Let the Flame Burn On

[Liliane]

SULLUST
Right after the Gala
Outside

---

The girl stepped out, the man right next to her. Lilin was outside, finally out of the hotness of the gala and in the artificial chilliness of the outside. She didn't really know what the man would do now -- he'd only told the girl he knew a good place to go to and that was all she needed to know. Aedan wasn't a danger, she had found out, and so she trusted him. Well, maybe a part of that had to do with the fact that she was rather drunk now.

While she did hope she wouldn't see any fellow Jedi around or that she wouldn't ruin the good reputation of the New Jedi Order, she thought she should still act a little bit more sober than she actually was, meaning she would keep her mouthwork under control and not look like a drunkard when she was outside.

The man, she guessed, didn't have such a problem. People often associated pilots with drinking and smoking and just being casual while seeing a drunk Jedi was something irregular.

"Where do we go now?" the girl asked with a playful tone. Even though she was only wearing a dress and her shoulders were uncovered, she felt warm inside and didn't think like she would need anything to cover her upper body. It was also worth to admit that she hadn't actually brought any other clothing with her, so she had to do with just the dress.

She looked at Aedan, eyeing the uniform he was wearing, thinking it could have been odd to see a pilot in an uniform walking around with a woman in an evening gown. While she had nothing against it, she was sure passing people would notice that and make crazy assumptions.

While minding her own thing, her eyes slowly slid first on the man's neck and then up to his lips. Oh she just couldn't not think about letting go of them. She could feel getting heated up again, so she had to seriously keep herself under control not to get real passionate again. Who knows what could have happened had she let that happen.

Even though the gala had been fun, she didn't really know anybody else there that well. She hadn't noticed any Taliths there, maybe only because she had been so busy chatting with Aedan, nor had see seen Jacen around. So it was pretty safe to guess that she wouldn't have had anybody else to spend the night with.

So she was more than pretty fine with spending the rest of the night with this silly pilot. She had really started to like calling the man that.

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Dayn Wren]

The cool air outside was a welcome sensation. It felt good to draw some fresh air, away from the music and all the partygoers. He left the gala in a better mood than he had arrived in, much thanks to [member="Lilin Imperieuse"]. Though the party was over the night was anything but, and he was glad that he got to spend the rest of it in good company.

It felt like more or less everyone from Rogue Squadron had been at a gala. He believed he was the first of them to leave. That meant he probably avoided any awkward encounters on their way back.

"We'll have to grab a cab" Aeadan replied, already smiling at her playful tone. "Won't take too long" his head tilted her way to take in the sight of her, her dress, down her dress - oops distracted. The pilot caught himself and lifted his eyes a little higher. It was just about as hard to keep his eyes off her as it was to keep his hands off her, but he tried to moderate his passions, with moderate success.

"Are you hungry at all?" he thought he ought to ask. He had brought up the take-away place after all. It wasn't too far away from the hotel, which was what he had in mind for their final destination. Alternatively they could have gone to her place, but he didn't really know what that would be in her case since she did not live on Sullust. Wherever location she had first planned to rest her head tonight was probably filled with Jedi. He had a feeling that wouldn't go over all that well.

The two continued to walk down the streets, the pilot occasionally glancing about to see if he could spot a cab for them. He didn't mind the walk though, actually, it was quite nice. He placed his arm around her bare shoulders, pulling her a little closer to him. The body contact was nice, but it also came with the added benefit of giving him a little support as he walked. He imagined that would decrease the chance of him seeming drunk while struggling with walking on a straight line.

While she was trying to keep her mouthwork under control, he was thinking of ways to get it out of control, one way or the other. So far he was coming up empty.

Not far from the manor they soon came upon a row of waiting speeder cabs. Knowing there was a big event nearby with people who would not be able to drive home, a few of the drivers had probably figured it was a nice spot to make some nice evening credits.

 

[Liliane]

"I could eat something, yeah," Lilin replied, remembering what the man had said about the place to eat. While she did want to be in private with Aedan, she had to note that she had not eaten much at the gala or even before that, so she was a little bit too hungry to do much else. It was true that she didn't really want to eat a lot when she was drinking, but this time, things were different.

Because she could get to eat with Aedan.

To be honest, this looked to her like a date. And she had never been to one before. The crushes and meetups she had in her childhood didn't really count; this was the first real thing with passion and tension. Whatever would come after the night, she had no idea. But she knew that she would enjoy the night to the fullest and not think about the future so that she just wouldn't spend the night thinking of what could happen.

She could feel significantly warmer than before as the two walked together, side by side, with the man's arm around her. It was a heavy arm, she had to admit, but she was a Jedi, meaning she could bear such a weight. Besides, it felt really comfortable and soft at the same time. And it was warm.

It was very likely that all of the cabs that had parked near the gala were there because of that very event. She could imagine they would earn a lot of money from that one night when all the people started leaving the party, drunk like pigs and unable to move on their own whatsoever. She had drank the crazy drink, so she was able to imagine what it would do to people who would drink whole glasses of it.

As she really started thinking about it, she found it funny that the two were kind of in the same state. Both of them relied on the other to keep moving in a somewhat straight line, trying to hide their obvious state of intoxication. There weren't too many people around, so she believed they wouldn't bump into unwanted people, but if they did, she could imagine it turning into a very awkward situation.

She looked at Aedan, assuming he would get one of these cabs.

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Dayn Wren]

"Alright, I know a place." assuming she had no other preferences, he'd take her to that take-away place he mentioned. Nothing like a little fast-food when drunk. Though it was tempting to skip that meal and go straight to the next, it was not a bad idea. This was especially true considering he couldn't remember the last time he ate. He had had dinner at some point, but many hours had passed since then.

Aedan felt very comfortable. Lilin was easy to be around, especially after they had gotten through those first awkward hick-ups at the start. This kind of thing always felt easier when it was just for fun and it didn't really matter what the outcome became. If things worked out and they clicked, grand, if not, oh well. But in this case he wanted it to go well. Being dependent on a positive result often led to him taking fewer risks and having a few more awkward stumbles. But yet here they were. The more time he spent with her the more he felt like he could relax and just be himself.

Aedan looked over the cabs. Maybe there were things to consider, like the state of the vehicle or the apparent trustworthiness of the driver, but his mind was beyond being able to make such calculations. The silly pilot simply picked one that looked pretty and red.

"Man, that last drink was really something. Haven't tasted that one before" he said jokingly with a chuckle. It had been quite strong. Aedan made eye-contact with the driver, a Sullustan fellow, who gestured for them to get in. In a moment of gentlemanness, Aedan opened the door for Lilin. He then made a theatrical bow and playfully said "After you, milady"

With the two of them inside, the speeder would take to the skies and head in the direction of the address Aedan gave their driver.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Liliane]

"It was crazy," Lilin replied to the man's comment about the last drink. She had enjoyed it, even though it was clearly too much for her to handle. Would she have sticked to just wine, she wouldn't be acting like that and she would definitely be a lot more sober at that. But what has happened has happened; one cannot go back in time to change anything.

The girl stepped into the cab they'd picked and took a seat, Aedan following her. She didn't know what would come next, what kind of a place it was that Aedan knew or what would happen after that. But she trusted the man, just like she was not in a state in which she would even care about such things.

She could change it easily, but not like she would want to anymore.

"What is this place we're going to?" she asked out of curiosity. And well, partially to know if she could get anything to drink from there. She was rarely drunk, but when she was, she just couldn't keep herself from craving for more.

She did know that a glass of some light drink wouldn't do her bad, though.

Not knowing how long the drive there would be, she took a glance at the man's face and then set her head on his shoulder. It was apparent that both of them were confused about what would happen after that night -- whether they would go back to their normal lives or not. Well, yeah, it was actually a question if they could even look at each other after that or not.

Knowing herself, Lilin could tell she would be embarrassed of herself, get really upset and vow never to do anything so stupid again; that is, depending on how the night would progress.

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Dayn Wren]

"The hotel I'm staying at. I forget what it's called" he could probably thank the alcohol for that. Something to do with R. It was fortunate enough that he remembered the address to give to the driver. That had been etched into his mind, knowing he might need it for a situation like this. Everything else he had let go.

"It's pretty nice. At least better than what I'm used to" he chuckled. He was collecting on some well-earned reward for loyal service in the Alliance's war. It was a nice treat after Dulvoyinn to be able to visit Sullust in this fashion, rather than the soldier's bunk at some military base on the outskirts of the capital. The upgrade was temporary, but nice all the same.

Aedan took a seat in the back as well, positioning himself close to the girl. "They have a bar on the top floor that's pretty nice. Great view over the city" he added, giving them some options of what to do. Meanwhile an arm once more wrapped around her. His hand stroked the back of her head while a finger affectionately twirled a lock of her hair.

"There's a mini-bar in my room too." Pausing for a moment he looked over with her with a playful smirk. "And there's always room-service" there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. They could be obnoxiously demanding if they wanted to. Not like he was paying for it anyway.

Feeling her head on his shoulder sent a nice warmth through his body. He wasn't sure what she was doing to him exactly. It was a thing hard to explain, but she made him care. About what he didn't know, he just knew that he did. The arm around her shoulders held her a little tighter, and his head leaned gently against hers. There was that heart-beat again.

Caring was dangerous. It meant it mattered to him what came after this. It meant he risked pain and discomfort. But he would rather experience something great and lose it rather than not experience anything at all.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Liliane]

Music​

This is not a hint.​

"Sounds great," Lilin made a remark about the mini-bar and room service. "Then we can continue drinking." She said the last sentence with a joking tone, hinting to the fact that she didn't take that so seriously; which was obviously a lie, since she did crave for more alcohol.

"Do you know what I often think?" Lilin started speaking as she leaned her head on the man and looked outside at the night. "At daytime, everybody minds their own business. They don't care much about their loved ones, they just know they exist and show little interest in the ones dear to them." She sighed.

She didn't know what she was talking about -- hopefully Aedan could.

"But at night, when we lay at bed, we really think about how lonely we actually are. We lie there in silence, sometimes crying over those we love. And we cannot tell them how much we love them because they lie in their beds, millions of kilometres away, thinking about the same thing. We are united through love, but torn apart by loneliness."

She looked at Aedan and smiled.

"I don't know what I just talked about."

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Dayn Wren]

"Yup" Aedan replied with a little grin, liking her reaction to that proposition. This was turning out to be a really nice evening. He felt lucky with his company.

"Hm?" he said in a light hum, with no real intended effect beyond letting her know he was listening to what she had to say next. It was nice to listen to her talk more. She had a soothing voice.

"I haven't thought about that before." he said looking back at her, giving her a smile in return. That felt deep. Man. Jedi with their wisdom and stuff. Could he measure up? "That's kind of sad and beautiful at the same time."

He didn't really have anyone like that, he thought. Of course there was his family, and his brother and sister, but it didn't sound like the same thing as what she described. He had never cried because Breandan was far away. He had felt touched by the loneliness however.

With Lilin looking at him with that smile, he could do nothing else but lean in to offer the girl another kiss. Although she said she didn't know what she talked about, he appreciated that she did talk about it. Airing her thoughts, sharing with him. It was nice.

Not long after their speeder would touch down on a landing platform, having arrived at their destination. "Ah, looks like we're here" Aedan paid their driver and stepped out, once more holding the door for Lilin. The view was pretty excellent. Unless she had any objections or anything else in mind, Aedan would guide her towards the elevator.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Liliane]

"Sad and beautiful. That's life," the girl said. At that moment, she realised everything in life could be described with that one little sentence, these three short words. And it was kind of odd to think of it like that.

The man kissed her and she kissed him back. No matter what she did, she just couldn't ignore the way Aedan looked, the way he talked, the way he was. Whether it was alcohol, passion, something else, she really loved it. And she really loved the fact that she could be with the pilot that night.

"Ooh, that is nice," Lilin said after having stepped outside. The hotel was rather grandiose -- nothing like where Lilin had stayed. Unlike the pilots, her expenses weren't paid like that. She often had to find a place to stay the night on her own and also pay for it with the money she had in her pockets. Or, well, on her bank account. She could never afford to stay in such places.

She would walk towards the elevator with the man, breathing the fresh night air and thinking about how beautiful the moment was.

"Do you have a balcony in your room?" she asked. After they were done with eating and whatever else would follow that, she was sure she would want to just breathe some her, mind her own thoughts and look over the nighttime city.

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Dayn Wren]

"Yeah" Aedan agreed. She pretty much summed it up. Sad and beautiful. Which of the two took precedence was pretty much in the hands of every individual. Most of the time. Fates had a tendency to sometimes be cruel.

It felt amazing to him, to be able to lean in for a kiss and feel her kiss him back. For most this was perhaps a natural thing to be expected, but Aedan never stopped appreciating it. Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps not. It did not really matter. It felt nice and it was hard to stop. Perhaps the uncertainty of what came next increased the level of intensity. Perhaps not knowing whether she'd be so keen on kissing him tomorrow allowed him to truly enjoy their moments and taking nothing for granted.

"Right?" he said with a little smirk. He had nothing to do with selecting or paying for the location, so he felt like he could agree with her without coming off as arrogant or show-offy.

"I do, actually." he said with a smile. Most days he did not have much time to relax, but on the mornings he did, he really enjoyed just sitting with his feet high on a balcony, with nothing but his thoughts and an amazing view to keep him company.

Doors closed behind them. Thankfully they had the small box to themselves, and wouldn't have to spend it in awkward silence. The elevator started moving downwards, taking them closer to the food place that this writer totally hadn't forgotten about.

"You're really beautiful, Lilin" he confessed. He hadn't planned for it, it just kind of came out. Was that too forward? No... At this point, she had to know he thought that. Right? Damnit Aedan, how was she supposed to respond to something like that anyway? He wasn't sure why he was getting in his head over something simple as this. But it felt good to let her know at the same time. Man. If not for the fact that it would've looked strange and out of place to do in front of Lilin, he would have shook his head at himself.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Liliane]

Seeing the lift empty, she felt both relieved and slightly disappointed at the same time. Yes, she enjoyed being alone with Aedan, but she had expected to see some other people there. Why exactly did she expect that, she had no idea. But she had to note, if there were other people in the small room, there was no way the two would have talked at all.

So it was good there was nobody else there.

The pilot's little confession made Lilin giggle lightly and then mutter a simple, "Thank you!" To be honest, Lilin had never really known how to reply to compliments. She knew it was not polite to deny them, but what else was she supposed to do then? Reply with a compliment? Or was she just supposed to thank the other person and move on with her life?

Oh goodness, her current state didn't let her think clearly, so she just decided to go with the flow.

"You already know what I think about you," she said while smiling with a sly hint to her smile. She couldn't remember if she had complimented the man at the gala or not. Oh wow, she was already forgetting things.

But she had to have said something good about him.

"You're very handsome." Did people even say 'handsome' anymore?

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Dayn Wren]

Aedan almost breathed a deep sigh of relief when she giggled. The compliment was received well, and the potential awkward moment because of the way he presented it was avoided. Phew. To respond to that wasn’t necessarily an easy task, but she did it quite well.

“Do I now?” he said while sending a sly smile back her way. Aedan took a step towards her, an arm reaching to hold her by the waist. “Thank you” he said with a laughing smile. He wasn’t really sure what to say back either, but considering he had complimented her just before he thought he was off the hook. If she had complimented him at the gala, he had forgotten too. It was hard to focus on anything than what went on in the moment.

He leaned in to kiss her again. It seemed a good enough opportunity, the two of them alone in the elevator. He found it hard to resist her, something she probably figured out by now. Halfway into the kiss emotions took over, and he, pressed her up against the wall. It wasn’t in a rough or aggressive manner, it was simply a heated moment of passion.

When leaning his head back to look into her eyes, he had half a mind to slam the elevator button that would bring it to a halt. But he didn’t. It would probably stop and open up at their destination within a few moments anyway.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Liliane]

Lilin could tell Aedan was in the moment, getting all passionate and stuff. It all really felt weird to the girl, though. She had never experienced anything like that. It was supposed to be the pathway to the Dark Side, but she had started to doubt that only more and more throughout the night. There was literally no way in her opinion that she would fall because of that silly little night. Especially since Aedan was not a Sith himself.

So trying not to hesitate, the girl kissed the man back as passionately as she could, not minding being pressed against the wall. She wanted the man, she wanted him more than anything else at that moment. But the man seemed to calm, at least for a moment, and so the Jedi Master had to follow his lead.

Whether it was the alcohol or the burning fire of passion, she could feel warm inside. She could feel the temptation to show her feelings and let her body act like it wanted to. However, her mind told her to do otherwise. She just couldn't go wild in a lift.

The doors of the lift opened up, making Lilin let out her breath in relief. Not that she would have anything against being with the pilot. More because she thought the two could then pursue to the little dinner and after that to the man's room. Sounded a lot more appealing than being in the lift for the whole night.

Especially since other people wanted to use the small space as well, although most likely for not the same reason the two did.

"Where to?" she asked after having stepped out of the tight small space. She was clueless. The sudden width of the room caused her to feel a little bi overwhelmed, mostly thanks to her intoxication.

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]

 

[Dayn Wren]

Aedan was completely oblivious to her internal struggles, where Jedi warnings of the Dark Side met with her own desires. He was fortunate enough to be free of such moral burdens. He at the very least had no intentions of turning her, not even being much aware of the concept. It was the woman she was that he had been drawn to in the first place.

Pushing himself away from her had been a hard task, one that grew increasingly challenging as the night went on. But the elevator was not an excellent spot, especially considering the doors opened a moment later.

"Follow me, my lady" he said jokingly as he offered her his arm. As the pair stepped out of the elevator, a few people had been waiting for the lift and rushed in behind them, including a man with a tophat and a monocle. Those were still in fashion?

He would take them out in the not-so-busy streets, only occupied by a few people such as themselves, either heading home from a party or moving on from one to the other. It was dark, though the city lights illuminated their walkway nicely.

Finally he'd take a turn and take her through a pair of swing doors into the establishment. He was a little worried what she'd think about it. It wasn't a fancy restaurant. He wasn't really a fancy man. His salary kind of limited the things he could allow himself to afford, and the family business was still in that start up phase where it sucked more money in than it gave back.

"Here we are. See anything you like?" he said, walking into the take-away place. There were a few tables with couches lined up against the windows and walls, although it was the kind of place where most grabbed their food and left. "The food is really good, I promise" he said, almost to excuse the way it looked, hoping he didn't bring down her expectations. Aedan tried to sound natural and hide the fact that he was maybe a little embarrassed, and nervous about what she'd think. Although Jedi, he imagined, always seemed to know.

Most of the options on the menu above the counter was of the fast-food variety, but they also served plates of things that looked pretty appealing, at least on the picture. Being a gentleman, or at least that was his excuse for the moment, he would let her order first if she wanted.

[member="Lilin Imperieuse"]

 

[Liliane]

The restaurant was cozy. Not a huge fancy restaurant, but also not a poor café. She loved such places. Not that she could think much about that while being in such a state. She just wanted to get over it.

"Uh, I think I'll go with the green salad," Lilin said after having taken a look at the menu. It really had some food she would love to eat, but being as drunk as she was, she couldn't think about eating anything at the moment. So just to fill her stomach, she would have a little salad and no meat or soups or anything other. Vegetables and fruit had to do. She was really not a huge fan of fast food anyway.

"And some sparkling water, with a lemon flavour maybe," she resisted the urge to go for anything alcoholic. She had to get some water in her system, otherwise she would be a vegetable herself the next day, laying in the bed or by the toilet. Definitely not what she wanted. Definitely not what the Jedi Order wanted.

She then looked at the man, expecting him to order something. She couldn't assume what he would get. A part of her told her pilots would only eat healthier foods to stay fit and alert and everything, but at the same time, she could feel like pilots could be considered the official mascots of fast food restaurants. So she didn't really know what to think.

Thinking was not her strongest suit when she was intoxicated.

[ [member="Aedan Lochlan"] ]