Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Bernard smiled and met her eyes.

"I'm glad I could learn that about you today," he said, calming from the laughter. "It's the cutest thing."

He looked forward, between the front seats.

The windshield was a mess of orange and blue. The rain continues to pour heavily on Coruscant, something must have gone wrong with the weather controls again, but it made for a cozy view from the warmth of the speeders interior.

"Did you know I have the weirdest fear of desert planets?"
 
"It is?" Her eyes widened, surprised, through their contact. She felt the corner of her upper lip curl into a dubious sneer.
Nothing about fear was cute. The very idea that having that information was anything short of embarrassing was baffling, and Ishida silently considered all the things that could go wrong from that exchange. Perhaps what was scarier than the freezing, unknown reaches of space, was the unknown depths of intimacy. He looked away and she suppressed a shiver, dropped her eyes and felt her cheeks grow warm.


When he spoke again, he exchanged her unspoken trepidation for an inexplicable fear of his own.
It startled her, for some reason. The readiness to expose himself like that, with something he couldn't explain. But his sharing didn't leave them in a state of imbalance, and her expression softened.

When she thought about it, imagined a version of himself slowly, nervously, creeping down the ramp to a sand dune planet, she understood a little bit more of his initial reaction. It was cute to see her counterpart flummoxed by something completely natural. Especially since he daily faced dangers far more irregular, far eviler than grains of sand and no moisture.

"Of course I didn't." She smirked "— because they're the opposite of snow-covered Arkania?"
 
"And there are all sorts of things living under the sands most of the time. Strange creatures that such your blood, or sting you with poisons, or crawl all over your legs." He shuddered visibly.

"And with all the heat it's impossible to see anything half the time. I'll be a half-dried, thoroughly creeper out and crawled-over visitor to the dunes and I won’t even be able to see where I'm going because the sun keeps shining so intensely. It's my personal hell."
 
Truthfully, Ishida had never considered all the terrible, unseen details of micro-ecosystems beneath the sand. Bernard, on the other hand, described them so vividly that she subliminally felt herself drawing her legs up from the floor of the cab. Just in case.

“So you protect me from being sucked out into space,” Her free hand’s pointer and middle finger started to crawl up his thigh at a slow, wandering pace.

“And I’ll save you from the horrors of planets that only know sand dunes and creepy crawlies.” To emphasize the latter point, the crawl of her fingers accelerated toward his stomach for an inescapable tickle.
 
The imagined scenario ran through Bernard’s mind. Relentless heat, not a drop of water in his backpack, the visibility of a sandstorm even on open ground, and the slow, cold and panic rousing sensation of something crawling along the inside of his trouser leg. He could feel it almost as if it was-

Bernard looked down too late to notice Ishida’s sneak attack. He gasped and jerked away from her fingers.

What cruelty it was to use his fears against him.

His surprise quickly turned into a mischievous smirk, as retaliation entered his mind, but before he could act the speeder came to a halt.

The driver cleared his throat and announced they'd arrived at the hotel. He named the price for their ride and held out a small terminal through the gap between the front seats without even turning around.

Bernard turned to the terminal, retrieving a small credit chip.

"Don't think this saved you," he pointed at Ishida.

In the same motion that he swiped the chip along the credit terminal, he opened his door. It opened upward, partially shielding the immediate exit area from the relentless downpour.

Bernard stepped outside and quickly slid over the top of the trunk to reach the other side of the speeder to more quickly give chase to Ishida.

The metal made a quiet squeaking sound as his trousers rubbed against it during his pass over, and the speeder's rear sank a little as the repulsorlift struggled to compensate for the sudden weight imbalance.
 
The shock she sought came easily — Bernard Bernard got lost in his own mind, as he so often did, and Ishida’s wicked teasing startled him. She laughed gaily, enough for her body to get into it and her head to toss back.

What leaps and bounds they’d made in their sporadic, but deeply intimate exchanges since the days of the X-Wing — trading fears and exposing throats without second thought.

The slow of the cab and demand for payment yanked her from her mirth, and she scrambled to argue, but Bernard was swift. When she leaned in to fight for the terminal, she was met with the end of his finger warning.

Feigned disbelief and innocence crossed her face, and she tried to seem incredulous while counting down the seconds his attention would be split enough to escape.

Opportunity’s window was but a sliver, and while he beep-booped payment, she shoved against the door’s handle to swing it open. It sprung up, and she spilled out. She’d barely made it out of the safety of the door’s overhang and into the rainfall when Bernard was on her. Laughing, she tried to dodge, or make herself impossible to catch by other means of twists. But even with the slipperiness of her rainwear, there was no chance for escape and not be snatched up.

Inside the cab, the driver couldn’t be more unimpressed. Unlike the diner’s owner, he wasn’t so amused by the playful exchanges of young lovers. The doors cycled back to a close, and in his grumpiness, quickly sped off, adding an extra spray of whatever layer of water that had been sitting on the pavement in the direction of the giddy duo.
 
A wave of rainwater splashed against Bernard. He'd turned to Ishida and the water caught him head-on, drenching him completely. His hair stuck to his forehead, all wet and messy, the upper half of his shirt felt damp under where the water got through the imperfect cover of the jacket, and when he opened his mouth a miniscule waterfall spilled free.

He sniffed, all the wind and excitement taken out of him by freezing rain water dripping down past his collar.

"Maybe you are getting away with it," he said with deflated amusement.

He opened his mouth again to speak, but instead grimaced. An intense feeling tickled his nose, and he reflexively inhaled. A moment passed, then another, until finally he sneezed.

He shook his head. Small droplets went flying off his shoulders and hair as he did.

"Let’s go somewhere…less damp?"
 
She hadn’t completely been blocked by the splash either, and the steady rainfall eliminated any chance of staying dry.

“Oh,” All the laughter she’d expected to keep sharing faded away to careful compassion. Being the victor felt less triumphant when her competition was sneezing and drenched.

“I conspired for my escape.” She lied in an attempt to keep the levity they’d achieved.

“Bless you.” Her smile turned into a thoughtful line, but she made no move to continue escaping him. She did stretch to smooth some of his hair from his forehead though and attempted to match his earlier styling. It flopped down immediately. She hmm’d.

Looping one hand into his, she ushered him beneath the stretching, ornate golden archway that bled into a hogyo-influenced awning.

“I’m surprised you give up so easily.” She teased, but when she glanced back at the sopping material that clung to his neck, she felt a pang of sympathy in her belly. A sense of urgency motivated her steps to be quicker than usual, and instead of giving the proper tour of the onyx-coloured marble of the hotel, she sped right into the lobby.

“Welcome back, Miss Ashina.” The doorman said in passing.

Ishida nodded to him, and he wordlessly glanced distastefully at how much water the pair brought into the lobby.

With just a look, the custodial droids were alerted.

Inside, the lobby was an ornate affair. Warmly lit with golden tones pronounced throughout, a stark contrast to the blacks and reds that otherwise suffused their way through the decor. In the centre of the room was a calm, small sand garden with a water feature. At the far back was the check-in desk, framed by an elaborate mural of the Hayata tiger motif. On either side of the desk were two hallways. Ishida led Bernard to the right.
 
"Thanks," he smiled at her attempt to fix his hair.

He followed her lead out of the rain, but not before he held out a hand behind him. Raindrops splashed against it, the last of the rain washing away anything in his hand.

The air inside the hotel immediately surrounded him with its warmth. His eyes adjusted to the brighter lights inside, and he caught a glimpse of a tiger and a grey sea of something in the centre before they disappeared into one of the hallways. Ishida was really rushing them to someplace they could recover from the lingering effects of the rain.

He could only see the subtle patterns left by raindrops on her coat. Still, his heart beat a little faster in his chest. He was finally visiting a place that was part of her world. He'd heard her talk of her past, but he'd never gotten to see anything that was so intimately hers as the place she called home.

His feet seemed to move on their own as he silently kept pace with her. With every door they passed his heartbeat grew louder, his breaths a little shallower. He hadn't even noticed the trail of water they were leaving in their wake, too transfixed by the woman in front of him.

He let that wave of excitement carry him forward, breaking through any last minute reluctance that came up from the thought of intruding into a place that, for all he knew, was as well guarded as the rest of Ishida's world.
 
The hallway was one just for four elevators, two on each side. Black metal sunk into the tan-coloured marble that covered the walls and floors similarly. In the centre wall at the end of the hall was a table with fresh sakura branches — likely imported from Aiko’s hometown — that was probably taller than Ishida if they were taken down. On either side, there were signs indicating split lavoratories.

One of the lift’s doors dinged open, and Ishida’s grip on Bernard Bernard ’s hand flinched tighter. It was empty inside, save for a severe-faced HRD with a button-up jacket. She tilted her head in salutations, subtly scanned the hotel guests and denoted which room belonged to them. Ishida’s face was one she knew well, and she selected one of the upper floors. The doors closed, and Ishida’s eyes snapped up to the cameras in the corner of the elevator.

From the moment they’d arrived on the premises, she knew they’d be recorded. A blip of anxious protectiveness made her move to conceal how tightly she was holding on to Bernard subtly.

Several seconds of silence passed. Ishida glanced between Bernard and the floors counting up.

“Will you be needing a laundry service?” The HRD broke the silence with a polite smile.

Ishida blinked.

“We have reserved items for the case of someone wanting to dine downstairs without following the dress code. I could have them sent to your room.” The droid continued, helpfully.
 
"No thank you, that won't be necessary." Bernard smiled politely without fully having registered what the droid had actually wanted.

His attention stayed with Ishida. As they entered the elevator, a tightness seemed to wind itself through her. The hood of her coat moved subtly from side to side, as though she subtly scanned the room for something, and she moved, almost protectively, in front of him.

Bernard narrowed his eyes, uncertain what to make of the sudden tension that permeated the room. His heartbeat faded a little into the background, and his thoughts cleared a smudge as the potential of danger turned excitement into an uneasy anticipation.

As the ding of the elevator rang out, and the doors slid open, nothing greeted them on the other side, however, not immediately.

From behind them, the droid spoke in its almost imperceptibly synthetic voice.

"Good evening and have a pleasant stay."

Ishida Ashina Ishida Ashina
 
Unlike in the elevator, once they reached the proper floor, there was nothing sentient or synthetic around. They were the only two on the second floor from the top. The penthouse above them was reserved for the most elaborate guests.

“The hospitality is unrivalled,” Ishida said suddenly, relaxing a little more once they were on her floor. “The best stay on Coruscant — perhaps even The Core — for those fortunate enough to get a room. A quaint hotel chain that’s reminiscent of another world. Each detail is careful and purposeful.” They passed a few doors, and she turned to walk backward and face Bernard.
To explain her peculiar, unprompted monologue, Ishida gave a small, lopsided smile and sighed: “Sometimes Aiko forwards me reviews written about the hotel. I think it’s a subtle reminder of how good I have it to keep living here and what a mistake it would be to leave this behind.”

The marble that had been on the floor in the lobby was replaced with a deep-set ruby carpet. It got a little darker with each step the drenched pair took, absorbing droplets of rain that dripped from their hems.

At the corner of the hall, she paused outside one of the three doors – her door — and dug around in her pocket to remove a thin, black card. It took half a second for the panel outside the door frame to register the credentials, and the door cycled open.

Immediately, they were looking out a window. The wall that was part of the outside structure was entirely glass, a giant window that cast the city in a gaussian blur from the rain. The city could be seen through thin stripes from the blinds Ishida’d kept down when she left.

It was more of a suite than a room, and it seemed even larger than it was from the minimal design. Each line, whether it be furniture or a divider, was thin and straight.

“I uh,” the reality that she’d never had anyone in her apartment before suddenly hit her. Her hands became a numb buzz of anticipation, and her cheeks warmed with the embarrassment that came as a first-time hostess. To shake herself from the pending tide of emotion, she forced movement to her muscles and slid open one of the paper doors that concealed the entryway closet. “Let me take your coat, and then let’s get you dry.”

Bernard Bernard
 

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