Let's go somewhere Randon

[Aurelie Fleury]

Randon. Local time, 10:45

The Hellion had just set down in one of the numerous docks spread throughout the planet. It was quite natural for the Randonians to invest in easy docking access since their planet sometimes acted like a great galactic shopping mall for anyone to visit. Aurelie didn't know if Hask had ever truly grasped the concept of shopping malls, seeing how he had spent a great number of years in proportion to his age at the Sith academy and then in service of the Empire. But after him having given her so many peeks into his life, she wanted to show him a peek into hers as well - although usually, she'd be stealing like a maniac at malls like the one they were currently visiting, she was determined to behave this day, mostly.

"Just one more minute!" she hollered to Hask from the sleeping area whilst taking on a loosely hanging white t-shirt which barely reached all the way down to her waist where a long pink skirt hung, covering her legs a bit further down than her knees. It was a rather light and summer-like attire which fit well with the relatively artificially warm climate in the malls. Naturally, she also wore a bag which hung from he left shoulder to her right side. She soon plopped out of the room "Alright, let's go!" she said enthusiastically with a bright smile on her lips. At the first sight of hesitation, she'd grab him by the right elbow and drag the Sith out if he'd let her.

The two friends were welcomed to an area bustling with activity as soon as they left the hangar, starting on top of a big ramp. A multitude of stores could be seen littering the hallways to their sides while the area below seemed calmer with much fewer people and a few market stands. The young woman looked at her friend "Welcome to Randon!" she said with a voice strangely marked with both pride and irony. "Me and dad used to come here from time to time, as long as we don't head too far north, we should be fine. So! Where do you want to go?" she asked with raised eyebrows and bright eyes, curious if her friend would like the busier shops by the corridor or the calmer setting down below.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

While Hask knew about shopping malls and had been to similar places, he had never set foot on the world of Randon. Hearing that it was famous for its massive markets and shopping malls definitely made the Pureblood curious...and a little nervous at walking around in a place like this without armour or something to cover himself up. But Aurie wanted to come here and give a little insight into her past life so how could he refuse?

He was in his workshop, dressed in some sweatpants, a plain black t-shirt and a dark grey hoodie along with some simple shoes that were pretty dull...all in all his wardrobe was sorely lacking clothing that were 'socially acceptable'. He felt naked, going into an unfamiliar place like this, but at least he had both his lightsabers as well as his Quickdraw pistol hidden under his hoodie in case something happened. He heard Aurie call out, asking for a minute. "Take your time, I'm in no rush!" he hollered back. This was her idea, so he wasn't in a position to hurry her along and she was going to have to lead him around on the strange planet this time, not the other way around as usual.

He emerged from the workshop just as Aurie jumped out from the sleeping area. He looked her over with a smile, feeling out of place with his dull outfit that clashed with hers immensely. "Nice outfit." he said casually as he rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie. She grabbed hold of his wrist and he allowed himself to be pulled along by the enthusiastic girl leading the way. He was taken back by the scores of people who made him feel much more exposed without his armour. He looked over to her in a confused manner when she said to say out of the northern area as well as asking him where to go. "I don't know, you're in charge of this trip, not me." he said,with a chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.

He looked her outfit over, then his own and then the rest of the people going about their business. He was standing out like a sore thumb. Deciding that a change in attire was more important than new weapons or armour, he looked back at her. "Well...I think we can agree that some new clothes would go a long way." he said nervously, feeling slightly embarrassed.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

The people populating the mall were still bustling around them, some at a leisurely walking pace and others quick in their steps in a rushed manner. Hask did indeed stick out like a sore thumb, wearing a simple hoodie and sweatpants whilst also revealing his prosthetic arm and Pureblooded nature. The Sith stood in rather stark contrast to the summery clad girl who was with him but there were a surprisingly small amount of people who stared at them for too long. Regardless, the thief cared little for those things and happily listened as her friend told her the she was in charge. "And don't you forget it!" she added cheerfully before looking down at his outfit when she noticed that he did.

They had come a long way since they first met, she remembered the sternness Hask showed when he had first caught her stealing on Tatooine, and now, he even showed some nervousness as he suggested getting new clothes. Aurelie gave her friend a warm smile "Don't worry, I'm sure they've got those black t-shirts of yours on this planet too" she joked with a wink. "I know a place where they've got plenty of clothes which could fit you" she continued more seriously, not wanting him to worry too much. With an extend arm, the young woman pointed down the corridor "Off we go!" and with that, she walked on ahead.

The store they arrived at was enormous and had a very large selection of clothes. Aurelie looked back at the Sith "And here we are, "Ruma's Warehouse", they've kinda found their niche since they started" she said, introducing him to their current location, filled with nothing but clothes and textiles. Is if by instinct, the girl grabbed Hask's right wrist again and enthusiastically lead him through the the large store, picking up a few shirts and a pair of pants along the way until they finally stopped by the fitting rooms and the checkout. With that, the young woman simply pushed the clothes onto the Sith "I think these would fit you rather well. And if you want to get rid of the sleeves or something, I'll be at your service!" she spoke with enthusiasm and created what looked like a pair of scissors with her fingers before throwing a short glance at his left arm as she mentioned the sleeves.

It didn't take long before Aurelie noticed a couple of thug looking people staring at her from right outside the shop. She only threw a glance at them and didn't think that her friend would notice. She felt a bit nervous about what they wanted and a little ashamed by how her father had treated them in the past and looked to Hask, "I'll just go outside real quick" she noted, trying to keep the levels of stress she experienced hidden. "I'm afraid I can't be your fashion advice this time, but I'll make it up to you later" she chirped, doing her best to sound cheerful before heading out of the store.

The thief didn't return to the store and once Hask got out, having bought the clothes he wanted, he would be able to see Aurelie standing against a wall in the distance, faced with the two thugs who talked to her angrily with crossed arms. It was clear that they were quite upset with her while the girl was rather fearful of them.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask looked around them as she talked to him, quite relieved that no one was paying much attention to a Pureblood strutting around the place. It seemed that Aurie already had an idea, since she took the lead and Hask fell in right behind her as they walked through the massive mall. When they stood in front of the shop Aurie was talking about, Hask was totally lost. Why on earth would there be a need for clothing stores this big? He didn't even have much time to wonder before Aurie grabbed hold of his wrist and dragged him into the shop.

She led him through the isles and picked out various clothes for him. It seemed that she knew what taste he had, because her choices definitely sat well with Hask. As they stood in the queue to pay for the clothes, Aurie excused herself rather abruptly and made her way outside. He thought that it was rather strange of her, but didn't prod her mind to figure out what has gotten into her. Since their talk he tried to stay out of her head and give her that privacy.

He stood patiently and when it was his turn he paid for all the items, slightly surprised at the prices of the items. He made his way outside with 2 bags in his hands and looked around. He spotted Aurie, but was rather worried when he saw the two big men arguing with her, looking pretty angry. He took a deep breath to compose himself and walked over to their location. When he got there he cleared his throat to draw their attention. "Aurie, mind introducing me to these...friends of yours?" ha asked casually, not taking his eyes off the two men as he moved to stand right next to Aurie.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

The young woman felt relief as she saw her red skinned friend approach from the store. The two thugs seemed to get rather nervous as the pureblood approached them and even more so when it became clear that he was there with Aurelie. She pointed at the first one and then the second one while speaking "This is Johnny and this is Toby" she said, both giving her an annoyed look as she introduced them. Toby realised that a Pureblood meant more danger than he was prepared to handle and picked up his comm "Boss, we've got Mael's girl here... yeah, Mael. Send a few guys, will ya? Good." Aurelie didn't waste any time and leaned in towards Hask while Toby was speaking "The law enforcement don't treat outsiders who cause trouble very well, we should run" she whispered, doing her best to keep Johnny from overhearing them.

Just as the girl had finished whispering the words into Hask's ear, Johnny put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back, quickly removing her from a position from which she'd be able to whisper anything to her friend "Hey, what are you two talking about?" he asked with an annoyed voice. Aurelie didn't know what to do other than prepare for their escape. She knew that having at least one hand free would be a tremendous boon whilst running. With that, her hand slowly fell down to her side and discretely took hold of Hask's bag in the hand right next to her.

"N-nothing" she said with a slight stutter as her muscles tensed up. Aurelie threw a glance at Hask - hoping that he'd have an idea of how they could get running without immediately being caught or having to resort to the degree of violence which would attract the police.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask stood dead still as he eyed the two strangers, checking every move they made and ready to attack if they tried anything. When Aurie whispered for them to rather run than fight, Hask didn't even bat an eye. He would rather want to stay and fight but in this situation running would probably be the better option. Hask tensed up as the man shoved Aurie back, tempted to slice the man's arm off for touching her.

When he felt her tug at the bag in his left hand, he released it and let her take it, freeing up a hand of his own. "Aurie, close your eyes." Hask said coldly, but quickly. Before the man could do or say anything, Hask raised his left hand, closed his eyes and unleashed a blinding flash of light. With the two men blinded and disoriented, Hask grabbed hold of Aurie's wrist and bolted. "Come on, Aurie, let's move it!" he called out as he rounded a few corners and ran down a busy hallway. He made sure that she was right behind him as they ran.

Hask spotted a janitor's door hidden between two pillars, out of view. Using the force he opened the door, led them inside and closed it up. The room was dimly lit, making it hard for Aurie to see but with his night vision Hask could see around him perfectly. He put the bag in his hand down and placed both hands on Aurie's shoulders. "Aurie, who are those men? How do they know you?" he asked her softly to not give them away in case the men were close by.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Close her eyes? Whenever Hask asked her to do that, he always had something in mind which would save the day. Aurelie did as he said and just a few moments later, she felt a powerful grip around her wrist and her friend calling for her to run, and so she did. They ran for a while, the girl keeping close to the Sith who lead their charge through the masses until he eventually guided them into a janitor's closet. The space inside was rather cramped with the small room being filled with shelves along the walls and a cart parked along the furthermost wall, filled with cleaning equipment. The cramped area didn't leave much room for the two who ended up standing pretty close together.

She had a rather excited look on her face as they entered the dimly lit room, not at all as concerned as it was before the had begun running. The young woman raised a finger to her mouth, signaling for her friend to be quiet when he had said his piece. Soon, the sound of a couple of people running past them outside could be heard. Aurelie kept a finger in front of her mouth while they waited for the hostiles to run away. "They're just some people who were a bit mad at Mael" she responded without adding extra detail.

Soon, the thief started laughing as silently as she could, almost bending over from all the laughter. She looked up at the Sith "I told you I'd show you my life, right? There's much more running than fighting for me compared to you" she said cheerfully with a smile. Aurelie hadn't forgotten about their very recently perilous position, but she had a bit of experience in running away from things and felt like they were safe.

The rush of the outside world seemed like an abstract to her while they stood in the janitor's closet. Despite not being able to see much, she smiled happily at where she thought he friend stood "So, now you've got yourself some new clothes and some excitement, what do you think of Randon so far?" she asked playfully in a slightly hushed voice in order to avoid attracting attention from anyone outside the corridor.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask kept quiet when Aurie held her finger up, listening to the men as they ran past. He released Aurie and took a smallstep back, right against the shelves behind them as he stared at Aurie in disbelief. She was laughing. She was up against the wall, scared as hell while two men interrogated her not 5 minutes ago and now she's laughing about it.

He was completely caught off guard by her carrying on as if they weren't in danger at all from the men. Hask just slightly shook his head as he stared at her. "You were scared as hell over those men and now you're laughing?" he asked in a slightly angry manner as he stepped forward and right up against her. He ultimately decided to drop the subject, since it seemed that she wasn't bothered in the slightest over those men. His head lowered as he let out a soft chuckle of his own. "Well I guess you did want to show me a part of your life, and that's what you did. Certainly seems like an interesting one if something like that is normal." he muttered to her as he looked back into her eyes.

He answered her smile with one of his own as she asked about his experience so far. He looked town at the bags of clothing then back to her. "Well ignoring the overwhelming size of the shops and the scores of people I have to say it definitely looks like a fun place to visit.". He looked to the door and back to her. A part of him wanted to stay in the room and hide from all the people, but if they stayed in the room any longer things might get...interesting, for a lack of better words.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Hask did not seem very happy about her laughing, not at all. It even seemed as if it was provoking him, causing his voice to raise slightly as he took a step forward. Normally, she'd have taken a step back, but there was simply no room for her to maneuver in inside the small closet. Instead, they simply ended up standing very very close to each other. Despite being well past the stage of being scared of her friend, she never enjoyed seeing him upset and tried to reign in her laughter the best she could "I was afraid of them, and now, we're safe from them. I've had these kinds of chases a few times before meeting you" he explained before continuing with her note about showing him her life. Aurelie was glad about Hask's tone turning more friendly again "Not all that normal. Most of the time, I got away without having to run" she stated jokingly, although what she said was rather close to the truth.

Aurelie looked her friend deep in the eyes as he spoke about his views on the planet. It made her glad that he enjoyed it, which kept a soft smile on her lips alive. They stood so close so that she could feel his breath as he spoke and the thought of why he hadn't stepped back yet had crossed her mind both one and two times, yet she simply stood there and looked at him with her bright blue eyes. She raised her arm a little, intent on taking his right wrist to have them leave the little room again, but because they stood so close, her palm connected with his hand in stead. Time slowed down for her as she slowly guided her hand upwards along his warm skin, leading it towards his wrist.

Unless interrupted, she would then look at him for a couple of seconds before squeezing the wrist lightly "I think I know where you'll want to go next" she would say before taking him to a store with speeders sitting right next to a weapons vendor. Her step would be light, just as if she didn't have a worry in the world.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask listened to her as she spoke, chuckling and raising an eyebrow as she explained away. He took note of their situation and realised that he might need to take a step back. Before he could, however, he felt her left hand meet with his right, causing his heartbeat to quicken slightly as that familiar nervousness returned. While he didn't completely understand what it meant, he had a rough idea.

His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but that would be far from what he wanted to do. He leaned slightly forward as his eyes lingered on her soft lips before meeting her blue eyes once again, but before anything could happen she pulled him along out of the room by his wrist and into the bustling crowd, ruining their moment of privacy. He followed close behind her as she led the way to another shop. When they reached a speeder dealer next to a weapons shop, Hask's eyes went wide.

He looked like a kid in a sweets shop as he waltzed right in and checked the various models of speeders. Ever since he had to use his Ranger to get rid of the pirates on Boonta, he was in need of a new speeder or swoop. Now that he thought of it, he didn't fully explain why the speeder was missing in the first place. It wouldn't surprise him if Aurie cornered him for an answer...

"Aurie...wow." was all he could say as he inspected every vehicle in the dealership.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Aurelie had noticed that Hask's speeder had been missing for a while, but for various little reasons, she had never asked what in the world he did to it. She smiled as he entered the store with wide eyes zapping from one vehicle to the other. She still didn't feel like she needed a speeder herself since could always catch a ride with Hask and if desperate, acquire a vehicle by other means. With that, she walked over to the shopkeep who remembered her from her early teens. The large Bothan seemed to be rather fond of the young human, rubbing her hair and cracking a few jokes which made her laugh happily.

After a while, the girl returned to her Sith friend, letting the side of her arm brush up against his left one as she passed him by, squeezing past a shelf of cylinders and him. Aurelie turned to him "Seeing anything you fancy?" she asked with a smile, showing off her line of white teeth. "We've still got some of the money from when we sold the fifth speeder on Tatooine, and I think I can get a little discount from this guy. Besides, the check from Cardinal's job should be ticking in soon" she noted, letting him know that they could probably afford something if he was interested.

The two stood there looking at the vehicles for a while before she turned to him again "How did you loose the old one anyways?" she asked curiously and added a joke "Your former employer came to collect old debts?" she said jovially with a sarcastic tone. Still, she kept looking at him until he answered her question as she wouldn't be lead away from the topic by her own joke.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask barely noticed Aurie talking to the Bothan shopkeeper. He was too lost with the variety of vehicles in front him. He looked at her and moved over as she pressed against him to make room for her to stand next to him. "Money's not an issue at all. His money came in this morning before we touched down. We also have some money from a few other places that were left over so there's no need to mess with the shopkeeper." he spoke as he strolled past a few other speeders.

Finally something caught his eye. Another 88-V Ranger sitting in between a bunch of other stuff. As he walked over, the inevitable question came from Aurie. With a guilty grin he looked back at her. "I kind of...blew it up on Boonta. Had a mess with pirates and I had to improvise. Although I think this will work perfectly for a replacement." he looked back to the speeder, running his hand along its seet and curling around one of the handles. His mind was made up already.

"I'll take this one." he said as he turned and walked over to the shopkeeper who was standing a few metres from the two of them.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

A slight smile grew on the girl's lips as she heard her friend talk about blowing up his speeder on Boonta "Oh, yes, money's not an issue at all" she chirped, repeating his earlier words with a playful smile. She couldn't help but to scan him from top to toe as a flash of concern crossed her mind, but it didn't take long for her to realize that she would probably have noticed if he was wounded by now - seeing as how they shared the same living space in the Hellion. The thief reached up to let her fingers run across the front of the speeder "You really like these rangers, don't you?" she asked rhetorically, already believing that she knew the answer to the query.

A wry smile grew on the Bothan's lips as he saw the red skinned alien return with Aurelie next to him. The two had worked together in the past and he knew that her returning with someone to him like this always meant that she had helped him sell in another speeder. The furry alien stretched out his arms to welcome Hask like he always did with new customers but stopped right in his tracks as he saw the young woman cross her arms while shaking her head at him. "No, Votruk, this is my friend" she said, putting extra emphasis on the last word.

The alien understood that he didn't need to be as official-like and formal like he used to be with new customers and soon relaxed. They were informed of the different settings and details of the vehicle before they got to the price. Aurelie was staring at her friend, not in a hostile manner, but rather in a friendly way which gave the signal "Don't you dare not give him a discount" which anyone, regardless of force sensitivity would be able to pick up. Her Bothan friend gave her a smirk before adding a discount to the price and promised to deliver the speeder to their hangar by the end of the day.

Whilst the Bothan was leaving the store front to complete the paperwork in his back office, the girl gave her Sith friend a victorious smile before looking at him with big innocent eyes "I didn't mess with him, did I?" she asked jokingly while keeping an innocent tone once he was out of ear-shot.

Without much more to do at the speeder store, she carefully slipped her hand into his empty one and took hold of it softly. She felt like it might've been a little bold, but seeing as the two of them carried a large bag each and that she had no intentions of running to the store which was right next to their current one, it didn't seem too out of place to her. "Onto the next shop then?" she asked, trying to hide her nervousness behind a big smile and and a fair bit of enthusiasm.

The weapons store next doors was rather new, and Aurelie didn't know anyone inside. Still, it seemed well liked with numerous visitors, most of them seemingly knowing their way around a weapon rather well. If it weren't for Hask, Aurelie would most definitely have to stay on her toes whilst moving among the other patrons in the shop. Besides the somewhat threatening-looking men inside the store, the establishment seemed to have a wide range of weapons and ammunitions available along with rather good prices.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask chuckled at Aurie's comment. "Well of course I do. They're tough, sturdy, reliable...plus the gun on the front also helps." he spoke casually as he looked the speeder over. He walked over to the Bothan shopkeeper along with Aurie. Judging from their reactions toward each other they knew each other pretty well, most probably from Aurie's time with her dad. The Bothan wanted to be formal and shake the Pureblood's hand, but thankfully Aurie stopped him. The last thing he wanted to do now was act all formal and stuff while he was clearly not planning at all for such a performance.

He caught Aurie's eye as she spoke to the Bothan without words, knowing exactly what she was thinking. While a discount wasn't necessary, it didn't hurt to save a few credits. Hask filled in all the paperwork and paid the lowered price, finally getting a replacement for his old speeder. He smirked as Aurie made a quip, looking her in the eyes. "Well...no use arguing over a discount. We could certainly use the credits somewhere else." he spoke softly, careful to not let the Bothan hear in the back of the shop.

Aurie slipped her empty hand into his, catching him slightly off guard. While it certainly made sense, it was still quite odd in his opinion. He let it slide as she urged him to follow her to the next shop. "Alright, lead the way."he said cheerfully. He gave her hand a light squeeze as he followed.

The weapons store had quite the interesting cast of customers. As Hask picked up some ammo for his pistols he actually got caught up talking with the group of rugged, hardy looking bounty hunters that probably might have annoyed Aurie a bit. At least the weapons community was alive and well and the guys even managed to rope Aurie into the conversation as well.

They finally found their way to the ship, only after stopping by a nice looking restaurant that cost more than Hask was comfortable with paying, but in his mind it was well worth it. They boarded the Hellion, settled into their usual seats in the cockpit and once again they were blasting through hyperspace.

Off to their next adventure...

/End Thread

@Pyrenees