The Bottle Is Not Your Friend

[Valae Heavenshield]

It was another day at the Silver Temple. Valae had just finished with her lessons for the day and she emerged from the Temple with a smile. The afternoon sunlight was shining down on her and the air felt especially clear and crisp. She made her way out into the courtyard and began to weave her way through the crowd. She was wandering a bit aimlessly, no particular destination in mind; she only knew that she didn’t want to go sit in the solitude of her quarters. Just then her stomach rumbled, and a frown appeared on her face. It had been a few hours since she’d last eaten, and she was more than overdue for her afternoon snack. She lowered her rucksack to the ground and began to rummage through it hastily. Her hands came away empty, she’d run out of snack bags…

“Oh… great.” She muttered flatly.

A pang of annoyance shot through her. It wouldn’t be long before she was in the throes of crankiness; she was but a slave to hunger. Valae heaved her bag up again and threw it over her shoulder. It was time to venture out to do a bit of shopping; perhaps she would stop and get some ice cream along the way. She set off again at a swift pace, but her mind was busy with thoughts of food, and she let out a cry as she bumped into someone. Valae turned around and saw that she’d just run into a man that she’d never seen around the temple before. He was clean cut and very handsome, she couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered in his presence. She reached up and attempted to smooth her hair down; it was a bit of a nervous habit.

“Sorry about that.” She said quickly. “I… uh, I wasn’t watching where I was going…”

Very eloquent… Valae chided herself. Now she was feeling awkward, but she tried her best to appear casual.

“Are you new here?” She asked, trying to build a bridge across the silence. “My name’s Valae Kitra, nice to meet you.”

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus had been on his way to the temple to find his private quarters and retire for the evening, but unfortunately for him he would never make it. He had been planning on letting drink take him to a dark, numb place again tonight so that he could continue to forget things he wished had never happened. To continue his self destructive ways despite his new surroundings. Yes, he'd taken the challenge of a friend and come to learn from the Silver Jedi. Perhaps with time he would grow and eventually would learn what it meant to be one of them. Maybe someday he'd call himself a Silver Jedi and actually mean it, hopefully having earned it, but for now he was still as out of sorts as he'd ever been.

As he took a sip from a flask about the size of his hand he was bumped into by a tiny little frame belonging to a brunette who immediately apologized. He glanced down at her as a few droplets of liquid rolled across his jacket which he ignored for a moment so that he could recap the flask. He then raised the edge of his brown leather jacket and tucked the metal item into his breast pocket before he brushed away the liquid so that it wouldn't set into his clothes. When he finally looked back up and got a good look at the clumsy girl, though, he was stunned for a moment by how truly pretty she was, not exactly knowing how to act or what to say. Suddenly the woes of yesterday didn't seem so heavy, and his mind began to stray from more depressing thoughts as he broke his own silence finally.

"Oh, I... uhm...", he'd started to say as he gathered his wits. "Don't worry about it. The fault is just as much mine.", he told her honestly as he stood there a bit awkwardly, either of his hands slipping into his pockets.

"Yes, new... I'm very new, actually. Name's Varus Shatterstar. It's a pleasure to meet you, Valae Kitra.", he told her as he pulled his right hand out of his pocket to take her left hand in his own. He then bowed his head, but chose not to kiss her hand thinking that might be too much. Now he was caught in an awkward moment he very much wanted out of, and so he raised his head again and released her hand, cursing at himself inwardly for being so foolish. Who greated someone like that anymore? He wasn't a Knight of the round table, and it wasn't steel he was swinging around those days.

[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Varus Shatterstar. The name seemed vaguely familiar somehow, but she couldn’t place where she could have heard of him before. She offered a smile when he took her hand, but she blushed slightly when he bowed his head, as if to lay a kiss upon it. Valae withdrew her hand when it was released from his grasp, and she looked to the ground for a moment before turning back to him. Valae was fairly new to the Silver Sanctum as well, and to the world of the Jedi in general. Since her arrival on Voss she had been devoting much of her time to her lessons, meditation practice, and venturing out on missions.

“I’m pretty new around here too.” Valae said with a nod. “So, if you need help getting around the Temple, I’m glad to help.”

Valae figured that she had caused enough of an interruption and started to back away. “Well, I’ll see you around.” She said with a warm smile as she turned to walk away. After a few steps, she paused to consider her current plans for the evening… Go to the market, grab something to eat, return to her quarters and eat her meal in solitude. The thought made her frown. Valae was truly thankful for being able to study at the Temple; the alternative of staying on Tatooine was rather depressing. However, she couldn’t remember the last time she went out and had a bit of fun. She certainly hadn’t seen much of Voss, save for the Silver Temple and the landing pad. Valae turned on a heel, glad to see that Varus hadn’t left yet. She took a deep breath and summoned the courage to speak…

“I was going to get something to eat…” She started. “Would you like to come?”

Was that too forward? She normally didn’t ask men out to eat, but this was just a simple meal with a potential new friend, right? Valae shook away her thoughts as she awaited his answer.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus had been about to turn away and go back to his business when the little woman whipped back around and asked him if he would like to join her in the search for something to eat. "Well actually I...", he started to say as he glanced back towards the temple, but he fell silent again as he realized he had no real plans. "You know what? Sure. Let's go.", he told Valae as he slipped his hands into his pockets and began walking towards the young woman, icy orbs watching her with every step as he approached.

"Know any good places around here to eat?", the tower of a man asked as he caught up to the young woman, making sure to match his pace with hers as they got on their way. As they did, however, Varus reached beneath his coat and produced his flask again, unscrewing the top for another quick sip before returning it to its proper place. He sighed lightly for the sting of alcohol he felt upon his tongue, welcoming the familiar numbing feeling it gave him as they got their little adventure underway.

The alcohol had been one of his favorite distractions thus far as he'd turned to it to forget his depressing past. Something told him, though, that this attractive little Jedi was going to do him much more good than a stiff drink ever had.

[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae noticed that Varus produced the flask once more, tipped it to his lips, and then stowed it beneath the fabric of his jacket. That had been the second time already. For now she simply made note of this, and watched as he approached her. As he came closer, Valae found herself angling her head ever upwards, she guessed that he stood nearly a foot taller than she. She shook her head when he inquired about places to eat, so far she’d only been to the market, but she had heard talk of a pub somewhere by Docking Bay 94.

“I haven’t been out to eat here on Voss.” She said, hoping that didn’t make her sound like a loner… She really did have some friends! “But, I’m sure we’ll find something.”

As they entered the nearby city, Valae quickly surveyed their options. Mid-level dining –too fancy for a casual meal. Fast food – Absolutely… had she been alone. Sandwich shop –now this looked promising. Valae paused outside the window of a small sandwich shop and she peered inside to get a look at the menu. Sure, it looked like a bit of a hole in the wall, but there was a small crowd inside, which was usually a good sign that the food was decent.

“What about this place?” she asked, turning back to Varus. As they had just met, she had no idea what sort of food he liked. As for Valae, she really wasn’t all that picky… especially when she was hungry.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus stopped and turned to face the small establishment that Valae had lead them to, smiling softly to the young woman as he nodded his head. "Sure. Looks as good a place as any.", he told her as he smiled at the young Jedi, smirking lightly at her as he headed off towards the door. He grabbed the handle and pulled it open, waiting next to it until she stepped through before he followed inside. He might have been a drunkard of a Jedi who'd lost sight of his purpose, but he was still a gentleman.

Once they were inside Varus let go of the door and let it swing shut behind them. He then stepped up behind the girl and raised his right hand, extending two fingers to show that they needed a table for only the both of them. A few moments later a waitress greeted them with a kind smile and lead them across the dining room to a table set for two in a less populated corner. She then waited for them to be seated before she introduced herself and asked, "What may I bring you both to drink?"

Varus glanced across the table, wondering if the young Jedi would join him for a drink during their meal. He didn't ask, though, knowing it would be up to her to be as adventurous as she pleased. "I'll have a glass of honey whiskey dry and a glass of cold water, please.", Varus told the young woman with a smile before she began clicking at her data pad, selecting his choices. She then looked up from her pad and looked across at Valae, awaiting the young woman's choice.

[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

“Thank you.” Valae smiled as Varus held the door for her, and she entered the restaurant with a spring in her step. The prospect of food was certainly enough to make her feel quite bubbly. She slid into the booth and started to look over the menu. Her index finger tapped on her chin a few times, as she mulled over the many sandwich options. A few other thoughts swam in her mind: would it be unladylike to order two sandwiches? I wonder what the bestselling sandwich is here… most of them were related to the meal she was about to order, but she did spare a thought about Varus. She couldn’t help but feel a bit happy that she was out to eat with such a cute guy.

Valae looked up as the waitress asked if they wanted any beverages. “I’ll have a light ale, please.” She said, having made up her mind. Back home she only drank every now and then, as her father had taken to the bottle enough for both of them. It had been a long time, and she figured that one ale couldn’t hurt. A few moments passed before the waitress returned and set their drinks down in front of them. Valae lifted the brown bottle and took a small sip of ale, it was surprisingly refreshing. She was about to announce her order, but the waitress was called away to another table.

“So, tell me about yourself.” Valae said, smiling across the table. Her eyes flickered between the menu and Varus… as she waited for the waitress to return to take their orders.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus perked up just a bit as their drinks were delivered to their table, reaching out and taking his glass so that he could take a sip. When he tasted the stinging alcohol running down his throat he sighed lightly. It was doing its job and further relaxing his restless mind, but now that he had a pretty little distraction he supposed that his drink wasn't as appealing as it had previously been

When Varus saw the waitress scurry away he frowned lightly, having realized that he himself was a bit hungry now as well. He was provided with conversation to take his mind off of that, however, and when Valae asked him about his past he glanced over at the young Jedi and smiled. Leaning over the table and lacing his strong fingers together, Varus stared at the metal table top for a few silent moments as he thought of just where to begin. He then propped himself up against the top of the table with his elbows and leaned over to prop his chin against the tops of his knuckles before he broke the silence and began to explain.

"Well, I suppose I'll start from the beginning...", he said as he watched her with calm, though slightly tired looking sapphire orbs. "I was born to parents I never met and given up for adoption because they were far too young and afraid of the responsibility that came hand in hand with having a child. At least, that's what I have to assume.", he said as he glanced away towards the waitress who was heading back to their table. "So I grew up with a bunch of other unwanted children and eventually I go old enough and went out on my own. Started working in a speeder shop when I was around fifteen I think , and eventually the owner took me in because he saw "something special" in me, which is about as cliche as it gets. I was thankful for the effort he put into me none the less, though. He was the closest thing I ever had to a father.", he admitted as he glanced away for a moment, knowing his story wasn't the happiest.

"Sorry about that... I uhm... my story isn't a very happy one. At least, not the beginning."


[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae reached for her bottle of ale, and she held it between her hands as Varus began speaking. She was normally a fairly responsible drinker, and always made sure to pace herself… but tonight seemed to be an exception. Whenever Varus said something that made her feel sad, she took a sip from the bottle. She didn’t even realize that she was doing it, but such things happened when listening to unhappy stories… especially when there were no sweets to be had. Valae watched him closely, her dark eyes were sad in an empathetic way and she nodded a few times.

“I know how you feel…” she said, taking another sip of ale. “Well, my past isn’t the happiest either.”

She found her thoughts drifting backwards in time; thoughts of her own childhood swam before her. There were good times, but her early years had also been marked by loss. Valae looked out the window next to their table for a moment or two, letting her gaze follow a few passersby. Her eyes were growing a bit misty, but she was hoping to conceal that from him. She was determined not to cry in front of someone she didn’t know all that well; she didn’t want him to think her a total mess.

“I grew up on Tatooine, my family had a small scrap yard near Mos Eisley.” She said, still looking out the window. “I lost my mother when I was ten years old…I lived with my grandmother for a few years after that, as my father wasn’t able to care for me then.” She didn’t go into details, but her father had fallen into a spice addiction that had nearly killed him. “My teenage years and on were spent with my father, we had tough times, but we always made it through okay.” Much of her time had been spent caring for him, his love for alcohol had made him fairly useless, but she’d loved him nonetheless.

“My father just passed recently, the same day that I came to Voss.” A few of her new friends were aware of her father’s death, but they did not know the whole story. “The Grandmaster actually found me that night… and he brought me here.”

Valae looked up as the waitress returned; she noticed that the other woman was wearing a confused expression. Likely wondering why this table had become so gloomy, since the last time she’d been around.

“Oh! I’ll have two veggie sandwiches, a bag of chips… and another one of these.” She pointed to the bottle.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus sapphire gaze hung upon the young woman's face for a few more moments before he finally glanced up at the waitress who'd beckoned him more than once by then. "Sir... your order?", she asked as if she was a little confused why the man hadn't responded the first time. In truth, it had been a combination of Varus losing himself in thought to Valae's story and his constant distraction of those pretty, dark orbs she possessed that flashed every now and again as she blinked. All at once, though, his attention would return, leaving him a little out of sorts in the moment.

"Oh, uhm, yea. Sorry. I'll have the three meat special and chips, please. Oh, and a small side of salad too.", he told the young woman with a bit of a smile. As she turned to walk away, though, Varus looked down at his drink and noticed that he had almost completed it. He knew he was going to want more, even though he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his newest friend. "And keep these coming, please.", the young Jedi Master said, clicking the edge of the glass with his finger to illustrate it as the waitress turned to see what he was talking about. She then smiled, bowed her head and then made her way towards the kitchen with their order.

After a few awkward moments of silence Varus sought to break it by speaking up. There was no need to let it go on, after all, especially when there were less depressing things to talk about. "I'm sorry to hear about your father, Valae. That's very sad, but the more stories I hear the more I realize that many of us have very sad stories with a few underlying and redeeming factors that apply. Every now and again you spot that silver lining that makes.the struggle worth it in the end...", he whispered, offering the slightest bit of postivity. The lightest touch of hope.


[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae looked up at Varus again with a small smile, and she nodded. Despite the sadness of losing her father, she had gained the opportunity for a new life within the fold of the Silver Sanctum. She was every so thankful to be counted among their numbers, and to have the chance to learn the ways of the Jedi. Valae lifted the bottle to her lips once more, the amber liquid inside was nearly gone. She’d never been much of a drinker, and she was already starting to feel a bit tipsy… booze on an empty stomach was never a good thing.

“You’re right.” She started; her expression was much lighter now. “Coming here to Voss was my chance for a new life.”

Valae’s gaze shifted towards the kitchen, she could see the cook working, and hoped that their meals would be along shortly. Her stomach rumbled again, and she let out a bit of a sigh.

“I didn’t really know anything about the force or the Jedi before that night.” She said with a slight chuckle. It all seemed to strange, just a short time ago she was living as a salvager on Tatooine, and now she was a Jedi Padawan. The lack of previous knowledge and training had made it a difficult transition for her at first, but now she was starting to make progress at a faster pace. Again her eyes turned longingly towards the kitchen door, and this time she saw their waitress carrying a tray towards their table.

Once their food was in front of them, Valae dug into the first sandwich, trying not to eat too fast. A blissful expression graced her face as she tore open the bag of chips. She was a simple girl, and she certainly enjoyed the simple things in life.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus smiled gently at the young woman as he took a bite of his salad, munching away at the lettuce, egg, meat bits and cheese as he listened to what she had to say. After a few moments of chewing, however, he swallowed the bite before taking another and chewing it well before swallowing it down to add to the other. He then placed his fork on the edge of the smaller plate that sat next to his main course so that he could pick up his glass of whiskey and sample it's contents again. "Ahhh...", he sighed as he took a second to enjoy the sting of the alcohol, which was beginning to send a tingle through his body every now and again. His mind would wonder here and there and his heartbeat felt slower as the familiar numbing feeling returned to him, and in his opinion, it had been gone too long.

"It's good that you've come to the Jedi, I think. At least, usually that's a very enlightening choice to make for any young mind in the Galaxy.", he told her as he glanced down at the three meat sandwich and mulled over the thought of taking his first bite, but before he did he glanced back up at Valae and said, "So... what all have you learned so far as a Jedi?", he asked her, not knowing whether or not she would wish to move this subject from their depressing pasts or not.

As he awaited her response he perked up a bit, offering her a smile as he reached out and placed his glass of whiskey back on the table. He then reached down with both hands and picked up the sandwich in his hands, turning it back and forth a few times as he tried to figure out just how he should approach this meal. He was rather hungry as well, though, and realized that he didn't care and simply took a rather large bite from one of the corners, chewing it a few times before swallowing it with a satisfied look upon his young face.


[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

It wasn’t long before Valae’s first sandwich had been consumed, and she turned her attention to the bag of salty chips. Every now and then she took a sip from her ale, and she pushed the first bottle to the side when it was finally empty. She was happy that Varus had let the subject move past their depressing pasts, and onto something a bit more optimistic. As a new padawan she had been immersed in a world that she knew very little about, she had learned much in her short time with the Silver Sanctum. However, when it came to her force skills, she was still only touching the surface of knowledge.

“I have been working a lot on connecting with the force, feeling its presence, and building the foundations for force skills.” She said with a nod. “I will be starting saber practice soon, but I’m a bit nervous about it.”

Valae took the chance during the next bout of silence to reach out with the force, trying to get a feel for Varus. She could sense that there was a strong power within him, but it almost seemed as though it was in slumber. It made it difficult for her to possibly gauge his skills, but his presence was far stronger than her own, that much she could tell. She pulled her second sandwich closer, and eyed it with perked brows. The hunger had been quelled for now, and she decided that she would take the remaining sandwich home for later. She reached for her fresh bottle of ale and took a tiny sip before looking back to Varus.

“There has been so much to learn, and in such a short time.” She said with a laugh. “I hope I’m not lagging too far behind.”

She waved over to the waitress and mimed that she would like a small box for her leftovers. Now that their meal was coming to a close, sh wondered what to do next. Though, she wasn't feeling like going back to the temple just yet. For now she would simply wait and see...

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"I'm sure that you're not lagging behind the others. Everyone develops at their own pace anyhow, as the force intends.", he told the girl as he looked up from his salad and smiled. When he did he noticed the soft nature of her face, smooth, appealing lines that lead to sharp cheekbones and a nice little nose. It was no question that she was an attractive woman, but perhaps the most appealing thing about her was her modesty. Varus knew that if he ever gave her such a compliment that she would immediately deny it or change the subject, which could tell him many things about her grace and her poise even in times of interaction with someone new.

Leaning back in his seat, Varus took a deep breath as he realized that his stomach was beginning to become full already. It was then that he decided to start taking his time as he grabbed his glass of whiskey and raised it to his lips to take a sip, sigh lightly for the numbing sting before he smiled again. "You're going to make a great Jedi, I expect, but I have to admit that it's women like you who make it hard for all the boys to keep their minds on their lessons.", he told her with a charming smile, shifting those blue orbs he had so that he could look out the window as the sun fell behind the hills in the distance.

"Just make sure you're careful who you share that smile with.", he whispered as he shifted a pair of sapphires back to her young face, still smiling lightly before he reached down and grabbed his sandwich so that he could take a bite.

[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae had been munching thoughtfully on her chips when Varus spoke next, and she blinked a few times at his kind words. A rosy blush filled her cheeks, it could have been the fact that he’d complimented her so, or perhaps it could also have been the beer… or maybe a mix of both. She smiled, and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin, for the possibility of having food on her face was quite high.

“Oh, my…” She smiled sheepishly.

She took a few sips from her second bottle of ale, avoiding Varus’ blue eyes for a moment or two. Valae was not very fluent in flirting, and she always found herself more awkward than anything. Should she return the compliment? It wouldn’t be a stretch at all, as she did find Varus to be very handsome… but would it be too forward? The questions in her mind were making it difficult to concentrate, especially coupled with the haze of ale that was starting to settle around her.

The waitress returned and dropped their bills on the table. The woman had told them they were welcome to say as long as they liked, but the tone of her voice had said otherwise. Valae looked around to see that the restaurant was starting to fill up. She didn’t have any other plans, aside from taking the walk back to her dorm, so she chanced a question…

“Do you want to get some coffee, or something before we go back?”

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]