Moonlight Lekku

[Choli Vyn]

"And the sickly sweet smell just lingers" to be honest, floating in the tank didn't bother her. Honestly, for the most part, she'd been unconscious. It made time pass by all the quicker.

"Although I guess you can feel a little bit like a fish -- it was more alarming to be dealing with the liquid than being in a tight area." Because, for example, Choli didn't know how to swim.

First flight of stairs wasn't so bad, but Choli wasn't intending on climbing at a fast pace.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Yeah, I mean it's not as disconcerting as that scanner," Trextan said, allowing himself an exaggerated shudder, "But I guess I don't really like being confined like that. It doesn kind of leave me thinking: 'Okay if my mask comes off or the oxygen stops how exactly do I get myself out of this?'."

Trextan was taking it fairly slowly as well, in fact he angled himself towards the railing on one side, taking advantage of his prosthetic arm to take some of his weight and help him climb. In his head he thought rude things about Nurse Mei, chastising them like that. They hadn't even been kissing. He became aware of a hot patch down his right flank and realised the skin had been a little tender where she had tickled him. He hadn't noticed at the time and wasn't about to mention it now. Especially after losing the game.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Yeah.. well, at least you know you can swim right?' Choli countered back, moving about a step ahead of him, her long hair swaying left and right with each step she took. She also had to use the railing, free arm swinging lightly as she did so.

"Besides, isn't there a way for you to be able to umm..". She gave a snap of her fingers, pausing at a step above him, perhaps a little too quickly. Turning towards him she added, "A Force technique to help regulate your breathing?"

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"I've not really...erm...tried it like that," he said. Small gaps in his speech came from a minor distraction. Moving a step ahead put her slightly higher and brought his attention to how easy it was to follow the curve of her rump in the pyjamas. He turned his gaze back to the stairs ahead of him. "I suppose my breathing slows in meditation, but I find that so boring."

"You don't swim? Well, I suppose not much call for it on Tatooine. Grandad could never swim actually," he said with a low chuckle.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Well," Choli gave a small shrug of her shoulder, starting the climb back up." The only 'seas' we have are the Western and Eastern Dune seas." She added wryly. "Not the sort of places you'd be doing any swimming -- and an oasis really doesn't count." The second flight of stairs done.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Last flight," Trextan said with relief. He stopped at the base of them with hands on hips and looked at them with determination. The forward roll through the hatch into the mess kitchen had not been the best idea.

With a grunt he started up them. "So you actually lived out in the dunes though with sand people? Water must have been scarce?" It was a little hard in his mind to reconcile all the facets of the girl. Moving with sand people, military, blushing teenager…

 

[Choli Vyn]

"There are ways to gather water if you know where to look." Okay, her legs were now kinda protesting the stairs. She gave a pause, hands coming to rest at the small of her back. Those Hazel eyes went sliding over down to Trextan again.

A small stretch and she took a deep breath. "Just adapting to the environment." Looking back up she could see the entry to the hallway. The exit that would lead to the roof access wasn't far away.

Determination settled over her face. Not stopping now. Just a few more steps and they would be done. Just a minor regret. Maybe. "What? How was your life growing up then?"

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

There was a silent agreement here. Both knew that taking the lift would have been sensible, neither was going to admit it. One of them would probably break and suggest it for the way back he reckoned.

Trextan placed his hands on his hips and circled them slowly. He grimaced every time they got to the right hand side.

He looked up at the stairs as if they had personally offended him and started to. "I don't know... Physiotherapists say 'stretch and move and exercise' and doctors say 'stay in bed and rest.'"

"It was fairly regular Coruscant living. We had a small flat that you had to take a turbolift to reach. Water was plentiful but tasted a little chemical-y. Food was mostly processed supernutrients. Though I did just remember Jacen took us out for a proper burger after we went to see Nexu King." Three more stairs. That was all.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Three more stairs. Two. One. Victory! In mild amusement, the teenager flashed Trextan a radiant smile, taking the time to just rest a little bit at the top of the stairs. It was a relatively quiet little nook, with the railing behind her so that Choli could lean against it for a bit of support. She does so then, both hands coming up to brush her hands away from her face. Nonetheless, the thick tresses rebelled against her antics, falling forward to frame her olive face anew.

"Seems... rather safe." Regarding not having to really consider whether your next meal would come from or any risk from the elements.

"Not that it is bad -- " she assured, bringing her hand up to gesture in the event she might have offended him."Rather, guess you were saved having to deal with sandstorms."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan leaned against the opposite wall for support facing Choli. Since the playfighting incident he seemed to be more aware of the little things she did. For example, his eyes followed the path of her hands through her hair more closely than necessary.

"Yeah I suppose it was. It wasn't like I lived on the lower levels. Down there is probably as bad as any tatooine wasteland. No real light, thieves on every corner. Not a nice place down there. Dad's apartment was nicer when we moved out I suppose. I think he got paid quite a lot. We had quite a lot of space there for a Coruscant home, which means more than a broom cupboard."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Hearing the tale seemed a bit strange for Choli. To live in such tight and cramped spaces, surrounded by four durasteel walls. Even more the thought of living in a high rise tower on a world with so many levels.

"That sounds so strange to me." She admitted a bit sheepishly. There was a flicker of gold abashed flecks within her hazel eyes. "Always lived on wide open spaces... constantly moving. Ship life i guess is as close to something similar, I imagine." She gave a small rock of her feet, rotating her right ankle and then her left. Her arms came down to cross right under her breasts, stretching the blouse taunt for a moment.

There was more to it really, in regards to a culture clash. "Then again, I guess everything was a little bit strange to me after leaving Tatooine."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Yeah actually," Trextan said, doing his best to keep his gaze at eye level. He tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. "I guess going from tatooine to a base would have been one thing, but those navy ships are really cramped aren't they? Yet I'm the one who's a little claustrophobic."

He gave another abashed shrug. They'd been all over each other back on that couch and right up until the last few moments it hadn't really occurred to him how much.

"You miss them don't you?" He asked, thinking back to how much she wanted to see her squadron again. "I guess you get close somewhere like that."

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Yeah." The trace of a ghost of a smile slightly went curving upward upon the Rogue's lips. There was almost a wistful expression on her features, but it was in the curious color shift in her eyes that tinted them a blue-green in fondness that would be telling.

"Even if I do have to share a cabin and deal with Avie's snoring." Pearly white teeth then quickly flashed a broad grin, amusement lightening her eyes to that amused hazel green that had peered down upon Trextan when the Rogue had sat on top of him.

A deep breath that she took lifted her shoulders, and her arms fell to her sides again. "Well, roof top access? I think the exit should be down that way." She gestured

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

It all felt a little lighter than it had on the couch. As if the air had been cleared by just getting away from that space. Trextan nodded and followed her out onto the main corridor.

Sliding doors opened out onto a flat open space with clean white railings around the outside. There were potted plants across the space doing their best to make it feel like a garden. At least there was fresh air.

"Ooo a little chilly," he remarked, rubbing his own shoulders.

 

[Choli Vyn]

The fresh burst of air was a welcomed change to the sickly sweet scent of bacta despite the chill. Wayward strands of Choli's hair went dancing over her forehead, tickling the tips of her lashes.

"Oh, it is," Cho said a bit surprised. With how sunny it had appeared through the window, she hadn't expected it to be so chilly. Her own hands came up to rub at her arms, already feeling her skin pucker as goosebumps ran over her skin.

The area was actually quite wide. There were a few overhanging lights and potted plants. Here and there were a few benches to sit upon. While a relatively clear sky, there was a breeze that would sweep in here and there, tossing both Trextan's and Choli's hair up into mild disarray.
Moving over towards the nearest railing, the Rogue decided to take a good gander at where they were at.

"Still better than being cooped up in there." So much better. Pausing by the railing, her hands rose up to perch on it. For a brief moment, Choli shut her eyes, simply enjoying the sensation of the wind flowing over her, face tilted up towards the warmth of the sun. It wasn't the hot bake of the Twin Suns, but it felt good. Made one feel a little more whole.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan sauntered over to join her at the railings. He too closed his eyes for a moment and let the fresh air wash over him. Being locked on a ward and shoved into bacta tubes and tight scanners combined with his mild claustrophobia left an oppressive weight on his shoulders that seemed to ease slightly.

Down on the street below landspeeders whizzed past, the noise of their repulsors slightly spoiling his moment. Taking a deep lungful of fresh air still prompted his mind to reach out and connect to the life around them. A hospital was a dark place, full of anxiety and fear, but there was also hope and relief. The city was a green one, like much of Elrood and the plant life was a constant presence. No thoughts, no emotions, just being. Like a deep breath devoid of any thought or concern.

Trextan turned towards Choli, opening his eyes and sweeping his hair back only for it to fly free with the breeze once more. He grinned. It was a tight little smile to go with what felt like a private victory they were sharing.

"I agree," he said, looking to the green horizon. "Fresher than Coruscant air or that done in Sullust. There's a cafe down there," he said nodding to the far side of the road. They must have been six stories up perhaps. This was a huge facility. "If you can tamper with the scanners we could sneak out. Though..." He looked down at their attire.

 

[Choli Vyn]

A single lid popped open to peek at Trextan, the Rogue giving him a sideways glance.

"Get a little taste of freedom and running away and you're hooked." Amusement came bubbling up her throat as she said it, her other lid opening up to tilt her face over to him.

"Yeah well, first gotta see if it could even be done." A slight scrunch of her brows in thought then she gestured for him to offer up His shoulder.

"Come on, this will Be easier to try on you than on me." She explained, taking a step forward towards him. It was halfway into it that her awareness of him flared up again, and she added a bit hastily " if you want me to try that is."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Of course you can," he replied, even if he'd taken a sharp breath at her approaching so quickly. Why was it now such a thing when she came near?

"Don't rush if you want to take a minute and enjoy the air though," he offered. "We can take our adventures one step at a time," he chuckled. "Land us in less trouble than evading security, stealing a shuttle and getting shot down again all in one run."

 

[Choli Vyn]

A snort followed, mainly to hide her growing blush again. Maybe she could blame walking up the stairs? Choli kept her head a bit down as if she was only focusing on his arm and shoulder when she really was not. Nope, more like all of him and how It sounded when he laughed.

"Doubt it. All the nurses are all in a titter about it seems." Her slightly calloused hand and fingers went curling over his forearm with one hand while the other came up to push back the sleeve of his shirt.

"Just need this out of the way," she explained in a low murmur, her cold fingers touching warm skin as the sleeve was pushed back. There in the middle of his upper arm above his bicep was the small gold foil bio-stamp.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

On the shuttle from Polis Massa she'd gone running her hands over his artificial arm and he'd been surprised how natural her touch had felt. But it hadn't sent his belly into a little flip like her touch did this time. He had to stop his right hand from tightening around the railing. Whilst he was in more control of it he could still have crushed it accidentally. Instead he helped roll up his sleeve up and over lean shoulder muscle. He wasn't a well built man like his father, but the sith and Jedi training kept him lean and rangy. A body he would grow into over the next five years.

"We can sit if you think it might take some time?" He asked, looking towards a bench next to the railings that would afford a good view away from the hospital.