Where we will, we'll roam. [Xian]

[Blackthorne]

"Mm," a thoughtful noise, "didn't realize we were feigning concern already."

The woman quirked a brow, a wispy smirk leaving her lips as she took another drink. Glass was nearly empty now. She closed her eyes again, reaching to pull the long braid of black hair from behind her to fall over her shoulder then eased back into the cushions a bit more, "I'm not born of stardust, I'm born of earth and water. These long trips into deep space ... get to me and we've been in the stars for a long time now."

Dahldesa Shamalain could not recall the last time she'd made landfall. Nadir didn't count.

Head tipped a degree towards him, eyes opening again to glance him over, "My turn. I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

"Gotta take care of my sugar momma, yah?" He teased back, before finishing the glass in one last go and putting it down afterwards.

He listened and nodded along. All that Xian knew were starships, the ports and calls, the dusty starports of this world and that. Wherever his current owner went the Twi'lek would follow and more often than not it was on one ship or the other.

They seemed to feel safer while traveling, but for some reason his last owner never assumed his throat would be caught by his... dancer.

"Aye," he grunted softly again as Xian shifted his weight once more. "Nothing broken, but you got a few good hits in."

Head tilted.

"Had a difficult time not moaning."

 

[Blackthorne]

Sugar momma.

Blackthorne broke into a low chuckle, head rolling back to finish the last of her drink.

"That's a new one," she ran her fingers over her lips, a pleased smirk forming at his admission of bruises, "if it's all the same I had a difficult time restraining myself. That fine line between putting on a good show and breaking your star act...apparently really easy to stumble over. Bit like that fractured jaw you gave me back at Tchalra's."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

Brows rose a fraction at her admission.

"No wonder you had a tough time containing yourself back there." Xian chuckled as well in response to that development. No apology given, none requested or even desired. They had fought well, left their marks on each other and that was the end of that as far as he was concerned. Besides the pain was good in moderation.

Both of them had discovered that about each other during their week together. He looked over to her, down, up, lingering and exploring, before settling back on her eyes.

Reminded him of a home he never knew. At least one poem had been whispered in her ear about it.

"You are gonna have to straddle me I am afraid." He petted his ribs. "Still a bit sensitive."

 

[Blackthorne]

"Hmm..." a smile, a not so thoughtful noise. Blackthorne closed her eyes and let a silence settle upon them, content to have his eyes on her for the time being. She kept a great many companions, several of which members of her crew, but there were certain people she favored for the flavor of their company. Whether it be due to the memories of their short history together or the glint of his gaze she couldn't really say, but he was quickly climbing to the top of her list.

"Now some have died,​

and some are alive,​

and others sail the stars,"​

A low, lilting tone broke the quiet as the Captain played the tune in her head.

"with the keys to the cage,​

and the Devil to pay,​

we lay to Voyager's Dark."​

She turned, tossing her glass casually to the side and crawled across the man's lap to the sound of shattering glass.

"Yo ho, haul together,​

burn the colors bright,"​

Green eyes glowed like distant nebulae, tracing the motion of her fingers over his head, following the line of lekku, nails drawing out pleasure with a firm yet gentle touch.

"Heave ho, thieves and beggars,​

never shall we die."​

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

Her voice hummed softly, drifting between them like the morning mist, but twice as pleasant.

It had been a surprise the first time she sang for him. A pleasant one, suggesting they shared more besides the lack of morale qualms when it came to wanton slaughter and the uncanny ability to survive almost anything life threw at them.

Large hands already found their way to her hips. As his head tilted to give her better purchase against skin fingers curled, digging in softly where thin fabric separated them.

"I was writing a-" Breath hitched as she touched a particularly sensitive spot, before his eyes closed. "-duet for the two of us."

He pulled at her, pushing her closer.

"Think you will like it."

 

[Blackthorne]

Time was taken, slowly and thoughtfully ticking between each breath, seconds drifting by like lips over skin. Fingers smoothed over headtails, stroking and petting, seeking out those telltale signs of pleasure; a rumble within his chest, a roll of eyes beneath lids, a hitch of breath.

The Pirate smiled and leaned in, nuzzle ghosting her face across the contours of his. Animals relearning one another, testing and pawing, remembering.

"Been on your mind have I?" muttered words through lips gliding along his temple, she pulled back just enough to look him in the eye, "Since when does a Slaver write duets for his wares?"

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

Tilting his head just right to give her better purchase, hands sliding up, down, to the side as they wandered and explored. Gripping hold, squeeeeze before moving on and leaving skin and flesh sensitive from the touch and force.

"Here I thought..." One eye opened, the drift of the storm pushing up and laying claim. "...I was to be a pirate, ' Cap."

At some point hands found her backside, pushing her closer against him as breath, hot and heavy, washed over.

"Here to take delicious... booty," fingers curled tight once more and the clench held firm.

 

[Blackthorne]

Muscles responded well to those roving hands, twisting and coiling beneath the massage of fingers. Didn't mind the force of it - matter of fact it felt good. He managed to find sore spots she didn't even know she had. When they moved south? The corners of her lips pulled north, fangs peeking out while hips rolled downward, inward, pressing.

"Well Pirate Krayt," a flat tone, "take it," she nuzzled roughly along the base of a headtail, fingers having found their way to the tail ends where they began to rub.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

He did.

Not just once either.

"Don't know much about pirating," Xian mumbled a while later, after the obligatory shower session and then collapsing on the bed together. "But I think I got some talent for some of the skills required." A finger was slowly drawing a long line, nail barely brushing past skin, on her side as he watched her. It was a comfortable bed... comfortable room.

Just reminded him how succesful Thorne seemed at her business.

"What do you think?"

A smirk already tugged up again. Lazy this time though, slowly drifting up rather than snapping like food was ready to be served.

He could go for a nap right about now.

 

[Blackthorne]

The first back to the bed, she did not bother to dress. With the 'Bane on its way back to the Cove now was the time for relaxation. There were no further raids or skirmishes planned on the way and she intended to take advantage of some downtime before the madness that was the pirate shadowport was upon her. Xian lingered in the fresher ... drying his lekku, counting his stripes, doing what twi'leks do in their spare time; Blackthorne took up her comm device.

Though she didn't do so on purpose she'd already forgotten a promise made to someone. To speak more, to keep in touch. Even a simple message. Being a Pirate was far more involved than she'd expected - or mayhaps the freedom of the career was distracting. Either way, upon bringing up a new message to her brother, the woman released a long sigh as she struggled with what to say.

What did she say?

Sorry for forgetting. Again.

No.

Brows furrowed, her fingers passed over the screen keys before slowly typing out two words.

Wotcher, Eor.

A sigh, she waited a beat before leaning to put it back on the nightstand -

Des... I want to see you.




Soon.


A pause, she briefly bit at a nail and then typed out a reply. Xian was moving back into the main room just at the edge of her peripheral.

Making port in Stygian Caldera. 1 week.

In one week, or for one week?

Her nose wrinkled. Forgot he wasn't up on the pirate lingo.

For. We arrive in 2 days.

Got it. I'll take care of this delivery and head your way.

Looking forward to it.

Been too long.

Sending coordinates to the Cove. Use upper level docks. Access code Blackhand.

Ma wena salai, Eor.

Ma wena salai, Des. I miss you too.

Reading the last line slowly the Pirate felt her lips draw thin. At her back Xian's weight sank onto the bed - a much bigger bed than the one he'd had the last time they'd parley'd. The instant she felt his warmth at her back she closed the device and placed it in the sidetable drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. Took a few minutes to digest the notion of seeing her brother again. It felt like only yesterday they were on Onderon when, in fact, it had been years. How long since she last saw him? The frown that threatened her expression told her it had been long. Very long.

Far too long, as Dahn said.

She tugged her hair over her shoulder and began to work out the cowlicks of hair still wet from the shower, suddenly appreciative for the distraction at her back that decided to remind her he was there. Goosebumps followed the path of his touch, a chill running the course of Blackthorne's spine eliciting a flinching shrug in response, eyes closing against the sensation.

"Mm, I think you wouldn't be here if I didn't think the same."

No, he'd be on that flaming freighter with the rest of his old crew and she would have retrieve the trinket that had lead her there.

Blackthorne turned her head into her shoulder, eyes still closed, "Don't stop."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

Would have taken a blind man not to see she had been messaging someone and then put it away the moment he gotten close. But Xian was generally of the opinion that something that didn't concern him wasn't worth knowing anyway. Maybe she would tell him, maybe she would keep her silence, either way was perfectly fine with him.

His lips found the soft spot of her neck, the place where her eyes rolled back and her nails scratched hard when pressure was applied thoroughly. "True words," Xian mumbled againsr her skin, teeth teasing without edging purchase against it.

"Can you teach me." Valart suddenly said as arms wrapped around her waist and pulling her closer, lips trickling down lower and touching muscle. "This magic of yours?"

Magic... it had always seemed like nonsense to him until he had grown older. Then it became a rarity, something to avoid and stay clear of. But things changed when it was magic that bested him. Kicked his shet in without issue. Magic that reminded him that humility wasn't always a bad thing and that he still had much to learn.

Lines stroked down from fingers to skin, soft massage that he had performed thousands of times. Back then he never had a choice.

Now Xian did it because he wanted to.

It felt good.

 

[Blackthorne]

Though she kept her ship warm it didn't stop another wave of goosebumps from coursing across her skin at the twi'leks touch. Warm breath flushed along the back of her shoulders and neck, his lips and gentle bites and tugging, kneading hands melted the woman further into her bed. A low, pleasant murring sounded as she pushed her pillows aside to sink languidly onto her belly, arms stretched forward and curled beneath her head. It was nothing to think that he'd once been made to do such things for people and that he did this now of his own volition - Blackthorne didn't often tend to think backwards - but she would enjoy the attention as it came to her. Skin covered in fading tribal tattoos coiled reflexively beneath his touch, pressing into it like a spoiled cat.

"I don't know," Blackthorne uttered, "not everyone can do it."

It wasn't an answer he wanted to hear, she was sure, but it was the truth. She didn't know as much about her magics as the many Masters that taught her previously and now, but what she did know was that not all beings were capable of wielding such power. Blackthorne had no idea if he was and, her mind slowly turning, she wasn't sure how to find out.

"Mm, sleep now," she turned her head to face towards him, content to wallow in his scent and warmth, "magic later."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

This was how it often had gone between the two of them, but Xian didn't mind much.

He had expected that it wouldn't be as easy as teach me and with a flick of the wrist he would now be a witch doctor himself, but the admission that not everyone could do it? It made him frown, slightly, until he realized with amusement what that meant. As she turned he melted into the bed next to her, pulling her closer as his lips found hers again. A break then, as she tried to continue the kiss. Instead the Twi'lek kissed her nose and smirked at the Thorne.

"Special then, are we?" He mumbled against her while she shaped herself against him, so much like a feline just finding a place to hunker down for warmth and comfort. "Suppose it can wait for now." The murmur continued against her skin.

His hand brushed down, down and down.

It devolved from there.

 

[Blackthorne]

Round three.

Not quite what she had in mind when she uttered the words sleep now.

Xian was lucky she was in a good mood and amenable to his latest advance, but it would prove to be the last one for the evening. As things devolved and escalated, his breath against her back and his hands grasping at her sides, she took advantage of a wayward lekku sliding down across her shoulder. A hand lifted to brace against the shelves of the headboard, Blackthorne pushing herself up to brace against his chest while he lost himself in the throes of lust. The other hand took hold of the wandering headtail, pulling it snugly along shoulder and neck to nuzzle and gently nibble. Fingers stroked in time with him, finding that particularly sensitive zone to enhance the experience and then-

-just as he reached euphoria-

she tightened her grasp and sank her fangs in, pulling the rush of blood into her mouth with unyielding fervor.

He would not be attempting a fourth round tonight.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

Pleasure. Pain. Pleasure. Pain.

Then dull drowsiness filling his body once he was finished, Thorne was finished and the Twi'lek rolled off of her, instead opting to accept the close curl of her body firmly pressed against him. His arm supported her even as the dull pain still radiated from his lekku down to the rest of his head and body. But that pleasure had been something out of this world, out this Galaxy and was one of the few reasons that Xian allowed her to feed off of him when she wanted.

There was little else compared to that pain and pleasure.

"That was good," He murmured against her lips, kissing and closing his eyes. "Sleep now."

Tomorrow though? Tomorrow Xian would make sure to get her to test him, he wasn't sure if she knew how, but for all intents and purposes his mind was set on finding out if he was just as special as she was in this particular regard. This magic of hers? It was power, true power, and with out it? The Twi'lek wasn't sure of a path where he would be able to reclaim his strength and purpose from her. Unless he was willing to slit her throat in her sleep, like he had done to his old master.

She murmured softly against him, a purrrr, as his fingers kneaded away any stray tension from body by choice of habit.

No, that was unacceptable.

 

[Blackthorne]

Unlike her mother who experienced dreamless sleep, Dahl's mind was alive with visions while she slept. Often these were images of her home - memories playing out of days spent under the scorching summer sun or in the heady jungles. The dreams she relished the most were those of flying with the beasts. It reminded her of one great regret: leaving her skreev, Xiza, behind on that planet. A beast she'd hatched and raised on her own, as both of her brothers had. Xiza was special because she was small, like Dahl; fast, unafraid, aggressive, and quick to anger. Like Dahl. They do say that hand-reared creatures take on the personalities of their masters and if anyone had ever asked for a good example Xiza would have been it.

She missed her. She missed her home. Missed the hunts and the training, the feeling of being surrounded by family, the sensation of the sun on her skin and dirt beneath her feet. She missed afternoons by the river getting new tattoos. Missed the morning mists over the jungles, the scent of dewey earth and plants, the song of the beasts in the air. She even missed the monsoons and the way the tributaries swelled and took over the lower jungle levels.

She missed treehome and how, during those endless rains, they had to help the Riverclan relocate from their ground dwellings to the high tree boughs. She missed the hundreds of connecting rope bridges between the trees that connected the clanspeople and the look of a hundred fires burning through the branches.

The smell of her mother's cooking.

The coarse feel of skreev hide beneath her fingers.

At some point during the night Blackthorne pulled away from Xian, burrowing under the blankets at the far side of the bed.

When she woke she didn't stir, sensing that he was still asleep - just as well, the entire ship seemed to be asleep. She liked the silence and stillness of it all. So quiet she could hear the rumble of the engines despite how far away they were. These were the hours she could think uninterrupted, so she spent them trying to remember all the various methods that could be used to test Force Sensitivity.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

Eventually he did wake up and when Xian did he noticed the spot of cold, where a body had warmed it previously. Eyes opened slowly, one at a time and squinting at the shift in light as they opened. First the Twi'lek didn't see much - just a blurry fog that lessened the more he blinked, until he saw her. Thorne was watching him at this point, probably tipped off by his stretching and yawning, but there was some kind of intensity to her eye.

A loaded gun waiting to go off.

"Something tells me you ain't wanting to go for round three." Xian mumbled as he rubbed the sand away. He stretched another time, letting the muscles pull in a pleasing way and then yawned again.

"What is it?"

Probably sounded more grumpy than he meant it to be.

 

[Blackthorne]

Not so much staring at the man as through him. Perhaps that could be mistaken for intensity, given the person doing the staring. Blackthorne blinked as the man spoke and sat up a bit straighter. Casual clothing outfitted the Pirate Captain in greens, greys, and black; a citizen of Onderon might've mistaken her for an Acolyte of the Pillar of Knowledge - not so far off base. Knowledge was an essential ingredient to any hairbrained concoction meant for eventual grabs of power and despite her rebellious nature to lectures and schooling before, Dahldesa was a closet nerd.

She liked learning when it was her idea. On her time.

Brow settling a bit lower over her eyes she passed a hand over her jaw in a thoughtful manner.

Round 3 wasn't even a distant inkling at this point - which, by the by, it was round 4 but who's keeping track.

"I don't suppose you have any idea of your family history and use of the Force? Ancestors that were gifted with it?"

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

"No." The Twi'lek firmly replied, before slowly climbing out of the sheets and bed and standing up on his feet. There he lazily stretched, muscles rolling softly under skin, bones groaning in response to sudden tension in different directions. This was only half for his own benefit, the other half was for her benefit.

Oh, they might not be playing right now, but Xian never minded giving a good show.

"I would not be able to tell you the name of the village I was born in, the name of my mother or even the color of her eyes." All that Xian remembered was the soft back and forth of the river, the feeling of moss under his feet and the grass between his toes. That was his earliest memory and shortly after pain.

A shrug as he pulled on a robe... which seemed to be silky and thin and one of Thorne's.

"This is nice, Belsavis vine-silk?"

Made his butt look good though.