Welcome to the Jungle

[Damien Van-Derveld]

The jungles of Ryloth were home to Damien. For a long time the Mandragora has called the planet home until they relocated to a keep on Geonosis. It was a sad thing to see the Rylothi rancors abandoned, so Damien remained behind to tend to the creatures he’d bonded with some time ago. The woods were more than just a home to him, they were also his sanctuary. He was free to be himself, man and wolf, a thing which was not as easily done in a city or among more “civilized” worlds. Damien loved his forests, and it would take a miracle to see him abandon them entirely.

He had just finished a hunt, the creature proving to be more of a challenge than he’d expected. His fur had been blood stained which translated to his face and chest as he made his way back to a human form. As the meat of his milk cooked over an open flame, Damien washed the blood away at a nearby river. The cool water made his skin bump and pucker, but after such invigorating hunt it was more than welcome.

His ears picked up the sound of someone approaching. The footsteps were soft, as though the person were trying to sneak up on him. Breathing in deep into his lungs, Damien searched the air for a familiar scent and just smiled as he hid himself. Was she trying to catch him again? Damien wasn’t sure what game it was they were playing. He liked the girl, and remembered their night in the maze with fondness. She was young though, and her father would not likely appreciate the two of them spending time together.

Regardless of what could be or what was, Damien wanted to get to know this girl. She was so different than anyone he had met before and that left him curious. Maybe it was his curiosity that kept him moving forward when he should have been more cautious, but as she broke through the camp Damien leaped out hoping to surprise her.

[member="Kaia Verd"]

 

[Kaia Verd]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaia had grown very fond of the guy she had met upon the planet of Kabal, that night with the moon drifting through the clouds as a ship over smooth seas they had shared a dance that Kaia would never forget, Kaia had come away from that night with a crush on the guy that she couldn’t seem to shake. From there she was surprised to meet him once more at a party held by the Mandragora, that night had flown by in what seemed to be the blink of an eye for the small girl, she had finally let her emotions get the better of her and lead the lupine into the maze that had been set up, and in a moment of passion she had kissed the lupine, ever since the kisses they had shared she couldn’t get the guy off her mind, every stray thought lead her back to him. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]When she had received word that he was on Ryloth Kaia had immediately set out for the relatively uncivilized world. She was anxious to see him again, the night of the celebration sparks had flown between the two of them and Kaia had her mind set on fanning that spark into a flame so to speak. Ryloth was quite a ways from her home planet of Geonosis, the capital of the Confederacy where she had been raised from the age of 8.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Upon landing on the surface of the planet she could sense the Lupines presence through the force and automatically started to head in the direction of it. The planet’s flora was beautiful, but Kaia knew that looks could be deceiving so each step she took she took with great care and caution being careful not to step on any animals or even bugs as they parted before the small girl. She made it to the camp shortly there after.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]As the lupine jumped out Kaia was so surprised that she stumbled and fell over backwards landing on the ground with a shriek [/SIZE]

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Damien chuckled as Kaia fell backward, though his chuckle quickly disappeared when she fell onto the ground. He had not intended to scare her, just startle her a little. It was the playfulness of the wolf inside him, and Damien felt a little guilty he had caused her to fall. An apologetic look pulled at his face as he cringed slightly at what he had just done. He offered his hand to help Kaia up to her feet hoping she was not upset.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to knock you over. That’s twice now.”

He found it ironic this was the second time he managed to knock Kaia on her back. The first had been when they met at the dance when they had been on Kabal. That night had been fun, and clearly impressed the young woman who had found his camp on Ryloth. Damien wondered how she had found him, but he wasn’t going to ask.

Bis band motioned to the log near the fire he was using as a bench. The meat was smelling good, and while Damien preferred it closer to the raw side, he was certain Kaia did not. As he motioned to the meat, Damien looked at the curly haired girl.

“So since you’re here are you hungry?”

[member="Kaia Verd"]

 

[Kaia Verd]

[SIZE=9pt]As Kaia hit the ground, she remembered the first time she had fallen over, a blush grew on the small girls face realizing that when she had fallen over the first time she most likely flashed the lupine. It was embarrassing that she had not noticed it until this point of time when she was once again picking herself up off the ground with help from the lupine. Kaia looked at Damien and smiled softly, her single dimpled smile was something to behold. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“You are just fine, I guess you can say I’ve fallen for you twice now.” The curly haired girl said with a giggle, it was a bad joke, but she still found it funny. She had come out here to get to know the guy more. During the celebration with the Mandragora they had shared several kisses, these kisses had set off fireworks in Kaia’s heart leaving a trail of sparks of romance through her memories of that night, she planned to fan these sparks into a flame. The small girl had a heart of gold to say the least, though she was raised a warrior she still had a heart and emotions that some lacked.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]As she was invited to sit by the fire she did, the meat smelled good. She looked up and smiled to the man “Yes please” She said softly as she looked at the sky, the sun was setting in a beautiful showing of colors, red pink orange and even some blue. As she took a seat on the log she smiled as the fire crackled softly, the smell of burning cedar filled her nose, she had always loved the outdoors but she hardly got the chance to spend much time on planets with forest so she planned to spend a good deal of time here “It smells delicious.”[/SIZE]

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Damien chuckled at the reply. Kaia had a witty sense of humor and seemed to have no problem poking fun at herself on occasion. People took themselves too seriously at times, and so it was refreshing to see that Kaia did not. Damien came from a family which seemed to have an over inflated view of their own importance to the universe. On his own part, he was running away from a dark side savior prophecy which thought was simply his grandmother's way of trying to ensure he always held a high position among the witches despite his male heritage. The Lupine simply smiled at the girl as she sat down on the log.

He could hear the sounds her stomach made as she inhaled the scent of the meat. Of course it smelled delicious, and it was going to taste delicious. There was not much which did not taste good when it was cooked over an open flame. Damien prefered it because he had grown up with his meals cooked this way. Sure there was technology which could have cooked the meat quicker, but the smoke and crust which cooked into the meat as a result was more than worth the time it took. He was a patient cook because he was a patient hunter, but Damien wondered if the girl next to him could wait. At least the company was good.

The Lupine reached out with a knife and cut a small piece of meat off of the larger beast. It would be cooked well enough to eat, and so he offered the girl a taste.

"Here, tell me what you think," he said with a smile as he handed the piece to the girl with the knife.

He sat back down on the log and began to stoke the coals of the fire a bit. Keeping the temperature even was part of a good cook, so Damien knew he could not venture too far from the fire now. His job was simple, keep the coals going, turn the meat at the right intervals, and enjoy the surprise company.

[member="Kaia Verd"]

 

[Kaia Verd]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaia grinned as the young lupine began to poke the coals keeping the heat even. Kaia had not done much hunting of animals in her life, but from her adventures as a bountyhunter she knew that when stalking your prey you must be patient and stealthy, for if not then the skill with the blade or blaster mattered not for you would lose your chance to strike. For all the lessons her father had taught her the most important one was that of patience.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The silence between the two of them was actually soothing to Kaia, she knew what true silence was being as she was deaf without her hearing aids but this silence was different, with her hearing aids she picked up on all the sounds of the forest, alive around her, the rustling of leaves on the ground as small creatures moved through the underbrush of the forest, the crackling of the fire before her. Kaia moved a bit closer to the lupine as a cool breeze hit her from behind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]It was then that the man turned after cutting a piece of meat from the creature. Kaia grinned as she took the knife with a quiet “thank you” She then took the piece of meat into her mouth, it was delicious to say the least. As she swallowed the delicacy she turned back to the man “That was delicious.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaia felt a sense of calm and belonging in this place with him.[/SIZE]

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Damien smiled as she enjoyed the meat. It was one thing that he liked to do for others. Forced service was one thing, but this he did for others because he enjoyed it. The look of a satisfied stomach that washed on a person’s face was always its own reward. Damien learned to enjoy that as much as anything else in life.

His shoulder nudged Kaia as he leaned her way and then bounced back. The rest of the meat was still cooking, so Damien wasn’t going far. There was the awkwardness of not knowing what to say after their night at the maze. They’d shared a few kisses, she’d seen him as a wolf, and it had been a wonderful evening. Damien had not seen her since then, and they had not really talked since then either. This was not Damien’s expertise.

“So the other night was fun,” he said to test the waters and see what the young girl would say. It was all Damien was looking for at the moment. Kaia was fun, but she was still young. Damien could only see things for what they were at the moment. Maybe with time, it right now there was no way her father would let them be serious. This was what Damien told himself.

“You have time to stick around for a bit while I finish cooking this thing?”

[member="Kaia Verd"]

 

[Kaia Verd]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaia smiled as she savored the meat, she had always loved the outdoors and cooking over an open fire, though she did not get the chance to do so very often being from Golbah city she spent most of her time in the urban environment. Her hazel eyes gently glanced over at the lupine, he was so cute to her, just her type, rugged yet soft spoken, an environmentalist just like herself. She had so much she wanted to say to him, she wanted to tell him how she felt about him, she knew her parents and as long as she was happy they would be ok with anything for she was old enough to make her own decisions about who and what to spend her time on.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She looked at him and as he brought up the other night she blushed, she remembered it almost as a dream, the pictures so vivid yet the lighting was a bit different, almost like candle light. It was her idea of a perfect night, one spent with one that you cared for. Her favorite part of that night was when he had revealed his wolf form to her, she viewed this as a sign of trust, which was the value that meant the most her, being trusted by one. The small girl would think over this for a moment and speak. “It was lovely yes, I have never had that much fun in my life.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaia smiled gently, she could tell the young lupine was reluctant to get into anything serious with her, no doubt because her father was quite an influential and powerful man, however she knew that she would in the end get what she wanted if only Damien would give her a chance. As he asked if she would be sticking around while he cooked the beast, she didn’t think a moment but instead began to speak. “Of course I have plenty of time”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She then took a deep breath and decided to lay out just what she was thinking for the lupine “I have to tell you, the first time I met you I didn’t know what to think of you at first, you were stunning, the lighting gently reflecting from your beautiful eyes. When you first spoke to me your voice was gorgeous, and I could tell from your first few statements that we had a lot in common. When it came to the dance you moved so gracefully for someone with your build it shocked me. As we said our goodbyes that night I had made up my mind that if I ever saw you again I would tell you how I felt, to put it gently I feel a deep affection for you so deep that I cannot define it in words, for the first time in my life for all my eloquence I cannot find the correct words. Your smile never left my mind those few days between our dance and meeting at that party. I did not expect to run into you on that night, however I would not trade that night for the world. When I saw you my heart skipped a beat, though you were in costume I recognized you instantly. As soon as you made your way over to me I had to get a grip on my feelings, I had a decision to make and I needed to do it quickly, should I tell you how I felt or just play it cool and see how things worked out. That is why I pulled you into the maze, I needed time to collect my thoughts and figure out a course of action, it was as I rounded that last corner that I made my choice, actions speak louder than words. When I pulled you close and our lips met for the first time fireworks went off in my mind, for the first time in my life I could not think, merely feel. As our lips parted yet you stayed close and did not pull back it was an extreme confidence boost for me. As we spoke I could not get my eyes off of your lips, they were so kissable. After sharing a few kisses you took off, I knew you wanted to be a flirt, so I went with it. I know now that we are getting closer you are concerned with how my parents will view us being together, however I can assure you, as long as I am happy they are happy, they know that I am old enough to make my own decisions.” Taking a small breath having not stopped for a millisecond she would then continue her voice softening , “It is no secret that I want to be with you, I think we are meant to be together, you get me like no one else, we both had a rough go for the first few years of our lives but look at us, we have survived, we made it out and now get a chance to live the lives we want to, so what do you say?” The small girl said and smiled softly.[/SIZE]

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Damien was happy she remembered the maze and the things which followed that night with fondness as well. For him, it was the first time he could say he had a choice in the matter, and he was happy about it. The fact he was used to being told what he was going to still plagued his mind a bit, but he was adjusting to his freedom.

That was when she started her monologue.

Damien did not know what to say. He listened, and by the time she was finished, Damien was speechless. Words needed to come out of his mouth but they were not coming. What was he supposed to say? A girl, young, just poured out her heart to him, and Damien did not want to crush it. However, while Damien was attracted to her, was he ready to simply have a relationship in that moment?

The silence was getting awkward, and so Damien broke it.

"That... I did not expect that," he said with a nervous chuckle as he looked at Kaia. "You gotta understand... I am used to women telling me what my life is going to look like here. When passed my rites as a nightbrother and the ceremony was over and final, that night I was taken into a witches tent. When my grandmother saw the designs the other women had for me, she got me off of Dathomir. I am just getting used to what it means to be free and to choose what I want... and... I don't know what I want. I know that I like you. I know that enjoyed the other night. I know that I seem to smile more when you're around. Does that mean I am ready to just say that we belong together forever?"

Damien shoved a piece of meat into his mouth to keep himself from rambling.

"Can we take it slow and figure this thing out together?"

That was all Damien really wanted. He wanted to be able to figure out his own self and his own feelings, and how they related to the girl he was with. Sure they were 2 years apart, but Damien sometimes felt light years apart from anyone close to his age.

[member="Kaia Verd"]

 

[Kaia Verd]

[SIZE=9pt]Having just poured her heart out for the lupine the small girl would take a deep breath, normally she was not one to monologue, for the most part she was 90% sure that she was the smartest person in the room but 100% of the time she knew that it didn’t mean that others opinions didn’t matter, in fact for the girl it meant the opposite, she was more of one to listen instead of speaking immediately except when around those she was comfortable with. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]As the young lupine began to speak the smile faded from Kaia’s face replaced by a look of concentration. She listened to his story, She knew that the customs of the Night sisters were sick and twisted but she had not put two and two together until this moment. She gasped slightly as the man put the meat in his mouth Kaia once more took a deep breath. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The tension between the two of them was as tight as a fully drawn bowstring, that is until the lupine once more spoke. Kaia could understand his reluctance now that she understood his full story. As he told her he just wanted to take it slow the smile once again appeared on her face gently.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaia would look in his eyes and respond “I understand and I believe it is for the best if we take things slow.” She said gently reaching her hand over to place on his. She was elated that he had not said no.[/SIZE]

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Damien nodded, happy Kaia agreed. He did not know where things would lead, or if they would be an item forever. What Damien did know was he could only see where things went. The Lupine didn’t know his own feeling or emotions where this girl was concerned. Knowing where she stood, the wolf would certainly be cautious. His intent was not to lead her on in anyway, or give any sense of false hope. As far as Damien was concerned if there was a part of him that knew they didn’t belong together that would be that. It would not be fair to string her along if he knew his feelings were not the same.

He didn’t know that though, and so slow it would be.

The young wolf stood from the log where he had been sitting to rotate the meat. He didn’t have a motor to make what he rigged up to work like a rotisserie, so Damien had to do the next best thing. Every thirty minutes or so the beast needed to be rotated so the color of the meat was even. Damien didn’t want one side burned and the other not. Flipping it around would also speed up the cook as the juices moved through the meat, hot enough to cook the center as they passed through.

Damien turned to look at Kaia, curious about her story. How exactly had she come to be in Confederate space. She had not been there when he’d arrived a year prior, so naturally his mind wanted to know.

“So what about you? How did you end up with the Confederacy? What’s your story?”

[member="Kaia Verd"]

 

[Kaia Verd]

[SIZE=9pt]Kaia fixed her eyes on the fire that crackled before her, watching the sparks fly from the tips of the fire had the girl mesmerized. She took a deep breath catching the scent of the beast that was cooking over the fire. As the man stood up to turn the beast she was deep in her head thinking how nice it would be to get out of the city more often. Living in the city any time she got the chance to be in nature she loved it, it calmed her, for some reason she felt more grounded than most other times. Hearing the gentle crackle of the fire and the movement of wildlife she smiled gently. As the young Lupine turned and asked her about her upbringing she decided to tell the story as she had several times before.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“I have been in Confederate space since I was 8, my parents rescued me from the war-torn planet of Nar Shaddaa. I was dumped by my biological parents being nothing but an obstacle to getting their next fix, I was raised by a gang that taught me to steal for them. It was a firefight between the gang and my parents. The explosion occurred and I lost my hearing, from there my parents took me in and raised me as their own, as a Mandalorian I learned to fight and kill and get over my hearing loss to be a productive member of society.”[/SIZE]

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]