Private The Spiral Down

[Desbre Gensan]

Des slept like a rock. Her breath and heart rate became super low during that time. She didn't seem to move or at least move much in that time. But eventually, she came back to a lighter state of sleep, shifting a little, as she slowly loosened back up. In the meantime, she drifted in the dark, amniotic embrace of the Force. It kept her warm, sheltered, comfortable. No real awareness of the outside world. The pain in her body slowly faded. And even some of the pain of her spirit faded.

Eventually, the smell of cooking food invaded her senses, drawing her slowly out of the dark molasses of sleep. Crawling closer toward the light of awareness, until she finally broke the surface and took an active breath. Large eyes fluttered open as she gazed around. The space she laid in had changed. She lay in a pile of furs still, but with a much lighter covering over her, just a sheet really, but it kept the air from stealing her bodyheat, and allowed her to vent enough to not be overheated. She wore what she'd passed out in, so she hadn't been undressed again. As she sat up, she had a sudden need, just as strong if not stronger than the waking hunger. Shifting over she pushed herself to her hands and knees.

The move blossomed her shirt open, but she didn't care. She got to her feet, then pulled it around her and hooked the inside attachments together, one at one hip, one at the other. It left her showing most of her bare legs, but for now, it was enough. She cast about with the Force, feeling out the interior as she expanded her awareness, her sphere of responsibility. Within a few moments, she cataloged every insect, right down to the dust mites. It allowed her to 'see' the walls of the interior, and know where she was, and where everything else was for the most part. Then she took off at a light-footed lope, heading for Anse. Coming around the corner of the kitchen she crossed her legs at the ankles, with a pleasing look. "Wheres your fresher," she asked in that same pleading tone. It was clearly an emergency by the way she gave small but rapid little bounces.

As he turned toward her, he'd note that the wound on her leg was gone, now only a light, faint scar, if it showed any mark at all. Her face had a little discoloration along the jawline and partway down her neck, just a hint of yellow, the last signs of a fading bruise. The split in her lip was gone. The magnificent bruise at her temple was gone. The cut there was sealed. Her nose was once more straight and whole. Her hair was still a mess, but she was free of the damage, mostly now. She had been attractive even before, but with her face returned to normal, no swelling or damage, her natural attractiveness shown through. And she seemed oblivious to it, which only made it more intense.

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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She startled him when he looked over, he jumped a little as he wasn’t used to anyone being able to just sneak up on him. He tilted his head towards the hall leading to the bathroom. "That way lass, aside from giving me a heart attack, it be good ta see ye awake at long last."

It was quite a large room, part of the room dominated by the bones of what looked like the start to a pool. It would seem Anse had plans to install a large bath and not have more high tech equivalents. In fact, if she looked up he had something blocking what looked to be a crack in the ceiling. There had been a spring, the piping going somewhere else said he was shunting the water elsewhere till he got things as he liked it. Everything else was what you might expect, albeit it looked like he had just installed it without doing anything aesthetically pleasing.

He had up till now been using his ship and it showed. Two days and he had closer facilities up in just two days, because of her. Still, even though it was all bare bones, it showed a measure of his creativity. Even the kitchen had been created in such a way that there would be modern appliances eventually, but if one didn’t want to use them it was an option. In fact, what he was cooking was two thing, there was a large pot simmering that had stew and then he was grilling meat. Stew was one of those things that lasted a fair bit and the one he was cooking was good hot or cold. It had a number of vegetables, but it also had meat. The meat was much like he had cooked when she had first come awake.

His diet consisted of a lot of meat, he had to and changing forms required a lot of calories to burn. He was pleased that she was looking a lot better, though he suspected that whatever made her sleep, probably also healed her. It was a strange thing to him, unnerving too, but he knew he’d have to get over that because she probably could do all kinds of things that will shock him.


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[Desbre Gensan]

Desbre fled in the indicated direction. She moved on the balls of her feet, swift and light, but not at a dead run, but not a slow job either. She almost seemed to glide at speed to vanish into the next room.

In the spacious interior, she cast her gaze about just enough to catch sight of the facilities and made her way toward them and went to relieving herself. It was then that she had enough time to look around after letting out a rather crass sounding moaning sigh of relief. There wasn't much there. Some basic plumbing, and the beginnings of the inset tub in the floor. But it was functional. And it looked new, if a bit hasty. She'd seen worse when she was on the street.

Finally, she finished up and padded back to the kitchen, taking in her surroundings more readily. She followed her nose back to the kitchen, stopping to inspect what he was cooking, tucking her hair behind her ear. It was then that she felt the matted hair and blood still in her hair. "Ugh, I'm gross," she complained out loud, partially to herself, partially to him. "It doesn't look like your refresher is all the way usable yet. Um... I need to get this crud out of my hair and I imagine I smell like a wet bantha. Do you have somewhere I can get cleaned up?"

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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He frowned. “It should be, only thing tha’ isn’t is th’ bathing pool. I made sure th’ modern stuff was all ready ta go. Let me go check it out and see what it’s problem is.” He switched the heat and such to a lower temp and then stalked towards the room grabbing a bag with him from one of the counter tops as he went. It wasn’t long before she’d hear a curse, a crackle and then a higher pitch in the machinery hum. “Didn’t secure a thing like I should have and th’ thing sparked at me. Should be good ta go now, sorry about tha’ lass.” He wasn’t too happy that he had forgotten something like that. “If it still be off, I can take ye ta my ship.”

However he was sure that this time it would be just fine. He set back to cooking, food would be the next important bit for her and he made sure there was ample available. It was still simple fare, he didn’t have quite what he needed yet to really cook how he liked.


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[Desbre Gensan]

As he went to work on the shower, she slipped away to grab her clothes. Then she noticed the light-adjusting goggles he'd cobbled together, and what seemed to be a pair of cooling braces. Where the blood came close to the skin, they would sap and vent heat away to help keep her cool, or they could generate heat to warm her up some and help her thermo-regulate. It was thoughtful and made her smile. that was probably the most thoughtful thing anyone had done for her in a long time. She set them back on the bedding. The cavern was cool enough. A moment later she traipsed back into the refresher to find him making adjustments. She sat her clothes down nearby where they wouldn't get mussed up, then fetched a towel from a duraplast storage piece, little more than basic shelving. It seemed Anse had gathered more of her things while she was gone, and she'd even spied the toiletries he'd fetched. These had come along with, and she sat them on the towel as she watched him work.

When he seemed satisfied she gave him a grateful smile. She probably could have fixed it, she knew. But she wasn't much of a plumber. Still, she had the brains to figure most things out pretty fast. There were times she felt this was more of a detriment than an advantage when it came to her Jedi training. She learned very fast. She soaked up whatever they taught her. And then she iterated on it, improved, and trained relentlessly.

"Thank you," she said quietly, putting a hand on his arm. It saved her the headache. Plus he knew where his tools and everything were. She wasn't used to feeling dependent on anyone. That dependency would disappear in short order. At least that's what she told herself. Truth be told, she was still at his mercy and hospitality. Despite having a ship, she was practically homeless. No income, no money, no real resources. She'd become totally dependant on others for her infrastructure and support. Now that she thought of it, it rankled. But for now, there was no way out of it. The only thing she could do was fly through it and hope she'd be okay on the other side.

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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Anse flashed her a grin and leaned against the counter with a smirk. “Ye be hungry yes?” Seeing her up and clean, she was quite a sight, but then even bloody she had been so. “Your healing rest seemed ta do th’ trick eh? Gave me th’ shivers and I didn’t think there was anything tha’ could do tha’.”

He sounded amused by this fact and he was. He wasn’t easily surprised by much, hardly anything managed to slither under his fur. So the fact her tiny self managed it? Was both an achievement and worthy of respect. If she could lift a bowl, she could lift a person and his mind already made the connections to how that could be used in a fight. “With a skill like lifting things, I be of mind tha’ I ought ta mind my manners more just ta keep ye from getting angry and pitching me towards th’ waterfall.”

Of course he couldn’t resist teasing her, even if he was wondering if she could indeed do so and hoped he never found out. “I made a heap of steaks and plenty of greens, they got some bite ta them this time. Which be perfect with th’ meat. Stew I be keeping simmering and such, I add leftovers ta it and keep it warm so ye can help yourself ta tha’ any time.”


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[Desbre Gensan]

She tilted her head a little with a sheepish look. "I shouldn't have done that," she admitted. "Some might have considered it showing off, or a vulgar display. It wasn't really necessary. But it was easier than squirming about. It took less effort. As for healing fast... it would have been faster with a dunk in a bacta tank. Couple hours tops." She shivered. Bacta was one of the most powerful healing agents in the known galaxy. But she still hated the sticky taste. She'd wound up floating naked in a bacta tank at one point for a couple hours after an incident like her crash that left her kind of thrashed.

"But you've nothing to worry about from me. I'm only a threat to those that are a threat to me, or those under my protection," she assured him. "And until I'm gone, or while we're together, in the same place... you certainly are. Though you don't seem to need it, or me. You have everything here. And are pretty well protected. These caves make your living area and ship very hard to spot. Even for a high-resolution survey ship." She scrunched up her nose. "If it were more than just you, I'd think this was a smuggler or pirate hideout." She crossed her arms, leaning against the wall, hooking one ankle over the other, thighs pressed together, her hips canted at an angle. A smile floated across her face then as she watched him with her gray gaze.

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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He snorted at her. “Firstly, it was bound ta come out sooner or later. I can think of a host of unpleasant scenarios tha’ could be bad. Better th’ bowl than during a time ye don’t need anyone ta be tecthy over such a thing. As for showing off? Whoever put tha’ thought in your head tha’ doing so was such was petch teated, stain licking idiot. Ye do ye aye? Ye won’t get me lookin at ye like ye did wrong, th’ forcy thing be like your arm and it be only natural ta use tha’ arm.” He walked over to her and tapped her nose. “So no more of tha’. I’ll growl at ye and chase ye around these caves if I catch ye putting yourself down like tha. Ye don’t deserve ta keep repeating th’ words of fools.”

He looked around the cave. “Coulda been if it had had different hands. Now it be mine and yours. In a way it is a hideout, cuz ye got chased ta my den by something worse than thieves. Could say I am a thief, plucked ye from the mess they made and hid ye away where they will have a very hard time finding ye. So, maybe I be th’ best kind of thief eh? Th’ kind that steals pretty things and keeps them out of sight from those that would ruin it.”


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[Desbre Gensan]

She jerked her head back at the tap to her nose. her arms crossed just under her breasts. "I never said anything disparaging about myself," she retorted without heat. "It's more along the lines that just because I can doesn't always mean I should. Use it only when necessary, never for something frivolous. Like wasting tibanna gas just because you have some to spare."

Once more he spoke about her looks, calling her pretty. She'd not been so clear-headed last night. No ... three days ago. Her internal chrono was still off a little. His attraction was obvious, as it had been from earlier. And he was working as hard as he could to make a good impression without overstepping or reading as needy or desperate. And he didn't seem to be either of those things. He honestly would have been fine on his own, if not a bit isolated. But so too, he was warm, and there was an unspoken offer, a continual invitation of solace and comfort. That she appreciated, but in some ways, it still stung as it contacted her spirit, her heart. It was more than anyone had offered in a long time. And she wasn't one hundred percent certain she deserved even a little of it. But she desperately wanted it. Or something like it.

His physical attraction was obvious. He wanted her body, wanted to touch, to caress, and feel, to explore every nook and cranny, every curve and inch. It was a subtle thing, nothing broadcasted. But she could feel his gaze on her. She found she minded it less and less. And even the idea of being with him even just to thank him for all he'd done so far warmed her. But she wouldn't let that side of herself run the show, delicious as it might be to roll around with him in the furs or spend the night where she'd first awoke with only their entwined bodies to keep each other warm.

She licked her lips quickly as she studied him still in that instant. More though came an earnest hope and desire for something more. Deeper, stronger, lasting. Built on connection and trust. It came as part of his offer. It wasn't just a temporary desire, but something he intended to extend indefinitely. He felt protective of her, and hopeful, that he'd found a diamond in the rough. A quality that others had missed.

Desbre's throat constricted in a mix of pain, relief, but also not knowing what to do with it. How did she feel about that? Time. She needed time. Clearing her throat, she gave him a smile she hoped was reassuring. "I'm so kriffing hungry, but I need a shower first," she begged. "I'll be out in fifteen minutes." Even that she ached for. Not necessarily from Anse, but in general. He was good looking, wonderfully built, and the way he looked at her made her pulse quicken. The idea of taking him on as a lover sent a shiver through her as she bit her lower lip and pressed her thighs together just a little. She forced herself to put that aside. Being lonely and horny was no way to make decisions.

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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For Anse, he didn’t expect others to want much from him. He went about his life just enjoying the moment in most things. It was as natural for him to appreciate a person he found attractive, as it was to admire artwork. He was open and honest about it and people were free to take from it what they wanted. He smelled her interest, which made him take a long deep breath inward instinctively. He looked away for a moment and casually turned the steaks over, keeping his eyes from straying. He had a lot of control over himself, but when a pretty bit was flashing feathers giving signals it took effort.

She already knew of his interest, it was speaking loud and clear to his eyes and nose. However he was too much of a gentleman to leer over her body. She was in hardly much, just a shirt that was open. He turned back with a smirk. “I’ll stick th’ cooked steaks in th’ cooler as they get done so they’ll be cool enough to eat immediately. I cleaned out your ship of pretty much everything. What was too big ta bring back here is in th’ hangar. So ye have everything, put the personal stuff in where ye were sleeping, but ye know tha’.”He then made a shooing gesture. “Go get cleaned up, then we can eat then chat. We got plenty of work ta do and I wanna pick your brain a bit.”


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[Desbre Gensan]

"Don't stick mine in the cooler," she said as she turned to go, being shooed away. Slipping back to the bathroom, she untied the side ties to her uniform top. It billowed open, but she was alone and cared little. Slipping over to the shower, she flipped it on and waited for the piping to heat up.

Once it did she slipped out of her shirt and adjusted the shower temp, and then stepped in. At first, she merely rested against the wall, letting it trail hot water over her skin and hair, down her back and legs. It burned away the chill clinging to her skin. The heat soaked into her muscles, easing the tension, and she could feel her senses waking up further.

Eventually, she went to wash away the grime. First her hair, then the rest of her body while she let the conditioner work. Her long, slender fingers raked through her hair at last when she rinsed the last of the conditioner and bodywash from her, leaving her clean. That too helped her state of mind. More than that, it was a ritual that cleansed not only the body but mind and spirit as well.

By the time she stepped out of the shower, she was growing ravenous again. When she checked her chrono, she realized she'd been in a little longer than intended. Her face burned at that. She'd taken a little extra time, just to feel a little better. Quickly she wrapped herself in a towel, then her hair. Grabbing her dirty top, and her change of clothes, she headed back out. Opting to avoid the kitchen she passed through the chamber she'd woken up in originally. The sight of the fire pit brought back a few images from a couple minutes ago, which only made her blush harder. Realizing how sound bounced around in this place if she could have, she might have died right then. Hopefully, the white noise of the shower had kept her private little indulgence in the shower hidden.

Slipping into the cordoned-off area that was 'her room', she slipped out of the towel, drying the last bits off along her arms and legs. Considering her options, she went with a comfortable, soft, but form-fitting pants, socks, calf-high boots, and then a simple fitted shirt, and then she pulled on a comfortable zip-up hooded shirt which she left open and headed back to the kitchen area."Okay, all better," she said as she followed her nose.

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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He had started her steaks when it sounded less like washing, though at one point he looked towards her direction with a raised eyebrow before shaking his head with a grin to keep cooking. By the time she showed up she had a nice little pile and even better was the foldable table with chairs with everything edible arranged on it, drinks included. “I worried ye were having some trouble when ye took as long as ye did, but seems instead you were enjoying yourself. Hot water lifts th’ soul.”

He moved over to the table and pulled out her chair before taking his own seat. “So I was thinking since we have th’ basic stuff up and going. Ye wanna see about moving your ship into where mine is? Not sure she’ll fit into th’ hold on mine, but I could see about either buying th’ stuff ta lift it or building something if I have th’ extra parts. Not tha’ I plan ta kick ye off my moon, but ye having your ship up would be useful if I be gone.”

Not that he planned to be, but if he had to she wouldn’t be stuck. Besides that, she might what to hare off herself for her own reasons. He wanted her to have freedom, one less thing she would feel beholden to him on. He figured she probably felt pretty in his debt as is, but truly she owed him nothing. He didn’t bother with debts unless lives had been saved, everything else was easily replaced, life however was too precious.


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[Desbre Gensan]

She took the proffered seat and dropped into it. She cast her gaze around the table. The food looked excellent and smelled just as good. He'd made a salad and made some greens. It looked like it was local, and probably was. Despite the simple fare, she resisted being the first to reach for anything besides the water. That had a mix of mint and raspberry in it, and a quick sip made her realize she was very thirsty as well. She had to stop herself before she drained half the glass. It was not only good, but refreshing, and needed.

His comment about enjoying herself set her face ablaze to the tips of her ears, though it only showed as a faint change in coloration. Did he... ? She dared not think about that too much further.

She was grateful for the change in subject, turning toward her ship. "To move it you're going to need a crane or a tractor beam. Or a big repulsor sled. Which I don't think you have money for or the means to get it here," she said apologetically. "Unless we can get the repulsors online and limp it back. I won't really know until we get out there." That gave her pause. When did 'I' become 'we'? She shook her head. "I can try to move something like that. I've never attempted it with anything that big. But I've heard stories of Jedi moving entire starcruisers. Even entire fleets." She bit her plush lower lip as she thought it over. "But I won't really know until we get out there and take a look. But we probably will need a machine shop and possibly materials."

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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Her blush brought a grin to his face as he sat down and got his plate filled up. He went for the meat first and on it went the blanched greens with a bit of garlic and horseradish. He quickly started wolfing it down, listening as he chewed. “Could possibly pull it with my ship. I can also rig something ta help tha’ along, possibly. As I said, if need be I can buy what we need, though it will take time ta get it shipped here. Pretty sure we will have ta order things already, won’t lie th’ damage looked pretty extensive. However, I be pretty sure it can be fixed by th’ two of us. I can get my paws on a larger scale fabricator, tha’ will save us a bit and it be on my list of things ta get once I get th’ generator hooked up. Right now I be using th’ water which is enough ta give us a fair bit. A large fabricator will chew through the hydro power, though could probably hook it to my ship...”

He was pretty confident with his skills and he mulled things over as he ate. He hadn’t planned on doing anything extravagant till he had everything set up inside the cave. He didn’t mind the change of plans, but now that he had another pair of hands it should go faster.


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[Desbre Gensan]

Des grabbed what she wanted, including some of the salad, greens, and at least two good-sized hunks of meat. She listened thoughtfully at the idea of using his ship as a lifter. Then frowned with concern as he mentioned the damage. A pang of regret stabbed through her. As much as she wished it wasn't her living situation, it was, at the same time, her home. It had seen her through quite a bit, and she still hadn't given it a name.

"That's a good idea," she mused. "We can try it. I do have a small emergency fusion reactor on my ship. I think you might have brought it back. It'll do a lot of tasks for us. And its pretty portable. We might need the powerplant from your ship though. Especially if you can manage a larger fabricator. We'd need raw materials to feed it too. Which," she said, pausing for a moment, "means we might need mining equipment. OR we feed it a lot of other loose raw materials. Sand, silt, dirt. And I mean a lot."

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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He gave her a grin. “Tha’ would be helpful, thank you. I am sure we’ll have enough juice, but using tha’ just in case will be a help. Mining wouldn’t be too terrible as expanding th’ cave would come in handy later. I was thinking more fabricating some harvester droids ta do th’ gathering of resources and feeding th’ machine. I made something a while back that is small enough ta do th’ trick. I call them Bees and they can be both protection and harvesters.”

In fact, once he had the plants growing he’d been planning to make a bunch to do the tending. He couldn’t always be here to do it and setting them up to do so, with a couple droids set to preserving would mean while he was gone things would grow, get harvested and then replanted. All the while the foodstuff gathered would be prepared and preserved so that nothing went to waste. “Ye like th’ food? There be plenty more ta drink in the cold box if ye want more.”


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[Desbre Gensan]

Des considered for a moment. "I can actually help with the mining and the droids. I grew up working in mining operations. I can handle an ore processor, drilling equipment, and mining droids. But most of my pay was from driving haulers," she said, thinking back to what seemed like a lifetime now. "I'll see if I have plans for some equipment your fabricator can make, stuff from home." She flashed him a smile, pleased at having something she could offer and knew quite well.

"My offshoot was designed for mining. Some said we were meant to work the spice mines of Kessel, harvesting glitterstim in the black. I dunno about that," she said. Idly she chewed her bottom lip in thought. "But those of my offshoot have an extra digit that seems to help for grip and detailed work like sorting. And we don't tire as easily."

Shifting in her chair a little she turned her attention to the food. She hadn't even touched it yet. Quickly she picked up her knife and fork and went to sample the offerings. Plantlife on Arkania was more about providing oxygen than a food source. But there were a few things they ate. This had more variety in it, and the mix of textures and flavors was a delight. She turned her attention to the steak. Meats were somewhat accessible, though a different kind than back home. This smelled amazing. When she took a bite, a host of new flavors hit her full-on in the mouth. Bold, savory, a little salty, a little smokey, and hearty. Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head as a sound of pure enjoyment drifted from her throat. "Okay, that is really good," she said. "They didn't do a lot of meats at the temple. What they did was usually vat-grown. Which isn't bad. They had a killer mushroom steak though. Or they did after I passed around a couple recipes from home." She flashed him a bright smile and for once there was no hint of a dark cloud over her features. She was comfortable and happy. It lit her eyes up in a way noone had seen in years.

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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He made an ‘mmh’ noise at the mention of mushrooms. “Tha’ be one of th’ things I want ta grow. Love mushrooms. Most of my diet has ta be marrow and meat, but I am a glutton for mushrooms.”

Just thinking about them made his mouth water, but he made do with the food in front of him. It was good to have company for meals. “So what kinds of things do ye do for fun? I know ye mentioned racing and I saw th’ speeders, but what else?”

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[Desbre Gensan]

She paused long enough to eat some more, now that her hunger had woken in all its ravenous glory. Desbre savored each bite, working it around, eyes half-lidded. She'd been living off of ration bars and the like for so long she had almost forgotten what real food was like.

Finally, she turned her attention to her host. "Well, you brought all my things. So you saw my sketches," she mused. "I'm something of an artist I guess. I just like it. Sort of a visual journal. It helps me clear my mind, and I get to make pretty things. Maybe undo some of the ugliness out there." She shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "I like fixing things. Machines, parts. There's something about making something for yourself. Or fixing something broken and discarded. Or even finding value in things other people consider junk."

The Jedi shrugged one shoulder. "I actually enjoy training too. Aspects of it anyway. I like the challenge. I like running. I like the feeling of speed when I push to my limit. I like the mental chess match when sparring. I always liked that, even before going to the temple. I guess I like to push myself, maybe a little too much. Last time I pushed that hard I uh... was in the infirmary for weeks to recover."

There were other things she did for fun or recreation. Some of them she'd left behind. No more drugs, no more drinking if she could help it. Adrenaline and art, and maybe one other thing were all the vices she really had. Save wallowing in misery now and again.

 

[Anse Baenshaol]

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He nodded. “Saw them yes. I’ve got no artistic inclination, unless ye count enjoying cooking. So th’ little I saw when I gathered everything looked like it should be in some museum ta me.”

Of course he’d also be the first to admit he knew next to nothing about art. “Tinkering, exploring and mechanics be what I put most of my time in. Hunting be something I have ta do, though I love it. Th’ meat we are eating be something tha’ was hunted. Been sampling many of th’ prey beasts and so far this one was th’ best for steaks.”

Of course, she could taste how fork tender it was even with the perfect grilling. He enjoyed food, but also enjoyed feeding others and seeing how she was enjoying the meal made him proud.


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