Private Tomorrow is Tomorrow

[Abel Denko]

VERUN - ENCAMPMENT

Shortly after the Sun Rises

Darkness was a reprieve.

What a day the Knight had endured.

In the beginning, things were off to an optimistic start. Prior to today, Abel's nights had been robbed of slumber. He could not rest due to worry, for he did not know if his apprentice lived. When Naboo was beset by monstrosities, he had given his all to give her an opening. She had taken it, seemingly to safety, but that was the last he had seen of Luna. Until today. Now, after following what remained of the Confederacy to the distant world, they reunited within the settlement. The moment was brief - but it played over and over inside his head.

The embrace. The...

Abel shook his head. What came after their moment was yet another battle. Another instance of her life being put in harm's way. The Knight had no illusions about the ashen-haired woman's ability to defend herself. After all, they had survived similar hell holes growing up - and she took to his lessons like a sponge to water. But still. He worried about what the future would hold. For her. For them. Out here on the edge of the Galaxy. He worried about the nightmare that still plagued her life. That monster that ripped sleep from her to this very day.

Every Jedi bone in his body told him to let the morrow worry about itself. The Street Kid in him told him 'fuck that noise.'

And so, now that darkness had fallen over the settlement, Abel had a chance to breathe. He was sore from the firefight, but very much alive. The medics were able to patch his minor wounds right up. He could have been seen sooner, but he elected to wait - as there were far more injured or sick that needed the immediate care. In time, he was put back together and sent on his way. And for a few minutes, Abel simply meandered about the settlement. He roamed the tents, conflicted about what to do. When, finally, he heard laughter. Music. Noise.

Drawn as a moth, he stepped over to the source and found one of the "mess tents" was still open. But, it was not being operated by the usual droids. Rather, what little the settlement had in terms of liquor was on display. Speakers and personal devices were blaring music of all sorts. There were arms over shoulders, bottles in every hand, and laughs a plenty. Abel smirked at the sight. In the midst of hardship, release was important. Especially after today. Drawing nearer, the Knight nodded to some familiar faces and settled down on a crate.

He was content to watch for awhile, until he saw ashen hairs bobbing up and down to the beat of a song. Oh, if he had his camera, the moment would be blackmail for decades to come. But there she was, jamming along like the rest of them. And just for now, just for tonight, Abel resolved to not worry. Tomorrow would come and he would deal with it. But tonight?

He'd headbang with the best of them.​

Luna Evanstance​

 

[Luna Evanstance]

​

There was something to be said about hope. Luna sat amongst the others who had managed to sit amongst the survivors of chaos watching and observing as they went about their interactions. But she sat alone, watching and wondering how they could so easily let go of what they'd all experienced. The young woman expected to see fear in their eyes and pain on their faces but there was none of that.

Perhaps she'd grown accustomed to holding onto every little detail that happened to her. Luna knew that if she let go of anything, she'd be bound to make a fatal mistake and that was not an option. Her nightmares reminded her that she still had unfinished business of her own and while monsters attacked and chaos reigned supreme, there was another one out there, lying in wait.

She couldn't deny the aire about the encampment wasn't infectious. Galactic tunes filled the air and after a bottle or two of booze, the young woman was able to sit back and enjoy the moment- even if it was a fleeting one.

But something was clearly missing. Luna's mind lingered to Abel- having not talked to him since their shared moment before everything went south, she knew that he'd been okay- she'd been able to sense that despite everything he'd survived.


As if the moment was meant to align with her thoughts, the young woman's verdant gaze found a pair of bright blue ones. They stood out; the only pair that could ever draw her in without cause.

Abel. She'd always made it known her attractions for him; both of them carrying a strong bond for their shared past's struggles and the fact that he'd taught her everything she knew about the Force.

Both of them had fought to get where they were at and it was evident that it'd pulled them together. There was something deeper, now- not just a concupiscence for him but she wasn't entirely sure what it was. Their lives were nothing but a constant wave of movement- each one always seemed to pull them apart before they could ever really unite.

For a moment, she didn't move; her face gave him a rather quizzical look before she realized the amused look on his face was him watching her. Without realizing it, Luna had let herself go with the flow of the beat; the only indication that she'd done so was the tickling of the ashen strands against her cheek.

Getting up from her spot, she made her way over with an unopened bottle of ale before stopping in front of Abel to admire him- her verdant gaze lingered on him for a long moment as she finally had one to take everything in. He was a little banged up but clearly okay; somehow Luna had gotten lucky for once- karma giving her marred body a break from any more added scars.

"You look like poodoo." she smirked as she passed over the bottle and plopped down on the ground next to him, remaining quiet for a long moment while taking a long drink from it as she observed the others mingling, enjoying the company and dancing about. After such, she raised her bottle in a way of toast. "Here's to not dying." A tired smirk paired with a small clink before she took a long drink from it.

Abel Denko

​

 

[Abel Denko]

VERUN - ENCAMPMENT

It was like she knew.

The Knight had only been on scene for a few moments. Just long enough to witness the troubles being drowned away by music and by drink. Just long enough to smile as her head bobbed away. And in that heartbeat of time, the ashen-haired woman found him. Their eyes met for a moment, and Abel could feel heat creeping up along his neck. Blinking, he looked away as she rose, his eyebrow raised ever so slightly. Probably more banged up than I thought. he mused, not immediately putting together the actual source.

With so much dominating his daily life, the Jedi hadn't spared a thought towards such things. Prior to the fall, he had been swamped under the demands of leading his House and balancing his duties to the Knights Obsidian. Moreover, he did his absolute best to stay true to his vow to Luna - to teach her how to use the Force. To finally steal some rest away from the monsters of memory. Now, it was a fight for survival - one they had at least won for the moment.

When she arrived, a gift was given: an unopened bottle of ale. Abel happily accepted, and told the nagging voice at the back of his mind to shut up. It was the considerate, responsible adult part of his brain that said "maybe someone else needs this more." Feth that. For one night, he'd be inconsiderate for a change.

You look like poodoo. She said, pointing out the obvious. This caused Abel to chuckle aloud. "Weren't you the one who said, and I quote, 'kicking ass looks good on you'?" It was no secret that Luna had wandering eyes. And hands for that matter. It wasn't a secret that Abel enjoyed every second of it - and gave what he got when there were moments to breathe. He opened the bottle and took a swig, matching her toast. "Here's to finding my favorite lush."

He released a satisfied sigh and looked forward, at their fellows who continued to have the time of their lives.

"Given that you're here...I take it all of you made it out okay?"

It was a question that nagged him. It had to be asked, even though he wanted to just worry about tomorrow another day. Abel had to know if he had been strong enough to save them.

Or if he had failed in a collosal manner.​

Luna Evanstance​

 

[Luna Evanstance]

"Weren't you the one who said, and I quote, 'kicking ass looks good on you'? Abel never missed a beat. Even after all this time, the man never missed out on a chance to fire back a witticism. Luna looked up and simply smirked shaking her head slightly. "Oh it does. I could watch those muscles for days." Grinning, the young Woman started as her verdant gaze flicked forward to watch the others. "I was talking about the bags under your eyes."

Abel wore the stress on his face more than he realized. It lingered in his blue eyes and with each passing day, Luna couldn't help but worry. Long ago, she'd learned to let the stress go; life was going to carve out its own path, people would die, situations would crumble and Galaxies would be rewritten."Here's to finding my favorite lush." In her years of torment, she learned to live in the day and in the moment and she didn't doubt that it got her more than a few looks for what looked like a lack of empathy. Only the shadows had their grip on her and that was enough.

Snorting slightly and taking a sip after their toast, her mind lingered to the man next to her. "It's a hard job, someone's gotta' do it." Living in the moment didn't mean the thought of what was to come didn't linger from time to time just that it didn't control her, in the moment. Luna grew pensive for a long moment as her thoughts caught up with her.

Everything had found a way to fall in between them and for the moment, there were no distractions and she found herself wondering if they could ever stand a chan- "Given that you're here...I take it all of you made it out okay?" Blinking, Luna's thoughts were shattered at the sound of Abel's voice. "Hmm?"

Shaking her head slightly with another smirk tugging on her lips. "Oh, yeah- I mean, I think my extremely good luck must have rubbed off on them." It was a small jest- one that Luna tried to break the tension for Abel. Most had made it out okay while others weren't so lucky.

But the number had won in this case leaving it no small victory amongst their new adventure. Luna waved her hands in front of her to indicate her whole lanky self. "I suppose I won't be adding another scar to the collection- at least not today." Leaning back against the crate that Abel had seated himself upon, the young woman sighed deeply as she drained her bottle. "You're doing it again."

She smirked as she looked up from her spot and reached up to gently try to tap at his nose. "Your nostril is flaring like it does when you're stressed." Able had every right to be but this was meant to be a time of celebration and a time to live in the moment. "I say let it go for tonight."

She doubted he would- Luna knew him well enough to know that Abel cared about everyone and would do anything even if it meant bad for him. So she opted to offer an ear- the odds of him being able to do so were slim and if there was a chance for the night to be redeemed, it was once he got it off his chest, should he desire. "…You want to tell me what's on your mind?"​

 

[Abel Denko]

VERUN - ENCAMPMENT

I was talking about the bags under your eyes.

The ashen-haired woman wasn't the type to fawn or dote over someone, but she did show concern nonetheless. Usually it was sandwiched between sass or witty jabs - just like now. In one breath, she was complimenting his physique. In the next, she showed that she cared in her own way. It was...a great comfort to have that piece of normalcy back in his life. "Didn't have you here to put me to sleep."

She knew. Before the world went to shit, she knew just how much the Knight piled onto his plate - and how unwilling he was to release his burdens. He took and took and took, but gave away very little in the ways of responsibility. Now, even as most of those old obligations had turned to ash, new stresses began to pile on. And Luna was more than willing to call it out. She didn't have to say much more than her brief comment, but it was enough to make Abel think.

They shared a toast and the Knight had to ask about the fate of those who escaped along with her. She relieved that nightmare of a burden from her shoulders with just as much snark as ever. No new scars for her indeed. Abel released a breath that he didn't realize he was holding in. "God..." he said, before sucking in a breath. "That's good. That's really good."

She called him on it again, directly this time. Abel turned his head, just as she tapped his nose. The Knight blinked, his lips parting as if to dismiss her caution. As if to deny that she was right. She advised letting go, or at the very least spilling what was on his mind.

The Knight lowered his head.

"I couldn't do...anything." His voice was low and riddled with defeat. It was an ugly boulder that rested upon his shoulders, one that seeped into every moment of every day since Naboo. "My whole life, I could stand a chance. Mobsters. Warzones. Didn't matter. But when it mattered most, I couldn't do a damn thing."

"And I lost you. For so long I thought all of you were dead, and it was because I was too weak to stop it. I just..." He looked down at the bottle in his hands. His fingers tightened around it, frustration mounting.

"I wasn't enough."​

Luna Evanstance​

 

[Luna Evanstance]

Luna simply listened. It seemed that Abel needed to speak- unleash the burdens he’d been carrying since the moment they’d been reacquainted in the cargo bay all that time ago. "I couldn't do...anything." While she never had the burden of Nobility or the Galaxy relying on her to keep things moving or safe, the young woman understood in her own way. She nodded, listening as he spoke from the heart.

"My whole life, I could stand a chance. Mobsters. Warzones. Didn't matter. But when it mattered most, I couldn't do a damn thing." He cared and while it was one of the many things she admired about Abel, it was also his worst fault. Luna had learned long ago that giving oneself had to be a balance. As the frustration filtered through the Knight’s lamenting words, Luna leaned in gently giving his knee a comforting squeeze.

She looked up at him- perhaps one of the few times since they’ve been together that she was serious."And I lost you. For so long I thought all of you were dead, and it was because I was too weak to stop it. I just..." She offered a small smile in the way of support before she paused, another glance upwards as he spoke of his worry for her. “I’m right here.” Assuring him, bringing her hand up to give a small squeeze of his knee from where she sat. "I wasn't enough."

She grew quiet again- the thoughts of her own struggles over the years ebbing and flowing at everything that he shared. It had been easy to shut everyone out and run on fumes to one corner of the Galaxy. It’d been even easier to keep her fears and pain and burdens to herself as she tried to fight back with little hope. In their own ways, they were much more similar than just their childhoods in the slums.

“You know,” she started; quiet and pensive as Luna’s verdant gaze lingered about the scene in front of them. “You don’t have to do it all by yourself, Handsome.” Not long ago had Abel learned the truth about Luna’s past. And for the first time, since it all, she found herself hesitantly sharing her own experiences.

“After…everything, it was all too easy to only rely on myself for everything and shell the burden of it all, alone. And I did. I only ended up chasing my own tail in misery. But then some handsome Knight came along and taught me better.” She let her words linger in the air as she placed the bottle aside and pulled back her hand and rested her head against the Knight’s leg as she watched ahead- slight witticism lingering in the ending of her last words. Luna was more than content to spend the rest of the evening just as so- unsure of what chaos awaited them in the morning.

For a moment, time could stop.

“You care, Abel and it’s because you care and have such a big heart that you have to learn a balance, or else you won’t be doing any good if you burn yourself out or end up dead.” The last part was said with little tact but she lacked that more than anyone else in the Galaxy. “ And I promise, you aren’t alone. There are others here too, who would help but you have to ask for it, Abel.”

A small pause as She looked up with a smirk- attempting to lighten the mood some. “And you got me, don’t forget - even if I am more trouble than I’m worth sometimes. You might lose me from time to time but hell, you'll never be able to get rid of me.”

Abel Denko
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[Abel Denko]

VERUN - ENCAMPMENT

I'm right here.

The light squeeze of his knee was well-intentioned. It spoke volumes of the support radiating within the ashen-haired woman. Volumes of just how much of a damn she gave about the Knight. Yet, as he poured out the weight which clung to his soul, the words felt hollow. In this present moment, yes, she was here. In this present instant, they had been reunioned, against all odds. But for so long, he grappled with the reality that she was gone. Suffered through nightmare-filled nights, where the guilt shattered his ability to even rest. It was hard not to lower his head when the final words left his lips. And as he succumbed, quiet ruled her.

It was not until she began to share her thoughts again that he forced himself to sit upright again. He listened to her words, eyes widening ever so slightly as she embraced his leg. Her cheek resting against him caused a new sensation to impact the bleak inside. A flutter in his stomach. It was enough that he realized how...hypocritical he was being. Though Luna would never call him such, especially after all that had happened. But this was just how hard he was on himself. Even comfort led to critique of his own guilt.

The critique itself? She had opened up. She had shared her burdens with him. And yet, here he was shouldering the world alone. "You..." he began, fumbling initially for the words to say. She was right in what she shared. He was no longer alone. Their people were making some semblance of a life way out here in the Expanse. The Knights, his sibling - there was so much that survived the fall of Naboo. And most importantly, she had. "...You're right."

He sucked in a heavy breath and swigged from his bottle. The attempt to drown the dread was in vain, but it was less now that it had been. His gaze then fell upon her. "I'm not looking to end up burnt out, or dead in a ditch. Gods above only know what you'd do if you found me warm and I couldn't say no." The joke was darker than most Sith, but he chuckled at it nonetheless. "So consider this my asking. I need you Luna. Naboo fethed me."

Another swig.

"And frankly, that's your job." Abel was far from eloquent in that moment. Hell, he descended to Luna's level of crass and beyond. Yet, despite all of that, the truth of his needs came forth next. He leaned forward and draped his arms around her. His chin rested upon the top of her head. There was nothing else he needed to say, at least for just a moment.​

Luna Evanstance​