Private So We Meet Again

[Gnox the Insatiable]

It wasn't the sort of topic he wanted to think about, though his eyes flashed for a moment at the mention of a friend. A grin formed as he pulled her close. Yeah, a friend could keep her safe. Okay. Not alone. But. Gnox leaned down, growling possessively in her ear. "I suppose we should discuss this then. You're mine, and I don't share." He'd kiss her cheek before taking her in a much more caring hug.

"And I won't leave you alone for long. No one knows this form. I can stay with you, like this. For as long as you want me to." It was an odd sort of feeling to have. Not wanting to leave Shai Maji but knowing he'd have to. Unless he just left the Sith entirely. He let out a sigh at that idea, but didn't dare bring it up.

 

[Shai Maji]

He pulled her close and a low growl filled her ear. She smirked as he pulled her into a kiss and a hug, returning it as she gave his ear a gentle tug with her teeth. "That makes two of us, buttercup." she teased back with a mutter before she rested her head on his shoulder. He went on to suggest that he could come with her which was a rather appealing thought to entertain. But it was too risky. She kissed him on the cheek as she pulled back to look up at him. "It would definitely be a fun idea... but it's too dangerous. If I just pitch up on Mandalore with a random stranger, they're liable to get suspicious. I want to do it sometime, invite you over once I got a proper home of my own. But not now." she explained softly to him as she gazed up into his brown eyes. It was hard to imagine that this man was not only Sith but the same monster she was stuck with.

A bright smile spread across her features as she hugged him tighter. "But that doesn't mean we have to be apart for long. We still have to go shopping and then it's diet time. Then maybe after that... you can come visit." she continued, grazing her teeth against his neck. She wanted to bring him along. But it was too much of a security concern for her. For them both. And she didn't want this to end with her being executed and him being imprisoned for torture.

She let go of him and made her way to the bedroom, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk as she gave a little extra sway in her hips. "Though I might rather come visit you on Dromund Kaas. Or maybe even Korriban. I still got my mom's old permit for delivery services." she joked as she grabbed a tank top and shorts from her closet and got dressed. Peering out of the window, she realized that it was night already. "Holy shit." she muttered, glancing back at him with shock. "It's night already?!" she asked him. "Have we seriously been here that long?" she continued as she glanced at the window again. For a long moment she stared at it as she ran through her options. She wasn't in any hurry to get back and she really wanted to get some dinner going as well.

"You know what? I don't like flying at night." she joked as she looked back at him. "How about I get some dinner going for us and we can both kark off next morning?" she suggested with a smirk.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

"Perhaps one day, then." He muttered softly. No, he couldn't try to push for it to happen. No matter how much he wanted to. Shai Maji and his relationship was still so new. So fresh. Best to keep it where it was for now, and see how well they could work even this secret way before trying to compact anything else. That, and her biting was distracting. He scooped her right up into his arms, nodding. "I plan to see you as much as I can as it is." There was a light chuckle from Gnox as he took her into the bedroom and let her down so she might get dressed.

He frowned as he looked about the room for the outfit he'd brought with him. Nothing in sight. Probably for the best, given how much she didn't like it. Still, well. Night? His gaze turned to the window before he laughed. It'd gotten that late? His fault for sure.

"I.. Dinner." He paused for a moment, then looked outside once more. An idea sprang to mind, one that made him grin. "Come on a hunt with me. We'll get something you can cook, and I can drink from." His brown gaze shifted back to his companion. "Let me show you what it is to be one of our kind."

 

[Shai Maji]

She paid him little mind as she got dressed and tried to tidy up her messy room. She only stopped when he spoke again, turning to face him as she blinked in surprise. A hunt? It was a thought that made her a little uncomfortable. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to be the type of hunt with a rifle or other weapon. This was going to be the savage type.

"Gnox... we're not animals anymore." she stated softly... but seemed to regret it instantly. He wanted to show her a part of his life and she was shooting it down instantly. She quickly walked over to him and grabbed hold of his cheeks to make sure he was looking into her eyes. "Tell you what. I'll go on this little run with you if you..." she trailed off as she thought. Then a thought came to mind. One that made her grin maniacally as she leaned up to whisper in to his ear. "If you let me tie you down a bit." a growl bled through her whisper as she flashed him a sultry wink. She pulled back from him and walked over to her closet for a sports bra and ski pants. "I take it we're gonna be doing the thing where we run on all fours and all that jazz?" she asked him as a blush started to appear on her cheeks. She was nervous. Not only was this something she never did, the last time she ran on all fours was when she was a kid. The whole running naked thing didn't help things either.

But in the back of her mind was a pinch of temptation. A feeling that made her want to do this.

"Okay, lemme just get dressed and get some stuff for cooking packed in. Then I'm set." she commented as she quickly undressed, got dressed in the form-fitting undergarments and then rushed to the kitchen with a backpack.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

He did wince at her words, the grin fading. He understood that the galaxy was no where close to the time he had come from. That even his people weren't advanced in the slightest. But there was something more to it. Sharing a hunt was it's own tradition. Shai Maji 's offer though changed that sort of sour mood for him. The grin returned, wider than before as he watched her. "You don't have to, but it is pretty freeing. I suppose it'd be like being on a speeder, except you can feel the ground underneath you as you run."

There was way more to it, but the fact she was even willing to try was enough for him. He followed after her, hands behind his head as he relaxed. "So how good of a cook are you, anyway?"

 

[Shai Maji]

"Trust me, I like going fast. Put me on a speeder or swoop any day of the week. But... I want to try this out. Besides, it's only fair. You suffered through a movie with me, I can suffer through this with you." she admitted with a warm smile as she walked over to plant a kiss on his cheek. She exited the bedroom and quickly got to work on packing cutlery, spices, firelighters and a few other things. Dressed in her sports outfit and with the backpack tightly secured she turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"How good of a cook am I?" she repeated with curiosity. "Well I'd say I'm pretty decent. I like good food and I don't want to wait around for other people if I want it." she explained with a chuckle as she released him and led the way to the boarding ramp. Outside it was cool and the light breeze rustled her fur. Her heart was pounding as she looked around then back to him. "I uh... how does this work?" she asked with a nervous chuckle. "You can take the lead on this, I'll catch up. My coordination is way off for a run like this." she admitted as she walked down the ramp and waited for him to get moving.

She bent over and got used to the position. She expected to feel uncomfortable or strained in a way... but to her surprise her body fitted naturally in this position. She took a deep breath and shakily let it out as she looked around a bit. "This feels weird." she mumbled to herself. She took one step forward and then brought a leg up to match. Slowly she took another step. And then another. When she was comfortable with the coordination she picked up her pace into a light jog. Every step was odd and she kept wanting to dust off her hands. But her body quickly adapted to the rhythm and before she even knew it, she was running through the woods.

A small smile appeared as she got more and more used to the feeling of running like this. With a laugh she picked up her pace and started to race along after him.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

"You won't think of it as suffering for long, promise." Gnox flashed an endearing grin. There wasn't much clothing he could use, but, this would be fine. Late at night and covered in fur should be enough decency. "Then, I look forward to your cooking. Now that I can taste, I'm especially curious." The night air felt wonderful against him as he stepped out beside her. His eyes looked up to the night sky as he inhaled deeply. He lowered to all fours, and immediately started to look far more like a beast than before.

His brown eyes stared up to Shai Maji curiously before he shook his head. "I can lead, but we stay together. We hunt together." He nodded once, then looked forward. The Sith walked with her, observing her steps. Then her smile as she settled right into it. When she took off, so did he, laughing excitedly. The hunt was secondary to this feeling. The thrill of darting through the trees, dodging between branches. He went faster and faster, trying to push his companion to her limit and even past that if she could.

 

[Shai Maji]

Having Gnox stick close to her was as much a relief as it was humiliating. Something like this wasn't her cup of caf... but his own pace helped her a lot to figure it out and the support meant a lot to her as well. Her laughter joined in with his as they raced through the forest, jumping over obstacles and sliding underneath others. He quickly started to overtake her but she kept up with him. It was exhilarating, like racing through traffic with a swoop but... different. Her senses focused on all the details darting past them. Her breathing was steady and matched the rhythm of her pace. The more she ran, the more a part of her brain was pushing her forward.

"Why the hell did I neve-" she was cut off when her right arm hit a rock she missed, sending her tumbling along the ground. After a few yelps and colourful words she finally came to a halt. With a groan she sat up and blinked a few times, getting her bearings. She shook her head and wiped at her maw as the taste of blood landed on her tongue. "Kark me." she muttered with a soft snicker. She glanced around a bit to find Gnox and shook her head at him. "The last time I crashed that hard was with karking jetpack training." she quipped as she looked her body over. Luckily it was only a few scrapes and scratches. "Though a... jetpack against a... tree... is a lot... you smell that?" she muttered, turning her head as a scent drifted across her nose. "There's something close." she whispered to him as she got back on all fours and glanced at him.

She sniffed around again and found the direction of the scent. "There's something over there." she continued with a hushed voice as she pointed in the direction.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

His attention pulled immediately from where he was running to where Shai Maji had crashed. He gripped into the ground to stop his momentum, though it really didn't work. Gnox ended up crashing himself a little ways from her, tumbling through the underbrush before finally coming to a stop. There was a groan as he got up and shook himself off before rushing back to his companions side.

It was good to hear her laugh, if a bit painfully so, but she seemed fine. Scraped and bruised. Bleeding. His eyes narrowed much like a cat as he stared. He'd been good. This past day with Shai had nearly made him forget the hunger. He barely heard her words as he reluctantly tore his gaze away from her. He didn't dare get close.

"Good." Was all he could say as he stalked in the direction. Something to take his mind off of that hunger. His body tensed as he prepared to take off in a run once more. "Let's go."

 

[Shai Maji]

Even in her dazed state she knew that something was off. "You okay?" she asked softly. But he pressed on and she followed. She came to a halt next to him and got ready to run. She got up to speed once more and kept her nose low to stick to the scent. After a few more moments of running Shai came to a halt behind a tree. In the clearing was some sort of animal, calmly grazing on the grass beneath it. She instinctively wanted to go for her pistol but remembered that she left it back on the ship. She glanced at Gnox and nodded towards the animal as she kept low and quiet.

Her eyes were fixated on it from the shadows she hid under. Her breathing was soft and slow through her mouth as she waited for Gnox to make the first move. She desperately hoped that he wasn't expecting her to do the whole takedown thing with him. A tinge of nervousness filled her as she glanced at him and then the animal. She knew he wanted her to join him on this whole ordeal. She didn't have a problem with the running part, it was surprisingly fun. But she wasn't like him. She didn't eat raw meat, it was either medium or closer to well done at the very least. Not even rare, let alone utterly raw.

She glanced at him again with her nervous gaze as she waited to see what his plan was. The animal luckily didn't notice them at all, it was far too busy munching on a new patch of grass it found.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

Gnox didn't answer. He wasn't all there. The pull to eat was just as strong as the desire to keep it down and protect Shai Maji . It didn't take long to come up to the animal in question. His whole body tensed as he turned his attention to it. That was something he could eat. A low growl echoed from his throat as he slowly stalked forward.

Then he was gone. In a flash of movement he tackled the beast to the ground. His jaw ripped into the creatures throat, and with a sickening crack he broke the beast's neck, and it fell still. He didn't move away from the beast. He drained the beast of all it's blood in an instant, his hunger demanding so. He pulled back slowly, maw dripping with the blood as he glanced back to Shai. He said nothing, unsure what to even suggest after this.

 

[Shai Maji]

Still hiding in the shadows, she carefully watched him as he got ready. She expected a chase or something... instead it was over before she could even finish her thought. Blinking in surprise she rose to her fert and watched as he sucked every ounce of blood from the animal.

When he looked at her she gave him a smile and a thumbs up. "Nice kill!" she cheered him. She didn't like it, that much was clear. There was a difference between draining an animal for butchering and drinking its blood. But at the end of the day, she would help him with as many animals as he needed if it meant he could get away from eating actual people.

She approached the scene as she unclipped her backpack and rummaged for a water bottle. "If you wanna clean your muzzle off." she quipped as she set the bottle down next to him. She looked over the animal and then back to him. "Well at least we won't have to drain its blood before chopping it up, you did a decent job of that already." she joked with a light chuckle as she set her bag aside and inspected the creature.

"Alright... how does this work again?" she muttered as she pulled her vibroblade from her backpack and looked the creature over.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

He watched in silence. Part of him, a large part of him, thought this might be a tipping point. Seeing the hunger go. Instead, she cheered him. Gave him a thumbs up. Gnox had no words as he watched her approach. He felt none of the hunger he had. He reached out to take the bottle and wash the blood from his face before taking a sip and just.. Sitting. Shai Maji was making jokes. Like this was a common thing.

It wasn't. It couldn't be that hard not to imagine it as a person instead of an animal, yet she made no mention of it. He frowned lightly. Was she just pretending? He stepped over to her, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Here, let me."

 

[Shai Maji]

When he offered to skin the animal, she handed the knife over to him and took a few steps back. "Thanks." she said with a smile as she started to prep the rest of their little picnic. She got the items out to start a fire as well as the spices for the meat. Only issue was actually setting the meat up over the fire but she figured she'd be able to find a few sturdy sticks and branches. She was rather looking forward to this whole thing.

But she could see that something was bothering him. After getting everything ready she carefully sat down on the ground and watched him work. The skinning wasn't nearly as bad for her, though the actual gutting wasn't something she particularly enjoyed and soon she was busy carefully tearing open some buns she brought along for them... or her at least. Whether he was going to try one out was still up in the air. She certainly wouldn't mind throwing half of the six at him if he liked it. But his moody expression kept gnawing at her.

"Hey Gnox?" she spoke up with a gentle voice. "What's going on? I can see that something's eating at you. What is it?" she asked him softly as she leaned over slightly to try and look at his face. "If it's me sucking at the whole skinning thing, I'll admit that I've only had to help my dad once with it and I bailed out once we got the thing open." she admitted with a soft snicker. Though she had an idea of what it could be that was bothering him...

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

He glanced to the knife curiously as it was handed to him, but took it regardless. Did he still remember how to exactly use a knife? Turned out yes, he did. Like riding a bike. Gnox would do pretty well with carving the deer like creature and give Shai Maji the meat to start cooking. Quietly though. What was bothering him was there in his mind, keeping his attention on what he was doing.

Her speaking up is what pulled him from it. His gaze fell over to her with a slight frown. "My hunger is dangerous. I could feel it when you got cut. I wanted you. To eat you. I'm dangerous to you."

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai listened to his explanation and it started to make sense. He was afraid he would hurt her... or eat her to be more precise. Her gaze saddened a little as she walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him so she could face him fully. "Hey. I know you're dangerous. I would lie if I said it hasn't been in the back of my mind from the moment I let you on my ship." she admitted to him as she held him by his shoulders.

"But I wouldn't have agreed to see you again if I wasn't confident you could keep it in check. And that's why we're doing this." she continued, nodding to the half-skinned creature. "This is why I want to help you, Gnox. To get you used to this type of thing so actual people aren't a worry anymore. So yeah, I know you can be dangerous and I know there's a lot of room for problems here. But I trust you. I trust you to not lash out and try to eat me... and I'm here to try and help you with it as well. What we got? It can work. I know it can. If we work together and give it our all, We'll be able to stick with each other no matter what." she spoke with a gentle voice as her hands moved up to cup his cheeks.

She smiled at him and planted a kiss on his muzzle. "I trust you. You hear me? And I know you won't eat me. And hopefully never another person again." she muttered to him as her hands snaked down and around his sides to hug him close. "So if you're feeling hungry again and we don't got time to go running around, I'll suit up and go find a bunch of animals for you." she stated with a serious look.

She let go of him and went back to get the fire going, but stopped for a moment as she turned to look at him. "And by the way... I'm sorry if I'm sounding bossy or controlling here. It's not at all what I want to come off as. If there's something serious about me that bothers you... don't hesitate to tell me. We're in this together."

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

He leaned heavily into her hands, his eyes closing. He said nothing back, just listening to Shai Maji 's words. They meant everything to him. His soul had been tainted with the hate and darkness of his unyielding hunger and need for revenge, but still she refused to leave his side. Refused to see him as a monster despite coming face to face with just how monstrous he was time and time again.

Gnox smiled at her as she stepped away. Then got up and sat beside her and the flame. Still he said nothing, instead wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a deep, though gentle, kiss. The kind he let linger as his other hand came up to hold her cheek. "Together."

 

[Shai Maji]

While he didn't say anything back, she could clearly see that she at least managed to cheer him up a bit. He came over to join her as she sat by the fire and worked on the meat, slicing it up into easier bits to cook with her built-in blade. She didn't look up at first but smile as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. She finally looked up and returned the kiss, leaning more into him. When they finally parted she smiled warmly at him and leaned into the hand holding her cheek. "Together." she muttered warmly as she gazed into his brown eyes. For several long moments she simply stared at him as her hand held onto his.

It finally broke as a bright grin formed and she placed a piece of meat perfectly on top of his head. With a giggle she got up and turned to enter the woods. "I'm gonna look for more firewood and stuff, that meat is gonna take a while to cook through properly." she called out as she walked into the night. True to her word, she ventured deep into the woods and found an armful of branches, sticks and other flammable items. But when she started to walk back to the camp, an idea came to mind. With a smirk she quietly placed the wood down and got on all fours.

Very quietly and sneakily she circled around the camp. Her steps were carefully placed to avoid anything that could make a sound and she kept low to avoid the light. When she got behind him, she tensed up and got ready to jump him.

With a careful and quiet breath she readied up and lunged out to try and tackle him. In her eyes she did everything she knew and saw from him correctly... the only flaw in her plan was that she never once checked if the wind was blowing towards the seasoned hunter...

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

He blinked slowly as the piece of meat was set on his forehead. Gnox was learning pretty quick that Shai Maji enjoyed doing rather random things. Though, he didn't realize it was to distract him. He chuckled a bit as he watched her leave, then looked back to the fire. He set the meat onto the flame to let it cook, completely unaware of her plan. The fire and smoke made it impossible for him to smell her.

With a surprised yelp he was tackled to the ground. Instinct took over for a moment as an aggressive growl escaped him. It faded quickly though once he realized who it was. He laughed happily then, glancing to her with a smirk. "Oh? And where's the firewood huh?"

 

[Shai Maji]

To her surprise her tactic worked like a charm. He was pinned down by his shoulders as she straddled him with a playful growl. It faded as she flashed him a triumphant grin. "It's over there. Got quite a bit, actually. I just wanted to see what this supposedly fantastic hunter is made of." she teased as she got off him and made her way back to the woods. "Apparently not very impressive." she quipped over her shoulder as she flashed him a menacing grin. She quickly found the wood and brought it back to the fire, adding onto it before she got the rest of the meat going as well. The piece already on there was seasoned and turned over as Shai carefully watched it.

When it was done she took it off and dropped it onto a bun. After some sauces were spread in as well, she handed it to Gnox. "There we go. Tell me what you think." she offered with a happy smile as she watched him. "That barbeque sauce has a little kick to it but nothing major." she explained. She was confident in her cooking. But now there was a sense of nervousness as she waited for a verdict. At least she knew he wasn't one for lying... so far. She hoped his stance on that didn't change.

As she waited for the verdict, she looked him over and gave a smirk. "I should have packed in those jeans I gave you. Like seriously, I can't take you serious at all like this." she joked as she lightly poked his side.

Gnox the Insatiable