You Saw Nothing

[Gerwald Lechner]

Laxatives in the water supply? Gerwald looked at her like she was insane. Sure she was teasing, but still that just sounded miserable. ”Just make sure I’m away on some mission when you decide to do that...” he said with a teasing tone to his voice. Gerwald has no doubt she would do something like that. Usually if a brain could come up with something that quickly, it had been thinking about it for a while. There was a very fine line to thought and action at that point.

He was already sticky. He nodded as the girl touched his hair. This was the first time he really noticed the height difference between them. He’d picked up on it while they were dancing, but Ger hadn’t really paid attention. Katrine stood a good foot and five inches shorter than him, but Scherezade was only shorter than him by 9 inches. Most women were not as tall as her.

Eyes widened at the offer of a private shower. If the sithling had been afraid she’d offered to shower with him, that was exactly how it sounded at first. As she stumbled over her words it became clear that’s not what she was doing. His heart settled after a bit. Just the idea of being that close to a woman when neither had clothes on scared him. His mother truly had done a good job of ensuring he would never reproduce, or find enjoyment in the act which led to it.

”Right... separate showers, and don’t touch the drugs... Seriously though, we both are pretty bloody, not that I mind. Lead on...”

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Lead on.

That was all the encrouagement she needed. A smile of relief spread on her face as she grabbed the intestines and the pile of meat she was going to put in them, giving [member="Gerwald Lechner"] the time he needed to collect whatever he wanted to take with him.

The sky was still dark as they walked, but she could already smell the approaching dawn. They'd have an hour before daylight broke through, perhaps a hour and a half. She release her mental orders from the guards, giving them a final instruction to start at the far end of the camp so that she and Ger could have the time they needed to get to her ship without coming across them. Once they were there though, the guards' minds would no longer keep them from doing their usual rounds.

It was less than ten minutes of a walk. Both of them had long legs and long strides, and she wasn't sure if he was adjusting his speed to hers or the other way around, but they were there quickly enough, and at last, the silence felt mostly natural, without the thick awkwardness lingering around it. She felt comfortable, and the stupid blush was finally gone. She hoped it'd stay gone.

They'd arrived at the Giggledust.

Scherezade led the two of them in. It was an old Sith Infiltrator thing, where you needed the elevator to get out of the hangar area and up to where all the important things were. The problem was that the elevator was out. It happened when Scherezade didn't have the credits needed to get it fixed, so she ended up pulling the elevator box itself entirely out, leaving a bunch of ropes that had to be climbed up instead. It was usually fine, except for when she was injured and couldn't do the climb at all. She was really going to have to take care of that one day. There were also technically two showers that had been built on the ship, but one didn't work. She was going to have to get that fixed as well at some point in the future, when she could afford to.

"Right this way," she said pleasantly as she used the Force to levitate everything she was carrying upwards, her hands reaching out for one of the thick ropes. It only took a few seconds to get upstairs.

And upstairs was... Well, it was in need of cleaning. That area, anyway. The rooms had been scrubbed until her hands were raw not a week ago, and so was the kitchen and the cockpit. The open door to one of the storage bays revealed a huge bacta tank, which was exactly the reason she couldn't afford anything else the ship required. When you get stabbed as frequently as she does, a bacta tank is a damn good investment.

"You get to shower first," Scherezade said, turning to Gerwald, "I'll store the food in the meantime. There are clean towels and-" and he needed something to wear, unless he felt comfortable walking around naked in the ship, but considering the hazards that could potentially be leaned against or stepped on, "I'll find you something to wear. Especially to protect the feet."

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

The ship hadn’t been far, and everything Gerwald needed to do was done before they left. The beast was on the spit, and as dawn threatened to break, Gerwald was ready to get clean. He would have to return to rotate it on occasion, but it would not be ready until evening. It was going to be delicious. Some would have said he needed to season such a large animal, but that could happen when it was hot. When the meat and roast were fresh seasoning wasn’t needed as much to mask the old and tired flavor of processed meats.

When they arrived at the ship, Gerwald was taken aback by the disrepair of it. He supposed it was something he should have been ready for, it had been explained partially. ”Your aunt didn’t take care of it at all did she?” he asked as more of statement. [member="Scherezade deWinter"] had already told him about the spice problem, and it should have given away how the rest of the ship would be. He simply nodded when she indicated where the shower was.

”Thanks... and if you think you can manage it... my bunk 313. There is a foot locker at the end of my bed with some clothing that is my size. Unless your aunt knew large men, I doubt you’ll have anything. Though the thought is nice.”

It was practical. Ger grabbed a towel and headed into the fresher where he turned on the hot water immediately. It was luxurious. The water cascaded down his body, red by the time it hit the drain. There was more blood on him than he knew, and for a moment he had wished Scherezade had wanted to be in the shower with him, simply because his back was covered.

He looked around for soaps and shampoos. Ger was going to smell like a flowery girl when all this was over. He shrugged and washed himself. By the time he finished the girl had managed to find him shoes and pants. It was better than nothing, and at this point he wanted his clothes. Gerwald was chilly, and he needed to warm up.

”You’re up,”

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

It appeared she was going to get him clothes and shoes, but from his bunker. A quick recalculation in her mind, and the girl nodded, deciding to stuff the animal products into the fridge and deal with it tomorrow. A day wouldn't make much of a difference anyway. She jumped down, landing gracefully, and made a run for the barracks. Her movements were aided by the Force, and anyone who might have seen her would've seen mostly just a blur. She wasn't sure how much time [member="Gerwald Lechner"] needed to take a shower, but she had a feeling it wouldn't take him too long.

She managed to find bunk with ease, without stumbling into anyone, noticing only now that the appearance of someone like her, covered in blood, just before dawn, coming to take someone's possessions... Yeah, Scherezade should've been better prepared. But luck was on her side while she made her way back to the Giggledust, managing to climb to rope with one arm (and using the Force too. There was no way she would've managed it without it).

"You look so different when you're not covered in blood," the comment escaped her mouth before she even thought about it. He was clean now, his skin still wet from the shower, not a trade of blood on him. It was almost as if the activities of the past few hours were washed away by the water. She handed him his things quickly and vanished to the refresher, leaving him with an "I'll be back soon." There were enough things to occupy his mind while she was one; there was a holotelevision, more food, and uh. Well, not that many things, unless he felt like training in one of the stock rooms she'd cleared for that purpose. Oh, there were also all her charts about the weapon she'd created hanging about; glitter bullets, tough the glitter in her possession at the moment was properly contained and not in danger unless he decided to open the containers of it. He could also see the extra room she had on the ship. Unlike most of it, it was sparkly clean, with fresh sheets and a comfortable mattress.

Scherezade turned the tap on and made sure the water was enough to turn her skin to lobster. Blood washed out easily enough at first, but there were always specks that got lodged between the skin cells and she wanted to be completely fresh and clean. Her hair took of the work; when it was dry, it reached the middle of her back, but now that it was wet, it was well down to her behind, and every strand needed attention as she cleaned it up. A body scrub and a loofah were added to the mix as well, and she even went between her toes. Not until the water ran clear for at least a few minutes did she dare to assess that she was clean enough to be presentable.

Toweling herself off quickly, she grabbed one of her gigantically oversized t-shirts and threw it on, as well as a pair of rubber boots that she could wear without needing socks. She hated getting dressed immediately after a shower, but she couldn't leave her guest hanging alone and being bored. Her hair was dripping like mad, leaving little pools behind her when she sat in one place for more than a few seconds, and she hoped it'd dry itself off soon. The thought of getting a blow dryer had never crossed her mind.

She almost darted out of her room, looking for [member="Gerwald Lechner"], hoping he hadn't decided to run back to the barracks while she'd taken her time getting rid of the blood. "I hope I didn't take too long," she mumbled.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

There wasn’t much Gerwald could occupy himself with. Stewjon was a backwater world compared to the luxuries he’d discovered since joining the Confederacy. Things like holotelevision were so new to him, Ger didn’t know if he liked it. That’s why he opted to find the ship’s galley. Yes things needed to be cleaned, but that took time and the ship wasn’t small. Perhaps the girl had coffee or tea that he could heat up. Rummaging through a person’s cabinets without permission wasn’t a good thing per se, but Ger felt like he had it.

A kettle of water was put on, he liked his tea hot. It wasn’t going to take as long as it would take [member="Scherezade deWinter"] to clean herself, but it would help pass the time. Part of him felt like he was encroaching and that he needed to leave, but that would make things even more awkward than what they were. They’d kissed, that didn’t make them an item did it? Of course he was going to not say anything and pretend like everything was all cool. Why would he do anything different. In truth, everything was cool. Ger just didn’t know what kind of expectations other cultures had.

He caught her voice as she came back to find him. Her hair was dripping wet, and it was long. Ger liked it.

”No, I was just making some tea, or caf. It’s going to be a long day of no sleep so...”

Get shrugged as he poured some hot water into the mugs he had found. A tea bag was dropped into his. The peppermint wafted up to his nose as he took a sip. He loved mint tea and was happy to find some in the galley. There was something envigorwting about it. Perhaps it had become a vice of his, but he did enjoy it.

”So... um... do we need to talk or something... are we supposed to talk about what just happened back there or....”

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

A long day of no sleep. Of course. She hadn't considered that Gerwald abided a different schedule than hers. Then again, she didn't have a set schedule, other than what she decided she would do. No class training, or a routine with other Knights. On that aspect at least, she had the freedom to do as she pleased. But it wasn't like that for everyone, was it? She wondered if she could convince him to take the day off. At least to get some rest. Or maybe it wasn't even her place to suggest such a thing at all.

Scherezade sat down on one of the chairs, shaking her head to the offer of tea. It wasn't as bad as coffee, but she just preferred water most of the time. The tea was there because she'd recently been introduced to it, thought she liked it, and ended up getting a bunch of different kinds before realizing it wasn't her thing. She'd have been happy to say it was there for guests, but guests were pretty much a rare thing when it came to her. Especially on this ship.

And then he came with those questions again, the questions that made her cheeks redden.

Were they supposed to?

"I don't know," she answered honestly. Endless memories flashed in front of her eyes, all of them containing her grandmother and different men (and some women) and how it had been handled. Scherezade closed her eyes and groaned. This had been her first kiss. Her grandmother's memories were threatening to contaminate it. And her grandmother, anyway, had her own opinion about such matters.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she ased with a slightly shaky voice. She hated the fact it did that. She coughed and tried again, "I mean..." what did she mean? Forcing herself to look at [member="Gerwald Lechner"], she asked, "Should I not have done that?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Gerwald shrugged. ”I just didn’t know if we were supposed to. I mean you definitely should have.”

They could both kill without question, but when it came to this, Gerwald Lechner and [member="Scherezade deWinter"] were both clueless. It was hilarious, and most certainly would be to Ger later when he thought about it. All he could wonder if there was some kind of expectation attached to it or not, and rather than just ask he was bumbling around like a moron.

Another sip of tea helped him to gather his thoughts a bit more. The mint woke his mind up in a way it needed to be. Gerwald wasn’t much of a tea person outside of the mint. Caf was what kept him going most days, and ale for his nights. There was plenty of Viking like warrior in him to want to put away several tankards of mead each night before going to bed.

He ran his fingers through his hair. It was finally beginning to dry.

”I just keep replaying the kiss, the moment in the woods, over and over again. It feels like there are a ton of more questions than there are answers to what, how, why... I know tonight was about helping me to feel free and find myself, but in many ways I’m still at a loss, and you did offer to teach me how to use the force... that hasn’t changed has it?”

Right so he managed to put some of his questions to voice.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"Of course not!" she almost jumped from her chair at the mere suggestion. Her offer to train him had come from her, and it had come regardless of other things that may or may not have happened. She would have offered it much sooner if she'd been aware to the fact he had the Force but was untrained, maybe even on Dragonflower, before any dancing or fighting took place.

As for the whats and hows and whys... Scherezade found herself without the need to question it, now that she thought of it. They had shared several moments of extreme intimacy tonight. They had show each other themselves parts that had never been exposed before. She wanted to think about it, to analyze it, yes, but... But had Gerwald not starting asking questions earlier at the camp, she would not have thought to even try to think about answers.

At least he'd said she definitely should have kissed him. That alone was enough to make her smile a little.

"I'd rather you got some sleep first though," she said, trying to stick to the subject. If he was going to talk about the training and thereby save her blushing, the least she could do was not change the subject to those awkward strange things they were both painfully obviously tumbling about. Her grandmother's opinions had a lot to say about them, but Scherezade was really really working at not hearing or listening to them, "there's an extra bedroom here. We can sleep for a few hours and then start." But he was a Knight, she reminded herself. They had... Did they have schedules? Schedules that didn't include proper Force training? "Unless you've got other plans. Sun's coming up right about now." There. That sounded like she wanted to do - that he could choose. There wouldn't be any forcing around.

Not until his Force training started, anyway.



[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Gerwald’s words had stirred the girl from her seat, almost. It was instinctual as if her urge to protect him, and see him trained was more important than anything else. Ger smiled because he wanted to learn what she could teach, and it had nothing to do with what they had shared so far. He needed to learn, wanted to learn, about the gift which had been his since birth. It needed to be cultivated, and sharpened.

He quickly finished his tea as Scherezade explained he needed some sleep. The night had been spent getting to know each other, and experiencing some level of spiritual intimacy. They had touched each other in ways that simple physical touch could never reach, and while his mind was still grasping for what it all meant, Ger had finally let the questions go. He just nodded.

”A few hours, but then I have to rotate the meat and stoke the fire,” he said with yawn. The mere mention of sleep forced it out of him, and he realized how tired he really was.

Gerwald took in a deep breath and sighed. Sleep meant the night was coming to an end, as did the impending dawn. He didn’t want that yet. For the first time since leaving Stewjon the massive beast of a man finally had felt like he’d found another home. [member="Scherezade deWinter"] and [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] has seen to it. The Galaxy beyond the simple world he was raised on was not the danger his mother had told him it would be. So far it had been full of opportunities and adventures that he could never had had on Stewjon. What was more, it offered freedom.

”No, no other plans. Tomorrow is off, the last day of freedom before we mobilize for the next mission. Unless something unforeseen happens you can have me to yourself tomorrow...”

Gerwald grinned and motioned back toward the extra room.

”So I guess this is goodnight?”

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Damnit. She hadn't thought of that. Going to sleep meant that tonight really was finished. She didn't really want it to. It was a shame that there was no way to transfer tonight to another planet that had no sun. The passing of time would still be the same, but there would be no nature elements to let them know it had actually passed, not until they were too exhausted to keep their eyes open and fell asleep on their plates.

She noticed here he was motioning to, and nodded solemnly. She was tired too, and it sucked. She hated being tired. For half a second she considered checking whether or not auntie dearest had any stamina stims laying around, but then decided it against it.

With a sigh, Scherezade stood up, her hands automatically dusting herself off. It was more of a habit than anything really; she was still clean and her hair was still dripping pools around her. It would take hours before it dried anyway.

She gave one single glance at the direction and turned back to [member="Gerwald Lechner"]. As fast as she could, she closed the foot or two between them, planting a kiss on his lips, and then turned around and darted to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Emerald eyes snapped open into complete darkness. Any glass on the ship had been blackened to keep the sunlight out. Her aunt had hated sunlight so that cool feature had come with the ship. But that meant that unless she remembered to shut it off, which was the usual state, the ship was dark on the inside.

She rose out of bed, tossing her shirt back on, and remembered to put her boots on as well. It was still dark. A quick glance at the clock near her bed showed that two hours had passed. Scherezade sighed. New record for single sleep. She was getting better at it. It didn't matter that her body wanted and needed more. Her mind would never let her.

Events of the night before flooded her mind and she smiled, remembering that Ger was also asleep in the room next door.

Jumping from the bed, she made her way to the kitchen area. It wold take two or so hours to finish prepping the sausages anyway, and that would keep her active enough until she woke up a bit better.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Sleep was something which had always come easy for Gerwald. His body craved it now, and the moment his head hit the pillow on the guest bed he was out. Three hours went by before he could hear the sound of someone working in the kitchen. His brain was in a fog for a moment, but then the events of the previous night flooded back to the forefront. His fingers went to his lips as he laughed about the last thing Scherezade had done before going to bed. She had kissed him again and ran off to her room and locked the door. Whether it was something she was supposed to do again or not, she had. There were some who might call it wrong. However, Gerwald didn't really seem to care about that right now. The man was hungry again, and wanted caf.

Ger remembered that he needed his boots on, so he pulled the loose pants back on that he had taken off to sleep, and slid his feet in the boots. As he stood, Gerwald ran his fingers through his hair to shake it out and brush out whatever tangles might have formed overnight. He could smell the organs and the intestines that were being used for the sausages.

His hand pressed the button to open the door, and he trudged out of the room clearly not a morning person. The wolf in him was a creature of the night, and Gerwald had always preferred it. It was too early, he did not have enough sleep. Gods help him if Scherezade was as bright eyed and energetic as his mother always was. He might run out of the ship if that were the case. As he walked into the kitchen he opened his mouth before she could say a word.

"Do you have caf? I am not pleasant until I have had my first cup."

It was a fair warning. If she didn't have it, he was going to have to find it. Gerwald also had to rotate the beast at some point within the next hour. He did not want one side to have all the color. It was a matter of not only looks, but taste. It needed an even roast to be done right, and the man was not about to say he failed at a cook. He loved it. It was perhaps the one activity, aside from drinking, that helped him reduce the stress he felt after a battle, or after a long day of training for a mission. He had been cooking since his days on Stewjon, and all his friends had enjoyed his food, and encouraged his cooking.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

She knew he'd woken up before that door ever opened. Tired as she might've been, her senses were in tune to her ship. Missing intruders would easily spell death, and she had left the ship open during the night. She sort of always did, hoping for the day someone would be stupid enough to do the breaking and entering thing. She wasn't a morning coffee person, but she was definitely a morning violence person on most mornings.

Still, she was tired. She'd been working for an hour on these sausages and she was still not completely mentally awake. Her hands stank of garlic and onions, but that was all right. If Gerwald was up, he would probably be hungry. Nurturing a muscle mass like that took work and that work usually included breakfast, if she was any judge.

The pan was sizzling with butter and eggs when he entered the kitchen and she turned around, giving him a small morning smile. When he asked for coffee she nodded, knowing how sacred morning coffee was for certain people. Katrine had taught her all about that. She also knew she was supposed to stay quiet and not open a conversation before he had at least 3/4ths of his first mug.

Within moments there was a hot steaming mug on the table, darker than night. She lay the sugar and cream next to it, and then took a second cream box out and poured it into a mug for herself. She wasn't a coffee person, but milk was delicious and cream instead of milk was out right divine. She had her own theories about why she loved dairy so much and frowned on other forms of sweets, but that... Wasn't for now.

There was a second mug ready for him to use in case he needed it. Scherezade wasn't sure how much he needed before he felt human lupine. But hey, she knew the basic rules. Don't talk before coffee. Don't initiate anything before coffee. The only thing she did was place a plate full of sunny side up eggs next to him, along with some sausages from the previous batch that she'd had time to fry.


[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

It was quiet. Scherezade let him drink his coffee. It was glorious, the silence. He enjoyed the coffee, the beans were a dark roast, toasted to black perfection. The aroma overwhelmed his senses, like the fresh bloody kill from the night before. His mouth salivated as he dreamed of the second mug sitting in front of him. The eggs had been cooked in butter and he could smell the sausages as they sizzled in the pan. His stomach growled as the first mug of caf was st on the table. He looked over to his hostess and smiled.

"Thank you," he said, not only for the food but for letting him get the coffee in before trying to engage him in any kind of conversation.

He would be more talkative in a few moments after eating the food in front of him, but his words were an indicator that it was okay for her to talk... how did you sleep, or whatever other things she wanted to ask or say. For his own part, Gerwald was still trying to figure out what was happening with them. He was one to internalize most of his thoughts, to be aloof most of the time while he worked through things, but the previous night had branded itself to his mind. The circle of people he cared for was growing, and for different reasons.

Gerwad was still learning what it meant to be truly free, and truly himself. So much of his life on Stewjon had been about keeping his wolf a secret. The stories and mythology of the people did not lend itself to his secret being public, and while much of his mother's instructions had been motivated by preservation, Gerwald was learning there was so much he had yet to learn about life and the galaxy.

"So you uh... locked your door last night. Were you afraid that I was going to sneak in or something?"

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

She smiled when he thanked her, and emptied her cream cup in a few large gulps. Most people raised eyebrows when they realized the speed at which she ate and drank, but he hadn't made any comment or even blinked the previous night, so she figured she didn't have to pretend to have stupid table manners that made no sense around him. She had a plate for herself as well, albeit with less eggs and sausage. She needed less food than he did, after all. That had been established the previous night as well.

The plate was almost empty by the time he asked a question. She swallowed the last bite, looking at him. She'd been trying to think about what to do and what to say or maybe even just grabbing her knives and start training the moment he gave the okay for communication signal, but it seemed he was more comfortable with initiating things this morning than her. Scherezade realized Gerwald was one of those very few people who could actually initiate stuff around her without it annoying her.

"I did?" she blinked, "I did."

The she remembered.

"The ship is wide open when it's docked. No locks aside for the personal rooms, the one you slept in included. It looks like crap. It's a thief's dream. I'm waiting for the day someone actually comes in and tries to take things. A locked door gives me anywhere between two extra seconds or forever to wake up, check how many people are on the ship, and decide on a plan of killing. I used to count the different ways I could get something done like that efficiently but I stopped after about fifty."

She remembered the first nights she'd done that. Her lack of sleep had given her enough time to sit on the bed and wait for it to happen.

"No one's been stupid enough to come in uninvited yet," she admitted with disappointed, "but you'd have been safe anyway. I'd have woken up before they could get to your room. Sleeping isn't one of my skills."

She finished her plate in the next two seconds, leaving it clean and shiny.

"You should go turn the meat," she said, looking at him, and growing a small pair of balls (mentally!), "then we can start your Force training. Or we can do another round of questions that might demand answers."



[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Gerwald reached for the second mug of caf after finishing the plate of food. He finished it before saying anything. Listening to the girl talk about why she locked her door made sense. Ger nodded because it made a lot of sense. The part about how she had counted at least 50 ways to kill everyone before they knew what got them surprised him and didn't at the same time. She was a killer first. The comment about wanting to scratch him behind the ears while he was a wolf was also who she was, but the more he witnessed of the girl, the more he realized she was violent and deadly at her core.

"I would have killed them before you could rescue me. My wolf has a very high survival instinct, and he shows much prejudice when he is threatened."

It was a matter of fact statement, and Gerwald left little room for argument in the tone of his voice. He was also a warrior and a killer. It was an understanding they had of each other. Gerwald would even admit it was what had led to their kiss, they had seen each other for who they were. There was another underlying reason for it, but they knew the basic part of who they were.

He nodded when she told him he should turn the meat.

"I want to train. You said it yourself. I need to know how to protect myself from force users. Besides this is a part of me that I want to know more about. It's like I have this weapon that I do not know how to use, and it will make me stronger. You and I need to start as soon as I get back from turning the meat..."

Gerwald stood up from the table and started to head toward the exit, then stopped and turned.

"Or you could just come with me..."

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The only thing Scherezade was having an issue with was having her level of violence and speed of reaction challenged. She'd just told him she'd kill whoever came in and he had to go and make that wolf comment. But she didn't get angry; instead, she just made a mental note to show him she could most definitely defend or rescue him. Unless they decided to part ways and never see each other again, it was just a matter of time. And she'd enjoy watching his face as he saw her toss the skull of a dead enemy towards his general direction. Perhaps in several pieces. With each piece tossed every few seconds. And at least a few of them aimed for his big stubborn head.

"Sure," she replied, and looked at herself, "I'm gonna have to get my pants first tough."

She rose from her seat, leaving everything on the table as it was, and headed to her room. She hated wasting time on changing clothes. Aunt Asteria and cousin Celestine were all for it, changing sometimes several times a day. For herself, once or twice was enough unless there was a reason, such as getting covered in blood. What she needed would have to be good enough to protect her while training. In short - shorts. It gave her much more movement than jeans anyway. Her combat boots were already on, as well as the oversized T, so there was nothing else left to do other than strap her knives in. She was ready in moments.

As the two made their way towards the camp, Scherezade began to search her mind for things to say or do. She didn't want the awkward bits from last night to resume. She wanted the comfort and the sincere openness they had shared again, as well as that very strange that she'd never experienced before form of intimacy.

"Did you sleep well?" she started, "do you sleep in your wolf form?" was another question she added, "do you dream the same whether you're in wolf form or human form?"



[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

PANTS! How had he missed the fact she was not wearing any pants? Gerwald had been so engrossed in getting his coffee that he had not stopped to notice the most obvious thing in front of him. He stifled back a sigh at his own lack of observation, and put the second mug of caf to his lips again as she walked off. This time his eyes dipped below her waist to see that in fact there were no pants... or any indication of anything else for that matter. He cleared the table while he was waiting on her. Ger was determined to be as good a guest as she had been a host. It didn't take long for her to come out ready for the day, and soon they were walking back toward the camp.

It was her turn to initiate. Neither of them wanted the awkwardness that came from the silence. What had happened the night before needed to be part of what happened, it needed to be normal, because it was. No amount of searching for answers that would only lead to more questions would change that. They had shared a night of hunting, a kiss, and it was normal.

Her question pulled him out of his thoughts anyway.

"I can sleep anywhere, so yeah it was good."

He smirked at the next question. Gerwald had never recalled sleeping as a wolf, or waking up in the forest randomly naked. He shook his head no. The answer was possibly going to make her blush again simply for asking, or because she had no issue with it simply just a nod. "I like to sleep naked," he stated simply, and looked to see which of his guesses had been right about her reaction.

​"I cannot honestly say I have ever slept as a wolf. Maybe it has happened, but the wolf, the human, it is all one. I am the wolf as much as I am the man standing in front of you. As a Lupine that is the first thing you learn to accept once you go through the first change. When I am a wolf I am as aware as I am now. I remember everything as if I lived it out because I did. The desire for the hunt, the kill... the taste of blood in my mouth as I tore through the beast's throat last night, I remember it all. I could even tell you how it felt to have your fingers brush through my coat as you held on to me while I was running toward our prey. It was soft and cautious at first, but then more confident and natural. I know you enjoyed it because when I'm a wolf I can sense what any animal can sense..."

Gerwald paused and smiled as they continued to walk. The fire pit was not far, and the logs had burned down to a wonderful set of hot coals. Ger simply had to ad a couple more logs to the fire to keep it hot and maintain the temperature. He rotated the the meat, lifting one end of the skewer he had made and turning it. The smell was already getting to him, but they had another eight hours to go at the least.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The first one was definitely a nod. Scherezade liked to sleep nude as well. Clothes were annoying when she was finally able to bring herself lose consciousness. The only time she had deliberate added layers was when she had to sleep on Maramere - a mountain top with snow and no reason for anyone to be there. And it was full of stupid soldiers that she'd taken care of before the CIS arrived to play heroes of the day.

She listened as he continued to answer her questions. The fact he'd never slept as a wolf came as an outright surprise, and it showed clearly on her face. If she could shape-shift into anything, she would've made the attempt to sleep in shapes, and eat in shapes, and... Do other things in shapes. Do all the things in shapes.

Although they had managed to sleep, they'd still arrived at the camp before most people were up and about. The morning guards were around, as were the people who prepared breakfasts and some more, but it was still not crowded.

"Of course I enjoyed it," she replied with a smile, "your fur is soft ad you smelled good. And it felt like you were comfortable too. If I'd have thought I was a burden on your back I would've jumped off without asking."

Then there was the other part about what animals can sense. "I don't know much about animal sensing stuff," Scherezade admitted, "the only animals I've met were sabercats and monster bats, and I didn't really care about what they felt. They tried to kill me and almost succeeded so I killed them back. And after I was healed I went back to fetch the sabercat, learned how skinning works, and made a coat out of its fur."

The coat was later ruined on Maramere, but that was another story for another time.

They'd arrived at the pit by now. She had no inclnataion to rotate it. That belonged to him, just as taking care of the sausages had belonged to her. The boundaries might not have been specifically drawn, they were still clear in most places.

The smell of the meat was enough to make her mouth water, even though she wasn't hungry. She wasn't sure how long it would take for the meat to be ready, but 'not right now' seemed like a safe enough answer.

As the two started making their way back, Scherezade searched deep into things she had in her mind about per-training information. There wasn't much of it; her family on all sides had always made sure that training began early, sometimes even before they showed the ability. But grandmother's memories included those of Elora - an entire story within its own right. And Elora had started showing abilities while she was still in the womb. It had taken three years before they managed to teach her how to properly control them.

"So..." Scherezade started, "which abilities have you already shown with the Force? Stuff you did without meaning to, or in your sleep, or only realized afterwards that you'd done? That's usually how it is for people who are pre-trained; it can't stay in so it spills out wherever it can."


[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Of course she nodded when he told her he slept naked. She had said that she didn’t mind nudity, but Gerwald still slightly wondered if that was true. There was part of him that also wanted to test the theory by telling her it was her turn, but he wasn’t going to do that. It wasn’t right. What was right was the conversations they were having. They kept learning more about each other with everything they said. For now it was about being a wolf. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sleep as a wolf, he just did what came natural. Before he change he was used to sleeping a certain way. His first change hadn’t been until close to puberty. He’d always been stronger, different, but he hadn’t know why until the change.

He smiled after flipping the meat.

”Well I am clearly no ordinary animal,” he said with a wink.

Gerwald was as animal as he was human and force sensitive. Had been around others as a child he would have known that was more normal than not. His Lupine heritage was something he was learning more about as he stayed near Katrine on occasion. There were things his mother had never told him about, because she didn’t know. His mother also knew things Katrine didn’t know. It was as if together they were the missing pieces to what had happened to the Lupines in the Galaxy.

He had to think about which abilities which had come naturally. As he thought about it, he had learned to sense others like him, but not whether they were light or dark. That was a new concept to him. There was one other thing. Gerwald closed his eyes and when he opened them, a small stick was floating.

”I’ve never been able to make it come to me like you did with the knives. Sometimes when I close my eyes I can also... sense things around me. It helps the hunt...”

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

No, he was clearly not a ordinary animal, though to be frank, she couldn't really see him as an animal at all. He was a shapeshifter who could transform into a big wolf, and even as a wolf, he was still himself. She returned his wink with a smile.

He made a stick float and mentioned he could not make it come to him. And that he could sense things.

Scherzade nodded. It was a better basis than she could have hoped for; slightly more advanced than how children started with the Force, but with the mind and experience to know what to give words to. They were somewhere between the camp and her ship, but she supposed here was as good as a place as any to start.

"Let's start with the stick," she said after a short silence, putting her thoughts in order. She had never actually trained anyone. "It's sort of like... The Force is in everything and anything. It's an invisible thing that ties all life together, like air and water, only less tangible. But tangible nonetheless. Some of us can control the Force, and there's an entire theory about why only some and how it's determined but that's not for today."

She plucked the stick out of the air, tossing it from hand to hand.

"What works for me, is imagination," Scherezade resumed, "when you attack your prey with your jaws, you don't always just do it. At least at first, and probably sometimes nowdays too, you envision it before you do it. You can imagine the leap you'll need, where you need to land, where your jaw will lock. And sometimes this happens automatically, without you even needing to be aware of it at all. And it always works. In wolf form, you rarely to never need to actively think about it, because the wolf knows, just as you know, what needs to be done."

The young Sithling realized she was getting repetitive now, and she stopped speaking. She was really going to have to learn how to stop referring to the wolf as a different entity; both wolf and man were the same person, both of them were [member="Gerwald Lechner"]. She hoped he wouldn't think that she had issues comprehending that because of the way she had just phrased her attempt at explaining things.

"What you just did with the stick is called Basic Telekinesis," she dove deeper, "you used the connection between yourself and everything else to levitate it, which means your body and mind know how to do it. The rest is a matter of point of view, and practice."

Scherezade removed three knives from underneath her shirt and tossed them in the air, holding them there.

"It's the easiest for me when I draw patterns inside my head," she said with a smile, "for instance, I put them in the air, and then I imagine a great big circle that sets how they're meant to move." The knives began to circle lazily in that circle. "Imagination is the only thing that limits us when we use the Force," Scherezade said quietly, "if you can imagine it, you can do it. The rest is just figuring out how."