Roots

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Choli took the scattergun, feeling the immediate heavy weight in her hand. A thought came to her, the Rogue bringing the weapon closer ford an inspection. Was he using this because he is right handed? Due to the cybernetic? Curious green flecked eyes came up to study the Justicar in training.

"Well pointing and shooting will do you well enough at 20 meters." She added, eyebrows perking a bit with a half shrug of a shoulder. Amusement followed at the sudden thought that swam through her head. "I'll just stay out of the burst range." It was a quick quip to pick on him, the young brunette reviewing the safety and settings.

"Just about everything out there is more than willing to act the part of carrion It isn't limited to birds. Food is scarce out there. Not as much as water, but still the same.The only difference is that they are adapted to it." Satisfied that he had a good weapon, Choli handed Trextan the scattergun back.

"You're right handed right?' Or was he ambidextrous? Actually, I dont really know much about him. Just what he told her during their times at the hospital and the brief time at Skor.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

"Maybe just stay behind me if it comes to shooting," he chuckled. " And yes, right handed," Trextan replied quickly. He was surprised to realise that hadn't come up whilst they were in the hospital. Taking the handcannon he holstered it. Trextan took a swing of beer before placing it back down on the table and holding both hands up. He gave the fingers - artificial and organic - a wiggle.

"Almost would have been easier if it had been the left," he mused. "I've only just got back to being able to write with a pen. Never could with my left. Oh and I did bring a sporting blaster too."

He took up his bottle of beer and thought back to what he had been saying. There had been a point to make, or a question. Sun and beer had done enough to slow him down a little bit.

"Oh, yes... I was just thinking how I once heard carrion birds circling can tell you where the big game is. In this case not stuff you want to sightsee, but not go within a mile of. How do the jawas survive out there?" He asked with a tilt of his head. Surely they made tasty little snacks.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

"Sandcrawlers." Choli explained, leaning forward anew to rest her bottle on the floor. This time she was using her hands to gesture and help elaborate.

"They have enormous vehicles. Almost as large as an AtAt, only set lower," her hands drew on the air, moving to try and draw out the design. "While cities for a Jawa clan. It protects them from the deser and the heat. Allows them to move from place to place. " a deep breath and she added," but they have hidden bases for the main tribe scattered deep in the Wastes."

A thought came from earlier," so you can't really use you're left hand?" Choli was naturally very flexible and double jointed. She was also ambidextrous.

"You should try and see if you can get better with your left." There was also the mention of writing with a pen. It had taken some time for Choli to learn beyond standard basic and trade language. The ability to speed up her conprehension had been the only thing that had helped her. Other wise it would be rather embarassing to say she couldn't really write.

"We won't be poking our heads at anything that is fit to be someone's meal. So no real need to worry about that." Well as long as those looking for a meal didn't go looking for a meal.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

"Huh." Lips pursed as he returned his head to its natural position. He wondered if they would get to see one crossing the wastes. He imagined that much like the predators of the waste there wouldn't be enough to sustain many jawas so their crawlers were probably spread wide. Would be a shame not to see one crossing the dunes though, even at a distance. The view Trextan would eventually be afforded of a crawler was not one he would forget.

"I get to travel a lot now," he mused. "Get used to one planet that's a bit of an extreme like Coruscant and the rest of the galaxy is a bit of a shock. Guess we both got that." For some reason he liked finding things they had in common. At first they had seemed remarkably different people, still were in many respects. But they shared more than he had thought at first.

"Dagobah was the complete opposite of..." Trextan paused, his eyes widened as he realised he'd forgotten something. "Dagobah…! Wait here. Be right back."

Trextan put down his beer and without further explanation retreated quickly back into the house. It wasn't long before he came back out. In his right hand was a pair of small, unremarkable sticks and in his left was a clear sheet with something on it. The latter was kept out of her sight as much as possible.

"So when I was there I thought I'd bring something back for when I visited you in hospital," he explained. He gave a shrug as if to convey that he hadn't known at that point she would be kept in a secure facility. "Sorry. Got distracted at Skor. Obviously. Anyway. First I found these just as a little token. Gimer sticks. Grow only there. You can bite into them and be rehydrated. Mild painkiller too." It was quite obvious why he'd brought them for this trip even if they didn't make an exceptional present.

Trextan brought around the clear plastic sheet. It was now clear that there was a pressed flower within in it. There were layers to the colours from smooth gradients across the petals to intricate patterns carved out by veins across its surface. What was most startling was that it was bioluminescent. Lights rippled down the veins, just visible in the waning light.

“But then I found some of these. Dagobah Orchids. Rare.” The petals had been white and green, the veins red. As he held it out the petals shifted to a gradient from deep purple to teal and the veins a bright yellow. “They change colour based on conditions and glow in the dark. Sort of reminded me…” Trextan looked away in embarrassment. “Best bit about it is it'll keep doing that for a couple of years even though it's been plucked and pressed.”

 

[Choli Vyn]

For a few moments, Choli gave a perplexed expression at Trextan, watching him sudden get up with a mild exclamation. It amused her, the teenager half apologizing and half explaining himself. What about Dagobah?

It didn't occur to her that Trextan would once again catch her off guard.

The Gimer sticks were a curious but useful gift. It fascinated her as much as it surprised her. The girl hadn't really had much of an experience in the act of giving gifts. Trading yes, gifts just because one was sick; not quite. Captain Janes had done the same, giving her a small tin of biscuits. She wasn't sure if it was to suggest she eat more or just because. Ultimately, it became clear that it was just a way for the Eriaduian to express his concern and wish for her wellbeing. None the less, it was heartwarming.

The same could be said with Trextan’s gift. The Glimer sticks are of practical use and because of that, their worth obvious. She was touched and impressed, the Hazel of her eyes shifting to a curious green, to the gold flecked of confusion, to a blue green of joy.

Of course, it was the rather delicate item in between the sheets of filmsi that had the most curious of reactions. It was such an odd scene, the pair sitting close together with the faint light of the bioluminescent pressed flower rippling in various hues to various stimulants. Choli was speechless again, the dark fringe of her thick lashes blinking rapidly, sheer surprise enveloping her features. Not only that, but much like Trextan had implied, the Rogues eyes swam in an almost mesmerizing kaleidoscopic of jade, hazel, and that rare darkening blue.

Heat flooded her face again, matching the slight embarrassment Trextan revealed in his explanation. It was a rather silly thing. Just a pressed flower. Yet for the native of Tatooine, such bright and luminescent flora were unheard of in the desert. The shifting of colors along the carefully pressed flower were almost a mirror of what shone in the Rogue’s own eyes.

Trextan had obviously put some thought into this. That he had even remembered to bring it and …

Choli's eyes suddenly darted from the pressed flower to Trextan, watching the abashed expression that swept across his angular features along with the half awkward shrug of a boy not quite sure how to react.

He wasn't the only one.

How was he able to do such things so easily? Janes was the same too, but with a flair of confidence and charisma that was just so natural. Since choli joined Rogue Squadron, it was as much of a culture shock as a learning experience. Yes she was independent and a survivalist, known for her rather upfront behavior. However, dealing with these sorts of situations was uncharted territory for her. To a degree, the brunette was merely adapting to her surroundings. Blending in. Which is perhaps why to Trextan she was a paradox wrapped in an oxymoron smothered in contradictions.

“I..” Choli's throat gave a bob, cutting her off, her olive face aflame.

“Thank you.” She managed to say, unsure of what else to do. That small desire that had pricked the back of her mind rose, followed by the words of advice Janes and others had given before.

Where she would have vacillated between decisions, Choli acted on impulse. No R4 to eyeball them with his ocular sensor or passing commentary. Maybe it was the beer. Or maybe the way the Twin Suns went dipping into the horizon, leaving naught but an indigo star studded sky and the dim, cerulean bioluminescent orchid between the two teenagers. It seemed to bathe Trextan's hawkish features, making them a bit more pronounced, the dark forelocks of his hair draped over his brow.

Either way, whatever the reason, Choli found herself leaning forward. It wasn't much of a distance, and the act itself perhaps even more awkward. Yet there was no mistaking the intent nor the unsteady press of her lips against Trextan's own. It wasn't the smoothest of acts nor the most confident of decisions.

But went weren't teenagers anything but impulsive and riding the heat of the moment during an age where they felt invincible.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan learned a great deal in a few moments: that she was nervous, that she was anxious, that she liked his gift, and also that she wasn't a very experience kisser.

The signs that Choli was just as awkward about romantic matters had been there the whole time. Those first impressions were deeply imprinted and Trextan just struggled to believe she could be just as easily embarrassed and nervous about the whole matter as he was. Especially after her crude games and banter, born of adapting to military life. His heart was in his mouth when she trailed off. He imagined every possible way she might deflect from the gift and attempt to let him down gently, having changed her mind since their parting words at the hospital.

But she didn't do that. She rallied herself, thanked him and then suddenly was moving towards him. Slowly at first, faster as the inches between them went away. She closed her eyes, he did likewise just before a shaky kiss was placed on his lips. His heart was no longer in his mouth. It was deep in his chest and thundering away as if it could escape. They had shared just a few intimate moments. Playing on the couch in the hospital hadn't counted until he had started to see her in another light. Their parting embrace at the hospital has been all too brief. When he had hugged her on Skor he had been far too wrapped up in the simple joy of seeing her well again.

The kiss was brief, their lips parted but stayed just a fraction apart. Reluctant to leave. It wasn't as if desire surged through his veins like fire, but a deep longing was suddenly unchecked. She had let him know her feelings had initiated this and now every sense seemed to have been gifted a heightened clarity. His lips still felt the press of hers, he breathed her air, tasted her scent. The flower was laid delicately on the table, the sticks clattered to the flagstones.

His left hand came up to brush against her cheek, before doing something he had desperately wanted to do since that moment in a hospital couch. His fingers ran through her thick hair as he took in a stuttered breath. His right hand awkwardly tried to find her own, failed and moved to her waist instead. Everything was terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure. Trextan tilted his head, used his left hand to guide her lips back to his. One lingering kiss and he tentatively tried to part her lips with his mouth and tongue. The drumming from his heart seemed to reverberate to every corner of his body.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

The next few moments were strangely exhilarating as they were nerve wracking. The usually keen observer was met with a sudden awareness of the close proximity of Trextan, from the light film of grime that coated their lips, awkwardly half smushed in Choli's attempt to be bold. To the belly twisting of nerves seemingly rushing in all sorts of directions, the girl forgetting to breathe in the wake of the flurry of sensations to follow. The sail of his fingers reaching up to run through her hair, half caught in the thick remnants of the braid that fell down her back. Not that it stopped him, for the strands had come loose enough for him to be able to curl his fingers against the thick tresses. It sent tiny, ticklish shivers down her neck, the slight stretch and graze of his finger tips making her scalp tingle.

Of course, that paled in comparison when a shaky hand brought her mouth back to his. Nerves fed the half anxious Rogue when Trextan attempted to coax her mouth to open, the damp slide of the tip of his tongue along with the subtle nudge prompting a sharp intake of breath. He startled her. Not that she didn't know what it meant. She spent enough time with the loud, inebriated, and hedonistic crew of Rogue Squadron to recall times when a squad member became particularly amorous when kissing someone they’ve met on shore leave. Shameless was an excellent way to put it.

So when Trextan’s tentative hand came to a shaky rest along her waist, the attempt of a deepening of a kiss fed the startled twitch of Choli against Trextan’s mouth. For Janes, likely, that smushed peck would have been considered to be such a silly thing to be embarrassed over. Choli didn’t know that in his past, even such a brief innocent kiss had been met with same longing for the Whiskey Girl of his past.

Noses gave a bump, rather embarrassingly so, and Choli became increasingly self-conscious. The tips of Trextan’s long hair that had flopped by his eyes and cheeks tickled her own. For someone whose experience could be counted on less than three fingers, it was all so overwhelming and terrifying. Her eyes opened, confused swirls of darkening blue green flecked in the gold of confusion. An odd color combination that Trextan hadn’t seen before. Olive face a bright right, she mumbled a,” Sorry,” lungs burned and choli finally remembered to breathe, her own hands half caught by her knees because she hadn’t been sure of what to do. Leaning forward to kiss had been at the time relatively easy. What came after not so much.

Mind racing, Choli swallowed hard again, feeling rather silly and unsure. In her head, she heard the chime of Janes advice.

How had he ever been able to start doing this himself?

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan retracted his hands quite quickly at her mumbled apology. His left hand very nearly caught in her hair, but fortunately he was spared that embarrassment. His tongue had barely brushed against her teeth, but at least she hadn't bitten him.

He pulled away a few inches, leaving a parting kiss on her lips that was a little more noisy than intended. His heart was still going, but now it was more like a constant pounding within his ears. Leaning back he didn't need to read shifting eye colours to understand how nervous she was. Had he overstepped the mark with his hand? Her own here still firmly against her legs.

“It's okay,” he mumbled back. “I'm sorry.” His right hand was awkwardly held open off to the side, his left held just away from her cheek. Trextan had been starved of physical affection for so much of his life. A sudden return and withdrawal left his head spinning. With his left he pushed back the loose strands of hair that had fallen over his face.

Trextan bit his bottom lip, looking to the artificial hand he'd removed so quickly.

“Can I?” He asked quietly. As if to accentuate the question it moved just an inch back towards her. He reminded himself to breathe. Even that simple act came with a degree of self awareness that had him worrying if he was panting loudly. The cadence of his breathing changes as he thought about it far too consciously. His gaze returned to, and refused to leave her own. He would have given anything to glean just a hint of what she was thinking through them.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Blinking rapidly, the young Rogue did her best to try and settle her own nerves but hearing the quiet, but hesitant request as his cybernetic hand inched toward her did not help matters.

There was longing in his gaze, an unfamiliar emotion that had never been directed at her. What it meant, the extent of it, or what could follow with Trextan's thoughts uncharted territory fit her. Things were far simpler just plainly speaking, but how plain could one be of they were also a pile of anxious nerves?

Can I? Although the metallic fingers gingerly hovered in the air, Choli wasn't sure what exactly he meant. Could he run his fingers through her hair? Did he say to bring her closer again for another kiss? To touch her waist? Or her face? Now that uncertainty turned into a hitch in confusion. Her fingers gave a curl, and she unconsciously began to rub them together.

“Umm..” Choli began, biting her lip, face flushed and her confused clashing emotions painting a landscape across the circlets of her eyes.

It was seeing how Trextan was just as visibly shaken that managed to quell a bit of her in uncertainty. Although his attempt at deepening the kiss made her wonder just how much more experienced he was compared to her. The members of Rogue Squadron certainly weren't shameless in their escapades. Was Trextan the same?

Again, she didn't really know much about him, and it seemed he was far more comfortable in this than Choli. Catching him with his datapad and the Twilek colored that picture well. Of course… I can't really judge him considering what I said afterward.

What does he think of me then?

Well...Trextan thus far hadn't done anything that she hadn't been comfortable with. Besides, she could retake control of his hand at any time much like before at the hospital. The brief memory of how close they had been then only increasing her sense of growing embarrassment.

“Yeah.” A tiny nod was given, and the length of her bangs fell over her brow again. Her heart seemed to jackknife again. Unlike the Jedi in training, Choli hadn't actually been raised to consider physical contact entirely that necessary. A Tusken Raiders clothing were kept on as a barrier against the elements as much as due to culture. The skin on skin contact, even as innocent as hand holding or as intimate as kissing, had been such a foreign concept to the teenager until she was facing slammed with the culture shock of Rogue Squadron.

However, while it might seem surreal, the tiny flutters at the base of her belly in jitters and anxious anticipation made her wonder if it wasn't so bad after all.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan allowed a grin to split on his face before forcing it back to a small smile. He reminded himself to try not to seem overeager. She was nervous and so was he. She probably didn't want him smothering her or anything like that. Trextan was utterly inexperienced when it came to relationships. His longest had lasted days and had consisted of almost no conversation or actual interaction beyond kissing out of the sight of the masters.

The first thing he did was lift his chair and bring it a little closer so that they weren't leaning across to reach each other uncomfortably. His knees bumped against hers and he murmured an abashed apology.

Her hands seemed quite anchored to her thighs, fingers flexing in nervous anticipation. He laid his right hand across the back of hers. It didn't feel the same to have his artificial hand against hers. This was now perhaps the occasion when he most regretted the loss of his hand. It couldn't feel right to her not. To make of for this his other delicately tucked those bangs away. He managed to keep almost any hint of a tremble at bay. Her skin wasn't neither overly soft or rough. Kept wrapped through her youth, despite the wearing weather conditions, and more time spent covered in engine oil than healthy, yet it had the glow of youth. He was truly jealous of her stunning olive skin and thick hair. Anticipation built until it was an almost painful yearning deep in his gut. Trextan took her hand and gently tugged it towards him. He saw the flare of uncertainty at this, so moved it slowly just as far as his own waist. If she wants quite confident enough to hold him in return he'd given her an unsubtle sign of his wish. It took almost no time to return to her waist but the whole process had felt like time had stretched out to test his mettle. To see if he would back out like a coward to break from the anticipation.

She was so close now. Eyes shifting from those flecks of hazel to the deeper shades of blue he hadn't seen before. A myriad of emotions played out in the sea of her eyes. No side seemed to win that war yet. He recalled the first time someone had tried to kiss him properly. It had felt as if they were trying to force their tongue down his throat. This time as he tugged her closer he started with just a gentle kiss at the corner of her mouth before moving to press their lips. His right hand slid further around her back, pulling her closer until he felt her warmth against him. With the best of the tatooine evening, and the warmth that seemed the burn from inside him and spread across his chest and up his neck it felt almost unbearable.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Despite the murmur and the sounds of a bustling bazaar below them along the alleyways, Choli could hear the slight creak of the chair as Trextan drew closer.

Were they going to do this sitting? That would be awkward righ--

Another hitch of breath as the muscles under her desert blouse gave a slight quiver, feeling how his hand went drifting from along the ridge of her temple and then back down, encircling the curve of her waist.

Her heart went to her throat, and it was an unconscious effort to close her eyes again, the slight tickle of his warm lips coming to settle gingerly at the corner of her mouth. Trextan would feel her fingers flex, curling for a bit against his shirt. Her hesitant breath blew along the seam of his lips, and once again, the tickle of his hair brushed along her face.

For Choli, it was such a strange but rather blood rushing experience. Sure, the girl had no skill, but she wasn't pulling away nor was she standing still. Her mind was racing, going through one thought to the next on what to do only to merely arch her face a little bit more closer, pressing her lips a bit tighter. What was it that he had done?

Her mouth moved a bit, not quite opening up as much as adjusting to awkwardly kiss him again. There was a particular rush to her limbs that gave her a spike in temperature. Another bump of their knees gave way to an adolescent awkwardness, a murmur of sorries, and a minor shifting of positions. However, the there wasn't anything childish about the manner that the metallic, but warm, cybernetic pads of his fingers drew her tighter against him.

It took her a bit to realize she had begun to lean even closer, their sitting position drawing both of their bodies in a cramped position. Another bump of noses and she opened her mouth to say,"Sorry," against Trextan's lips, breathing in and out the slight hoppy scent of the beer that they had both imbibed.

They were lucky. R4 and Kellan were dealing with a rush of early evening patrons. Had it waned, it would have placed both teenagers in an awkward position of being caught by either Trextan's uncle or Choli's astromech.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan gave just a fractional shake of the head. Realising that she probably also had her eyes closed he murmured that it was okay. It really wasn't a comfortable position to sit and kiss, but Trextan had no intention of going through the process of trying to entirely adjust positions given that they'd just got this far. His forehead brushed against hers and as he turned he almost bumped noses again.

She had started this. She'd actually leaned in to kiss him and then carried on. It was one of those moments where he was lost in it completely, whilst struggling to believe it. It was really happening though, couldn't deny that. He realised he was trying to think about too many things at once. The hand he hadn't thought about for weeks was suddenly playing on his mind. He didn't want to hurt her. He thought about where his legs were, how warm the air was. Trextan tried to silence his noisy mind and enjoy the moment. Eyes closed and with a hush forced upon his anxiety he found just how sensitive his lips were. Hot weather and sand in every breeze made for chapped lips but they made do. Trextan started to think less and feel more.

He kissed her over and over, hands shifting their grip only marginally until one rested on her hip and the other against her neck. She was so warm to his touch. With each contact he grew slightly more bold. This time he didn't try and move too fast, his lips parting further with each kiss. Trextan went as far as letting his tongue brush across her bottom lip, waiting to see if she would reciprocate or just carry on kissing gently. The nervousness that was apparent only endeared her to him more.

Trextan didn't think of the desert, or the Jedi Order, or even his past. There was just Choli occupying every thought and sense.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

You should relax.

You place your hands here, Cho!

Hey, Cho, if you ever end up kissing your Jedi boy toy, make sure you do it like this!

And another thing, if he starts pushing beyond what you are comfortable, tell me, and I'll give him a little visit....

The clashing of Roque Squadron advice went racing through her mind. Some of it was sound. Some of it was utterly ridiculous. Others a bit puzzling and, for lack of better word, disgusting.

Yet amidst the playful banter and crude words of wisdom, there lay a few gems. Well, the one Choli could remember anyways. Like trying to relax. The only problem is that it was tough to do exactly that.

Give Choli a hydrospanner and an engine to fix, and she could work her magic to make it purr with a little elbow grease and time. Have the teenager work through the cumbersome dance of a real first kiss and the many confounding positions and actions that came along with it... well... not so quick on the whistle.

However, there was one familiar path she could cross. Choli wasn't much of a tactile creature, but she did use it to fine tune settings and make a note of subtle changes in an intricate work of mechanical engineering. A body was much the same, in the place of wires and a chassis was muscle and bone. Instead of hydraulic lines were veins, and where sensors brought back millions of data to the central processor, nerves seemed to blaze with nervous, but quickening awareness.

It was a conflicting path of tentative and bold discovery. Choli had to remind herself to breath, the end result along with the coaxing of Trextan's lips encouraging her to part her mouth wider. When he took that as a sign, the faint damp sensation of his tongue sweeping across her lower lip made her belly flip flop. Was he able to taste the lingering dust that settled there? What about the meal that she had earlier along with the beer? Now she was embarrassed that any lingering bits might still be in her mouth and he might notice. Now what was she supposed to do?

Where Trextan was able to blank out everything, Choli began to worry even more. Becoming a bit more self-conscious. Her kisses slowed a bit, and he might have felt the slight tremble that ran along her spine, her chest rising under the desert clothing she work.

"Umm.." she began, opening her eyes to blink a bit only to close them anew.

".... I." oh damn, was she supposed to even talk right now?

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

He pressed another kiss to her lips with a soft murmur before her attempt to speak registered. Then a slow sigh would wash over her damp lips. A stark flutter of cold in the warm evening. A warm evening wasn't the sole cause of the heat rushing up Trextan's neck and flushing his cheeks.

Both hands loosened and he put a few inches of space between them. It wasn't much of a barrier. Right now a few feet of solid duracrete would struggle to keep him at bay. But it was space. Space to breath and think.

Trextan opened his eyes and he smiled. His gaze flicked downwards as if guilty of the pleasure he'd just taken from the last few moments. He looked back up at her eyes, taking in every fleck of colour in their depths. She'd slowed and started to speak, he waited for her to finish her words.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

The scent of charred smoke from the bazaar would waft up towards the small terrace and swirl between them. It would lift the stray strands of dark hair that had been loosened by the rake of Trextan’s fingers, tickling Choli’s face and at this distance, reveal the deep, darkening sapphire of her eyes. They shone with such a luminous starburst design, revealing notes of gold of anxiety and the jade of curiosity.

Now they were both bashful, and Trextan wasn’t the only one to dip her head, casting her profile off to the distant sunset. The large globes of the Twin Suns were more than halfway beneath the desert sea, bringing with it the finality of night. The bustle of activity came once more, the slight foggy sensation of the pair being caught up in awkward kissing lifting much like the Tatooine mists that would soon cover the landscape.

Choli’s brows gave a slight furrow of her brows, not quite sure what to say again. The need to break the silence was a bit unbearable. Not to mention, neither had slipped their hands away from where they’d been placed before, so there was a bit of an awkward positioning. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything?

Maybe I should have just kept kissing him? Certainly felt like the easier option. Otherwise, what would she say? Yeah, sorry that i dont know feth all about kissing. Not sure where to put my hands. Are you sure you want them there? I feel rather silly and this is really all new to me so sorry if i make an ass out of myself. Yeah, I know that i teased you quite a bit back at the hospital but the bulk are just recycled jokes and nervous quips meant to mimic what others have said before.

A bob of her throat and the Rogue swung her gaze back at him. Her lips still felt a bit tingly, the thought that he had actually kissed her still processing. That people actually did such things tagging along for the wonder and the confusion.

Maybe Trextan was able to read all of this? The shifting of her weight on the chair, the slight flexing of her fingers, the way she seemed to want to have something to say but having trouble saying it.

“OI! YOU!” An abrupt cry down from the bazaar would startle Choli from her thoughts. For a second she feared that someone had seen them. She gave a noticeable jerk in place, swinging her head and turning her neck to try and discern where it came from.

“Get back ‘ere you blasted Jawa! That don’t belong to you!”

Clarity came back to Choli, and realization dawned. It wasn’t for them, but due to another Jawa getting frisky. Tight nerves would release themselves in the form of a twitch at her mouth, one that turned into a faint chuckle. Turning back to Trextan, she managed to say.

“They are quick with their fingers.”

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

For a few moments Trextan didn't even concern himself with any anxieties. He hadn't been able to look into her eyes this close up before and rarely had the myriad of colours been as vibrant and quick to change as they were now. It was like watching an artist's rendition of a nebulae forming over a few million years. Such intricacy was so often startling when formed in nature.

Slowly their surroundings and situation drifted back into his awareness. He hadn't realised that around her eyes her expression was also changing quickly as the young Rogue tried to figure out her next steps. It was silly that it left his inside fluttering to know that her assured nature had come crashing down the moment she had leaned in to kiss him. Perhaps it just added to the facets of their lives that he saw in common. Choli had started speaking but now the words had left her. He had done that to her which meant that one way or another he meant something to her, had affected her. It seemed to lift a weight on his soul, made him lightheaded.

He gave a start at the shout, the smile wiped from his face in an instant. For his part that sudden rush was released not with a smile but a slow breath out. Trextan turned back towards her and it was her chuckle that brought his own smile back.

“Can't imagine they get far in a straight line on those little legs though,” he added. The comical image of Choli chasing down a little jawa running as fast as his legs would carry him, his own prosthetic tucked under an armpit provoked a sudden giggle. Self-conscious he covered his mouth with his right hand. His left remained against her neck and his thumb have a slow stroke just behind her ear before he took it back.

“Sorry,” he apologised with a shrug. “Don't think I'm a very good kisser. You were saying?” Trextan perhaps spared some of her own blushes with the admission, even if they both knew Choli was more hesitant than he was. There was room between them again and Trextan suddenly yearned to have her back close again.

 

[Choli Vyn]

That confession would surprise Choli, the grazing heat of Trextan’s brush of his fingers tingling for a moment. All this touching was strange, but didn’t seem so bad. However, now Trextan had her attention for an entirely different reason. Not a good kisser?

Her warm face visibly gave a puzzled expression. As Trextan had also pulled back, so had she, her hands drawing back to rest against the tops of her knees, fingers down and palms pointed towards the floor as they hung between her legs. Their knees would bump now and then, but neither seemed too care, too preoccupied by their foggy thoughts.

“What makes a good kisser then?” She finally said, inquiring not only to make sense of what he said as much as figure out the answer for herself. It would be pretty obvious this was new to her, but she wasn’t sure just how upfront she wanted to be. That need to simply say so battled against the embarrassing concern of just what he might think of her.

Anxiety rose, and she took a deep breath, hands coming back up to brush the wayward strands of raven hair. She tucked them behind her ears, almost mirroring the action that Trextan had done before. Funny, didnt have the same shivery feeling when he had done it.

“Are you expecting feedback ratings ?”

Oh feth, was that what this would devolve to?

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

Trextan opened his mouth to reply but his jaw hung open as he gave a bemused shrug. He closed it and tried again. "I don't know. I've not really..." he answered honestly. This was probably making matters worse. People always said things like 'girls go for confident boys'. That had certainly seemed to be the case in his childhood where the outgoing noisy boys tended to get the attention. His eyes widened as he considered the implications of what he was saying and moved rapidly to counter them.

"I'm not saying that wasn't a good kiss. It was. Just...well I'm sure practise won't hurt," he finally settled on the sentiment as he reached for a hand with his left. Quarry captured he tried lacing his fingers through her own. Hypersensitive skin seemed to spark at every contact.

It was barely visible that Trextan bit his lower lip before running his tongue over his lips. He could taste the sand and beer, but also still Choli. With a faint squeeze of her hand he made a quick admission. "Never had a Sith Knight make me this nervous." Again he chastised himself. Where was the charm or confidence in that?

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Wait, was he judging how I was kisssing?

"So what are you saying then?" The Tatooine native found herself abruptly asking, her tendency to say what was on her mind manifesting in blunt questions. Where her eyes had been flecked with sapphire spun to the copper flecked jade of confusion. Of course, the follow up on how practice couldn't hurt immediately made her face flame. Was he saying that she needed practice?!! Well, obviously that was true but still it stung a bit. That it struck a cord and made her feel tremendously embarrassed only annoyed her further.

She was about to continue when he added that a even a Sith night had not made him this nervous before. That revelation managed to take a bit of the sun from her solar sails. Confusion replaced her minor aggrevation and embarrassment.

"I don't think I'm as dangerous as a Sith." The way it came out seemed to be as much as a nervous joke as a fact. Yet things were not as they seemed for the teenagers and miscommunication the norm. Along the length of her fingers, she felt the skid of his fingers. That drew her attention from his anxious, angular face down to the hand of flesh and bone that did its best to lace her fingers with his own. Hand holding again.

For a brief moment, Choli seemed to be in deep contemplation. Finally those color shifting eyes came back up to kick against the deep brown of Trextan's own.

"Why do you like holding my hand so much?" Her tone was light, inquisitive, as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Choli didn't mind it. At times it was nice; but again, not the norm for her.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan swallowed. With a parched throat it was an almost painful reaction to coming under scrutiny. She would see his Adams apple bob in his throat as his mind panicked and shot through a hundred different ways to reply. Was this how difficult it would always be if they made this a long term relationship? Miscommunication and flared emotions? Trextan just wanted her to understand him. To see herself through his eyes and know how she made him feel.

As if in consideration of the question he gently tugged her hand upwards. He unlocked their fingers and twisted his palm to lie against her own, then he placed his right over the back of hers so it was between them. Such a confusing sensation to feel the same through both prosthetic and real hand. Yet even the prosthetic seemed hypersensitive to the touch of her warmth.

He could sense it coming. It wasn't right overhead, but looming on the horizon. That dark cloud that could sweep in and ruin what had been such a heady, joyous moment. She would see deep concentration in his features as he thought about her hand inside his. There were so many things he could say. Many, he assumed, would only upset her further. But this was a game that would just eat him up, he knew. She'd asked blunt questions, she deserved simple honesty. Even if he drove her away with the wrong words at least he could say he'd been honest with her.

“I like it,” he replied softly. There was no humour in his tone at all this time. “I'm not sure I know quite why, but it's nice to know you're close. And it makes me feel like you want me close. And it's not like that kind of fright.” There was a pause. His eyes sailed back up from their hands, his prosthetic falling back to his lap. He could have said that they could stop holding hands if she didn't want to any more, but he figured that she was determined enough that she would take her hand back if she was done.

“I wanted you to kiss me back so much. As silly as it is that also makes me really nervous. My heart is still going.” Her face was reddened and this time he didn't think it was from the kissing. “I like you. A lot Choli. Gets my head all in a spin.”