Drifters (Cara)

[Xephirus Cloud]

They both had puzzles to figure out but Xephirus had two, she at least knew herself. He wasn't sure he'd like what he found discovered about himself, whilst learning about her was a mystery he was sure would be at least somewhat pleasant. She intentionally had her secrets and he did accidentally, a curious grouping certainly.

"I have all the time in the Galaxy." He said and it was true, "There's nothing I actually need to be doing." He said slurring his words a little bit. His head drooped a little and he scooted a little bit closer to her. "It's just piecing myself back together, one story at a time. One planet.... a familiar sentence, the right coupling of words, that's all I'm in the market for." He leaned in and rested his head a moment on her shoulder, forgetting his place, something he never would have done if he was sober. "A familiar... beautiful.... scent..." He said as his proximity reminded him of her scent. He removed his head from her shoulder realizing what he was doing, not knowing why he felt so inclined to do it. "What is that?" He said referencing what he assumed was perfume.

 

[Cora Passek]

A brighter smile formed at his words. "I'm glad. Truly." It was a relief that he would let her have the time, to slowly develop trust before she revealed her whole truth to him. Her name had been guarded for a long time now. And it wasn't exactly easy for her to trust anyone. It gave her some hope in humanity as a whole for him to be willing to extend her the time. "I appreciate the chance you are giving me. I really do."

As he leaned his head against her shoulder, Cara didn't flinch and didn't move away, just let him be there. Something that surprised even her, if truth be told. This was the closest she'd let any guy get to her in years, and truly it felt wonderful to have that closeness again without fear of it being her downfall. A soft chuckle came from her lips, at the most unexpected question, "Jasmine, and Lavender. It's a perfume a good friend of mine gave me." A friend who was no longer with the living, but she didn't feel the need to say that aloud. "We'll just take things one step at a time. I've no doubt that eventually I'll be able to trust you with every part of my life story, every secret I have. Just takes me time, been betrayed one too many times in life, so it's just hard to trust. I'm sure you understand."

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

Her bright smile was definitely something he could get used to looking at. In his drunken stupor and his admiration of her wonderful smile, he forgot where he was. He forgot that he was amongst ruffians on an alien world. He was too focused on the girl that he didn't notice the glass bottle crashing into his head until he was looking at the ceiling.

Xephirus had been in more than his fair share of brawls. He'd broken bones, been singed by lightning, sliced open and beaten to a bloody pulp. He had faced beings bigger, stronger, and faster than him and he had always pushed them to a point they had never been to before. Xephirus could be knocked down 100 times and he would get up every single time. By the time he felt the blood trickling down past his ear he was nearly sobered up. He peeled himself off the ground and stepped into the fray. Fists were flying every which way. It seemed a bar fight had broken out whilst the two were having their moment and they were unfortunate enough to be amongst it.

Now that Xephirus was watching the oncoming attacks no one could touch him. He gracefully bobbed and weaved around strikes. His eyes appeared as if they glowed from the excitement. He slammed his would-be attackers into the bar. He kicked one's teeth clear out. Xephir caught one gand's punch and broke his arm without so much as a thought. He was the dominant force in the brawl. It was as if he was designed for fighting... and it appeared as if he was truly enjoying himself. It was as though he enjoyed hurting those beings.

He managed to fight his way back over to [member="Cara Sampson"] amongst the pushing and shoving he managed to reach out and grab her by the wrist. While he had seemingly lost himself to the desire to fight seeing her face managed to ground him long enough to realize it was in fact time to leave. He pulled her along, directing her from the chaos.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara saw the bottle flying a second too late, barely able to duck in time for the shards to skim over her. An Rodian behind her, grabbed her briefly before she managed to slam an elbow into it's nose shattering it upon impact. Then turning to shove the being into others in the crowd. She too had seen her fair share of bar room brawls and quite frankly wasn't in the mood for another this night. She'd hardly got a chance to look to Xephirus, to see how he was fairing.

She nearly struck him as he grabbed her wrist. She hadn't seen where he was last, and him grabbing her was the last thing she expected. None the less, upon confirming it was her new found friend she dropped her fist, not touching him as she now let him lead the way out of the chaos behind them. A fight, she should have expected, given the side of town and the choice in bars. It was what it was and now they both were fleeing the situation together.

The young woman glanced back over her shoulder as he took the lead. A blaster was drawn in the crowd, aimed in their direction and Cara clutching at Xerphirus pulled him down with her to avoid the shots. One more look behind her and she saw a brief window to leave. Once more, the blonde helped to encourage him to move quickly. The last thing she needed was another wound to have to patch up, on herself or him.

"Got a plan? Somewhere we can go, or shall we make for my ship before anymore trouble follows us?" Spoken quickly as they headed out into the streets.

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

Xephirus heard the click of the blaster right before it discharged. His force-aided reflexes had him reaching for a lightsaber as Cara dragged him to the ground. He fell upon her, shifting his weight ever so slightly as to not crushed beneath his weight. As everything happens in slow motion for him, he was able to appreciate her concern for his well being and truly the possibility that she had saved someone's life that day. If his blade was drawn more than likely she would have witnessed a monster.

She pulled on his arm to signify that haste was on the menu. Running was not really something he did but now it seemed running from the monster within him was something he should do. He rose to his feet and scooped her off hers. If she wanted haste then he'd give her haste. His heart accelerated and blood carried oxygen much more rapidly to his muscles than an average being. He felt the power of the force strengthen his muscles and he began running with the power of force speed.

Down the road a ways he set her down and pulled out a pass key he pick pocketed during the brawl. "What do you think it goes to?" He asked her inquisitively as he stretched from the eventful day so far. The blood flowed a little more from the side of his head as his blood had thinned slightly from his brief run.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara had noticed him reach for something, but the saber she never saw. It was probably for the best, as her experiences with lightsabers were rather traumatic to say the least. She managed a cheesy smile as he fell upon her, a cute moment in and otherwise dangerous situation.

The last thing she expected truthfully was to be scooped off her feet. A little squeal escaped her lips as he did so, quickly she shifted wrapping her arms around his neck and pressed her head against his chest. It was all she could really do as he took off at a speed that just felt far too fast to be humanly natural though, it made some sense to her with him being a force user.

Once he sat her down, she looked to the pass key he held out to her. Reaching out she took it, and carefully flipped it over twice, her eyes glancing at all the details of the card. "Strange, it's been a long while since I have seen one of these. There's a special bank that uses these for access into safety deposit boxes." She bit at her lip for a moment, debating how to explain her knowledge of this, "You see, there is a bank around here, super secret and used by criminals and high powered elite alike to hide assets and resources. Generally it's only word of mouth that it is known from. You have to know someone who uses it to begin with to even know. Long story of how I first learned about it. I once ..."

Cara sighed softly, "I once had a number of jewels and a fair amount of credits hidden within said bank. " When she said fair amount, she meant over ten million in cashy goodness and assorted jewels. "Things I didn't want the security forces ever discovering, nor did I want my ex-business partner to know I had. The bastard shot me in the back, so he was lucky I only took the cash and not his life." She shook her head, pushing the horrid memories away. "Anyway, this bank caters to my type of criminal. There are no names, no passwords, just account numbers and these key cards." Searching the card once more, she pondered just exactly how she could get her paws on the account number. "There are ways to get the account number. They aren't legal, but it's doable. Given enough time I'm sure I could find the information and maybe just maybe we could walk right in and gain access to whatever the person you nicked this from, had in the vaults." Reaching out, she handed it back to him.

Her attention was soon drawn to the gash upon his head, "I think we need to find a place to rest for a little while, I can patch that wound up, no problem." She had picked up the skills of the years from patching plenty of members of the crews she worked along side. "Rather you rest a while and make sure you don't have a concussion or worse. I'm sure we can either go back to my ship, and I'll patch you up in the med bay, or we can find a hotel for the night somewhere that doesn't ask questions and I can tend to you there. It's up to you."

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

"Anyway, this bank caters to my type of criminal."

My type of criminal. The words resonated in his ear longer than it should have. It's not as though he had a problem with her being said criminal, it's just not something he expected. The way she spoke of vengeance so freely. As if she had felt the urge to kill but it seemed she had refrained at least on this instance. He pieced more of the puzzle together. Demolitions expert... and perhaps not a killer like him. He wondered but dare not ask. Some things were personal and there was nothing more personal than snuffing out the flame of life.

She spoke of a place to rest of his wound. He reached up with two fingers and gently felt the gash. It didn't hurt as much as it felt it would have. He rubbed his blood-soaked fingers in front of his eyes with much contemplation. He didn't actually have many credits to his name and while a room near the golden beaches sounded great he was still very much working on getting financially stable in this new galaxy.

He reached down and turned out his pockets with a sheepish smile. He only had 20 credits on his person. "Oh look... guess I wasn't the only one pickpocketing in the fray." He said with a shrug. "I guess a hotel is out of the question..."

He wondered if she meant a single room or two. The thought alone of sharing a room with her caused him to blush. He would've believed her a proper girl if he had known less of the puzzle. The chemistry between them was undeniable but certainly she wasn't thinking about THAT of all things. He still couldn't shake the thought and the more he thought about it the redder he turned. He looked down at his feet nervously. He swore to himself that not only did he forget his memories but he also forgot how to talk to women. Up til now he believed he was doing fine but how the redness in his face betrayed his internal thoughts he believed he was a kriffing shuttle wreck.

He thought up a lie for his flustered appearance should she ask. <<People turn red all the time when they run...>> He thought of one option after another.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara certainly had her fair share of secrets. Her criminal past was something that had been kept under wraps for a while, under her cover identity. This just one of the many things she kept locked away behind her masks.

The blonde nodded to him, "I can work with that. Not a problem we'll just head back to my ship. It's not a big deal. Oh, umm ... just don't go in the cargo bay. I have a nexu back there." She paused there, and looked to Xerphirus, "Don't ask. Long story, but we call him Fluffy." The most innocent name ever for a feline that could bite your head off with relative ease. The tale of how Fluffy came to be a constant figure in her life was a bit of a tale, but the feline creature had been a loyal pet since she rescued him as a cub and raised him by hand.

"Anyway, I have all the supplies I need there to patch that up and watch over you for a little while. Till I'm sure you'll be alright." She said softly. "There's a couple guest rooms where you can rest and relax for a while."

She caught the red hue on his skin, but chose not to ask or question it. It wasn't her place. "So, shall we head there?" Any other circumstances and Cara wouldn't have let him on her ship, wouldn't have trusted him this far, but he'd gotten under her skin and into her heart. For some reason, this time he was pushing boundaries with her that she never allowed to be pushed before.

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

He smiled his unique smile and nodded, "Yeah, I'd like that." He said as he began to walk alongside her. He walked quietly next to her stumbling slightly so he brushed up against her, perhaps playing up the notion that the alcohol was still swimming through his system. As his hand touched hers he grasped it and said, "I think the whiskey...." He pretended to need to hold her hand to stabilize himself, "...don't mind do you?" He wasn't normally like this, so forward and outgoing. However with her it was kind of easy... that and he had a lot of excuses to play up. If it wasn't the alcohol then he could use the 'concussion' angle. He obviously just needed help getting to her ship safely... or at least that was going to be the story in the morning.

 

[Cora Passek]

"Then that's what we'll do." She gave a small nod and started back towards her ship, taking the roundabout way back to avoid any trouble. His stumbling actually had her more concerned about his head than anything. Worry spread across her features. Her mind did drift to the amount of alcohol consumed, as his hand grazed hers. When he grabbed her hand, she just simply interlaced her fingers in his, "No, it's fine. I don't mind. Not at all." She moved a little closer to him, shoulder to shoulder just about. Under the guise of just being there to catch him, should he stumble and fall. Truth be told it was about as close as she'd truly let anyone get to her, and actually wanted to let someone in a long time. It was one thing when advances were made on her, and she held no interest at all. This was something else, he intrigued her in a way no one else had in a long, long time.

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

This one small gesture of kindness was something he would have never expected when he woke up this morning. Here he was holding an attractive young lady's hand, in the midst of his chaotic ride since he had woken from his seemingly eternal strife. This day was a bright spot and everyday following it at least for awhile he'd be happy to share with her... his pilot. He didn't know why either of them were so untrusting but the feeling resonated through him and he understood it. Pilot and protector... a mutually beneficial business relationship, and yet there was something more, something neither of them would say aloud or admit. Something both would deny at gunpoint and while they had selfish reasons to deny it they also had their selfless ones. They both knew the dangers of the galaxy and those who would exploit anything more than a pilot and protector.

When they arrived at the ship he admired its quality. Sleek and elegant... it suited her well. He looked at her after admiring the features, "She's beautiful." It wasn't entirely clear that he was in fact talking about the ship.

 

[Cora Passek]

The blonde knew far too well the danger of admitting such things, for letting herself ever fall for someone. Loved ones were just liabilities in the grand scheme of the Universe. Such a relationship had been used against her on more than one occasion. If she had her way, she'd do all she could to prevent being in that situation again but the heart was an entirely different story.

Stepping into the hangar bay, Cara smiled brightly, every bit the proud mother of her ship. "Petrah, she's been a project of mine for some years now. She may not be the youngest girl at the ball, but she'll turn a head or two." Crossing to the ship, she keyed in a lengthy passcode that ended with a retinal scan before the boarding ramp lowered for them. The woman was just a tiny bit paranoid when it came to such things. Still staying close to Xephirus, she led him slowly to the medbay.

"Just hop on the bed here," She said as she walked him over to it, waiting for him to get on safely before she'd step away. "Will take me a minute to gather what I need anyway." With a soft smile Cara turned away to rifle through one of the drawers in the room. Quickly a variety of items she had picked up, a sterilization liquid, a numbing cream, and a few butterfly clips for the wound, and some soft sterile gauze.

"I've done this more times than I want to remember." The blonde's mind soon drifted to memories of past jobs, the people she used to work with, and the many many wounds over the years. "Use to be just a normal part of what I did. Can't say I was ever that great a person." She sighed softly, as she moved back over to him. In her hands was the sterilization liquid. "Just to warn you Xerphirus, this will hurt a bit." Spoken as she stepped forward to to first wipe the blood clean from him, before applying the solution to the wound.

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

Xephirus followed his nurse's instructions, he got himself onto the edge of the bed no problem. He really didn't believe himself that bad off, though he hadn't had a chance to look at his wound himself. Perhaps it was a deep cut, but it felt like a simple scratch. He knew that once upon a time being on the receiving end of punishment like this was a daily thing for him. He didn't know much about his past but he knew his love for a good fight and he assumed his time amongst the Sith had him with more than a small head wound.

"Can't say I was ever that great a person." She sighed softly, as she moved back over to him. In her hands was the sterilization liquid. "Just to warn you Xerphirus, this will hurt a bit."

It was as if these words had a completely separate connotation from their actual intent. As if they were meant to steer him clear of her in a less than professional capacity. He just sat on the bed and half smiled. "I'm sure I'm in capable hands." She stepped in past his knees and brushed her hips against him. She was very focused on his pain and he was very much not. He was trying so very desperately not to look her in the eyes. Her chest nearly against his was almost too much for him. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to play it cool. Still eyeing her with his peripherals. Trying not to admit with subtle movements his very real attraction for her. He hardly breathed at all.... and then they caught each other by the irises. It seemed like time itself stood still. He couldn't break the gaze as if she was an actual magical charmer and he was her victim to be hexed as she saw fit. Finally after what seemed an eternity he said, "Think I'm going to live?" He gave her that zipper-like smile, and still could not stop looking into her eyes.

 

[Cora Passek]

Honestly Cara had hardly paid attention as her eyes were solely focused on the wound in his hair, just above his ear. "You'll live." She chuckled softly, "I promise." Not that there was any question of that, as she finally cleaned the wound up nicely before she actually changed her mind and grabbed a type of surgical glue from the same drawer and used that instead to close the wound. "Just you know, don't step in the way of an flying bottles and you'll be just fine."

While it might a normal wound, a normal thing in the scope of his life, Cara still tended to err on the safe side. A small but deep cut could potentially turn deadly with sepsis and other such severe infections. The blonde stepped back with a sweet smile after covering it over. "Much better. I can take you to a guest room now, and settle you in. Sleep will probably be best, for the both of us." Spoken softly, as she waited for him to hop down. "Just follow me." All of this done under the pretense of of watching over him, to ensure he was fine, and the head injury was nothing more than minor. Or so went her thinking. You know, in the morning I think you're going to be thinking alcohol and bad decisions. Possibly.... Possibly? That's the best you've got. Oh, hush you. A silent conversation within her mind.

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

Xephirus listened to her unquestioningly, he rose from his seat and followed her through the halls of her ship. He admired the way she glided across her creation. She spoke of sleep but he didn't think he'd be getting much of that. He had developed a case of insomnia, and the thought of dreaming was far from the greatest prospect in the galaxy. His dreams were haunted by horrific scenes he believed was his past and yet he could not piece them together.

When they arrived at his room he looked at its plain and relatively empty interior. "It's... roomy." he said placing his things on the bed. He looked at her. "Thanks... for everything." He forced a smile. He really wanted to ask her to stay with him, to rub her fingernails through his hair when he awoke from his nightmare.... but that was clearly too much to ask for, after all they had only just met. In reality, he could never ask anyone to do that for him. He was sure he was cursed.

He knew if he tried he could get her to stay. A well placed force pull would make her fall upon the bed next to him. When she was on the bed he could catch her by the lips and both their empty places would be satisfied... and she would stay.....

...but he couldn't do that to her. He didn't deserve her company and she didn't need any emotional entanglements. "Goodnight." He said with an ever so slight sigh. He tried not to show that he didn't want her to go but he just couldn't help it.

 

[Cora Passek]

"Yeah, I don't get much company these days." She sighed softly, a hint of sadness in that simple action. Haven't trusted anyone enough to do so in a long, long time.

"You're quite welcome." Spoken politely as Cara turned to leave, but something held her back. Maybe it was worry or something far more. The girl wasn't quite sure. Though, if he asked, she'd thoroughly denied it, and claimed it was just for medical reasons. Just to watch over him, to ensure there was no concussion. The blonde worried far too much these days. "Look, I know this might come across as odd, but I worry about your injury. It might seem like nothing, but you could have a concussion. Maybe I could in the room, I don't mind sleeping in the chair. Or I can use the guestroom just next door, so I'm easily reachable if you should need something late in the night." She gave a small shrug, "I just worry, is all." Playing the nurse card are we? Oh, shut it. Somethings, she couldn't even admit to herself. Simpler that way for the young woman.

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

He bit at the side of his cheek and his eyes widened slightly at the suggestion. Of course he wanted her to stay but the chair was certainly no place for her and asking her to lie beside him was harder than watching her leave. He nervously ran his tongue over his teeth, not knowing what to say. Seconds ticked by and that only made him look more like a mad man. "Um..." he said trying to string together words that sounded somewhat obtainable. "Lay here." He blurted out which was closely followed by him wincing at how utterly unsmooth that was. "I mean..." The once silver-tongued sith was at a loss. He sucked at this and wondered if he always did. Now he was wishing he had just kissed her... it would have been far less embarrassing. "Alright... shoot... I'm just not used to company..." he said still reeling from embarrassment. "I guess I just want this day to be real... after constantly being in a fog, I finally have some clarity." He sheepishly ran his feet on the floor. "I just don't wanna wake up alone in the middle of the night on this strange ship." He said with his lips awkwardly crooked off to one side of his face. He laid his hand in his palm and lifted it quickly. He looked back at her as soon as he realized how awfully mortified he would be if he didn't look at her soon, the fastest way to get accustomed to the cold water was to simply jump off the pier. "...Sorry.... I don't know where..." he wanted to say he didn't know where that came from but the words never passed his lips.

 

[Cora Passek]

Awkward wasn't even the word to describe the strangeness of the situation between the two of them. Cara perpetually untrusting and paranoid, when it came to others. Yet, here she was with a stranger on her ship, being every bit as caring and compassionate, if not more than she would have been with any of her former crew mates, and business partners. She still blamed much of that on the alcohol. The light of the morning bound to reveal a few things.

The woman blinked twice at his suggestion. While it was the most logical thing, Cara wanted to reject it for a number of reasons. Knowing too well, that sleep was the time she was most vulnerable to attack. "I ... uh, er ...." Stopping herself, she chewed nervously at her lip trying to find the words that would help most. Though she was having trouble still. Words, just weren't coming easily. Walking over as she listened to him, she sighed taking a seat on the bed next to him. "You and me both, darlin'. You and me, both."

Pausing for a moment she realized they were both in a similar situation, with similar needs. Though, how they both got to this point was completely different. The end result still left them both here. "Today is real. It is." That much she was certain of. Another heavy sigh passed before she spoke again. "I get it. I do." It was understandable, a strange new ship, being alone on it for the first time. She could appreciate that.

Another heavy sigh passed before she could really find the words she wanted to speak. "I have problems trusting people, especially like this. It's difficult for me." Leaning forward she rested her elbow upon her knees, and hand upon her forehead, "Always have. But sleep, I'm probably the more so. Just because of the vulnerability of it." Trying to think of a solution for them both, that would work out keeping each comfortable but not crossing her line. "There's a reason I don't sleep without a weapon." The deep sadness in her eyes told of past traumas, she did not care to relive this night. "Truth be told, I'm afraid. Of being hurt or killed. I'm always afraid of that, though I may not say it or show it. End of the day I fear it. And I fear losing control just as much. All because I cannot trust others." It wasn't an easy admittance from her, but one she needed to make. This was the one thing that kept her from just laying down with him.

[member="Xephirus"]

 

[Xephirus Cloud]

He nodded, "Yeah." He said through a sigh. "I get that." He flopped back and stared up at the ceiling. "Far be it for me to think you're wrong there..." He closed his eyes briefly hearing screams that weren't really there. "I'm probably the most dangerous man you've let on this ship. You're right to be cautious." Saying these things didn't make him feel any better about the situation though.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "I'd say you could put me in binder cuffs... but I don't want you to get any ideas..." He said with a stony execution. He weakly smiled and closed his eyes again. More displaced screams filled his thoughts. Again he opened his eyes, "But... I'm pretty sure I could overpower you even if you knew it was coming." He smiled appealing to her sense of pride. "...even in binder cuffs." He said with a big stretch and a faux yawn. This was his attempt at making light of the situation.

 

[Cora Passek]

With both hands, she briefly wiped over her face, trying to push the weariness away. "Maybe you are." Him saying such things, certainly didn't make her feel better. But truth be told, exhaustion and alcohol had taken their toll on her. "Though, I think you underestimate me just a tad." Spoken as she lifted her head to glance over to him, offering a quick wink.

She nodded slowly, her smiling widening. "No, the binder cuffs I have, are reserved other uses on this ship." Hinting to certain pleasurable extracurricular activities that she participated in. A light bit of laughter followed his remarks, "Perhaps so. But there was a time, before I got into more legitimate business dealings when I hunted after Sith. So, don't get too cocky." Hunted? That's the word you're going to use. I believe I said, shut it. So go away. Now! More than irritated with the voices in her mind and the internal arguments. With a heavy sigh she rose to her feet, and walked to the closet. After some rifling through it, she returned with an extra blanket. "I'll sleep on top of the blankets. And you stay on your side and I'm sure all will be well." She said firmly as she quickly laid her pillow down and sorted out her blanket on top of the bed's comforter.

[member="Xephirus"]