Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He gathered up the last of the ingredients, placing them on the counter before him just in time to see Kira take a massive whiff of a jar of pepper.

Predictably, Kira proceeded to sneeze over the entire counter top, though thankfully not onto any of the food. The False God stared at her for a moment, then shifted onto another foot taking one of the cuts of bantha and placing it onto the cutting board. “Bless you.”

Slowly Soliael picked up one of the larger knives. He began to slice into the Bantha meat with careful practiced motions, creating thin strips and larger cuts of meat. He smiled slightly, everything slowly coming together and taking tiny bits until he had four thin strips of meat on the cutting board in front of him. With a turn, Soliael grabbed one of the pans and placed it on one of the burners, using the force to switch it on.

Not cheating.

Extra help.

“Not exactly.” He finally answered her first question. “I grew up with my Mother and Grandmother until I was fifteen. At that point my Mother and I began to travel the galaxy. I never wanted for much, companionship especially.”

 

[Kira Talith]

Enter sheepish grin. "Ah.. thank you." she'd say quietly, quickly screwing the lid of the vial back up. Well that was stupid, she'd chide herself.

Deciding that perhaps it would be better to not touch anything in an unfamiliar kitchen, she would take a seat on the other side of the counter. The barstool was a bit higher than she was used to, but it would make her level to him. Leaning forward, she'd rest her chin on her palms, elbows bracing on the countertop as she would watch him.

"...Is that how you learned how to cook?" she'd ask, noticing the practiced manner he had at butchering the cuts. Her lids would lift to meet his face, hands reaching out for another jar to her right. Not to worry! This time she was familiar with the contents visible through the clear container.

They were nuts.

Unscrewing the lid, she'd help herself with a handful. Popping one into her mouth, she would wiggle her brows, impish delight sparkling in her blue eyes. "Or is that nifty skill also due to your genetics, mmm?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael looked at her.

“Nope. All me.” He said as he grabbed some more of the ingredients and placed them on a second cutting board. With a different knife he began to slice, slowly at first, then more quickly until the blade very nearly became a blur. Mid slicing he turned to her and gave her a wink, then suddenly the knife came to a perfect stop. He placed the blade down, then picked up the space onions and space rosemary, throwing it into the hot pan behind him.

“When I was...” He paused for a moment searching his memories. “One hundred and thirty five I decided to set off into the galaxy on my own. I rejected the use of the force and I traveled Wild Space. During that trip, I learned many skills, this one being one of them.”

Of course the trip ended in The Pit, but hey.

Soliael tossed the onions and rosemary in the pan for a few moments, letting them cook and simmer slightly and beginning to set a base for which to cook the meat. After a moment more Soliael turned back around and grabbed the cutting board with the Bantha, setting each of the four strips into the pan.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira would shake her head at him, a faint roll of her eyes relaying a feint expression of disbelief. Oh he radiated cocky assurance, that was a certainly. She would wonder if that had to do with his genetics as well, or his upbringing? Or maybe that was just as innate of an ability as breathing.

She'd told him earlier that he was too pretty for his own good. But that wasn't the right word. No -- he wasn't pretty. He certainly wasn't handsome. That was too calm of a word. He was intensely masculine. He attracted. Even with her inexperience, there was no denying that kind of omnipresent carnality about him, in his citrine eyes, in the way he stood.

The kind of man that I probably shouldn't flirt with in a million years.

Kira would give herself an internal shake and clear her mind. What are you THINKING? The Lorrdian quickly shoved those thoughts in a pandora's box, chained it up, and sent it into the abyss of her mind's vault.

Enter the fervent chewing of more peanuts.

That was quickly replaced by the mouth-watering aroma of the bantha steaks. Tender, juicy, meaty scent with that delicious cut of rosemary.

Whatever she'd been thinking was quickly replaced by hunger, a rather unlady like rumble in her stomach once again reminding her that she hadn't had a good meal in days.

Purpose would come to her then. He'll need plates. Time to brave the kitchen again. So she did so, pushing herself off the stool as she began her quest.

"... oh? That so?" she'd disappear for a brief moment as she'd bent down at the knees -- "ow.." came her soft wince. Okay, knees did NOT like that. She pushed through it and opened the cabinet.

"That's normally what I do.." she'd reveal, thus explaining why she had gone to a tackle mode on Metalorn than a zap zap brandish the lightsaber one.

"The Force is nice..." the sound of more cabinets opening and closing would fill the kitchen along with that of sizzling steaks, "and one can do amazing things with it... Ah hah!" she found plates.

" Just rather not be dependant on it." Her blond head would pop up briefly, just barely enough to see her blue eyes over the counter. "What else did you learn?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“I did not use the force for nearly two hundred years. I cut myself off from it, refusing to use it no matter what. It was a question of dependance, I wanted to live without it to see if I could.” Soliael flipped the tiny Bantha steaks and then turned around to the other side of the counter. There he began to cut apart some potatoes, simply slicing them in a few pieces and skinning them within only a few seconds. The skill at which he used the knife told of practiced movements.

He dropped the potatoes into already boiling water, then returned to speaking.

“I traveled for nearly a hundred years. In that time I learned martial arts, survival skills, how to ride beasts of a dozen different worlds. I learned farming, and even how to play the flute.” He smiled at the mention of the last. “I learned a list of things that would astound even you.” Another paused. “I mastered none of them.”

He said that with a smile, and then returned to the cooking food.

 

[Kira Talith]

Twin blue orbs would widen slightly, still the only thing visible above the counter besides the mop of blonde hair. Mental calculations would ensue until finally, she asked.

"So....how old are you again?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“I am two hundred and forty nine years old.” His words were said without care. His age had never been a touchy subject nor a point of pride for him. Oddly enough, Soliael was still considered a youth among his grandmothers species, barely coming out of his adolescent phase and on the cusp of entering adulthood. Funny how relatively worked out that way.

He smiled at her, and then turned down the heat on the pan cooking the steaks.

This way they would sear perfectly and come together nicely. Soliael looked at Kira then a smirk drew upon his face. “Why? Afraid I might be too old for you?”

His words were punctuated by a sizzling pop from the pan.

 

[Kira Talith]

The sound of two plates being set on the counter would follow that sizzling pop. A heavy snort would follow after. "Nah, apparently I did well for kicking a two-hundred and forty nine year old False God's bubble butt." she was quick on that, turning away to search for utensils. We won't mention the rise of heat over her chest and face that would color the tips of her ears bright red.

"I should feel guilty I tackled an old fart like you to the ground... but I guess ones gotta do what ones gotta do." she'd say in a teasing mock in an attempt to divert from her flustered state. No man had acted like so around her; not the Jedi, Jannik, or even Talon. It was a strange thing, and she wasn't too sure how to react to it. Oh there had been teasing impish flirting from time to time, but that was just playing around. Nothing serious and completely used to distract or cheer up another.

Granted, by all intents and purposes, it felt as if she was being dealt a hand from Fate with getting a taste of her own medicine.

"Skay, I won't tell anyone a girl beat you up."

ohhhhh she just went there. Okay. Maybe that was a bit TOO much distracting gusto.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael raised an eyebrow as he slowly pulled the Bantha steaks from their place in the pan and put them on a serving plate.

“Old?” He echoed her. “I'll have you know for my species I'm barely out of my teens.”

The potatoes were done as well, and he quickly poured the water out of them. Then he quickly collected them onto a cutting board, slicing them into tiny pieces before he slid them into the still hot, and still ready pan. They sizzled and gave off an immediate smell of absolute deliciousness. He let them simmer in the pan, then turned to Kira.

He scoffed at her, then smirked. “Sorry dear, you aren't the first woman whose knocked me out cold.”

 

[Kira Talith]

Now that caught her attention. Caught it enough to make her forget her brief sink into awareness. "Wait... just how long can you live?" came her first question, bringing a set of forks and two knives to set on the counter.

Another whiff of the steaks made her mouth water, and to be frank, she was thoroughly looking forward to them. But she wasn't quite done with her questions. His answers only gave her more questions. It was as if soon as she'd find a piece of the puzzle, another empty space would appear that would need filling.

Either way, dark blonde eyebrows would rise high at the last bit of information. A crooked grin would start to grow over her mouth, brightening her expression.

"Oh? Then it's a trend then?" came her quip, moving the two plates near him for easy access. "Getting knocked out cold by women?"

Oh that minx!

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He began to braise the potatoes a bit, cooking them thoroughly with the juices left in the pan. For a moment he remained silent, then turned to Kira just as he finished cooking the potatoes. He deposited them on a separate plate than the steaks, then took both of them over to the counter that she was setting into place for them to eat.

“My Grandmother is nearly a thousand years old, she shows no signs of degrading. I can fall to disease and mortal wounds, but age will not show on me for quite some time.” He was of course somewhat genetically diluted in that regard, but the scans he had taken of his own body and DNA as well as his own little experiments had confirmed that the degradation of his body occurred at a similar rate of those of Silencia and Quietus. His cells died much more slowly than Kira's, or any other near humans.

He assumed this meant Garhoons genes were mostly, if not always, dominant.

A good thing really.

“Not a trend.” Soliael said to her with that same smile. “But my mother has Humbled me many times.”

With that he began to serve her food giving her a very generous portion of both steak and Potatoes, enough to feed the creature that it was made out of in fact. Perhaps he had made too much food.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira would move alongside him, working in conjunction as she would go search for cups for drinks. She was famished, and the amazing smell of the grilled steak and potatoes was enough to make her quicken her step. The faster she did this, the faster she'd be able to eat! If there was anything Kira showed an immense amount of gusto and appreciation, it was food. One of the few things she allowed herself to completely and utterly savor, what with having grown up at the orphanage with food coming few and far in between.

Hungry or not, that didn't stop the stunned expression over her face when he mentioned the age of his grandmother. Her eyes would grow wide and she'd give a curt nod, her lips pressing into a thin line as if to say, 'alrighty then.'

She'd go through a few more cabinets before she found the cups, saying "... and you're barely out of your teens?!" she'd give a small double take, processing that.

"No wonder you have that..." she'd gesture her hand a bit, signing the words unconsciously. She wasn't able to quite relay the words she wanted to say. As if he were looking at everything as though it was in a hologlobe. Simply passing by as he'd observe it all. "....y'know?"

"...I mean...there aren't many long lived folks out there. Most of just barely top off at eighty or so." she'd frown, realizing how sad that would be to see others die before you as the centuries pass. She'd shake that thought from her head, shining him a faint smile.

"Your mother? Sounds like a fine lady," she'd say with impish humor, but with a hint of whimsical longing. True, she never knew her own mother, but the rest of the kids were her family. Guess just not quite the same. Maybe she did look at everything a bit too idealistically. "You mentioned to traveled with her after you were fifteen?" that was such a shock to register. "So during the darkness?" the four-hundred year darkness that is.

Now what to drink? She'd nibble on her lower lip, wandering over towards what she could figure out to be an icebox of sorts. So just what do False Gods have in their refrigerator? Or is everything replicated?

"Got any juma juice around?" she'd ask, well used to the frothy slightly alcoholic drink. Oh there were non alcoholic versions, but who didn't like the faint kick? She once had Namana nectar... oh that was a doozy!

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael moved very close to her when she spoke about his age. With the plates set down, and her own tasks complete aside from getting the juice, there was no fear of dropping anything, so in an instant Soliael moved against her, pushing his own body against his in that same way he had done at the doorway to his room, his hand slightly grazing her hip as he did so.

“Have what?” Soliael said innocently, his eyes radiating with false childishness.

Then he smirked at her, and immediately back away.

Wandering over to a different refrigerator from earlier he opened it and began to inspect the contents. Inside he found a fine assortment of Blue Milk, Popsi Cola, and interestingly enough, Juma Juice. He frowned slightly at that, then retrieved the bottle from the fridge and brought it over to the table, walking passed Kira and giving her that innocent smile once again.

“Yes, we traveled during the four hundred year Darkness.” Soliael said circling back around to her earlier question. “Though by the time we got to most worlds the Gulag Plague was either dead, or dying.”

He finished serving the food, the drinks, and then turned to Kira with a bow and a sweep. “Dinner is served.”

 

[Kira Talith]

Well there was no mistaking his presence. Not when the heat of his body through those pajamas would permeate through her robe. There was no hiding the subtle stiffening of her body, nor the surprise and slightly flustered agitation he'd stir. She made no apologizes for her height, in fact she often had to put out the extra mile to show that she could do just as well despite her ghostling resemblance.

"... right." she'd half squeak out, trying to not show that he was getting to her. But being a Lorrdian made that extremely difficult. It just made it harder to keep her bearing when he would just suddenly be... everywhere. Her fingers would tighten around the cups in a knuckle white grip and her heart would jump to her throat. Okay... whoa, get yourself together here. What is going on?!

A thought came to mind just as a smile would curve across his mouth. It looked no serious than he did and she wasn't deluded by it for a moment. He was having fun at her expense!

Her eyes would narrow. Granted, as he made his bow with a flourish, presenting the meal he had cooked for them himself -- maybe he did have a reason to be so arrogant.

She'd steel her back, giving herself an internal pep talk. Okay, two can play this game!

Maybe...

Kira would amble her way over, setting the cups down upon the counter. Enter the clapping of her hands, a lift of her chin ( perhaps in defiance? Challenge? ), and a twinkle in her blue eyes.

"Such presentation! You are man of many talents," she'd say, moving over to grab a chair for her to sit. She'd reach over to take the Juma Juice for her own. It really did look fantastic -- and she was willing to give him that.

"It looks amazing... " came the compliment, and she meant it.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Before she could sit herself down Soliael appeared behind her, pulling the chair out for her, and pressing it in when she was about to sit herself down. It may have appeared to be rather high class, but then again Solael was the son of an Emperor and grandson of a Queen. He had long ago been taught the ways of etiquette and ceremony, and they had been so rigorously instilled in him that he could not help but follow them.

Even with a little orphan girl who had probably never experienced such things.

“Thank you.” Soliael said rounding the table and sitting himself down opposite her. He waved his hand, and begged her to began eating.

Something occurred to him before he began eating. He had assumed that Kira had no family, that the Jedi had raised her, but she had to have someone close right? Her Master? Friends she had made at the temple? Their had to be someone. Plus she'd been interrogating him for the last hour, perhaps it was time to start returning the favor.

Before taking his first bite, Soliael spoke. “What about you? I assume you were raised by the Jedi, but did you have family there?”

Silly question, he doubted there were entire Jedi Families.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira would give him a curious expression as he'd slip the chair in for her. It clearly befuddled her, her brows drawing together. It wasn't unappreciated, just unexpected. All in all, a pleasant surprise.

He'd draw her out of her reverie with her question, "Hmm?" her brows would perk as she'd wrap her fingers around a fork. After a moment, she'd shine him a ghost of a smile. A slow shake of her head, moving to claim the knife into her right.

"No," she'd tell him, answering both carefully. "Just me, myself, and I," she'd give him a faint crooked grin. " I wasn't exactly raised by the Jedi Order either." she'd start to cut through the bantha steak, watching the juices squeeze out as she did so. It smelled heavenly.

"I grew up on Kuat."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael chewed his food for a moment, swallowing it before giving he ran encouraging look.

The name Kuat drove into him slightly, but he managed to keep everything steady and calm. Now that he knew she was a Lorrdian, he tried extra hard not to give anything away. He would be honest with her, always honest, but he would not volunteer information about his grandmother, the Queen of Kuat, not very lightly anyway.

It was better that Kira didn't know.

“So you were alone, on Kuat?” He said the words not with pity, but a small amount of empathy. Soliael could not imagine what it would have been like to be completely alone from birth. He had isolated himself by choice, having to do so involuntarily...well, he would not have gotten far without the tutelage of his mother and grandmother, that much he knew.

He didn't even notice that he had stopped eating, isntead choosing to pay complete attention to only Kira.

 

[Kira Talith]

Her eyelids would lift to study him. "Heh...not quite." she'd admit, bringing a piece of steak topped with a potato up to her mouth. A look of sheer pleasure would sweep over her face, and it was evident that she was taking her time to savor it all. Perfectly cooked, juicy, and oh with the potatoes...

Absolute heaven!

She wasn't one to normally have such a fancy home cooked meal, much the less, just for her. After a moment, she'd open her eyes again, a wide grin on her face. "This is fantastic... really, really." as if she could not emphasize it enough.

After a moment, she'd lick the corner of her mouth, as if to make sure she didn't miss a single crumb. Finally, she'd add, "I grew up in an orphanage, so you could say I had a big family with them.... just not the same."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“You should see what I can do in two hours.” He said it with another wink.

As she ate he studied her, for the third time since they had been together. His eyes followed her as she moved, her small smile, the twitches of her fingers, the wiggle of her nose as she ate and found things satisfactory. Unconsciously he found himself smiling, then cast his eyes down to his own food as he realized that he was being rather rude.

He slowly began to slice into another piece of Bantha meat as he spoke again. “I see. Did you join the Jedi Order when Kuat fell under Republic Control?”

Soliael recalled how Kuat joined the Republic, and he also recalled what the Republic had done to Kuat in thanks during the Clockwork Rebellion. His grandmother had of course used the opportunity to seize power, but there was still a hint of bitterness in her for that event.

When Kira had joined the Jedi Order would be a good indicator to Soliael.

 

[Kira Talith]

Did he have something in his eye? Kira would muse, watching him wink at her anew. It was more that she was trying rationalize it all, rather than focus on the slim chances that he was actually trying to -- wait, what in two hours?

Her ears would perk, "A stuffed nuna?" she'd ask, sliding another bite of steak into her mouth. Every one of her motions was done with great care, as if to make sure she could take every single flavor profile. A sip of juma juice would wash everything down. Yeah, no complaints from her.

"Umm... no. A bit prior to that." the Lorrdian admitted. Her hand rose, tucking in wayward strands of blonde hair behind her right ear. "Master Galloway completed a mission that resulted in the me and the rest of the younglings brought into the Order.... or the agricorps."