fell into place between the two of them. A fate had been decided and while the future wasn't set in stone, they would never be apart for long after this.

Her hands caressed his face, neck and shoulders. Allowing them to fall downward, she felt his back and then rested on his hips. There was very little said, but the almost silence was natural. Nothing was forced and lives were knit together naturally. She looked up at him and then away really quick. Lifting on her hands, she held it just above her heart a moment before whispering to him again. Unsure if she even should, but decided to be open with him.

"I could love you, Mereel. Like my parents love each other. More than that, I want to. If it were possible, I would be your wife. I don't know what you want though or if it's possible for you. Not something we have talked about. All I can do is tell you what I feel and want. Tonight, I want you."

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

As she trailed her hands down his body before resting on his hips, he moved his own to settle on either side of the small of her back, beaming the entire time.

Even when she pulled her hands back, and even after she looked away, he spirits didn't waver. But her whisper managed to make his excited grin a mock sad smile, "You're never going to let me be first, are you?"

He wanted nothing more than to follow her declaration of desire with another kiss, but he resisted. He couldn't let what she said go unaddressed, "It's possible. I've only got a small family issue to take care of before I can think of taking it easy."

He gave her a small peck on the cheek, and the grin returned to his face, "What's more important is that I love you, and that I'm going to love you."

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

She let out a small chuckle when he commented about her not ever letting him get something in before her and shook her head slightly. As he continued, her breath caught again and the meaning of his words tore any remaining doubts of her own away.

"Who said anything about taking it easy? I will help you with your family issue if you would have me."

There was a hunger in t​he air. It had been something that slowly grew between them and soon it would need to be satiated by them. They had all the time in the world and nothing would interrupt them. Seo knew this.

When Mereel said he loved her, she wanted to melt all over again and finally looked up at him. He spoke the truth to her and she saw it in his eyes. Giving him a smile to match her words, for the first time in a long time, she was happy with the galaxy.

"I do love you too, Mereel Vaun. Maybe it was destined to be from the day we met. Mister and Mrs. Anderson."

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

If he wasn't so heated, he might have busted out laughing at the reference to their first meeting. Instead, only a small smirk formed on his face, "I think either of our last names would be a much better alternative."

He was mostly relieved that Seo had responded the way she had to his comment about taking it easy. On his rainy days he sometimes found himself envying the lives of the average civilian, of those who developed roots on a single planet, but in his heart he was an explorer through and through. He wanted to see as much of the galaxy as he could before his time came.

"We aren't really the type of people to take it easy in the first place, are we? Speaking of which.."

He recalled his hands from her lower back and took off his grey jacket and backpack, he felt far too hot to keep it on - and he would need to take it off soon anyway. He carefully set the pack down and let the jacket fall to the floor behind him. The blaster pistol holsters that had previously been strapped over his shoulders shortly followed. It was probably lucky that neither of the blaster pistols fired into the ceiling as they landed - since he never kept their safeties on.

He chalked it up as a good omen, "There, that's better."

"And of course I'd have you -" The tension had been building in the air long enough. He wrapped his arms around her waist with a devilish grin.

Taking particular care to avoid being too firm with his non-feeling left hand, he clumsily navigated both of them to the foot of the bed. From there he just fell on the bed and pulled her down with him. He didn't even care that they were still mostly clothed, he just wanted to be first in the initiative for once. The playfulness of his grin made itself fully audible in his voice, "but if you don't mind I think I'll have you here first.."

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

"I am as much of a wanderer as you are, Mereel. Since I became an adult, I haven't been able to stay in one place for very long. The Force always calls me away and keeps me moving."

​Not taking her eyes from him as he took off a few things, Seo did essentially the same thing. Only thing different was her bag wasn't present. That had been dropped almost as soon as they had walked into the house. Her scarf had been resting around her neck and she removed that along with the outer layer of her garb. On Lorrd she actually wore more than what she did when travelling. The harsh climate here dictated what she wore and that wasn't present other places usually.

He accepted her offer to help with his family issue and turned it on its head. His arms wrapped around her and he navigated them to her bed. Seo fully allowed him to take the initiative here. Not because he had said anything about being first earlier, but because she wanted him to. With knowledge of what might happen, she surrendered herself to him and nature. Nothing was forced and this was all natural. The night passed in a blur of emotion. Passion, bliss, happiness...love all rolled together. Sleep eventually did find them.

[member="Mereel Vaun"]

 

[Mereel Vaun]

Somewhat to his dismay, the routine sleeping schedule he maintained while aboard the Iviin'yc caused him to wake up near his usual time.

He didn't feel at all rested, but as he felt the faint, rhymthematic tremor of Seo's breathing coming from between his arms he was reminded that the sacrifice of sleep had been well worth it. A small smile tugged on the corner of his mouth.

Since he didn't know what her normal morning routine really was yet, he just tried his best to not stir and blinked the sleep from his eyes while looking up at the ceiling.

If she didn't move soon he would probably just attempt to fall back to sleep. It wasn't like he needed to wake her up or anything, if they needed to be out and about the house early in the morning she probably would've set an alarm on the chrono.. right?

A large part of him hoped that she hadn't set an alarm. It wasn't an issue of him not being a morning person, although he typically was, he just didn't want to let go of her to face the day yet.

[member="Seo Linn"]