Off The Beaten Track

[Lief]

The sound of his stomach rumbling set everything else to the back burner, their talks abandoned as she stepped away from the window and worked her way further into the apartment.

She pulled open a couple of cupboards, and then the fridge, finding very little to work with in truth. It was obvious he lived alone, he was likely the kind of person to go out every night, or order food in, rather than shop for himself. Her eyes fell over the options, until she pulled out a small handful of eggs, the remnants of a block of cheese, and what seemed to resemble vegetables though she couldn't say precisely which they were.

Reaching to her musical device she set a song into motion and began to dance around the kitchen, cracking eggs, throwing together ingredients, mixing up whatever it was she'd added. Then it went into a frying pan on the stove, sizzling away.

Soon enough there was a complete omelette cut in two and placed on two separate plates. She pushed one across the counter to Ar'ekk and plucked a fork or two from a drawer. It smelled great, even if there were mystery vegetables hidden within.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

True to her word, Kalyn prepared supper for both as soon as she heard his stomach growl like a wild Rancor waiting for its meal. The scent emanating from the kitchen provoked that his taste buds went all crazy and his mouth drooled like never before. Whatever she was cooking looked and smelled delicious and he couldn't wait to try it.

The cupboards weren't full of food as one would expect considering that he lived alone and preferred takeaway than cooking for himself except for wet noodles with Bantha grill steak. Watching the red haired girl dance as she cooked was very amusing for Ar'ekk, feeling comfortable under her presence. She irradiated a positive energy that was very familiar and similar to Jyn's.

Reaching for the bowl and fork from the counter, Ar'ekk proceeded to sit down by the kitchen counter and enjoy the meal prepared by Kalyn. One bite transported him to cloud nine, the taste of the food was out of this world. He was very, very picky about what he ate and this just took up by surprise.

"This is delicious!"

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[Lief]

As one song faded, another began.

Unlike the others, where she'd goofed around and danced and joked, this one seemed to truly draw her attention. Every single word of the song was sang by the girl who danced her way into a seat with her plate of omelette. When there was a moment of more instrumental - or background singing - she'd cut a piece off with the side of her fork and chow down on her creation.

Whatever the vegetable was, it surely did compliment the eggs.

At the chorus her whole face lit up, and though she was seated she still managed to look as though she was dancing. A wide grin on her face, shoulders swaying. She was in her element then and there, so comfortable that it felt as if she was sat with an old friend rather than someone she had met just that night.

Music got to her in an almost infectious manner, though. It broke down barriers like nothing else she knew.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

Another song was added to their mix but this time it was a different type of jam, much louder and bassier than the ones they've been hearing for the past thirty minutes. The apartment was one big concert almost and the neighbours would surely be pissed at the loud music being played after midnight but they didn't care, it was fun!

Getting up from his seat while playing an imaginary instrument with his fingers and dancing around both the table and Kalyn, Ar'ekk jammed to the song until it was over. But he wouldn't do it alone as he grabbed the girl's hands and invited her to move all over the apartment by showing off different type of dance moves.

Crazy? Unexpected? Fun?

Damn yes!

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[Lief]

Having wolfed down her dinner during the intermission between songs, Mara was more than prepped to launch into dance mode across the apartment, though she didn't know the song to sing along, and her moves were sometimes a little out of sync as she adjusted to the general rhythm of it.

She watched Ar'ekk as they danced, carrying on until she finally began to feel a little ache and fatigue from so much exercise. Truth be told she was surprised she'd lasted this long, how many songs had she danced around to by now?

When the song began to wind down she chuckled, but made her way over to one of the sofas to collapse and catch her breath. Now she was the one in dire need of hydration, though she made no move to grab a bottle or a glass of tap water. Instead she leaned her head over the back of the sofa and exhaled slowly.

It had been quite some time since she'd had so much fun.

"I don't envy your neighbours right now" she admitted, though she laughed softly as she said it. Who knew, maybe they liked the music too. Wasn't as though Mara was someone who was used to having neighbours, being that she lived out of an A-Wing.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

"What are they gonna do? Tell me to knock down the volume a notch or two?

He chuckled in return, thinking that the idea itself was already utopic as he said so. Nobodoy would be bothering them during that evening or at all considering his reputation and all, most of his neighbours were either old people with hearing difficulties or young punks who enjoyed the jams being played out through the apartment's speaker systems.

With a telekinetic pull, Ar'ekk brought a bottle full of water over to Kalyn for her to grab mid-air and cool herself up after a few minutes of heavy dancing to a very strong and energetic music genre. She had the moves despite being out of sync at first but definitely knew how to jam with only a few minutes to learn the steps and movements.

"I'm going to need a shower after this."

And he wasn't lying given that he was sweating more than a Gamorrean guarding the palace of a Hutt on Tatooine or so they said. The rain outside had gotten worse as the sky darkened and lightning bolts ignited the horizon, making a wonderful display of lights mixed with the neon ones on the ground.

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[Lief]

With her head back like it was, Mara didn't see how the bottle of water reached her.

All she knew was that suddenly it lay in her lap, and figuring he'd thrown it to her she lifted up her head and smiled his way in thanks. She wasn't one who had ever experienced the Force, wasn't one who really believed in the Force. Sure she'd heard tell of it, and of those who utilized it, the famed Jedi and the twisted Sith, but that felt like something else in another Galaxy all together. A myth or a fantasy.

Chugging down the water she pondered on what he said concerning the shower. He did look like he needed it.

"By all means, go clean up. I'll get started on the dishes."

She hadn't made the largest mess ever in the kitchen, but there were at least 4 dishes and some silverware that needed attention.

"Then maybe we should rest, it's gettin' late."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

"You can take the bed, I've got the couch. And I insist you do."

Reaching for the big metallic armoire that was next to the bed, Ar'ekk pulled himself within and grabbed one of the freshly cleaned towels and wrapped it around his shoulders. The water was regulated automatically by the built-in system that each apartment had as a feature, he really liked hot showers and you could almost melt if you entered the bathroom.

"I don't have comfortable clothes for you but my oversized pijamas but you can use them, if you want."

The door to the bathroom closed after he said the last few things to Kalyn, shower turning on as soon as he set foot inside. Stripping himself from any clothes and getting under the warm water he closed his eyes, pondering heavily during his hot steaming shower.

Relaxed and serene.

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[Lief]

It didn't take her long to clean up the dishes and the kitchen, while Ar'ekk showered.

Once she was done, though, and the bowls and pans were drying, she made her way through the apartment and picked up a set of pajamas which the man had kindly left for her on the bed. She had been ready to dispute his insistence that she take the bed, but when she felt how soft and downy it was all she wanted to do was fold into it and sleep for an eternity. When was the last time she'd slept in a proper bed? Or, at least, one that hadn't felt a thousand bodies prior to hers?

Slipping out of her flightsuit and the clothes beneath, she made quick work out of pulling on his oversized clothes and then it was simply a matter of hopping into bed.

Which she did in record time, eyes closing almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Some things could not be afforded to her kind, those who were forever on the road with no actual place to call home. She'd cherish it while she had the chance.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

Coming out of the bathroom with the vapor emanating from your back and leaving the room, Ar'ekk wrapped the towel around his torso and walked towards the living room. As he expected, Kalyn was sleeping comfortably in his bed. Her clothes were on the ground and he picked them up so they wouldn't get dirty, putting them aside.

He opened the armoire and changed into more comfortable clothes, something he would use for a good night's sleep. Silence had taken over the apartment again except the computer making its signature sounds such as the hard drive doing all the work and the like.

Sitting down on the couch and resting his feet on the edge of the bed, considering they were pretty much next to each other, Ar'ekk continued to ponder heavily with a lost glance.

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[Lief]

Kalyn was quick to sleep.

While the world continued to thrive beyond the window, she had sunk into a dreamstate. Oblivious to all that was happening around her, to the man lost in thought feet away from where she lay, or the computer working hard to process whatever it was Ar'ekk had set it to task against.

Her dreams were simple, they always were, mostly the same as what she saw almost every day: the void of space, dotted with countless stars each with their own system and planets orbiting them. It was humbling, though many would find the thought brought about existential dread. The very notion that so many things existed in this Galaxy far greater than oneself. That their presence and actions were insignificant.

Time passed swiftly for her, though the same could not necessarily be said for him.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

Unlike Kalyn, sleeping was an utopic thing for him again.

Everything had been going fine and dandy when Jyn was still alive living the good life and enjoying the simple things after so many hardships they had to overcome to reach that point. Every night, every dream was a nightmare that played out the same way: A helpless Ar'ekk trying to save his beloved from death.

He failed every time.

The sun rose in the horizon amidst the grey clouds and the drizzle that quickly overtook a beautiful skyline. He was laying on his back on the couch, staring at the ceiling aimlessly.

The girl continued to sleep comfortably in his bed, wrapped between comfy sheets like a burrito, while he stood up and walked to the big window that offered the biggest view of Ethos City.

How can I move on?

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[Lief]

She woke to find herself enveloped in what could only be described as clouds.

Fluffy, comfortable, soft... It was a strange sensation, one which made her feel weightless, and as she came to she realized she had no desire to actually open her eyes and break the spell. For a moment she found it difficult to remember where exactly she'd lay her head the night before, certainly not a place she'd slept before. No, she'd never known comfort like it.

A quiet yawn roused her from her slumber, though, that and the grumble of a stomach that had not eaten in several hours. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she moved to sit upright and glanced around her surroundings. The memories came flooding back, of the casino and the rain and dancing through the apartment, though when her eyes drifted to the sofa where the man ought to have been Ar'ekk was nowhere to be seen.

Then she heard a movement, and her eyes were drawn over to the window where the man stood looking quite forlorn.

"Mornin'," she brokered, shifting herself out from under the covers and crawling to the center of the bed. For whatever reason she wasn't quite ready to get down from it just yet.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

Shifting around on his feet, Ar'ekk laid eyes on a sleepy and semi-awake Kalyn sitting in the middle of his bed. More like her bed that morning.

Returning a warm smile and a wave of some sorts, he couldn't help but smile seeing her hair all messed up thanks to the pillow and an amazing good night's rest.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

Yawning into a balled fist, he made his way to the edge of the bed and sat down with Kalyn as she tried to wake herself up from a rough night dancing and eating. They were both tired but for different reasons, his because he couldn't have been able to sleep for a week now.

"You were pretty much out of it the whole night!"

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[Lief]

"You didn't sleep well?" she inquired, almost immediately, as the man stated how she'd slept the whole night away. Wasn't that what you were supposed to do when it came time to sleep? A soft frown ran over her lips, and for a moment she simply looked past Ar'ekk to the view beyond the window.

It was strange to see the world aglow in morning light, it didn't look quite so harsh or dizzying though she could see for miles now and the sheer magnitude of the cityscape more than made up for the lack of neon lights.

"Where'd you get your bed?" she groaned, stretching her back before flopping backwards onto the bed, "If I had this, I'd never want to leave it. I'm surprised you let me use it at all."

She was trying to lighten the mood, given the fact that he clearly had a rough night of it, but she doubted it would work. There was something plaguing his mind, just as there had been the day before, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it. Would it be rude to press the matter?

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

"I couldn't sleep." he responded with a bit of a sad tone, as soon as the girl asked him about it. There was no need to lie to her about what was happening on his head or at least his life, keeping things to himself would only continue to hurt him. Pressing about the matter wasn't a bad thing in the man's eyes and if she asked, he'd likely vent out a bit.

"I don't remember, to be honest. You liked it? And come on, I wouldn't let you sleep on the couch! I wish I could've slept wrapped under the soft sheets but I can manage a few nights there."

Ar'ekk's spirits seemed to have lift up a little to only disappear seconds later, the nights continued to get worse and closing his eyes would only mean he'd go through the same nightmare over and over. Staying awake was his way of dealing with things, though it hurted his life, and he couldn't find an anchor to get himself out of this state.

Something else would this time but what?

Unknown.

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[Lief]

"Somethin' on your mind?"

Rolling over to the edge of the bed, Mara finally allowed her feet to stretch out and touch the ground. As much as she was loathed to get up and start her day, she felt a little rude taking his bed out from under him when he wasn't even able to sleep. Maybe if he'd had the comfort of his duvet and that divine mattress he'd have been able to.

"You should get some shut eye, if you can, I'll make the bed up nice for you. Don't worry 'bout me, I can find somethin' to occupy m'self with. Now I feel really bad for stealin' your bed."

Glancing around the room to try and figure out where her clothes were, she found them draped over one of the surfaces rather neatly. Not something she had done, which meant that was his doing. She smiled to that, before stepping over to lift them into her hands.

"Mind if I jump in the refresher? Been a while since I stayed somewhere that wasn't grotty."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

"A lot."

Gah, that took a lot of effort to say. Getting some sleep or not, the nightmares were there either way no matter what. The fictional scenarios played over and over in his head where he attempted to come victorious but in reality everything shattered in a minute. It was futile.

"No, no. I can't close my eyes anymore, it's just... I don't feel like it. Does that make sense?"

No, it didn't. Nothing for the last 365 days did at all such as why Jyn had to die and their adoptive daughter disappeared on the same day? Why to everything that transpired? He must've done something horrible in an alternate life to be cursed like this.

But... life had to move on one way or the other except that the only thing that helped him was her love.

"Please, go ahead. Clean towels are inside the armoire."

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[Lief]

Mara frowned.

Having something eating at your conscience so badly that you couldn't sleep was not something she envied, she'd experienced it most nights after leaving The Wheel alongside Captain Kilian, when the realization that she wouldn't see her Mother again for quite some time finally sank in. Most nights she'd only slept after crying herself into exhaustion, whenever she thought nobody could hear. One of the crew had overheard her once, and after then she seemed to be worked a little harder around the ship. She hadn't understood why at the time, believed it was a punishment, but every night when her head hit the pillow she fell asleep in no time.

Things got a little better after that.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked, gathering one of the towels from the armoire but lingering in the room to hear his response. She moved closer to the bed again, and settled on the edge - a little bit away from him to give him some room. "Keepin' it in ain't gonna help."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]​

"You really wanna hear this? I mean, if you want to..."

Ar'ekk sighed.

Keeping all these emotions in were not good for his health, both mentally and physically. Not being able to function as a person or in the dangerous line of work he involved himself not long ago would prove deadly one day. It might be today or even tomorrow, you just never knew.

"Jyn. She was... everything to me. One day we were sharing a great evening with our adoptive daughter Atefeh and the next one they're gone like the wind. A week later? I get a knock on the door. Jyn was found dead, circumstances unknown. Atefeh remained lost. My world fell into the abyss."

He didn't want to cry in front of Kalyn but the urge to do that was too big, so he looked away in shame trying to hold the tears coming out from his eyes. His pillar in life was gone forever and he couldn't do anything about it. Couldn't save her like she did on Nar Shaddaa.

All that remained was... nothing. A broken heart and soul that couldn't pick itself without help, without love.

"The booze helps me cope with the pain. Grimey nightclubs and seats in utter darkness to hide from reality. I just drink and drink."

Hesitating for a moment, Ar'ekk laid eyes on Kalyn but eventually spoke out.

"Last night. You were sitting by the couch after we danced... And I saw her instead of you, for one second. You remind me of her too."

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