The Sand Between Your Toes

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"Oh yes." He told her with a slight smile.

The truth was, he'd never actually forgotten about it. Joza herself had pointed that out, but the reminder of moving around on the dance floor had pushed him back into the right frame of mind. He wondered briefly if it would have been any different on Bastion, if he would have seized up and been unable to do anything.

A part of him believed he only remembered because he was so relaxed, because somehow Joza had put him at ease.

"Just relax." He told as her as he slowly began to move. "Enjoy the ride."

Was he enjoying himself? It seemed like such a rare thing for him. There had been times among his squadmates, even when he'd been with the One Sith, but recently? He'd always been too on edge, too worried about being caught in his lie, too concerned with getting killed. Yet here, at this silly little gala with this odd woman he'd met on a beach, he was finally feeling just a bit relaxed.

How strange.

 

[Joza Perl]

“Mm.” She let her eyes wander above his shoulder and across the swaying crowd before settling back on his face. Joza returned his smile. “I don’t think I could be any more relaxed.”

Zeltros worked it’s magic even on her. Emotional control did not come easy to her but she exchanged clarity most of the time for rare outbursts. It was a Zeltron trait, and she took after the pinker half of her heritage more than she’d admit.

“What else do you have planned for your vacation?”

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Briefly Jorg thought that maybe all of this was some Zeltrosian trick.

He was sure that Joza wouldn't use pheromones on him, she didn't seem the type, but maybe the others at the gala? He glanced around for a moment, wondering if there was any real way to tell. He frowned for just a second, but then slowly and very lightly shrugged.

It didn't matter.

Jorg was enjoying himself for the first time in what seemed like an age. He couldn't recall the last time he'd actually had...fun doing something, and although he was probably dancing like a guy in High School, it didn't really matter to him. He was having fun. A small smile touched his lips as she questioned him, his hands tightening on her for just a moment as they moved slightly to the side, his feet carefully coming down just beside her own. "I'm not sure."

He admitted quietly.

"More of the beach." Jorg told her. [color=#ff8c00"]Maybe see if this planet has any wilderness left."[/color]

He'd always liked the wild, the parks on Bastion, it was something he missed.

 

[Joza Perl]

Pheromones were in no short supply here, though it wasn’t something intended so much as it was just to be enjoyed. Zeltrons excreted them naturally to a degree, though they could layer it on thicker at will. Joza certainly had done it when the time called for it, but now was not one of those times. Maybe Jorg was loosening up a bit on his own as well.

“Not a whole lot of that.” She hummed in thought. “Not any more, anyway. There are some woodsier areas, but they’re few and far in between. Some reserves on the other side of the planet. We used to go cliff diving when we were kids, but not anywhere near there.” A genuine smile spread across her face at the memory. She’d had a hard youth, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as some and there were good times.

“You should try that. Though…” She paused, looking him up and down. “Zeltrons are generally more…resistant to impact than humans. I’m sure you’ll be fine, though.”

She was not sure, but it didn’t seem like all that bad of an idea to her.

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He perked an eyebrow.

"I didn't know that." Jorg's knowledge on the physiology of Zeltrons was severely lacking. Though he'd studied basic biology in school they didn't really cover every single species, in fact they barely covered humans. The only reason he knew about Zeltrons pheromone production was because it had been something he'd been educated on at the Stormtrooper Academy.

That fact was something he would not be revealing to Joza of course, but it struck a cord with him for just a few seconds. An unpleasant one.

"What else can you do?" He asked with a small smile. "Besides falling from great heights."

Jorg was half tempted to quip about Joza being an angel...but he figured it might not go over too well. The soldier had no idea if the Zeltrons had any similar Myth to angels, and he didn't want to embarrass himself any further than he likely already had by dancing the way he did.

Best to keep his mouth shut.

 

[Joza Perl]

She met his smile with one of her own, albeit more distracted as her eyes rolled upwards in thought. “What else?”

There was a lot of what else, some appropriate and some not. “I’m good at dancing and stretching a dollar.” She mused, lips upturning into a little grin. They weren’t relics of a past life, but traits from her youth that had grown with her and helped make up the person she was now. Her business had started off as a dance studio and she’d been frugal by necessity. One of the reasons she’d joined up with the Jedi was the idea of having clean cloths and a meal and medical care when you needed them. Not the best, but enough of a draw.

She had skills in subterfuge and defensive use of the Force and her saber, along with a rather aggressive penchant for Makashi. Joza’s life was made of little outliers that kept her on her toes.

“I’m getting better at doing the voices in children’s books. Can’t quite get the baritone yet though.”

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"It's always the hardest." He admitted with a small smile.

"I used to read stories to my sister." They had been born nearly a decade apart, and his parents had never been much for usual child care. His mother was a very loving woman, but aristocratic to the bone. She had always believed it was the nanny's job to do things like read stories and bring warm cookies to the bed. Jorg loved her dearly, but she was stuck in her ways. So the role of comforting his younger sibling had always fallen to him. "She always liked the one with Knights."

He mused for a second.

"How about your son?" The quesiton might have been a bit intrusive, but he felt they were getting comfortable enough with one another.

Jorg was enjoying himself, he had, for the moment, forgotten about their previous encounter years ago and was instead focusing upon the now. If someone had pointed out it to him he would have been startled. The last time he'd felt this at ease he'd been at home, back on bastion.

 

[Joza Perl]

“You did?” Her smile grew more genuine at that, voice a little lighter. Joza had a half-sister, but they’d only found eachother a few years ago. She always wanted a sibling and was curious about how the dynamic worked. “I bet she loved that.”

She took a few moments to think, mind stretching back to the countless story books Alan had. Education was important and it began at home, so Joza tried to do everything she could to make things right for her child and give him opportunities she never had. “He likes the ones about animals the most. Wally the Wampa is his all-time favorite. I’ve memorized the story already and one night I read the entire thing to him with the book upside down.” She had to laugh a little at that, but the baby was as engaged as ever.

“You and your sister are close?” She ventured lightly, aware that sibling relationships could be tricky.

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He smiled for a few seconds. Jorg had never quite gotten that good at reading stories, mostly because he himself hadn't been all that old when he'd read them. His sister had also always been kind enough to actually pick different stories each time, something he'd been thankful for. She was a smart girl, quick witted and they'd progressed to reading entire books rather quickly. Jorg remembered those days rather fondly, it had all been simpler back them.

"We used to be." He said quietly, his words almost solemn. "I haven't been home in a while."

Jorg stopped himself from saying anything more, mostly because he didn't want to get too far into his past. The lie he had told said he was from Borleias. It was a planet that had once been controlled by the One Sith, albeit only for a short few months. Still, the reason why he hadn't been back should have been obvious.

"She's probably still reading though. She always liked that." It was one of the few things their father approved of.

His father had encouraged his daughters education, though had always ensured she remained at least somewhat sheltered.

 

[Joza Perl]

“That’s a good habit to instill in someone.” She smiled fondly, appreciative of Jorg’s love for his sister even if it had nothing to do with her. Family, however small and broken was important. Part of her wished that her mother had been more attentive in the education department, but she was nothing short of loving and worked long hours just to keep the lights on. It was the sort of heavy sacrifice that she was in awe of, yet it made her gut twist with unease knowing that she could have prevented her mother from living a much more comfortable life.

What was done was done, and she put her all into ensuring that her own child would lead a safe, much more comfortable life.

“What was it like growing up with a sibling?” With the way she phrased it, it would be clear that she was raised an only child. She didn’t want to stir up any unpleasant memories given how he seemed a little more muted mentioning that he hadn’t been home in a while, but it seemed that he was fond of his younger sister.

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He considered the questions for a few seconds, his hands tightening on Joza for just a second as they continued to dance.

"She was ten years younger than me." He finally said. "So it wasn't really growing up."

They were wildly different ages, something that had always been noted as somewhat odd by the other families, but it had never bothered Jorg. The culture of his homeworld was different than other places, and although he'd had a few friends he had always made sure his sister was okay.

The music slowed slightly as he began to speak again. "My parents were always rather busy, so I spent a lot of time with her."

Most of those memories were pleasant, though of course he hadn't always been with his sister. There had been weeks on end when he'd have to attend some class or go to some seminar far away. She had always said those were the most miserable times, mostly because her own friends hardly deigned to visit her at the Tierel Estate.

"It was nice though." He said quietly. "You can always count on your siblings."

 

[Joza Perl]

“Oh,” She looked a little surprised. “That’s quite the age gap.” On Zeltros it would be considered less unusual given their tendency to breed and easygoing nature. A lot of things others would consider abnormal were fairly usual on Zeltros.

“That sounds nice. It really does.” She smiled, a bit far off at the thought of having a brother or sister by her side to confide in. “My mother worked a lot so I didn’t see her as much as I would have liked. I always wished that I had a sibling for company.” She spoke with a certain fondness in her voice, a tinge of longing and perhaps a note of sadness buried deep. Now she knew why it wasn’t possible and understood that it may have very well almost happened on a number of occasions.

“I grew up a bit of a…delinquent if you can imagine.” She laughed and winced playfully, not seeming particularly troubled with that part of her past. It did hold a certain level of importance to her, but she’d come to terms with it enough to speak about it casually. "My extracurriculars included hanging outside of the shops with other menacing balls of teenage hormones."

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He smiled slightly.

The idea of being a delinquent was completely and entirely foreign to him. He had always been a good and diligent son, pretty much since birth. His fathers word had been law and Jorg had followed it to the letter. He had studied, worked, and become one of the best students Bastion had ever seen. Of course when the call had been issued he'd joined the Stormtrooper Legions, and from there he'd worked hard enough to excel at almost everything he could.

It was why he had become a Major, because he'd wanted his family to be proud. The One Sith had eventually fallen of course, and the thousand year Empire that was supposed to have been born fell with them, but he had done his duty as a son. "I.."

He trailed off.

"Didn't even have my first drink of alcohol until I was 24." He gave her a slightly awkward smile. "Breaking the rules has never really been a strong point of mine."

That was who he was, the good Soldier, the stalwart commander. Jorg had held himself up as an example, at least that's what he had always thought. Even in those moments of darkness.

 

[Joza Perl]

Her brow furrowed at the mention.

“Really? Most soldiers seem the type to…” She trailed, wondering how to put this politely but realized that Jorg was likely well aware of your average soldier’s drinking habits. At least when off duty.

She ended up chuckling over what would have been an ending to that sentence. “Sorry, didn’t mean to assume. I waitressed quite a bit when I was a teenager and we had more than a few groups of soldiers on leave come in for a drink or twelve.” At the time she’d put on a fake smile but inwardly sneer. Being around drunk people wasn’t as fun when you weren’t drunk yourself, and of course there was the catcalling and occasional handsy customer.

“What do you do to let loose then? Don’t tell me you’re into spice. It’s always the quiet ones.” She joked.

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"No need to apologize." He said with a small smile. "I know the assumption."

Most soldiers were absolutely the type to cut loose whenever they could, but Jorg simply didn't have the opportunity. The One Sith weren't really the type to grant one leave, and when they did they made damn well sure that the troopers didn't go too far. That was what you got from a government which was constantly at war, constantly fighting, and constantly in need of soldiers. It ground people down, broke them, but that was why there were always new faces in the regiments.

"We were Stormtroopers." He began to explain.

"Meant to be the best. They didn't let us get out much." Unfortunately. "We never really got the opportunity to cut loose, at least not back then."

Too many battles to fight. "Since I've been with the Legion there have been opportunities...but I guess I never really learned to do such things."

That was certainly true. He had free time now, he could take leave, but this trip was the first time he'd ever done so. The only reason that Jorg was here in the first place was because The Alliance had made him. They had been none too pleased about his capture of Irajah Ven and that was the only reason he was here. Not because of his own choices. Eventually he just shrugged.

"This is about as 'loose' as i've ever cut it." Jorg said with a sheepish smile.

 

[Joza Perl]

She almost made a face at the mention of him being a Stromtrooper but managed to stop short—though she knew what he used to do, it had caught her off guard. Right now, while they were dancing, he was just Jorg…not Jorg the Stormtrooper.

She tried not to think about it too much and instead, listened.

“Sometimes relaxing is harder than it sounds.” She agreed with a slow nod. “I know it sounds strange coming from a Zeltron, but I’m only half. We get anxious too.” Joza offered him a small smile, recalling her own volatile emotions as a teenager and young adult. While she was still an emotional person, she’d learned to control herself much better over the years. Having a child helped.

“How are you finding it? Think you might be in the market for another vacation eventually?”

It was nice to see him ease up more.

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He had to think about that for a moment.

In all honesty he wasn't sure, mostly because after all of this he would go back to work. Once there he wasn't sure how he would feel. Everything he'd done over the last decade, everything he'd done for the majority of his life had been to work. He wasn't just some worker bee in an office, he was a soldier, a fighter, a warrior. His whole being was dedicated to a cause.

Nothing less would do. "I..."

He trailed off for a moment. How was he supposed to explain this? There was no life for him outside of the military. There was no woman sitting at home, no children, no family. He had no property, at least none that he claimed, and most people who had loved him had probably forgotten who he was by now. Vacation was like an odd sort of glimpse into a mirror universe, a sight into what perhaps could be if he tried a bit harder. Was he okay with that?

Jorg wasn't sure. "Maybe."

He said finally.

"Will you be there?" He offered her a smile, the small jest, or perhaps hope, spilling from his mouth before he could think about it.

 

[Joza Perl]

Crimson brows furrowed for a moment before rising as an accompaniment to her growing smile.

“Do you mean here on Zeltros? Or on vacation with you?”

She wasn’t sure if he was trying to be suave or if it had been a slip of the tongue but she found it funny in an endearing way.

Joza gave herself several moments of thought before answering. “I’m not sure, either way. Zeltros is my home but I spend half of my time elsewhere. Whether it be for business, or…” She trailed, eyes focusing over his shoulder as she searched for the right word to describe what it was that she did. What did she do, exactly? Her miscellaneous activities often brought her into galactic conflict. “Engagements.” She finished.

Her lips purse slightly as an afterthought rolled through her. “Keeps me away from the kid which can be rough. But I’ve got to earn my keep somehow, right?” She joked, the whites of her teeth showing again.

[member="Jorg"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Jorg hadn't even realized what he said, his cheeks colored unconsciously a few seconds later and his head shook slightly out of embarrassment. An odd sort of ringing began in his ears, probably his own mind acting alone to try and travel back in time and stop himself from saying what he just had.

"That can't be easy." Jorg said stupidly.

Of course it wasn't easy to be away from your child, particularly when you were a single mom. The soldier cursed internally, though managed to keep his face completely straight as he raced to think of something else that he could actually say. After a few moments he began to speak again. "I imagine you spend a lot of your time with him though."

He paused.

"When you're not dancing with strange soldiers you met on the beach." He gave her a small, awkward sort of smile.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza grinned at the flush of his cheeks, not reveling in his embarrassment but finding it cute. She much preferred this loosened up version of the soldier.

She laughed at his last comment.

“I already put him down for the night before I left. Should be easy pay for the babysitter.” Thankfully, Alan was sleep trained and actually slept through the night on most days! She was not looking forward to the alleged sleep regression that some children went through.

She paused, thoughts of her son drifting over her again. “I spend as much time with him as I can. I always with it were more, though. He’s my world.” She smiled, looking a little far off before realizing that she’d said more than she had intended to. It would be impossible to hide her devotion to the child and she didn’t try to backtrack. “I really threw myself into my work when I was pregnant because I wanted to be able to support myself and my child and leave something for him in case something were to happen to me.”

It wasn’t something she talked about with most people, but so far he didn’t seem like the judgmental type and was happy to hear about her baby before.

[member="Jorg"]