The Blue Feather

[Rory Naasade]

"Well, I was the interloper," she chuckled.

"Mmm most of us are in the end, though, aren't we?" She added teasing, but there was a certain edge there. A regret, perhaps. Perhaps something else. A glimpse and then it was gone.

Her smile widened again instead and she nodded.

"I had a good time too- got your com?"

She took the device, keying in her contact info.

Honestly?

She didn't expect him to drop her a line. Not half a week from now, not a month from now. This had been fun, but he walked in a certain sort of circle. And Rory? Absolutely did not. That was okay, but the evening had begun and ended on a note that was a very clear reminder of that.

Didn't make it any less fun.

"Can't say I'll know where I'll be in half a week, but," her smile got a little crooked as she handed it back.

[member="Vinon Demeaux"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Rory Naasade"]

He didn't smile at the tease.

Shook his head.

"Not by choice." The device was taken back and disappeared back from where it came. Instead of leaving it at that his hand curled around her before she could back, instead Vin pulled her in and for once initiated the kiss before she could.

Deep, hard, still resonating from her words previously.

The kiss broke and he breathed against her lips.

"Freedom is worth any price, Rory, the past doesn't matter... only the now. Don't let yourself be a commodity." Then he let her go and sighed. The grim disappearing after another moment, as if it had never been there before. Who knew why Vinon took it that seriously. Maybe there was a past there, maybe it was just philosophical. Who could really know? One more glance towards his 'friends' and then back to the woman who had peaked his interest so.

"Let me walk you out to a cab. Rough neighborhood here."

There he smirked.

"Will piss off Vio some more too, that's a win."

 

[Rory Naasade]

She kissed him back without reservation, but when it broke, there was something off about that smile. Something around the eyes and in the line of her lips. A wry, and for a moment, almost sad quality.

He was painfully naive.

That attitude worked for those with enough money to afford it. But that wasn't most people. Without credits, you could certainly be free.

Free to freeze.

Free to starve.

What sort of freedom was that? Everyone had a price, and when you had nothing that price had to be low indeed. If there was a choice between freedom and survival, you picked survival. Every time. Everyone was a commodity until they could afford not to be.

How many people never reached the place where that became a choice, rather than a necessity?

She stepped back when he let go, smile flicking back to her more typical expression.

"Oh, no need," she said with a laugh. "Didn't take a cab to get here. And I have a rule about unnecessarily pissing people off- don't. I'll be fine, promise," she said with a wink. "Space port's not far after all."

As it happened, the space port was halfway across the city. To Rory that legitimately meant 'not far'. Her definition of what was a reasonable distance to hoof it was entirely out of sync with most people's.

[member="Vinon Demeaux"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Rory Naasade"]

Oh, it wasn't naivety.

More like bullheaded stubbornness and then some. He had noticed the quality, filed it away, but didn't remark on it. It wasn't his place and neither did they have the dynamic where he had the right to.

He had already overstepped his bounds as far as Vin was concerned.

That didn't prevent him from blinking. Twice. Head tilting for a brief second, before um'ing in the middle of that. "The space port is halfway across town." A town that was rough and rough. There was a reason why he used the speeder, even though he probably could walk there naked without being touched. Some people had connections... Vin was one of them.

The speeder had nothing to do with an unwillingness to walk in these clothes, are you kidding me?

"Look, I will call for my cab, they will drop you off at the 'port," Hand rose up to forestall any arguments. "I won't be able to keep my promise of only calling you in about half a week, if I keep worrying if you are okay."

A smile there.

Making it about him and not about her. For some that was easier.

 

[Rory Naasade]

"The space port is halfway across town."

"Yes?" She chuckled, head tilting to the side and giving him a genuinely baffled look. She knew how far away it was.

"That's not ne-"

Her nose scrunched up a little bit at him. She made a face.

"Grew up in a rough neighborhood," she pointed out. "Got here just fine, didn't I?"

There was a fine line between 'in her favor' and 'favors ending up owed'. Street kid with a history, Rory's experience was that this was teetering on that line hard. A drink was one thing, but you didn't just do things like call a cab without expectations. That was expensive.

From her point of view anyway.

It wasn't personal. She liked him, but that didn't mean any of this was suddenly negated. It was just the world she knew.

"I'll get a cab," she said, laughing and putting her hands up. "If it will make you feel better."

Would be tight but it was better than feeling like there was a debt there.

"Deal?"

[member="Vinon Demeaux"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Rory Naasade"]

Oh, Vin noticed it.

Noticed it all.

In truth it wasn't fair to Rory- she was masterful at hiding her emotions behind a cultivated mask and Vinon was impressed. If he didn't know any better he would have first assumed it was specialized training. But... then in a way it had been, no? Living on the streets it was a constant life-or-death situation an' then some. If you didn't have the right face for the right moment?

That could be your end.

Vin knew.

Better than Rory could have known. "S'long as I see ya park ya nice arse into da speeder, we got a deal, Rory." A smirk there. Pronounced with a wink at the end. After all, he wasn't gonna try and convince her to spend his money.

That would have been silly.

It was clear he wasn't just gonna have her walk out alone though. His arm was offered to her.

 

[Rory Naasade]

Honestly if he wasn't clearly intending on walking her out, Rory probably would have walked anyway. At least would have considered it. Truth and lies depended mostly on the level of need balanced against potential hurt.... or if it would come and bite her in the arse.

She accepted his arm with a certain mock formality that didn't last when her smile grew again.

"Well in that case, how can I say no?" She teased.

They headed outside, the difference between the Blue Feather and it's faux Coruscant distinct as they stepped back out into the Nar Shaddaa night. Honestly, she could have forgotten they were on Nar Shaddaa at all. Probably because she'd never been to Coruscant, but for her at least, the illusion had been complete.

"Hmmm, maybe I'll have to go to Coruscant someday," she said, hip checking lightly against his. "See if it's like this place or not. You've probably been.... there and a hundred other places."

[member="Vinon Demeaux"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Rory Naasade"]

"Easily." Vin replied with a wink.

While he was firm about it, he had no illusions- they weren't involved with one another and only just met. If she had been forceful about wanting to go out and walk on her own out there? Well, there would have been no grounds for him to say otherwise. It would have been her decision to make and that was that. His hip tapping back in a tease as they wandered out and into the night.

The air was... prudently Nar Shaddaa.

A mixture of oil, the after-touch of spice, vapor and detritus. "Mmhm, I have been around." Part of his job- he was transportation, after all. That meant seeing a lot of places and facilitating a lot of different regional needs.

"Let me know if you need a travel guide book. I could probably write several full for you." He teased her before they settled by the speeder pad. It would be a few minutes before an available one would come around. This time a night the bustle of Nar Shaddaa was in full-swing. "Mm, but I could suggest a few places for you. Get the most out of it."

 

[Rory Naasade]

It didn't surprise her that he was well traveled. She would have been surprised if he hadn't been.

"Oh didn't you know Mister Demeaux?" She looked up at him, her arm snug in his. "I make the most out of every situation I'm in."

She could see the next speeder coming down the way, lights washing over them. For a moment, she was tempted, sorely, to invite him back with her. To indeed make the most out of the evening. There was more than enough caution however, and not really knowing where Charon drew the line on this sort of thing to stop her. Would they be pissed if she brought someone onto the ship like that? Maybe. She could just imagine Varlo banging on the wall between their rooms and that alone was enough to pull that temptation up SHORT.

Instead she turned toward him, face tilting up, kiss offered and again accepted.

Mmm tempted indeed.

Instead she pulled away when the cab pulled up, a smile on her face.

"Enjoy your friends," she said with a smirk and a waggle of her fingers at him.

[member="Vinon Demeaux"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Rory Naasade"]

The kiss was long, deep and stretched on, until the speeder landed by their side.

He didn't offer to join her, but he did see the hint of it in her eyes. Enough that there was a smirk on his lips once more as she flopped on the backseat and looked up to him again.

"Enjoy thinking of me, Rory," A wink there. Anyone else might have sounded arrogant- well, no, he did sound arrogant right there. But it was arrogance born out of an understanding that had passed just between them. He saluted her there and watched as the speeder departed. For a moment Vin would keep watch as the vehicle went, until it turned a corner and was out of view.

Wistful.

A whistle came up and Vin shook his head, turning around to find his way back to the bar.

She was going to be a handful.