Private Legitimate Business

[Amani Serys]

The corpse-like physiology of Alina's figure only added to Amani's stress. There was little way to tell if things were working when your patient always looked, felt, and acted like they were dead.

However it soon became obvious that whatever was inside hadn't been snuffed out entirely, as her form slowly reconstituted. What would have been a moment of relief turned into confusion, as the link in the Force between them seemed to tighten. Then lock. Like she couldn't stop healing the vampire if she wanted to. Amani hardly even had time to process just what was happening before she was thrown back, abruptly breaking that link.

The healer slid against the floor with a groan, and scrambled up to her knees, "...Alina? Are you…okay?"

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Was she alright?

Alina didn't feel alright, but she wasn't dead. And her body was healing. Her gaze shifted around them, to the remnants of the pirates that weren't knocked out. Yeah, seeing her rise from getting blown up seemed to kill their desire to get their profits for the day. They left. Running away, either flat out abandoning those unable to or helping. Depended on the individual.

It didn't exactly make the Sangnir overjoyed. She started to push herself up, leaning against the still skeletal limb that was still regrowing the muscle and skin. Paused as she stared at it.

"Good job, Jedi. I think we're done here."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani stood up, her focus still glued to Alina in some attempt to figure out what was going on behind her eyes. Only after a pregnant pause did she even notice the limb, regenerating in real time, "That's…" Impressive? A little gross? Both really, though she said neither, simply trailing off as she chose to approach the vampire.

"Do you… need help?" She reached out a delicate hand, seemingly unconcerned by whatever impulse had made Alina push her away.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Stop."

There was an almost desperate plea hidden under the stern command. Alina took a very unneeded breath. It helped her focus. Keep her head. The thirst was always strongest while she was healing. And a Jedi, or any Force Sensitive for that matter, was always the most delicious meal. A smirk took over as she pushed herself to her feat, turned away from the helping hand to survey the ship.

"Nothing a meal or two won't heal." Several, more like. The pirates in the hanger would work just fine. If killing had been on the table at least.

Later, then.

"Shall we let these poor freighter folk out before they get any more terrified?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani frowned as Alina rejected her offer, and seemed to regress; The ‘meal’ comment only saddening her further. It was a harsh reality, one that fleeting moments of interconnection couldn’t quite bandage over.

Amani wanted to help, but whatever she could offer either didn’t exist, or Alina simply didn’t want it. Yet here the Darksider was, suggesting they rescue the civilians. Save the day. Perhaps she really did want to change, only to find herself caught in a trap she couldn't escape from. Her Sangnir nature preventing her from making that leap in full. The dissonance made the healer's head spin.

“...Mm.” Amani chewed her lip in thought, before walking over to the main hangar console. With a few inputs the bay door opened, and the people were freed. She looked over to Alina expectantly as she pressed the button.

The fact that a Sith could make her feel so… complicated, was mystifying.

“So are we… done?”

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

“So are we… done?”

A simple question that held more to it than it might seem. At least for Alina. This was an eye opening experience for the Sangnir. She wasn't human, not any more. Feelings of humanity, regret. Longing for a life she'd never get more than this, pretending to be the hero. She again turned her gaze towards her still recovering hand. Nodded. "I think we are. Aurora thanks you for your assistance."

 

[Amani Serys]

That wasn't enough for Amani.

She stepped out from behind the console and back toward the Sangnir, no longer intent on heeding any potential warnings about getting too close. "What is going on, Alina?" She asked sternly, placing a hand on her arm to make the woman face her, if need be.

"Talk to me. If you really want to make all this effort, then stop backing away and just talk." Amani refused to believe that Alina was fully blind to what could be. Up until now she'd played the hero, one thing went wrong and she was suddenly building a wall between them. The Jedi looked hurt.

"Please. I want to help you. But I can't until you help yourself. Your life doesn't have to be… this." She gestured broadly at Alina. The double life she tried to pretend to. "Today was proof of that."

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I'm not backing away from anything. Just- Don't. Don't touch me." She hissed out her warning, pulling back away from Amani the moment the Mirialan tried to touch her. She was hungry. Her Maw was nearing empty trying to rebuild her hand. The longer this dragged out, the more the red thirst would grind away her sanity. And make Amani into that much more of an appetizing meal.

What was it with this Jedi and just not realizing how much danger she was in?

"Just stop and look. Look." She brought up her hand, how it was healing. How her body was still healing. Most of the makeup was gone now, just leaving the corpse pale skin. She didn't have a heartbeat. She was cold to the touch, clammy and dead. "This is my life. There's no middle ground or ease of passage. You need to go. I need to go. I don't care who goes, but the longer we stay here the hungrier I get. Neither of us can fix that. I need to eat, Amani. So please, just go before it no longer matters who."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

“I- don’t believe you!” Amani shot back, nearly interrupting the end of Alina’s thought. She even managed an incredulous chuckle, “I don’t believe there’s not a way to fix things! There is, there will be!” She was a healer. A dangerously idealistic one at that. To her every affliction had a cure, somewhere. It was just a matter of finding it.

“If you know what it is, tell me! We can find it together! I’m not just going to let you run away from it, or from me anymore!” It couldn’t stop Alina from doing what needed to be done right now, but Amani was adamant that they stop avoiding the root of the problem sooner rather than later. She could change. She could be better. They were on the cusp of it. Amani had to believe that much.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina blinked.

She just stood there, too surprised at first by how quickly Amani denied it all. It was all fact. Just a fact of life. Her life. The woman ended up just laughing. Too pure, this Jedi was. "You're really stubborn." A good quality to have, in Alina's world. The flesh of her hand continued to regrow, though. And even the brief appreciation couldn't block the hunger that was burning at the back of her throat.

And that was enough to pull her out of her smile.

"I need to feed, and you need to go. It's.. It's so much worse than an addiction. It's like drowning. You're not bad, for a Jedi."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"Don't patronize me, Alina!" She seemed genuinely upset, near insulted by the laugh. "Why are you so insistent on ignoring the next step?" For all their back and forth, Amani still never felt like Alina had given her an answer. Her lingering distaste for the Jedi had its reasons, but she had so far brushed off any suggestion to look for a cure.

"Which is exactly why I want to help you! I can't stop you now, I know that. But you can't just give up. You say you want to do better. You say you're drowning, but you won't even reach for the life buoy!" She gritted her teeth, staring daggers at the woman, "This isn't sustainable. And you know that. One of these days, you won't make the cut. What then?" If death didn't take her first, the hunger inevitably would. It was a simple calculus.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I'm not giving up you dunce! If you don't leave I will eat you. Or them." She motioned vaguely to the dinne- pirates around them. Fuck. Alina slipped further away. She was getting far too aware of Amani's heartbeat for her own comfort. "I get it. Fine. Fine. I won't turn away your help, but what do you plan to do? Give me your blood? I'm just trying to protect you from me. From the hunger. I just got to get back to my ship, away from people, and dig in to my reserves. It's not that hard to do. But you.."

There was an odd mixture of a grimace and a smile.

"Anima. Sangnir feast off of anima. People stronger in the Force smell sweet, y'know? You smell sweet. Really sweet. Holding my hand to bring me to my stash is just going to get you bit if I lapse even just for a second."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"Fine! Fine. Go," Amani waved her off, "But this isn't over." She knew there was no stopping Alina's hunger right now. It was too far gone, with too little time. They'd see how committed the Sith was to changing her ways soon enough, though. Still, her assurances seemed to assuage some of Amani's initial fervor. She even managed a bit of a smirk, "So... the whole thing about me smelling nice before wasn't you noticing my new hair wash?" Too bad. She was hoping somebody would acknowledge it at some point.

The Jedi turned to walk away, before turning to look back, "You'll contact me if you have a lead?" Her eyes pleaded for a confirmation.

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Just because your blood smells sweet doesn't mean you do." She flashed a brief smile. All too brief. Flirty was fun and all, but what she really wanted to do was rip out Amani's throat and fea- She shook her head as she turned. Waved. "Ah, yeah. Probably. .. I'm not sure what lead you're talking about, though? I- We should talk about this later. Coffee? You drink coffee? I can drink coffee. It'll- I'm gonna go."

Then she was gone, mad running to get away before her hunger ruined all the work she'd put in thus far.

Amani Serys