The Right Touch

[Judah Lesan]

The shop seemed a bit dusty, but it had not taken a long time to clean it up. With the time he took to work with Inna on a smuggling run the shop had seen a little bit of neglect. This was typical for him. Sometimes staying in the shop was boring, other times it was busy enough to keep up with the fast paced life Quint loved. Zeltros was always a great place to come back to. The former criminal loved the atmosphere which the world had to offer, and it always kept him busy when tourists were in full swing.

He wasn't open technically, but the lights were on, and while he wouldn't do work for just anyone, there was a short list of people who he would open the shop for. The beauty of what he did was he called his own shots. Quint liked being his own boss. Dressed in his skinny jeans, and black v-neck, he just sat in one of his chairs enjoying an ale. He'd cleaned the shop well enough and was just enjoying being back.

Quint smirked as a couple of ladies flashed him in an attempt to get him to open up the shop. He waved, but shook his head as he gave thumbs up and pointed at their chests. He had to admit that he like what he saw. Ahhhh the uninhibited women of Zeltros. It was good to be home, and he wondered how many more moments like this were going to happen tonight.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Zeltros was just as she remembered it. Bustling streets full of bright lights and vibrantly colored Zeltrons, from their striking pink skin to the bold colors and styles they wore. It was where she’d been raised, but it wasn’t exactly home anymore. At least, not in the same way it used to be.

Weaving through the crowds was yet another young Zeltron woman, surprisingly not dressed for a night out on the town. A dark zip-up hoodie and a pair of shorts replaced a more sensual outfit, a plastic bag in one hand completing the ensemble. Occasionally her eyes would dart to follow a well-dressed member of her species, admiring the cuts of fabrics and the curves of bodies in admiration and perhaps jealousy.

Joza was on her way back to her mom’s apartment after running a quick errand for her. Her years off-world had tamed her somewhat, the Zeltron having learned several hard lessons on her own. Regardless, the streets of Pleasure City were almost more intoxicating than she had remembered. Maybe she should call up the girls, see if they wanted to go out tonight if they already weren’t…

It so happened that her walk took her past a familiar building. A smile flickered to her face as she brought to mind [member="Quint Salis"], the talented tattoo artist who’d done her back piece. Squinting and moving closer, she noticed that the lights were on though the closed sign was up. As she came upon the window, a brow arched as the pair of women who flashed him walked away in brief disappointment, quickly becoming jovial again after some sort of exchange.

Leaning her shoulder against the glass, brow still raised, she offered Quint a wry smile. The wink she threw in was totally on accident.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Quint chuckle as the ladies walked off disappointed. Hey if they were going to just show off their tits hoping it got them free ink then they didn't know what kind of business man Quint was. Zeltrons were easy for the most part. The entire culture was one big party, and if you weren't having sex you weren't normal. It wasn't hard to pick up a one night stand on the world, but Quint usually wasn't into easy. A free pool at two sets of boobs was easy, but didn't deserve his effort or chase. It took a level playfulness out of it all. They needed to be more like the gal who was leaning against the glass with a playful smirk and little wink. She was covered up and.... wait.

He looked closer, and felt his lips spread in a wide smile as he laughed. Quint picked up his ale and walked up to the door. Naturally he pointed to it as he punched in the code to release the deadbolts. This woman would always have an open door, and not because she was a Zeltron, or because they'd had some kind of fun affair. Actually it was exactly the opposite. They'd never finished that date, and despite doing Joza's back piece, she had kept her chest closed to him. [member="Joza Perl"] was not an easy woman, and she was worth whatever ammount of chase Quint could muster.

"Well would you look at that..." he said as he motuoned Joza in. When she was in he locked the door again. Quint was still technically closed and didn't want people coming in. Why was she here? "What brings you back, love? You miss me?"
Quint smirked and winked. She had winked, what the hell... Quint could play the game. He enjoyed flirting with the woman anyway. It wasn't often a Zeltron had red hair, or showed the restraint she had. Whoever managed to lock her affections away was a lucky bastard.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza’s smile spread across her face in a grin as Quint recognized her and rose to unlock the door. Good to know I’ve still got a bit of charm left. Musing to herself, she brushed her hair over one shoulder and stepped inside. In truth, she didn’t expect their paths to cross again…that, or she just never entertained the thought.

“I’m surprised you recognized me out of a little black dress.” Chuckling shortly, Joza shook her head. She’d be far more amicable now than their first meeting, but there was a level of fatigue etched in her eyes.

“Miss you? Please, don’t flatter yourself. I just happened to be in the neighborhood.” An exaggerated eye roll accompanied her teasing tone. “Actually, I could use a bit of work. Some of the ink on my back is a little…marred. If you want me to make an appointment and come back later, that’s fine. Just figured I should, y’know, touch base with you first.” The way she moved was far more casual than before, as if she’d finally grown into herself. Or at least, she was starting to. At the very least, Quint was something removed from her aggressive lifestyle, something familiar.

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

What did she mean by marred? That was the first question which came to mind. The scoundrel was so used to the games of flirtation that her comments on not missing him didn't phase him one bit. Later as he would replay the conversation he would find it a twinge bothersome, but that was because Joza wasn't just any girl, not in a long shot. He was curious about her, why she seemed to be so different from the wild Zeltrons which surrounded his parlor.

"I've seen you out of a little black dress, remember," he teased back as the reminder of the back piece was tossed out there. In truth, he had only seen her back, and the black panties she had worn. The mental image, and the fact he had not gotten to see the front side, was enough to dive him crazy. Joza had left his imagination with something to run with which could be exactly the reason he had never forgotten her. His face of course lost its playfulness when the mention of the marring occurred. There were very few reason why the work itself would be ruined. Suddenly things were serious in an instant.

Quint shook his head as he motioned for Joza to move toward the back. He wasn't going to be seen doing work while the closed sign was in full view. "You will never need an appointment as long as my chair is empty, love," he smirked. Why don't you unzip that hoodie and let me see what it is exactly that you mean by marred?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Oh. That’s right.” She laughed once, softly. He had seen her nude, which wasn’t much of an issue for her—but it was only her back, as she’d taken care to cover some of the more important bits in front. Considering this planet, her species and the pheromones, she had half expected him to grope her during the session. But he’d been a perfect gentleman, even as her desires were pricked by the needle against her back. Even if she hadn’t slept with him. Putting it into perspective now, she realized how strange it was. Compared to most off-world women, Joza was easy.

When he said that she didn’t need an appointment, the young Zeltron responded with a sheepish albeit appreciative grin. “You’re sweet.” Drifting into the back, she took her time in unzipping her hoodie, chest tightening in realization. Dragging the zipper down about halfway, she paused for a moment, turning with her back to Quint and swallowing slowly. This was always a touchy subject. Around her fellow Sanctum Jedi, scars weren’t particularly called out or needed an explanation. Everybody had scars. But here she was, asking for him specifically to look at the welted flesh on her back.

Shrugging the jacket off, she folded it neatly over one arm and made sure that her hair was brushed aside and over one shoulder. Beneath her sweater she wore a spaghetti strap tank top, scooping low about mid-back on her. The majority of the impressive tattoo was still intact, but there were a handful of places where thin scars ran along the width of her back at a slight horizontal angle. Lash marks. The areas where they crossed the tattoo were devoid of ink, leaving small gaps in the design.

“The skin should be healed enough to take a needle, I think.” Her voice started off softer than she’d wanted, cracking just a fracture for a moment before she cleared her throat and spoke normally. “I hope it’s not too much to work with, I know how much of a pain I can be." A trickle of laughter found its way into her voice, trying to even out the mood.

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Quint had been the perfect gentleman the night he'd done the work on her ink. He made it a professional policy that line he would not cross while working was touch. Quint would flirt, he would even look if allowed, but he would not touch. Why would have done that to Joza when she hadn't even wanted him to look at her private bits in the first place. Had been easy, no. Joza had let out quite a heavy ammount of pheromones while he had been doing the work. It took a lot of willpower to resist the urges those chemicals had driven him to.

"I think that's a first," Quint replied to the observation about his nature. "I've been called a great many things, but sweet is not one of them." Which was true. The scoundrel had never been known for being sweet or a perfect gentleman. He was the exact type to do as Joza had thought and fondled her while he was working. For some reason though he had that line able in the shop, and he had not crossed it yet, despite the present temptation Joza was to him.

He felt her tighten as the hoodie was unzipped. It was as if the whole room had gone tense with her. More scars. What did this woman do to be so scarred. Her back seemed as though she had been whipped. Quint recognized the marks. His eyes welled up with sympathy and concern, but with her back turned Joza wouldn't see. Fingers gently set themselves under a few of the scars. Quint near expected Joza to flinch and jump on him when he touched her with how tense she was. He didn't need to know how she got them. Quint knew he would not like to hear that story.

"I think I can touch this up. Like I told you last time the scar tissue bonds together tougher than your natural skin. It will be difficult to press into, but I can do it." Quint nodded as he moved to the counter where his ink was, and pulled a fresh tattoo gun from the drawer. He sighed as the image of someone whipping Joza came to his mind, and for a brief moment he clenched his fist before letting it go just as quickly. "This may hurt more than last time," he mentioned with an apologetic tone. "I wish it wouldn't, but it may."

"Well, you know the drill. Top off, grab that pillow there and lean that pretty chest of yours against the back of the chair here." Quint shrugged as his lips curled in a lopsided grin. "Time to see how much work you really need." He prepared himself to see just how much scarring Joza really had.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza nearly did jump when she felt the cool touch of his fingers brush against her back. Flinching typically wasn’t a normal reaction to physical contact, especially for a Zeltron. It had taken a bit of time to suppress the knee-jerk reaction, and she silently chided herself for even thinking of it at this point.

Rolling her shoulders, she willed her muscles to relax more so that she didn’t seem so out of place or bring down the mood any further. When Quint determined that he’d probably be able to fix the gaps in her back piece, Joza smiled and half-turned towards him. At the mention of it hurting, a brow arched. “I’m sure it won’t be too bad, but thank you for the heads up.” Pretty sure my tolerance for pain is a lot higher than before…

As she turned to remove her shirt, Joza’s gaze caught the clenching of Quint’s fist for a moment. But she would not comment on it, instead choosing to turn her back to him completely as she took off her shirt, bra following shortly after. Nestling her chest against the back of the chair, Joza shifted her hips to make herself comfortable and finally let her head rest against the pillow. One hand pulled her curtain of red hair off to the side and over her shoulder so that Quint would have a neat canvas.

Given that he hadn’t seen it all yet, the scarring on Joza’s lower back was a bit thicker than that on the upper portion. The scars were almost like a gradient: sparse near her shoulders and heavier as they traveled down her back. A few similar marks peeked from around her chest, and there was a particularly deep lone lash mark from the right side of her hip to her navel. While some were from abuse, some were from battle. Those mostly came in the form of puncture or burn marks, and were far less embarrassing to bear than the whip marks of a disobedient slave girl.

“So, what have you been up to while I was gone? Don’t tell me that Angie finally managed to lure you into bed, or else I’ll lose 10 credits.” A slow smile spread across her face as she teased him, referring to her excitable and very forward friend who had a bit of a crush on the tattoo artist.

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Quint continued to ready his supplies as he heard Joza rustling out of her clothing. It would have been easy for him to peek and see what was there, but he restrained himself and allowed her the dignity of privacy. The whip marks made him feel as though she had not had that, and perhaps been forced to show more than her back. Zeltrons were also made to be slaves. While Twi'leks seemed to be the popular choice, Zeltrons were just as vulnerable. The black ink was in it's bottle, and when Quint knew Joza was settled in he turned around.

His eyes wandered about her back in order to get a true view of the damage which had been done. The majority of the scarring was on the small of her back, but the detail of the tattoo would distract from that, he hoped. The phoenix was an apt creature of mythology for the Zeltron perhaps. Joza seemed to come back from her fair share of fiery trials and live. Breathing in deep, and letting it out slowly after holding it a few seconds, Quint sat to work. He smiled as Joza mentioned Angie.

"For the effort she has put in to trying to get me to sleep with her maybe I should, but no... I've been gone. One of my smuggling contacts needed an extra hand and the business here was slow." Quint picked up the gun and opted to start at the top and work his way down. "Your ten credits are still yours. Besides I have my eyes set elsewhere," he said without saying anything further.

Quint had been right about the difficulty of the scar tissue. It took all of his willpower to not ask Joza about it. The story was not one she would like to recall he was certain of it. "How has Angie been by they way," he asked to distract Joza from the pain. "I take it she is still as vivacious as ever?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

She let out an audible sigh as the needle touched her skin. It stung at first and was quite unpleasant, but the Zeltron would grow used to the sensation after a few minutes of work. She did let out a wince or two as he worked over some of the rougher, uneven areas, but it didn’t detract from her mildly playful spirit. Joza could easily make use of a Force skill she’d learned from a certain Caprine Priestess—Crucitorn—to control the pain, but for some reason she felt that the meeting would be less genuine if she did that. Quint was a good conversationalist, and that was all she really needed to distract herself from the needle’s bite.

When he mentioned that her credits were safe, Joza couldn’t help but laugh a little. “She’s probably the most persistent person I know. Props to you for resisting her charms, because Angie usually gets what she wants and is not used to rejection.” Neither was Joza, for that matter. Zeltron women as a whole weren’t accustomed to having their advances rejected, and Angie certainly knew how to work her assets to her advantage. Hearing that Quint had consistently rebuffed Angie was entertaining, and she’d no doubt tease her friend about it later.

At the mention of smuggling, Joza quirked a brow. “Oh, a smuggling deal? I should probably arrest you for that.” Her voice had a distinct teasing edge, sounding almost musical. “The last smuggling operation I busted ended up with me getting a pilot out of the deal.” Realizing that what she’d just said actually had a story behind it, Joza inwardly cursed herself but continued, figuring that he’d prod her with follow-up questions. “I intercepted some smugglers outside of my territory near Nal Hutta. When I went to take them in, one of the pilots, he, uh…knew that I was working outside of Sanctum space which could certainly be used against me. So I let him off the hook, and now he works for me in exchange for his silence.” She almost shook her head at how silly and sheepish that sounded, mindful of the fact that she was to keep still.

“Ivan is a good pilot, but a right bastard. He never wants to have any fun.” It was unclear whether she meant fun in general, or was alluding to something more sexual. Either way, Joza harassed the poor man on a constant basis so he was understandably grumpy.

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Well it ain't hard when you aren't on the same planet," he admitted. "Not sure she knows I'm back yet, and it's okay if she doesn't. I have a feeling she'd move on pretty quickly once she got what she wanted. The mystery is what makes it all worth it in the end wouldn't you agree." Quint wasn't usually used to rejection either, but he wasn't always as persistent as Angie was either. Quint had the attitude if someone actually wanted something they would make it pretty clear. He hated pursuing someone that wasn't as interested as he was. After all, it was a waste of time to lead someone on only to leave them hanging alone in the end.

Quint tried to be gentle as he worked, but some of the skin was stubborn. "Sorry," he said when Joza winced a bit. The last time his pricking had caused her to let her pheromones go which in turn had made him crazy turned on to her. There were somedays when it wasn't the best policy to be professional and Quint was certain that had been one of those days. Yet she had come back. Maybe there was a level of trust that would pay off. Hey she wasn't arresting him.

"You aren't exactly in the position to arrest, and I didn't see any stuncuffs on you when you came in... though..." Quint smirked and winked. There were all kinds of things which could be done with the cuffs. Sure the man's imagination went wild. He was a man after all, and the scoundrel was no stranger to the games people played in the bedroom. Though it seemed Joza wasn't playing any of those with her pilot. That was news which caused Quint to quirk a brow. He smirked at the thought of poor Joza dealing with a clueless man. Seemed like Angie wasn't the only one who was disappointed.

"Seems to me working for the sanctum hasn't been treating you too well. Just sayin," he said as the needle made its way to the mess that was her lower back. It was sad the reason he was doing a touch up was because the work had been ruined. It was safer still this happened to someone Quint considered a friend, maybe someone that he could actually get a long with. The felon wasn't exacly the kind to take a chance on people, and yet here he was. Joza was smart. She would figure out that he didn't just do work when he was closed, or the fact he didn't plan on charging her. This wasn't how things worked in a business.

"You best tell Ivan he better start having some fun. There is a particular tattoo artist that wouldn't hesitate if he had the opportunity." Now it was up to Joza to figure out whether Quint was talking in general or if he was being sexual.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“The mystery?” A slow smile curved across Joza’s lips, but she neither confirmed nor denied. “Either you don’t know Zeltron women too well, or I’ve been off world for too long.” In truth, Joza typically didn’t have trouble with being pursued—at times it got in the way. She accepted the fact that some were going to see her than nothing more as a sex object due to her race, but an angry pink woman waving a lightsaber around usually wasn’t dtf. Typically, though, flirting like this was completely welcome, familiar even.

“It’s alright.” She reassured him. Though it did hurt a bit more than she had remembered, her tolerance for pain and grown quite a bit as well. Now she didn’t particularly mind the scratch of the needle against her skin. At the mention of stun cuffs, she giggled a little. “Hey, I’ve got my ways. And stun cuffs are overrated.” A flicker of a grin twitched her lips, bringing to mind some of the interesting ways she had used fire shaping in the past…

At the comment about the Sanctum, Joza grunted and cleared her throat. “I knew what I was getting into. Well, not initially, but at least now I do. But the fighting is always inevitable.” That’s not to say that she didn’t enjoy the rush of a good battle, but they always came with consequences. A missing arm, a smattering of scars, and a long term affair for a man she wasn’t sure she loved. Infatuation was a tricky line to walk. “They don’t bother me.” She added, voice growing soft as she referenced the scarring. It was essentially a lie. Some days they didn’t bother her at all, and others she fell down the hole of self-pity. Right now she hovered somewhere in between.

“Ugh, I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I’ve seen him take girls home. I think I’m just not his type.” Quint’s words fully registered with her the moment she stopped speaking, and she smirked. “Why Mr. Salis, are you flirting with me?”

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"I've been flirting with you since you walked through the door the first time, Miss Perl," Quint said as he moved up toward the other shoulder. The work itself was almost done, and all that was left was to figure out how to keepmthe Zelton there longer. They'd had that date, but never had the chance to actually finish it. He didn't care that they weren't really dressed right for a night out on the town, but if he could convince Joza that it was worth her time then they'd be off doing force knows what. "Maybe I'm just being more overt this time around."

Maybe that was the case, maybe it wasn't. Quint couldn't say he ever expected Joza to walk back into his shop ever again. He knew she wasn't local anymore, and with the fact it was a large galaxy the chances of seeing one person once and never seeing them again was a pretty good expectation. Quint had never been attached to the notion of anyone or anything. Sure he smuggled when Inna needed him to. She paid well, and the benefits package was always good. It was always on again off again and only seemed to be one when the black haired Zeltron wanted Quint for work. Kessel had been a nightmare, and the former felon had learned to go it alone, stay to himself, and not get noticed. Life had not been something to ever be excited about. There was never a reason to share it with anyone. It never stopped him from flirting though, and while he didn't have the scars on his back to show the pain his life had been like Joza did. They were on the inside. The two were both scarred individuals.

"You get used to having them, but you don't have to like them," he said about the scars as he wiped the last bit of blood from her shoulder. The work was done, and as before her rubbed some ointment on and placed a bandage over the work he had done to protect it for the next day. "They do define you though, and despite having them, they speak to how strong you are and that's always an attractive quality. Hell you don't even need your pheromones to get me to turn my head your way." Quint smirked as he pulled the gloves off he had been wearing to keep the site clean and free from whatever he hands had been in. Rolling his chair back a bit his hands plopped on his knees. "Besides, everything is always better when the head is clear. Senses are piqued rather than dulled."

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza hesitated as Quint spoke, a smart alek reply or flirty note dying on her tongue. She hadn’t expected him to be so…profound, and the comment on her strength and attractiveness was appreciated. Outer beauty was what Zeltrons were known for, and having her own features marred hit her harder than she let on. But it was nice to know that he thought those things about her.

“You’re right,” She seemed to be distracted by her thoughts, rising upwards and inadvertently giving Quint a nice side-view of her bare chest. Either she didn’t seem to mind, or she didn’t notice. Either way, her movements were slow and methodical as she reached for her bra. Sitting upwards, she faced Quint fully as she began to redress, carefully so as to not disturb the patches of newly tender flesh on her back.

“I’m guessing you’ve had enough of the constant pheromones?” She mused softly, reflecting on her own experiences with them. Most people let them work their magic, but a few could resist them and had become upset with her. Pausing, she let her eyes roam over his body, more specifically his skin and the intricate tattoos that wound along his arms. “Do you have any scars, Quint?” She was aware that this could be considered a more intimate topic, but it was up to him what he told her—and how much. It was easy for Joza to become attached to someone she liked, and Quint, well…he’d rubbed her the right way.

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

There were several reactions Quint thought to play through his mind as Joza sat up and he caught the view of her breasts. The first, and most natural male reaction, was drop his jaw, drool, and babble about like some guy who had never seen a nice pair of tits before. Quint was not the kind to do that though, and ran through many options, but finally settled on acting as cool as a cucumber. She didn't need to hear for the umpteenth time that her breasts were nice to look at. Joza had heard it all before. No, Quint figured she just needed someone that she could be free to be whoever she wanted to be around. Quint was certainly easy enough for that.

"Well you get used to the pheromones after a while," he said as his eyes dipped, clearly not looking at her eyes. "I was just saying you don't need your pheromones to turn me on. Though they do just make you that much more irresistible." Yet somehow he had managed to resist the urges when he was working on her the first time. Joza had found releasing pheromones as a relaxing way to deal with the pain of the needle at the initial onset of getting the phoenix on her back in the first place. Quint had found it hard to resist her charms, and chemicals, but today he was certainly not going to let her go without at least taking a shot.

The subject of his own scarring came up. Sure he had scars, most of them internal as opposed to the physical kind, but he had those as well. He smirked knowing exactly how this could turn and simply nodded at first. The artist debated just lifting his shirt and showing her the marks on his back from the fights and the beatings he had suffered while imprisoned in the mines. There was one in particular which ran below his waist, past the waistline of his pants. That would be an interesting reveal, yet he just nodded.

"I have a few, and seeing as you've shown me yours," he smiled as his mind shoved any thought out of his mind. It was time for action. The flirting and the small talk had really morphed into something intimate anyhow. His comments earlier had been profound and really led to this. Even if this was all they shared, it was right. "Mostly my back," he said lifting his shirt. His back was as much a canvas as hers. Joza would not find them with just a glance. Only a closer look would reveal his scars, save for the one running below the waistline of his jeans. She would see that right away unless her eyes were distracted by the detail of his own back piece. "Well, what do you think?'

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

The urge to try and play with Quint was stronger than Joza had expected. A part of her nature was to be manipulative, but she often suppressed it in favor of being earnest. How fun it would be, how strong it would make her feel to show another wink of skin, to flick a tendril of red hair over her shoulder and give him those sultry bedroom eyes she’d spent years perfecting. Not over the top, but sensual enough to lure her target in and have him eat out of the palm of her hand. Or so she presumed.

But would it really fulfil her? She genuinely took a liking to Quint, as clever and attentive as she realized he was. Even if they parted ways and never saw each other again, it wouldn’t leave Joza with a good feeling if she toyed with him. He was not another faceless one-night stand that she could only remember in the flashing lights of the club. So when she’d asked to see his scars, there was genuine curiosity behind her inquiry.

She watched with rapt interest as he lifted his shirt, and perhaps she should have expected the large back piece. Her eyes were taken with the details for a few moments, before noticing the musculature of his back and arms. One of her hands twitched, instinctively wanting to reach out and run her hands along his body. While she didn’t think it would be poorly received, she kept herself back from that. Green eyes dipped towards the lower part of his back, now on the hunt for blemishes. Frowning, she stepped closer and noted the visible scar peeking from the waist line of his jeans.

Upon closer inspection, Joza could make out Quint’s own scars, many hidden from an immediate glance by the ink. Her fingers brushed over a few, feeling the shape and texture of the marks. “Life on Kessel was rough, wasn’t it?” Her voice held a note of sympathy as it lowered to a murmur. “Your back piece is beautiful, though.”

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

An eternity seemed to pass as Joza inspected his back. He didn't turn to look at her as she did so because he didn't want to know what she was thinking. Faces had a way of betraying such things. While Quint was not a force user, he knew sometimes what a person was thinking based on expressions. It was more an art and science of perception. His eye for detail in drawing gave him the same eye for details in human behavior and body language. The fact it took her a while to find the ones hidden in his back piece was a credit to the artist who had drawn it up. He smiled remembering the pain it caused, but the past it hid from the view of most.

"Kessel is not an easy place," he said as the electricity of her touch jolted through his body. Mystery, anticipation, whatever one wanted to call it, had a way of making the slightest touch seem to be more than what it was. Maybe in this case the touch was more than a mere exploration of the roughed, jagged, patches of skin which had been omitted back together. Perhaps it was even a result of whatever chemistry that seemed to linger in the air between them. For all it was, the moment had been there, and Quint was more certain Joza wasn't just any girl.

She didn't seem too bothered by his past. Kessel was not a place that just anyone was sentenced to. For that knowledge to be out there his past life as a hardened criminal was ever present between them now as well. Here was Joza, a servant of the Sanctum, a peacekeeper, law keeper, sharing an intimate moment with a criminal. How interesting of a situation was this. For whatever it was worth, Quint was appreciative of the fact the only thing she questioned was how tough it had been.

"It doesn't bother you then, my indiscretions," he asked finally turning around to search her green eyes for some kind of answer. "Whatever I may seem to you now, I haven't always been, and sometimes still am not, a nice man." Quint had not idea why he said that, but he did. Maybe it was the sincerity of the moment between them. Whatever it was they were sharing, it was beyond some game, some moment of passion. In fact it was rather deep.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

One of Joza’s fatal flaws was putting too much trust in those she liked. She had many acquaintances, but those she felt any real depth of affection for were few. However they were connecting right now, it made Joza drop her guard enough to scare herself—but that didn’t mean that she was about to raise it. As a near constant object of lust, the Zeltron was starved for a real, genuine relationship with someone. It didn’t have to be sexual, just…honest.

She’d never admit it.

“No,” She answered truthfully, head shaking slowly. “It doesn’t.” Nikias, Akhilleus, Alkor—just a few of the Dark Jedi types she knew had gritty pasts. As her tolerance for different lifestyles widened, so did the concept of being a Jedi fade from her mind. She was a Rogue, often working off of the books to get the job done.

“I don’t know what you did.” Her shoulders lifted in a mock shrug as she looked at him—soft eyes with a hint of vulnerability flashing behind them before it faded. “But I’d like for you to tell me. Only if you want to.” Still, there was no wariness in her face, no defensive posture. Her question was blunt but not unkind. She was not here to interrogate Quint, and she wouldn’t punish him for whatever he told her. If Jericho were here, he’d slap some sense into her for allowing herself to be so vulnerable with a criminal. But just this once, Joza followed her curiosity and instinct to nurture.

[member="Quint Salis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Okay so it didn't bother her. She was honest, and her eyes only matched what she had said. What was this? Joza had come in for a touch up, but instead of just getting that they were.... connecting. Other criminals knew what he had done, hell it wasn't exactly a big secret. Quint just didn't advertise the fact he had been a slice runner, and dealer. He was exactly the type Joza would arrest if he was still running drugs, which he was sure Inna was doing. Quint just never asked. Inna usually kept his mouth too busy to ask such questions anyway.

Quint leaned against the counter which he had used to set up the ink earlier. His t-shirt was dropped to the tiled floor by this point, and he shrugged at first. How much did he want to tell her? She knew about Kessel so... "Drugs," he said quietly. His eyes went to the floor as the memories came flooding in. He tried not to remember, but Quint knew his life was a mess from day one. He was unwanted by his mother, and the orphanage had not been good. It was more a prison than Kessel had been in many way.

"I'm an orphan. All I know is I was bastard child that my mom didn't want. She gave me to some orphanage that was a prison itslef. Got in a lot of fights, and I eventually ran away. I had to survive somehow and started running drugs. Eventually I started dealing in them. I got busted a few times, but when I turned 19 that's when I got picked up as an adult. They sent me to Kessel. I never killed anyone, and I did my best to get out early. I'd still be there otherwise."

Quint shrugged again. "So that's my story," he said. He drew his eyes back to hers. "Those scars... they're from a whip aren't they?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

She didn’t push. She didn’t stare at him with an intense gaze. People’s pasts weren’t always good, and she’d picked up on the subtle signs that Quint’s hadn’t been exactly comfortable. Instead, she’d remain quiet, even her sharper facial features seeming to soften as he spoke.

Here was someone who’d been dealt a pretty bad hand in life. Orphaned by an unloving mother, turning to a life of crime to survive. People didn’t usually get into drug running and smuggling because it was a lucrative business—though sometimes it paid off. They did it because they had been cast aside and had no other way of making ends meet.

“I’m sorry.” The first words out of her mouth were soft. “You’ve had it rough, Quint. But…I want you to know that I don’t think any less of you for it. You did what you had to do because you had no other choice. Life isn’t easy, but the fact that you’ve made it here shows how hard you’ve worked.” A pause as she thought for a moment. “Kessel is under Sanctum control now. We’re putting a stop to some of the awful practices and mistreatment of prisoners.” She hadn’t been planet side when the operation had gone through, but was busy with her own work on Honoghr.

In a moment of overwhelming sympathy, Joza drifted forward and wrapped her arms around Quint’s torso. She didn’t know if the gesture would be well received or not, but she had the urge to comfort him. But when he guessed the origin of her scars, her stomach dropped and she carefully untangled herself from him. It was only fair seeing as how she’d asked him a difficult question, and for a few moments she truly didn’t know how to answer.

Pulling a cigarette from her sweatshirt pocket, Joza tilted her head away as she lit the stick with a whisp of flame from her fingertip. She took a deep drag before exhaling smoke, still not facing him. “I was a slave.” The words were murmured as her chest tightened. “Twice, actually. The first time to a Sith Priestess. She gave me a few scars, but the Hutt gave me the lash marks. As you can guess, I was only used for one thing.” Joza rarely shared this bit of her past, partially because it was embarrassing and partially because she feared people’s reactions. “One day I couldn't take it anymore and fought back. Let’s just say that I never misbehaved again.”

Her voice gradually grew more bitter as she spoke, fingers nearly pinching the cigarette in two as she held it.

[member="Quint Salis"]