Somewhere Only We Know [Shia]

[Mishel Kryze]

An oceanside boardwalk had been on the other end of the shoreline and the walk didn't seem all that long. No one seemed to bat an eyelash at them, the festival continued on as the Tygaran and the Rattataki. The smaller human slipped her hand into the rattataki's while she swept her own brown locks away from her eyes. Hazel-green orbs got a look at the amber orbs that looked right back at her, shamelessly Mishel did not hide the smile that formed on her lips. It was an awkward feeling but the kind of awkward that made her feel flutters in her stomach. Nerves maybe, she thought but looked ahead at the boardwalk as she led the pair carefully up the steps and to a small café offering cold sweets and warm caf.

Wordlessly she stepped into the caf holding the door open for Shia. A few people looked back at the pair but then they returned to their conversations, the man behind the counter wore an eccentric shirt. The Snivvian gestured for the two to come forward and began to talk about his shop a bit, and offered samples on the favorites Trammistan chocolate gelato, Beebleberry gelato and Denta bean gelato to both women. "Oh, I like the Denta bean, and then can I just grab the blonde mocha, light on the cream, please. Yes, thank you, mhmmm oh here charge to Siverra Lightsabers." Mostly because she was broke, living off the good graces of the Confederacy and then some. Probably the first time she's actually used workshop credits but it worked, she turned to look for a place to sit. A window seat happened to be available it was in the front corner on the left.

Mishel took the gelato and caf and padded to the table. Sitting down she pulled her hair to one shoulder and waited for Shia to take her seat. Now came the part of what to do next. "How long are you here for?" That seemed to be a good place to start, at least to Mishel anyway.

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

​

It wasn't often someone made Shia feel graceless, but somehow the sensation of walking alongside the dark haired woman was exactly that. She knew she wasn't, it was pretty obvious from the looks they were occasionally getting from strangers that neither were, and Shia wasn't without vanity, far, far to the contrary, in fact. But despite that vanity and knowing exactly how good she looked, the occasional glance she stole at Mishel left her feeling as if she had all the grace and elegance of a Hutt.

She wanted to laugh, it was completely absurd that she could pass through pre-battle nerves without so much as an eye blink, that the rituals of the Mando'ade carried her to war not without fear, but with well harnessed fear. Yet somehow she couldn't overcome the feelings in her limbs every time she looked at Mishel. Never mind when their gazes actually met, she'd always thought it was romantic nonsense to talk about 'eyes you could stare into forever'. Another thing she'd been wrong about. This outsider was teaching her a lot about her own culture.

She took the drinks and cold sweets without comment, they were... not alien, but not exactly Kryze or Mandalorian either, Kryze had never had the room aboard their ships for much luxury and the Empire dealt in very traditional Mandalorian luxuries, it was still learning to become what it should be - the best of all cultures, not its own select culture. Some of these caff flavours definitely had promise though, with a richer bean.

"That's a flexible question. I... well, I needed to get out of Mandalorian space for complex reasons to do with Manda'lor's daughter, so I came to see Clan Americus - that hasn't panned out quite as planned, so barring a call to arms from Yash, I'm a free woman. But I brought a clapped out old freighter, not the Huntress, it barely makes four past light speed, so barring another ride home I probably shouldn't be gone for too long."

She paused thoughtfully.

"I... needed - and need, I suppose. Some perspective. So maybe until I find that? I don't know."

[member="Mishel Noren"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

​

​

Mishel listened to Shia talk, all the while digging the spoon into the soft serve.

She gave a face at the name Clan Americus, but that might have been because Mishel thought it funny to the ears. She nodded in acknowledgment and let the denta bean flavor roll around her tongue. A few sips of caf to wash it down and then she could speak. "Sounds like me after the Alliance fell, or is falling I should say." Spoon into the gelato as she thought on the next set of words. "Things just got chaotic y'know? Grand Marshal pulled the rug out from under us, rather, the Deceiver." Mishel pushed her lips to the side and sighed. "But I personally had fought too hard to be where I am, so I told the old man I'd be heading to Geonosis. And then I got a ping from him, supposed to meet with him in Coalition space."

Mishel gave Shia a look, "but before that." A smirk after her raised brow that indicated something to their first meeting. "I need to pick up a custom freighter, and drop off about three boats at my mom's." That sounded about as awkward as it came out. "The Argosy which is an ugly that I cannot even begin to figure out how to fly so, usually I have it set to follow." Gelato and caf before another word. "It follows the Starstruck which is my personal little blockade runner, but I just got this Mon Calamari ship that I just don't know what to to with. I call it the Moontail." A bit of a smirk, "don't know why but yeah, gonna go park those at my mom's and then grab a ride to pick up my freighter then go get the old man."

The Tygaran sat back a moment her time wasn't as free as the woman across from hers. "I'd offer for you to come with me to Coalition space, but..." She wasn't sure how that would go, "and I don't want to force you but you're welcomed to go with me to pick up and drop off." Pretty sure her mom wouldn't bat an eye lash at the sight of the Rattataki.

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia sipped at her caff thoughtfully, giving Mishel a long, lingering and somewhat appraising looking over the rim of the mug, then for the first time, she managed a faintly sultry smile.

"Okay."

She said simply.

"Tell me, your old man - he's... a Force User, right? But... like you, kind of not jetesii?"

The question was obviously loaded, and she sipped her mug to cover the point. But it wasn't loaded with hate, or fear, or even anger - it was loaded with hope. Because, like Mishel had thought to herself - the Force did take you strange places, and while Shia... didn't serve the Force exactly, she still had questions to be answered and a duty to uphold. Her eyes glittered like blades over the rim of the mug - an utterly unnaturally effect but one that looked damn good on the Mandalorian.

"I like ships - I grew up on ships, Kryze are... were... maybe will be a nomad clan, if we can get big enough I can build us a proper home again. I can help with a parking job. If you're good, maybe I'll show you mine one day - but in neutral space, I hear cloaked Mandalorian warships sometimes get nervous receptions."

She actually rolled her eyes.

"And... I'm sorry about the Alliance, I mean, I've got personal issues with those shabuir who bombed a city on Mykyr. But..." She shrugs, half apologetically. "Ra the so-called-Undying was an or'dinii karkhead and there's only a few Mandalorian's who rejoice in watching one of the few bright spots of the galaxy wink out when we've got Sith and Ren breathing down our throats. Bad times for all of us, I think."

[member="Mishel Noren"] ​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Coren? Yeah, he's definitely a force user and someone who knows a thing or two about having a dark past." Mishel was unaware of Shia's sultry gaze and instead drove her spoon into the soft serve once more. Her gaze wandered over to the beach front before falling back on the amber hued eyes of the Rattataki before her. Shia spoke about building a proper home and it gave Mishel pause, she hadn't ever really had one of those. Being a nomad suited her just fine, "I think cloaked warships get a nervous reaction no matter who they belong to." She teased while setting the spoon in the cup and took the paper cup full of caf into her hands. It had fallen into a lukewarm state by this point. "Good? Please, I am never good in fact you are seeing me in rare form I'll have you know."

"Actually on decent behavior for once in my life."

Maybe it was time that caught up with her, or her age. Maybe it was needing something to rely on that wasn't going to see her in a jail cell if she could help it. Maybe it had been the part where you grew up and figured out that maybe, just maybe you didn't need to get everyone worked up. "There's always hope, and so long as we have that then the light is never truly gone from this galaxy." Mishel brought the cup of caf to her lips and drank a few more sips. As she set it down and looked over at the woman across from her, the Jedi wanted to mentally kick herself, "never really had a place of my own... well there was that shack on Virgillia VII but otherwise, I think... I think I like the idea of being a nomad. My ship is my home and I can go where I please." See who she wanted to see, was implied with voice.

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

"My cultural ethos isn't big on hope - but it is pretty big on embracing what you have."

Shia didn't add she'd just figured out what part of that meant, it wouldn't sound nearly as witty. But she made gentle eye contact, smiling as she did so to convey that she got the message. She was pretty sure there was something else she should be doing now, something more forward. But for the life of her she couldn't think of what it was.

"And a home... I, uh, I guess I need to think more about that. But a home is where your family are - that can move, that can stay still. I don't think it really matters." She sounded thoughtful, family was important, after all. It was rule two, well before rule six, which was the one everyone went on and on about. "Being a nomad is good. I mean, it's how I grew up so it can't be that bad. I mean, I turned out alright - and there's so much of the galaxy to see."

And people - well, a person, to see.

[member="Mishel Noren"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"I don't know if I can say I have much of a culture, all things considered, but hope and embracing what you have are not mutually exclusive." Mishel sat back in her seat one leg crossed over the other. She drank her cup of caf and paid attention to Shia as she spoke. The Tygaran enjoyed the moment between them especially here in the café the quietness of it all. How time seemed to sit still in the single moment. Family now there was an interesting subject at least for her but she was more than happy to listen to Shia. Mishel had essentially been rejected by her birth parents as far as she knew and adopted her own parent later in life but growing up with the Ren? Definitely not the healthiest way for anyone to grow up.

"Yeah, galaxy is a pretty big place." Mishel finished off her caf and looked between Shia and the ocean. "And I think we can both agree that a nomadic life is probably a good one." For them at least but she didn't say. Rather she slowly unfolded herself from the table, "ready to actually have a dip in the ocean?" The water looked good and she wanted to do more than just stare at it. Mishel couldn't think of a time before this where she actually got to just enjoy herself. A life spent fighting and training had left a lot to be desired from her personal life.

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia watched lingeringly as Mishel unfolded, a faint and rather mysterious smile on her face as her eyes flickered from feet to hazel-green eyes.

"Sure." She said, setting her cup aside, taking the time to stand herself - and because she could, making a show of it.

Her life wasn't free of fun - but since she'd decided to return to Mandalore, it had all been duty, violence and confusion, interspersed with tiny moments for herself. This was the first time she could actually think of she'd just done something for her. And that ocean was too damn tempting, all of it was, really.

​Kark it, if they needed her they had her holocomm. They'd probably just go into another border skirmish with the SJO anyway over something she wasn't honestly sure she cared about, that or get into a fight with other Mandalorians.

"Race you?" It was more a challenge than a question, and several cafe patrons yelped in surprise as she reached out to effortlessly vault their table, the barrier and land on the boardwalk barefoot. Damn, this was like being sixteen again, only better.

[member="Mishel Noren"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Mishel did not pass up the opportunity to once more get a full look at Shia.

"Show off," she teased as they stepped outside of the cafe and the ocean just seemed to call. "Huh?"

Race? Shia took off before Mishel could quite comprehend it, "feth!" She chased after Shia and managed her way through the patrons with a few muttered phrases to pardon her as she did her best to resist using the force. Jedi did not use it for personal gain, did not use it for personal gain she told herself and kept her pace. At the same time she cursed her small form, "c'mon Shia don't let the little Jedi beat you down the waters without the Force now!"

Admittedly she didn't care if Shia did beat her to the waters, it was the simple fact that once she got into the waters she was going to do her best not to float away. This was as close to a vacation as Mishel was getting. Laughter escaped her when her feet finally met with the cool waters, wet sand squished and squashed its way between her toes. Mishel then took her time walking into the waters and going until there was no ground to touch. Hands behind her head as she fell back into the water and let herself float, okay - there was a small application of the Force but still. It was nice, very nice - and the company? Well. Mishel couldn't think of better company to have than [member="Shia Kryze"].

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia let herself enjoy the race - movement was life to her and she didn't much care about the attention she was getting, except one person's attention. She cared very much much about Mishel's, as it happened.

She dove headlong into the ocean, narrowly missing the sandy bottom and a deeply spectacular end to her showing off, then bobbed to the surface a few moments later.

The momentary loss of sensation, combined with the pressure and the release was surprisingly heady. How long has it been since I went swimming? She wondered. It bothered her a little she couldn't answer. Not since... well, since the Netherworld.

As she floated to the surface she let that thought go along with the others, a soft smile creasing her face. This was a strange place for this to happen - and a stranger person - but... it was enough.

[member="Mishel Noren"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Mishel managed to grab a board and began her swim out toward the vast ocean. Legs dangled into the ocean, she figured Shia wouldn't be too far behind. "Feel like I could probably just paddle myself all the way until I see another shoreline, and just get lost out here, y'know?" It was peaceful she could for a moment forget her troubles. The Tygaran got a look at the waves and back at Shia. "For the record I've only seen this done in holofilms." Stomach flat on the board Mishel began her trek out to the waves, and as she approached the curl she steadied herself onto her feet, arms out for balance as her board carried her into the wave.

A hand out to the wave as her heart beat against her chest.

And then the crash of water over her head, wipe out. Thankfully, with the amount of battles she'd been in coming up for air wasn't nearly as bad as she thought, that and she had the Force. "I'm fine, just, water - in my - well, everywhere." She shook her head a bit and blinked the water out. Mishel searched for her board and began her swim toward it. "So is this uh, like a holiday then? I mean, I don't normally get those so I mean - what I uh, well chit. What am I trying to say." Get it together. "Are you I mean, you can, would you like to stay with me here on Castagne?" Ashia bless that was harder than she thought it would be.

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia laughed and shook her head at Mishel's attempt at surfing.

"Well, it can't be much harder than riding a equine." She posited thoughtfully. "Less hard on the falls too, much..."

She paused as Mishel's final question filtered into a brain, interrupting what otherwise would have been a well timed compliment and appearing to stun her entire nervous system - which was nonsense, because she was still treading water.

Uh. What do I do now? Any of a dozen answers raced through her mind. None of them satisfactory.

A vision of Aunt Vivi, 120 and still going, fiery red hair going to grey (no blood relation) leaning over a much younger Shia Kryze - Vivi had been the first one to notice Shia's tendencies. Shia sometimes suspected she was the cause, how could anyone not admire the gorgeous raconteur of a Mandalorian?

"Shia'adiik I've got a special rule just for you. When a mesh'la woman - and you'll know the woman - asks you to stay, you say: oya."

Shia could swear the old woman was right there in the water with them, just behind her ear.

The stunned moment didn't last long - a few heartbeats, then she continued with her forward stroke to grab hold of the board and float next to Mishel.

"Oya." She replied, in a tone that to another Mandalorian would have given the affirmative, with it's old hunting-cry origins, a very different meaning. The least she could do was try and put feeling into the word. She was pretty sure 'I've only seen this done in holofilms' applied to more than just surfing here, and... well... she wasn't any different there. Then it occurred to her that perhaps the meaning might be missed on someone who wasn't Mandalorian. "Uh. Um. Sorry. Yes, yes I would."

[member="Mishel Noren"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Wouldn't know, unless that's like trying to ride a tauntaun cause that, that I do know about." Mishel replied as she managed to get back on the board. A hand through her hair pushing it back and away from her face. The Tygaran then watched with amusement as the Rattataki tried to form an answer, "careful I think I can see the smoke from your ears." She teased and looked over at the waves again. "Gonna guess that's Mandalorian for yes."

A bit of laughter as Shia confirmed it.

"Alright then," Mishel looked back out at the waves and began the trek again. Swimming with her body flat against the board until she reached the waves where she'd try to balance herself and promptly fall into the water. She repeated this and managed to get into the next wave, yeah this, this was cool. Until she wiped out again and found herself swimming back up to the surface and using a finger to get water out of her ear. "Okay, that that might've actually hurt nothing like smacking into the water."

"Wanna give it a go?" She gestured to the waves.

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia watched the attempt at surfing with interest, although if she was watching the surfer or their attempts at surfing was deeply questionable, given the faintly disbelieving smile on her face. She laughed as Mishel wiped out a final time, swimming over to touch a shoulder.

"I'm sure we can make it better." She commented, a far cry from what people might see as the traditional Mandalorian 'suck it up' approach. But then, there's a big difference between fighting and relaxation, in Shia's book anyway.

"And yeah, I'd love to have a try. It can't be harder than riding a Rhinodon."

Shia had a slight advantage - she'd seen Mishel's worst mistakes up close, so her first wipe out was not nearly as sudden - but her supreme overconfidence ensured it was spectular and rough. She broke the surface spluttering.

"Ow! Kriff. Water isn't hard!"

She protested, but with enough of a smile to indicate she was fine - even if half her side was turning a funny shade of reddish grey. Completely undaunted by that spectacular wipe out she climbed back on the board, adopting Mishel's more cautious approach of padding out and then waiting for the wave. A superb sense of natural balance served her well and for about ten seconds she looked like a graceful natural - like a graceful natural, until she smashed into the water.

"Now I know why they all wear those wetsuits." She commented. "But that'd ruin the view." She did reach a hand experimentally behind her back to ensure her not-chosen for surfing swimsuit was actually still locked closed, because she swore she'd hit hard enough to rip cloth. Shia, unfortunately or fortunately, has zero sense of fear or perspective on these things and the sky-high pain tolerance of a race (if not a culture) that embraces pain.

[member="Mishel Noren"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Mishel had given Shia a look and a smile as she waded in the water, "by all means."

The Tygaran watched as the Rattataki managed herself on the surfboard. What in the name of Ashira is a Rhinodon, wonder if it's one of those creatures from that one Corellian game... Mishel felt a little jealous seeing Shia get it so smoothly and then it occured that maybe Shia had actually been watching the brunette wipe out after wipe out. And then the overconfidence that the Rattataki displayed was put to rest by the water. Admittedly Mishel laughed harder than she should have, "it is today baby, it is today." Followed up with a waggle of her brows.

Undaunted, Shia got herself back on the board, "there we go, there's that can-do Mandalorian attitude!" And a loud, obnoxious cheer that Mishel seemed to enjoy giving at the end just to see what kind of reaction she'd get. It was here that Mishel realized that between one wave and another that her shorts must have been taken out from her body. The only comforting thought about this was the bikini bottom she had on that matched the top. A pair of hazel-green eyes watched Shia's reddish-grey form move about the wave, "yeaaaah-oh... and ... " Mishel winced and looked a momentarily.

"Ow, yeah..." she swam over to Shia. "Yeah, yeah might be why and yeah who wants to get in the way of the view, right?"

Mishel's hand flicked at the fabric, "still there somehow, maybe it's because it's so thin anyway - wait, that, see, you have that but I lost my shorts so."

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

"My years spent as a hunter on the Rim do in fact give me the eyes to see that." Shia kept one hand on the board to keep her afloat easily and after due consideration put the other on Mishel's side. Due consideration being less than half a second in this instance.

"Actually, I think it's a better look. I'm really not convinced you've anything to be ashamed of." She smiled warmly. "But you do appear to have lost the power of speech, which is kinda cute, and I think kind of not like you at all."

Really, is it wise to tease someone you've just met like that? Well, she's certainly... calmer than I remember. I don't think that will last...

[member="Mishel Noren"]​