Pre-TL: Adapting

[AfroBandit20]

Socorro
Socorro system
Outer Rim Territories

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D R E A M

"What are you doing, Jey?" asked an all too familiar but irritating voice. Turning his head, Jey saw the spectral form of his Jedi ancestor, the man shared many striking physical similarities with Jey - someone he didn't even know the name of, Jey hated him, they may be linked through blood but they never knew each other and the boy with jet black hair would be damned if he would let a dead Jedi tell him what to do.

The troubled boy elected to use silence as his response toward his condescending ancestor. The spectral man only shook his head at Jey's immaturity, "You cannot hide from your destiny forever..." he said calmly as he began to take steps toward his young descendant, arm outstretched. When he was a few feet away from Jey, he placed his palm on the boy's forehead "When you finally accept it, I will be here." and before Jey could even respond-

-Jey jolted himself awake, panting heavily and rapidly. He looked around the room frantically for any sign of his Jedi ancestor, Jey breathed a sigh of relief at him being completely alone. The jet-black haired boy then looked to the holographic clock on his dresser, his alarm was about to go off anyway, Jey smacked the his alarm clock - not in the mood to hear his alarm go off.

It had been a few weeks since the events of Nar Shaddaa, since he had to reveal his true nature and flee the planet before Grakkus the Hutt could capture him. When he arrived on Socorro, he sold off the freighter that he stole as a way to make some quick credits and to cover his tracks, Jey used the money to rent a crummy apartment in one of the planet's desert cities. Jey had no idea why he felt compelled to hide out on Socorro but he suspected the kriffin' Force to have something to do with it.

Rubbing his eyes and running his hands through his black hair, Jey begrudgingly got out of bed and began getting changed as he had work in a few hours. Ever since coming to Socorro, Jey had given up - well, he hadn't given up, he simply couldn't find a death stick dealer and because of this, he was going through withdrawal. And the dreams and hallucinations he was having - he genuinely wasn't sure if he was losing his mind or if the Force was slowly returning to him. Either way, he couldn't think about this now, he had to get ready for his new job as a bartender at the local cantina in the desert city - The Drunk Dug.

Finally dressed the boy with the jet-black hair grabbed his key card and headed to the door to leave his apartment. Before leaving however, he stopped at the door and turned to look at his family's damaged heirloom, then glancing at his unkempt and cheap aparment before returning to the heirloom once more. His ancestor's words rung through his head, maybe he was meant for more than this, to do more...

"Chuba..." he thought to himself, he really must be going crazy. With that, Jey finally activated the door to his apartment and made his way to work.

@S K I P S

 

[S K I P S]

Socorro wasn't the freckled girl’s home planet but the two were practically similar enough that some days, during the morning fog in her brain, she almost thought she was back with her family. It wasn't all that settling to be reminded of her home - it was far too complicated there. That’s why here, on Socorro, it was easier… she was on her own, and she sort of liked that though it made her feel a little selfish. It's not like Amilyn believed Socorro was perfect because it was way below that, it was smuggler haven, a place that would’ve been her older sister, Ilse’s, dream but was far from her own.

There was a feeling in her gut, one that she couldn’t make go away. Not even the thought of Death sticks or Millaflower could settle her - in fact the thought of either rose anxiety, that part of her life had changed years ago. This feeling she had, she couldn't quite explain it but, when she saw a boy with dark hair and hazel eyes she had looked twice. Green eyes followed the russet skin as he exited an apartment building close to hers. They were neighbours, and perhaps soon she would find out they worked at the same bar. Not seeing any other choice, Amilyn walked over to him -- the only explanation she could offer herself was mere attraction to the boy and nothing else.


Clearing her throat, she slid to walk in pace with the boy and said, “We seem to be heading the same direction.”

Surely she would have noticed this boy before if she had been at her job for a few months now. As a dancer, she knew most people in The Drunk Dug, and also lived with other dancers. If the boy worked in the area, let alone lived across from her, she would have noticed him. Or maybe she was just oblivious, following the same routine everyday and in her own bubble.

It didn’t matter now, she had made her presence known and might as well ask the stranger questions, whether he wanted to talk or not. Amilyn sort of had a way of worming her way into people’s lives. “You new here?” Despite maybe being new, the dark-haired boy didn’t seem all that out of place.

“My name is Amilyn, consider me your first acquaintance.” The strawberry blonde could barely keep the smile from her face, it had a hint of mischief but was for the most part friendly.

@AfroBandit20

 

[AfroBandit20]

Jey made his way outside of his apartment complex and started on his trek through the desert city and to The Drunk Dug. The hazel eyed boy was so lost in thought - the thought of what he'd do if the Force returned to him in full - that he neglected to realise a cute young girl with a freckled face, strawberry blonde hair, and emerald eyes that made him feel all warm and tingly inside, who was, roughly the same age as him? Had begun walking beside him. This girl looked strangely familiar but he couldn't quite place his finger on it, he also felt... a strange presence emanating from her? A whisper of... something, although he wasn't sure if, again, it were his withdrawal or if it was the Force creeping its way back to him.

"Nah. Been bartending at The Drunk Dug for some weeks now." he said in response to her question. The cute girl seemed friendly, introducing herself as Amilyn with a sly but friendly smile. It was somewhat relieving to meet someone who was around his age, Jey thought to himself for a moment and his own devilish smile crept up on his face. He figured she was cute, why not make an attempt at a pick-up - "Jey." he responded, "What's a pretty lady like yourself doing all the way out here?" he asked with a smirk and attempting to put on a suave voice - he was a bit out of practice ever since coming to Socorro.

After asking his question and waiting for Amilyn's response - Jey felt strange again, like a faded feeling in his chest... the same feeling he felt on the day he fled Nar Shaddaa. Kriff it all. The Force was definitely coming back to him but there were other things to worry about right now, this was the feeling he got when something bad was going to happen. But what was it?

@S K I P S

 

[S K I P S]

“You’ve been bartending at The Drunk Dug for weeks now?” Amilyn questioned. Had her mind really been so preoccupied that she hadn’t seen him before? This just meant she would try to keep a clearer head and have more observant eyes.

Nevertheless, Amilyn was glad to have met a new person. People were interesting, and she had a feeling this one would be worth the introduction.

“Hello there, Jey.” She said, repeating his name in an attempt to remember it yet she doubted she would forget his face. Certainly not with that devilish smile, and now that they knew they were working together… Walks to work might even be a more regular occurrence too. As she walked in-line with Jey, the strawberry-blonde knew exactly what he was attempting to do. Working in a place like she did meant pick-up lines were heard quite frequently, and she had really heard some odd ones in her day. However, because she knew such a ‘suave’ pick-up was false, she could easily respond. If the comment had been a bit more ‘intimate’ or ‘real,’ it would have been a completely different story.

Jey was not the only one thinking someone was cute, in Amilyn’s own mind it was hard to ignore a handsome face. “Well, Jey-” she repeated his name once more, figuring that saying someones name made things more ‘personal,’ and most people seemed to like that “-a pretty lady like myself in a place like Socorro is here for work. Just so happens we both work at The Drunk Dug but looks like its my first shift with you.” Her eyes shifted to his instead of watching the ground and her feet. “It should be interesting, right?”

Obviously there was more to Amilyn’s story than just being in Socorro from work. She was both escaping her family, money, and that feeling she got inside her.
That same feeling she had been getting for a while, maybe even her entire life. It was hard to ignore but was easy to get used to. The freckled girl never once spoke of it, it was something she feared and waved it off as pure nerves. It was difficult to understand something you wanted nothing to do with.

“What about a man like you? Besides the bartending, how come you’re in Socorro?” She suspected he wasn't born here, though knew better than anyone that where you came from didn’t mean much.

@AfroBandit20

 

[AfroBandit20]

The hazel eyed boy raised an eyebrow at Amilyn's answer to his question - she had been working at The Drunk Dug too? And was a dancer no less? "Think I would have noticed someone as cute as her was a dancer..." Jey thought to himself, then the emerald eyed girl proposed that it must be their first shift together or something, which made the most sense as he was sure he would have noticed to her. "Pretty interesting, Amilyn." he replied, adding her name at the end like she did his.

His mind began travelling once again, completely forgetting that he was trying to flirt with her earlier, that feeling of a small pit in his chest again - what the hell was going on? Jey attempted to shrug it off and turn his attention back to Amilyn, when he realised had turned the question on him, asking him what he himself was doing on Socorro. Jey let out a sly smile, showing off his pearly whites "Me? Just needed a change of scenery, I guess. I mean, who wouldn't wanna be on this gorgeous desert?" he said, gesturing to the scenery in front of them while he lied through his teeth.

Of course he couldn't tell her why he was really on Socorro - that he used to live on Nar Shaddaa and had a Jedi ancestor, that he came from a long line of Force-sensitives and how if anyone on Nar Shaddaa found out what he really was... Grakkus would be on his ass like Banthas to Bantha fodder. He'd heard stories of what Grakkus did to Force-sensitives in his arena and he wanted no part of it. So, while Amilyn seemed sweet and friendly, he couldn't trust her... not yet at least.

Noticing that the cantina was coming into view, Jey turned to the shorter Amilyn once more, his hazel eyes locked onto her emerald ones and he let out another mischievous grin and placed his hands in his khaki trousers' pockets - "So, cutie, what're you doing after your shift ends? Wanna go out for some drinks?" he asked in a friendly but charming tone. Honestly, while he wanted to get lucky - he just wanted to hang out with someone his age again... and maybe find a death stick dealer, it had been way too long.

@S K I P S