Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Off The Beaten Track

With her things put away, Mara took up the last remaining blood orange and proceeded to peel and devour it. She knew that she'd have to find some protein-packed sustenance soon enough, two hours without anything of the sort was much too long for the likes of her, but for now she was happy to eat something fresh. It tasted so much better than she remembered, too.

"Ain't got nothin' on my mind," she told him, with a soft shrug, wiping off her sticky fingers on the trousers of her orange flightsuit, "Wha' makes you think I do?"

Slowly but surely she pushed herself up from her seated position and glanced down at Ar'ekk. Hopefully they were ready to leave this place, now that the procedure was finished, and hopefully Ar'ekk's personality would not be too far changed from how it had been the night before.

"C'mon," she said, with a tip of her head in the direction of the sewers they had emerged from earlier, "We're both owed a little lunch, I'd say."

After all, they'd forsaken breakfast already.

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Laukoon, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]


"You said that you only drew when you had something in your mind."

Truth be told, Ar'ekk did not want to spend a single minute in this particular area let alone coming back to the diner to pick up the so delicious hamburger that he had ordered. Sure, the place was as welcoming as any other but their little "trip" through the sewers and seeing all that people struggling to survive had taken a big hit on his appetite.

"Definitely but not here. We should go back to Downtown."

Eyes following up Kalyn's every move and standing up with her, he'd take a quick look around before touching the enhancements recently installed on his ears. Pulling away gently in an attempt to not draw much attention to himself and with a much more happier tone to his voice, Ar'ekk eventually spoke out again and gave a better idea for their day.

"Let's find the airspeeder."



 
"Oh," she said, with a soft shrug, "I suppose I did, didn't I?"

She didn't expand upon that, though, instead focusing on the prospect of food. Always had her next meal on her mind, that was Mara to a t. She brushed some dirt off the back of her trousers, looked up at the holo-tree overhead, and then set off back through the marketplace.

"Where can we get an airspeeder?" she asked, looking back at Ar'ekk as they walked, "I feel like I'm going to shrivel up and die."

After a few moments of watching him, she let out a small sigh.

"How are you feelin'?"

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Laukoon, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]


"Hmm, I suppose."

Hunger was bigger than his desire to pursue the matter further and ask Kalyn about her "outburst", it wasn't necessary to talk about it at all since it wasn't his business. Should the girl want to open up about it and talk he'd gladly offer his time and listen to what she had to say. A stranged look surfaced as he looked at her.

"The one we came with? My airspeeder?"

Any place that wasn't here was good, the sooner they were gone the better. Unfortunately for Kalyn, they'd have to take the sewer path again to get back to Ar'ekk's airspeeder which remained parked where they left it off. Doors opened and allowed them inside, pulling away right away from Laukoon into Ethos City Downtown.

"I feel the same, to be honest. No radical change."



 
"Oh," she said, realizing that she'd become rather too distracted. A soft frown played at her lips, and she could feel Ar'ekk looking at her like she'd gone crazy or something. "Yeah, I forgot about that..."

It felt like days had passed since they'd left the apartment complex that morning, but in truth it had been mere hours. Three or so, if she wanted to set down a genuine number... After all, they hadn't been in the sports bar for very long. Maybe more like three and a half.

With a shake of her head, Mara tried to get her mind back in action.

"I'm glad you're feeling okay," she said, and hearing him say that genuinely made some of the tension in her shoulders vanish. Picking up the pace she headed straight for the sewers and soon enough the both of them were enveloped back by its darkness and the eternal stench which clung to the place.

This time, Mara did not look at those who dwelt within. She kept her eyes fixed on ahead, avoiding the gazes of women and children and men down on their luck, most of them starved, a lot of them high on drugs that would kill them if they kept it up.

Drugs that would equally kill them if they stopped.

It was awful, but with nothing she could do to help she couldn't afford to let her mind slip once again.

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]


"Me too."

At the end of the day, he was glad that nothing was eating his mind due to a malfunction of sorts. It came with the risk of messing around with your body with someone who used to be a professional surgeon and now operated in the back of a malodorous shop stall in the ugliest part of town.

Lucky indeed to see the light of the day once more and to be walking among the living. Every day was a new one and he was thankful of existing, even if the reasons for that were slim to none. Life had dealt him the worst cards one could ever have but he kept going, no matter the hardships.

"The one we came with? My airspeeder?"

Seeing Downtown Ethos City was a welcomed sight, a relieved sigh escaping from him at the same time. Looking through the dampened winshield toward the neon billboard with their infectious jingles playing outloud, the market stalls making each street looked packed and the rain were much better than Laukoon's awful conditions.

Guess everyone preferred to stay oblivious about the less favored population. He was on par with that way of thinking too, at some extent. Saving the world wasn't his thing anymore.

"How about some wet noodles from Jovim, huh?"



 
"Drats," she exclaimed, as they finally worked their way out of the sewers and into the City proper, "I stink."

It was true, the stench of that place clung to her and made her feel nauseous. With a disgusted look upon her face, she turned her head toward Ar'ekk and let out a long sigh. That expression turned somewhat sheepish as she posed her next question.

"Any chance we can run back to the apartment first? I need to get this stench off me."

Not that she had a different set of clothes to wear, of course, but a quick shower couldn't hurt. And maybe she could steal some deodorant or aftershave from him to cover up the smell.

"Also... What are wet noodles?" she asked, raising one brow. Not something she'd ever heard of or tried, that was for certain.

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]


"You do."

He cackled loudly, somewhat amused by the awful stench that emanated from Kalyn's clothing. It was worse than anything he had sniffed in a long time, considering he had been in the presence of several Hutts and their pleasure barges were the epitome of gag inducing aromas.

"We can but what are you gonna wear? It's gonna take a while before your clothes smell like vanilla and strawberries again."

Nevertheless, Ar'ekk turned the airspeeder around and set course to his apartment. They weren't too far away from there and in a couple of minutes, they'd eventually pull into the docking bay. Being home was absolute euphoria, top of the world sensation to take off your boots and walk around the wooden floor bare foot.

"You've never tried them before?! Oh, I'm gonna change that soon. Trust me!"



 
With a huff and a pout when Ar'ekk confirmed that she did, in fact, stink, Mara looked out of the window and waited for them to reach their destination.

"I dunno, I'll figure somethin' out to wear though."

Maybe she'd see if he had any smaller trousers, and a shirt? Wasn't as if she owned a second set of clothes, really. She had one spare shirt but that was back in her ship, and was meant for sleeping in. And for when she had her clothes out being cleaned.

"And I never smell like those things," she said, with an indignant tone, "More like oil and grease." She grinned for a moment, then lay her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

"I'll try them since you sound so excited by the idea. I'll warn you now, though, I can out-eat a hutt. Might need a few of those... Noodles?.. to satiate my appetite."

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]


"I mean, we literally walked through a filthy sewer. You think you're the only one who needs a shower?"

Picking an outfit from his wardrobe wouldn't be a difficult task for Kalyn, though she'd have to cope with oversized shirts and shorts for her body type. By the time the sun went down and the night arrived, they'd be walking out to enjoy a wonderful evening at Jovim's noodle shop.

"Out-eat a Hutt? I would pay to see that. How about a challenge? See who eats more in under five minutes?"

The door opened as he twisted the keys and the locking mechanism allowed them within the cozy interior, his jacket finding a resting place by the couch and boots kicked off in a different direction. So warm, so nice, finally home.

He took off his shirt and dropped it in the dirty clothes basket next to the armoire, reaching for two towels and handing one of them to Kalyn.

From behind, the scars that adorned his back were much more visible in case she didn't have a good look before, plus the neck plugs in the back of his neck.



 
"Touché," she said, as they exited the speeder and made their way up the apartment complex to Ar'ekk's home, it was true they probably both stank something awful but in that moment it was hard to tell which smell was coming from who. It sort of just... amassed together in the air.

"Oh is that a challenge? You're on. But first thing's first... Could I borrow somethin' to wear?"

The door was opened, and after removing her shoes Mara stepped inside and let out a soft sigh. The air conditioning which was blowing through the building worked wonders in making it so they couldn't smell the sewers so much, but she knew that the second they were out of it the smell would return.

Best they stick to the plan, and shower.

Her eyes fell over the scars on his back for a moment before she took the towel and averted her gaze. "You can go first, I'll wait."

After all, it was his home.

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]


"You go first. I'll pick some clothes for you and leave them in the bathroom. Too many things to go through, gotta make sure they fit."

They obviously wouldn't but he'd try his best at picking something both comfortable and soft, Kalyn had to feel fine beneath the fabric and everything. Thankfully, the entirety of the clothes folded inside the wardrobe were recently cleaned and had a marvelous scent that one could spend hours just sniffing them for the sake of things.

He picked one of his rather too large for the girl blue shirts, some comfy shorts and some "sweet" slippers to match. She'd definitely look funny in these clothes but it was better than smelling like a Rancor's breath after eating an entire village, at least that's what he thought.

Before doing that, he walked up to the kitchen and more so the refrigerator to grab a cold soda bottle and drink like he had spent months in the desert. The silence was enjoyable as Kalyn had disappeared from the room to shower, looking out the window to contemplate the absolute nothingness in the horizon.

Lost in thought for a minute.



 
Not one to put up a fight when it came to something so trivial, Mara took her towel and ventured over to the refresher after giving Ar'ekk her thanks.

Once inside she closed the door shut but did not lock it - after all, he said he'd place the clothes inside - and quickly stripped down. The clothes were placed inside a laundry hamper, hopefully she'd get a chance to throw them in the wash before they left to go grab food, and then with nothing left to remove she draped the towel over the sink and stepped into the shower area.

As the warm water ran over her skin she let out a long sigh and rolled her shoulders. The muscles groaned and ached, and something cracked noisily. She was never without knots and sores in her muscles, a byproduct of sitting in a starfighter for most of her days.

Scrubbing the dirt and stench from her skin she remained under the water for longer than was necessary. Her back was to the door, covered in scars of its own, her head turned up into the flow of the water.

It felt nice to be able to do this, to simply stand and enjoy a quiet moment. It had been much too long since she'd been able to relax, even the shower she had taken the night before had been rushed out of worry that she'd upset him somehow.

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]

Eventually, he snapped out of his trance to finally bring Kalyn her clothes. Leaving the empty bottle of soda by the kitchen and standing by the frame of the closed door, Ar'ekk tried to calm himself down and pretend this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Reaching for the handle with his free hand and twisting it open, he walked into the hot steaming bathroom as she was taking a shower. He could see the shade of the girl behind the white courtain as she enjoyed the warm water falling on her soft skin, him trying to make as less noise as possible. Setting the clothes somewhere they shouldn't get wet or fall to the floor, he started pondering heavily of something.

You've met this girl not for long but reminds you of someone. Is it a temporary feeling or should you go for it? What should I do?

Sometimes you just do things for no reason, sometimes you do them because your heart told you to. Maybe this wasn't the occasion to do that or maybe it was meant to be. But he was fully commited to, rather respectfully and with a heartfelt intention, of joining her under the water.

Whatever came next? Up to fate to decide.



 
After washing out the suds from her hair, Mara was more than ready to step out of the shower.

And yet, for the time being, she hadn't.

She ran one hand up over her shoulder to rub at the aching muscles and graze her fingertips over the white scars which indented and bumped out from her skin depending on which they were. Wounds from a thousand countless battles, from dogfights and gunfights, and the old internment labour camps. Some were even from her days on the Wheel, though Luh had always claimed they had never been his doing. What she wouldn't give to strangle that Hutt.

The memories pooled forth and ran over her just as the water now was, and as her shoulders hunched and she gave in to the visions which flashed forth she moved one hand out to steady herself and let out a very long and tormented sigh.

She'd have to go back there one day, she knew, back to the Wheel, back to the mother she had left behind. That was if the woman even lived. Kal had not heard from her since the day she left, she had never looked back, never returned, but if she was ever going to get over it she'd need to.

She knew that.

She had always known that.

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]

The white scars indented and bumped out on Kalyn's back told a thousand stories simply by looking at them, his fingertips tracing them gently as he allowed the water to dampen his hair.

Unaware if he'd get slapped in the face for stepping into someone else's private time or if things would continue their due course, he tried to be as gentle as possible.

This brought back memories of eons ago, from the days that he considered to be the happiest of his life. But it wasn't the right way to go about it, even though his heart told him to do so. Was this worth losing a friend for life or could it be something else?

A rushed decision, like many others, that couldn't wait for the right moment.

Only one to blame was himself.

What was done was done.



 
Mara jumped.

In her surprise she almost slipped in the shower, managing to catch herself last minute as one hand clutched her chest over her racing heart. She fought to steady her breathing, head turning slightly to find Ar'ekk stood there bright as brass. There was an expression of uncertainty upon his face, almost as though he wasn't sure if he'd made the right decision, and for a moment she simply stared at him.

She was dumbfounded, shocked, unsure of how to respond. Nobody had ever thought to do such before, not that they'd ever had the opportunity, and while she did enjoy his company she knew he was a loaded gun. Someone who had self-destructed tendencies and would bounce from highs to lows... Someone she could befriend, but not necessarily someone she'd get herself tangled up with. Not intimately at least.

Though she was a spacer through and through, someone who could easily be seen more as one of the lads than a prudish woman, she hadn't ever actually done anything before. It wasn't that she hadn't had opportunity to, she had on plenty of occasions, and she'd considered it - there had been guys, heck and even girls, she'd flirted with the idea of sharing a bed with in the past - she'd always backed out at the last minute.

Maybe it reminded her too much of Luh and the Wheel. Of the crap he had her mother do.

"Ar'ekk," she finally breathed, suddenly aware of how warm and waterlogged the air was, "What are you doing?"

Her tone was odd, a mixture of indignation, and confusion, and curiosity. She should have told him to get out, or done so herself, and maybe she would, but for now she simply stood there and kept her back to him.

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]

"I don't know what I'm doing, Mara."

His tone was of strong desire but also holding back, aware of Kalyn's reaction to whatever he was doing. Of course it was odd, disrespectful and uncalled for but he wasn't called out on the spot. That didn't mean a single thing but in his mind and in that moment, he thought of it for a simple moment.

Eyes going back and forth as if he was trying to find words to say, Ar'ekk couldn't help but shiver at the cold breeze hitting his body while he stood away from the warm water. This was an out of character thing for him to do, distinctively recognizing that he definitely wasn't a ladiesman by any means necessary and that he thought of women as the most sacred thing in the universe.

His teeth were chattering as he held himself together in the shower, just looking at Kalyn dumbfounded, appearing like a puppy tossed out on the pavement while it rained all night.



 
"I'm not her... You know that, right?"

Her tone was soft in an attempt to both set his mind back on track while also refraining from hurting his feelings too badly. Or dragging up too much of the past. She didn't even know if that was why he was stood there now, trembling as he was, but after the visions he'd confessed to having the night before it was easy to tell why she believed that to be the case.

"You can't keep living like this. Stuck in the past, lost within a loop. It's not fair on yourself, but it's also not fair on her memory. Or on anyone else who comes into your life in the future. You can't keep comparing everyone to her..."

She stepped to the side, so that he could share the water with her, more out of fear of him catching a death of cold, though she continued to keep her back to him. Her head was turned his way, of course, or at least she was looking over her shoulder at him.

"What do you want, Ar'ekk?" She was, of course, not talking about in that present moment, and her expression made that abundantly clear, "What is going to get you out of this self-destructive cycle you're in?"

[member="Arekk"]
 

Arekk

The Flesh Of Fallen Angels
LITHIOS
Merchants' District, Ethos City


INTERACTING WITH: [member="Kalyn Shif"]

"I know that."

Releasing a heavenly sigh, Ar'ekk couldn't help but look at Kalyn with glossy eyes. The pain built over the last 365 days of his miserable life had gotten too difficult to handle but he didn't want to cry not only because it'd be weird but also they found themselves wearing nothing in the shower.

Instead, he pulled out the best of him and cracked a joke that could at least lighten up the mood.

"You're right, though. I cannot keep going down this dispatching path of agony and pain, she will never come back. The pain will be there for the rest of my life but I gotta cope with it."

Allowing the warm water fall on his head again, he brushed his wet hair out of the way and breathed with joy. His eyes remained with Kalyn's as they talked, hand scratching the still-human arm that remained. Her question was tough and Ar'ekk pondered heavily before giving a proper answer.

"It's not that simple."



 

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