Ask Terminus: an Astronomical Object

Vilox Pazela

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"You don't," Vilox replied.

He stood up briefly to turn the lamp off. The room was submerged into darkness. Gingerly he made his way through the dark back to the stool, where he lowered himself back down to sit and lean back on the door. He didn't realize it until he closed his eyes that he was tired. Sleep seemed like a good idea.

He raised his wrist up to look at the chrono which hung there. "The Lucky Den closes it's doors an hour from now. Punters usually stay the night, so we should be left alone until morning. I'll wake you up in a couple of hours. We can slip out whilst everyone is asleep. Those bouncers would have took this door of it's hinges by now if they thought a Sabaac cheater was in here. I can almost guarantee they didn't believe the Ithorian. The guys a known loser around here."

He set his chrono to set off it's alarm three hours from now. Enough time to relax. Most found it difficult to fall asleep in an environment like this. It was cold, and there was a mixture of must, alcohol and spice which lingered like a putrid aroma in the air. The stool was about as uncomfortable as you could expect.

He was sat upright on it, back leaning up against the door, which at any moment an angry Dwuni, Ithorian and that meathead they called a man bearing down on them. Probably the Rodian too. But he somehow doubted it. It would have happened by now. Somehow he knew they were safe.

Sleep came naturally to Pazela in a place like this, and so when he closed his eyes again he drifted into another dreamless sleep.
 

Lyra Mantel

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Lyra laid there for quite some time, her eyes shifted around the darkened room. Sleep seemed to come easy for Vilox, but she still did not feel entirely safe here. There was also a part of her, no matter how drunk she may have been, that worried about tomorrow and what it would bring. Terminus wasn't a safe place for her anymore, and she had just barely enough credits to buy a shuttle off world; like so many times before, Lyra would be forced to start over, somewhere new and unfamiliar. How she longed to stay in one place for more than a few months at a time. She also doubted that Vilox would stick around long after they made their escape and, while it shouldn't have mattered to her, she felt inexplicably drawn to him. The entire situation made her head spin and she finally closed her eyes in an attempt to sober up, but it took her a while before she was able to fall asleep.

When the alarm on his chrono went off three hours later, she didn't stir. The room was cold, but she had wrapped herself in her jacket to keep warm. One hand hung over the side of the bed and her face was buried in the other, knees tucked into her chest. It hadn't been more than an hour or so since she had actually fallen asleep, but they'd need to move soon if they had any hope of escaping while the rest of the establishment slept.
 

Vilox Pazela

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Cold. So very cold. Freezing to the bone. Damn. He fell asleep again. Shouldn't have done that. They will wonder where we are. Still, it's not a bad view to wake up too. The forest at this time of morning is beautiful. I can see one of the Thernbee in the clearing where we sometimes play. They are gentle creatures. Well, at least the wild ones. He remembered trying to pet a captive one in Stonia once when they had been passing through. Nearly took his finger. He can still remember the images that the creature had sent into his mind. Overwhelming sadness, and a longing to be free. Imagining itself standing wondering through the forest in the search for fresh berries to bring home to her children. He wished he could have let her go. Standing up it takes a lot to stop himself from falling over the ledge. For a brief moment he has the impulse to jump. But Maria's here. He could never do that to her.

He lowers his hand to wake he-

BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP

"Huh?"
Bloodshot eyes widen themselves open in a dark room. It smells really bad in here, he thinks to himself.

BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP

He raises his wrist to turn the chrono off. Then Vilox remembers where he is. They are still in the Lucky Den. The alarm he had set only a couple of hours ago had gone off. It was probably still dark outside. He noticed that the obnoxious club beat had been turned off by someone. Clearly establishment had clocked on that the rest of their punters were in the den itself to sleep off another night of partying. The faint blue hue of the chrono's light was the only brief source of illumination. He saw a mass in the darkness that was laying on the bed. Confused for a moment he went to reach out to see who or what it was before stopping himself.

Lyra. He shook his head, then yawned. Gingerly he stood up and stretched to get some feeling back in his left shoulder. He had slept on it too long. Quietly he picked up the stool and maneuvered it away from the door. Then turned the handle and created a crevice just large enough for him to slip through. He wasn't a particularly large man, and he had done this before. A well practiced way of getting out and leaving that poor, sorry soul he had spent the night with. Only this time it had been different. They hadn't done anything together except run from some Dwunli and Ithorian, which was amusing to him now that he thought on it.

In the hallway he quietly closed the door. The same crimson red hue hung over the hallway which led back up to the bar. He quietly crept up the passageway towards the curtain, ducked underneath it and ascended. The Rodian was still awake. The faint smell of a deathstick, which had just been put out, still hung over the empty room. They looked at each other but neither said a word. Vilox was reminded that he thought the Rodian didn't like him for some reason. He couldn't blame him.

He didn't like himself neither.

Approaching the bar Vilox climbed up on top of it and lowered himself onto the other side. He had done this before. During the first time he had helped himself to a glass of water it had been one of the rare brief times he and the bartender had spoke a word to each other. He had asked for a cup of water, and the Rodian had just nodded in that led to the kitchens where Vilox had found a sink to help himself. Since then it had become a silent, quiet routine for both men whenever Vilox showed up in the Lucky Den and stayed the night.

As he satisfied his parched throat, and cleaned his mouth out, Vilox lowered the empty cup (that he had taken from the bar) onto the side of the sink's basin. Water dripped from his face from where he had splashed him. He watched the currents of water disappear into the sink hole as he debated whether to go back for her. He could go back to the Eternal and disappear from her life. It was unlikely that the two would ever bump into each other again on Terminus. He got the impression that Lyra was a drifter. Someone who moved about constantly.

Isn't that how you end up this far out from Coruscant?
 

Lyra Mantel

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It shouldn't have come as any surprise to her that, when she woke, she found herself alone. However, she was still a bit disappointed to discover that the man she had trusted to help her had instead left her in the cold room in which they had hidden. Lyra wondered at what point he had decided to leave and how soon after she had fallen asleep had he crept out of the room unnoticed. There wasn't any indication of what time it was, but the silence told her that the punters were still asleep, which meant she probably had a decent chance of escaping the establishment on her own.

Lyra breathed a heavy sigh and sat up on the edge of the bed, allowing herself a moment to collect herself and remember her way back to the stairs. It should have been simple enough for her to figure out, but her drunken haze had turned into a hellish headache and she strained to remember the details of what had transpired the night before. In fact, the only thing that stuck out to her in clear detail, was the face of Vilox for some unknown force had drawn her into him and, despite his absence, she felt connected to him still. It was something she'd eventually come to forget, as she had most people she had met in her travels.

She pulled her jacket from the bed, it stunk the same as the room where she sat, and pulled it over her shoulders. Lyra took a silent moment to examine the room, to be sure that she wouldn't leave anything behind, and then moved to the door. Just as Vilox had done the night before, she pressed her ear to it and listened for anyone who might be on the other side; if she was going to leave, she wanted to make sure no one noticed.
 

Vilox Pazela

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I have to go back for her.

He stood up and lowered his hand to the tap to turn it off. As he went to turn away it occurred to him that Lyra would be thirsty too. So he went back to pour another glass of water. Making his way back to the bar Vilox used the door this time to step out from the kitchen, making his way back to the den. He opened the curtain this time, and made his way back down the stairs to the end of the hall where Lyra was. Somehow he already knew that she was awake. Like something was telling him so. It was still a strange sensation this knowing that he had. When he played Sabaac he just knew when his hand was going to win.

At the Pazaak machines he could tell when the numbers would stop and where they would go. This foresight gave him an advantage when it came to gambling. Knowing when to bet, when to raise, when to call, and when to fold. Something was telling him- perhaps this ability that the Eternal called the dark side- had told him to back for her. He had learned from an early age to trust this instinct when it came. Allowed it to guide him, and it hadn't failed him yet.

There was a first time for everything, however.

Raising a hand upwards he went to push the door, and felt something on the other side. At first he thought it was the stool, but then he remembered he had moved it. "Lyra? It's me. It's Vilox. I have some water for you."
 
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Lyra Mantel

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She had heard the footsteps as Vilox made his way down the hall, but had no way to be certain that it was him. For all she knew, he had ratted her out to the Ithorian from a few hours before and he had sent one of the bouncers down to collect her; she also considered that it could be one of the punters come to return to their room, but didn't want to chance it by opening the door. Instead, she remained still and silent, her ear still pressed to the wooden frame as she waited for the footsteps to subside. They stopped outside her room and she felt herself hold her breath. Perhaps, if she remained quiet, they would leave her alone.

Vilox's voice made her jump, and she felt each muscle in her body tense for a moment before they settled. The adrenaline that had rushed through her now made her feel nauseous, but her heart rate subsided and, after taking a moment to calm herself, she opened the door for him cautiously. It wasn't until Lyra saw his face that she was able to completely relax. "You scared the hell out of me!" Her voice was hushed, but her hands still trembled. "I thought for sure you were that kriffing Ithorian. I was about to knock you out with the door."
 

Vilox Pazela

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He doubted it. But instead of giving a snarky response (which he had become very good at over the years) Vilox stepped over the threshold, handed Lyra and the water and closed the door. "The Rodian is still awake. Cleaning glasses. Reckon he would have said something if he was looking for us. Drink that and I'll walk you to wherever you live. Let's go."
 

Lyra Mantel

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Lyra took the water from Vilox, content to have some means of drowning out her headache. He seemed frustrated with her, but it was hard to blame him after the mess she had sucked him into; he hadn't needed to stick it out or offer to help her in the first place, so she could at least be thankful that he had. It made little sense to her why she cared so much about his thoughts or feelings, he'd leave her as soon as they were free of this place anyway and she'd be left to her own devices. It was how she preferred it anyway, or at least that's what she'd told herself in order to survive as long as she had. However, over the course of the last few hours, Lyra had come to realize that perhaps she had only done so on pure dumb luck.

"I don't live anywhere." She sighed, finishing her water and placing the glass down on the table beside the bed. "Thank you for all of your help, but if there's no one left to worry about I can take care of myself from here." Lyra, much less drunk and far calmer than she was the evening before, offered him the faintest of smiles and moved to collect her things. She'd need to make it to the spaceport and spend the credits she had stolen to buy herself passage off world. It had become common for her to have to pick up and start over, as much as she disliked it.

Soon, she hoped, she would be able to forget all about Vilox and the odd way in which she had felt drawn to him. It was best that way.
 

Vilox Pazela

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I don't live anywhere.

For some reason that hurt. That was a small, sad little smile too.

Thank you for all your help. He didn't feel he had helped her. But there's no one left to worry about. It had been awhile since someone had cared about him too. I can take care of myself from here.

"I grew up hearing things about the Core,"
Vilox explained as she went to collect her jacket. "Heard it's nice down there. I don't know how you ended up out here. But there's nothing nice out in the Outer Rim. I think you already know that. So where are you going to go next? Terminus is right on the edge. What are you running from?"
 

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Lyra hadn't exactly considered where she'd end once her luck had run out here; she had made it as far from the Core as anyone could make it and it didn't seem there was anywhere left for her to run to. However, it didn't much matter to him, as it wasn't his responsibility to keep her safe. It had been eleven years since she had left her home planet of Coruscant, but it wasn't quite time for her to return. In fact, she didn't think that she would ever be ready to return home as there was nothing left for her there; no family, no home, and certainly no future. She bit her bottom lip in quiet contemplation and then took another deep breath.

"It's okay. I never meant for Terminus to be my home and there isn't much left in the Outer Rim for me." Lyra finished fastening the buttons on her jacket and shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to complain to him or have him worry about her; it wasn't fair. In all honesty, she had created this life for herself and had been running for so long, she wasn't even sure what she was running from anymore, just that she couldn't stop. It wasn't anyone else's burden to carry but her own and, had it not been for the copious amounts of alcohol in her system, she wouldn't have dragged him into it in the first place.

"I'll be fine. I'll hop the cheapest shuttle off world I can find and," she paused, considering her options. "Well, I'll end up wherever I'm meant to end up. Don't worry about it." Another smile pulled at her lips and she breathed heavily, waiting for him to leave as he stood in front of the door.
 

Vilox Pazela

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He walked beside her quietly as they left the Lucky Den. By the time they reached the top of the stairway that led out of the brothel and into the bar the Rodian had seemingly retired for the day. It was unsurprising when they came across the locked door which barred their way out. Raising his palm to the knob Vilox concentrated for a moment. He felt it literally click before wrapping his fingers around the frame of the door to open it for them. Stepping out into the cold air was refreshing compared to the stench that they had slept in. It was still night time and foggy. But a ray of sunshine threatened to break it's way through the clouds. He turned and closed the door. Still unsure how he was able to do that with his mind. Perhaps he would learn more from the Eternal when he went back.

He looked down at her for a moment. Thinking. His eyes averted away from Lyra to the road that would carry her towards the spaceport. It was a long walk from here but she would make it before midday. As for him he was planning to spend another night on Terminus before heading back up the Hydian Way on a cargo freighter carrying rations for a refugee camp near Lothal. Unlike the authorities Vilox knew that the freighters real destination would take him back to the Eternal. Subterfuge was their specialty, and it just so happened that he was a natural.

Without looking at her Vilox spoke to the roads. His voice somber, and sad. "This could be goodbye. Maybe it would be better that we just forgot about each other. Moved onto wherever life takes us. Perhaps the next time you pull your con you won't be lucky next time. And maybe I won't be so lucky next time too."

"You could go to the spaceport, buy the next ticket out of here, and be on your way. But even though none of us have spoken about it yet I think there was something else that was going on tonight. You were right when you said I didn't have to help you, and to be honest, I don't think I did. If I had just let you be on your way you would be none the wiser about me, and you might have been long gone from here by the time that Ithorian realised what happened to him."

"I don't quite understand these... powers- for lack of better word- but I think I was being guided by something bigger than either of us which brought us together. So perhaps this is goodbye. But maybe it doesn't have to be."
 

Lyra Mantel

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He made mention of powers and, while she had witness him unlock a door with little effort, she had assumed it to be a parlor trick of sorts and written it off; there weren't such things as magic and to believe there would be seemed absurd. It would have been the kind of thing she would have fantasized about as a small child, but certainly not now. Still, she had felt an inexplicable connection to him, as if some unknown force had drawn the two of them together and that certainly couldn't be ignored. The thought made her head spin, or perhaps it was the hangover she was still nursing.

"I'm not sure I quite understand, but I think I felt it too." Lyra looked back at him, confusion written in her expression. "Would you honestly want someone like me to stick around anyway? Seems I've caused you a lot of trouble in only a few hours. I'm afraid it doesn't get much better."
 

Vilox Pazela

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"Honestly? I don't know if it's a good idea. Truth is Lyra I don't go out of my way to help others. I've never done a good thing in my life. I am not a good person." He turned around to face her. "I mean think about it? Two strangers don't start going off and start living their lives together on a whim. But I felt something in the Force. You felt something in the Force. We don't understand it but I think I know where we can find out."

Instead of turning down the road which led towards the spaceport Vilox turned and walked past Lyra in the other direction. As he passed her he said: "It makes all the sense in the world to continue on your way. You made it this far out from Coruscant. You're clearly capable somewhat. Either way I am going this way, and I'm inviting you to come along. It's your choice, Lyra."

Slipping his hands into his pockets Vilox exhaled and watched his own breath rise into the cold air. It was a freezing morning on Terminus, and with the sunlight threatening to break through the rest of the city would be shown for what it was: a maze of avenues, streets and lowlifes making their way through the Galaxy. And if you were unlucky enough to call Terminus your home?

Then that was just too bad. Fate didn't roll it's dice for you. Unlucky.
 

Lyra Mantel

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Lyra wasn't sure about what she had felt, but some unseen force had drawn her to Vilox. He admitted that he wasn't a decent person and, to be honest, she felt that too, but for some reason or another, it didn't seem to matter. Never in her life had she trusted another individual, but she trusted him and felt the odd desire to follow him wherever he decided to lead her. It wasn't because she was incapable of surviving on her own, or because she was unsure of where she would wind up next. No, something else told her to follow him, perhaps the same unseen force that had drawn them together the night before. He called it the 'force' but Lyra wasn't quite sure what that meant.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes drawn back and forth between the long road that would take her to the spaceport and to Vilox who walked away from her, his hands shoved in his pockets. There was a small voice in the back of her mind that still spoke with some sense, telling her that it would have been safer to continue as she had for the last eleven years; alone and guarded. She was sure that would have been the easiest of her two choices, but she couldn't ignore this feeling that she needed to be with him. It scared her some.

It didn't take long for her to catch up to him, once her decision to follow him had been made. Lyra walked a short distance from his side, not wanting to seem to eager to join him. "You said that you might know where we can find some answers and I want to know what this feeling is. Where can we go?" She breathed heavily, keeping her eyes focused forwards.
 

Vilox Pazela

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She had decided to follow him. Inside Vilox chided himself for his selfishness. He had pulled that move a dozen times. The man wasn't particularity gifted when it came to 'higher thought' as some academics would call it, but he was good at one thing: manipulation. Lyra really thought that it was her idea to follow him to God knows where now. But as they made their way down the street to where Vilox had set himself up over the course of the week he debated whether or not he was really going to bring this woman to the Eternal?

Could he really do that to someone?

"It's up here. Place is a shithole. But at least it doesn't smell like the Lucky Den did. Come." They turned into a side alleyway that parted from the main street. Pelts of rain dripped from the overhanging fire escapes and advertisements which hung from the side of the building's walls. It had rained the night previously, it seemed. Raising the back of his hand to his nose Vilox dried it before it ran too much. He didn't like that feeling.

Eventually he stopped at the foot of a fire escape. The ladder was too high for him to climb onto, and definitely too high for Lyra. Suddenly he jumped in the air and hung there far too long than what was normal. No man should be able to jump that high. But here he was making another jump like it was nothing. He caught onto the railing of the ladder, positioned a foot on the base and pressed down with all his weight. He held onto dear life as it begun to crash down to the pavement below, careful not to slip on it's greasy wet surface.

It crashed into the alleyway and stopped suddenly. A ringing sound echoed through the alleyway for a few seconds from the noise of it all. "Come," Vilox told Lyra. Climbing up the ladder he maneuvered himself onto a platform, and begun ascending the stairway to the fire escape door. Then he opened the door, and disappeared into the building.
 

Lyra Mantel

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Lyra was none-the-wiser to the fact that Vilox had manipulated her to follow him, but kept a short distance as he led them down a damp alley. It would have been fair to say, that she was naive to the true dangers that the galaxy presented and lucky to have made it this far on her own. While the voice in the back of her mind still argued that she should have left him and returned to the spaceport, there was nothing about their immediate situation that told her she was at risk, so she hushed it and obediently stayed at his side. It was quite possibly the dumbest decision she'd made in her life, but something told her that she needed answers and it seemed only he would be able to provide them.

Rain water dripped from the fire escapes and advertisements that clung to the crumbling brick buildings, pooling on the ground and soaking her boots as she tread through it. He led them to a dead end, a rusted ladder positioned out of reach led up one of the fire escapes on the side of an unfamiliar building; it seemed impossible that either one of them would be able to climb it, but she trusted Vilox knew what he was doing and stood silently by as he jumped to reach it.

What she witnessed reminded her of his 'parlor trick' back at the Lucky Den, where he had unlocked a door without even having to touch it. It made little sense to her how he had done it, and admittedly it scared her some, but instead of running in fear, Lyra sucked in a deep breath and calmed herself before climbing the rusted fire escape behind it. The place really was a dump, but it was still nicer than some of the places she'd found herself in the past and did, indeed, smell better than the brother the two of them had found themselves in the night before; for that, she was grateful.

"Is this where you've been staying?" She asked in a hushed voice, looking up at him as she followed him up the side of the building.
 

Vilox Pazela

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"Yes," Vilox replied as he held the door open for her, then closed it after they stepped inside. He was a man of few words, and when he did speak it was either straight to the point, or something of importance which dictated whether or not it would be something eloquent and profound. Suffice to say he was man of eloquent words when he needed to be, but profoundness had yet to come to fruition. Still, the people he had learned to play over a lifetime of small time crime and survival had taught him that most liked it when they felt important, and subsequently, found themselves being whispered words of eloquence which only fed into their arrogance, or ambition, or ignorance, or whatever trait the man had picked up to use them for his own vices.

It occurred to Vilox as he led Lyra through the dark hallway that, for the first time in a long time, he had said something profound. Yes, he had spoken it eloquently, and as a consequence he now had the girl following him, which he felt was important somehow. But for the first time in his life he had, perhaps, contributed something of massive importance to himself and another. In dark times he chided himself on the falsehoods and downright lies that he had fed Maria (which was why they were no longer together) but this time he somehow felt none of this was false, or a lie. Perhaps some dishonesty, but not a lie. He was surprised that he felt happy.

Happy to be with this woman he had only known a few hours.

Tinted windows, covered in grime and dust reflected daylight from the outside that exposed some areas of the hallway enough that it's two occupants could navigate their way through. It was an apartment complex run by some landlord Vilox had only met once during his induction into the place. They hadn't spoken to each other since, and Vilox preferred it that way. So long as the man got his payment at the end of every month then what use was there striking up unnecessary conversation?

Despite his troubled lifestyle Vilox was a model tenant. No noise nuisance, or complaints. He didn't like to bring trouble home. He had only been living on Terminus for a month, and there were weeks on end where he had barely been here. In fact such was his time away from this place he now called home that, in total, he had probably only spent a half dozen days actually staying in the apartment itself, and it totally showed: haphazard boxes strewn around the place from when he had unpacked, but was too lazy to dispense with the packaging; dirty laundry left to mount itself in the corner of the room, waiting to be washed, pressed and dried; and dirty plates with stains from tasteless, meaningless meals the man had fed himself before coming and going.

It wasn't a pretty sight.

"I'm still tired," Vilox explained as he opened the apartment, and ushered Lyra inside. "So I'm going to sleep. Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge if you're hungry. We're leaving Terminus when I wake up so use this time to prepare yourself for a journey. Where we are going isn't pleasant."

Disappearing into a room adjoining the sitting room Vilox closed the door and collapsed on the bed. Sleep came soon afterwards.
 

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It was even more damp and horrid inside of the apartment complex than it had been outside. Water leaked from the ceiling and the carpets were so wet that they peeled up and smelled of mold. It could be seen on the walls where the rooms had flooded at some point, no doubt due to cheap pipes, and the roof looked as though it could cave in at any moment. One of the tenants smoked too, she could smell it, and a yellow paste held to the walls and windows. It, unfortunately, reminded her of the children's home back on Coruscant where she had been dumped as child. Lyra had lived there for many years before she was kicked out due to a lack of funding for the institution. There were times she missed it, but not today.

The door to his apartment creaked open, revealing mountains of boxes holding his belongings that hadn't been unpacked. It was clear he hadn't been here long and didn't intend to stay long enough to really make it feel like his home; of course, in a place like this, that was near impossible anyway. There was mounting laundry piles in the corners of the room and it smelled just as bad in here as it had in the halls. Still, it was better to have an apartment (even a dirty one) than to sleep on the streets as she'd been forced to. It was rather rare that she left the Lucky Den with enough credits to secure a motel room and had slept on the concrete in alley ways more times than she'd probably ever admit to Vilox. It still seemed weird to trust him, but she wouldn't argue with a place to sleep.

"Get some rest then. I'll be fine." She assured him as he disappeared into his bedroom to sleep, though she doubted he really cared whether she was comfortable or not.

It was quiet, save for the constant drip of water from the ceiling onto the windowsill, and she found herself curled up on the broken couch in the living room. It was hard to sleep, her mind focused instead on where he might be taking her once the sun rose. Terminus had been her home for nearly a month and she couldn't imagine a place more unpleasant, but he had warned her that where he was taking her would be equally, if not more, unpleasant than this. Was it really wise to put so much trust in him that she'd let him lead her off-world to a place more dangerous than Terminus? Even if it wasn't, it was a bit too late for her to back out.

It was hours later that she finally closed her eyes to sleep. Lyra tucked her boots beneath the couch and curled up with one of the blankets hung over the back of it, using her jacket as a pillow. It was uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as concrete and, at the very least, she was dry. Rain poured down outside, she could hear it hitting the windows, and thunder boomed in the distance, shaking the dilapidated building. It was a wonder it hadn't collapsed already, but she was far too tired to car.
 

Vilox Pazela

Character
Sith Order
Rank
Champion

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Vazela
Joined
Jan 18, 2020
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He woke up a few hours later. Sleep still clung onto him still. There was a part of him which longed to turned back over and sleep for another few hours- perhaps ten, or twenty if he was lucky- and forget about the world. Reality wasn't something Vilox found enjoyable. It was rough, and irritable, and tough. But in his dreams he could think up somewhere that wasn't Terminus, or Almania, or about the Eternal. He often dreamed himself as he was when he was boy. Back with childhood friends he hadn't seen in decades, some of which were long dead in the ground.

Maria was back with him, and he imagined the things they would do together. They would kark around in the streets of Ren'bl Ettes, playing pranks on others and being up to go no good. One time he dreamed a memory about the time when he was fly kicked a man off his speeder whilst he was making a delivery. He would quickly scramble onto the pilot seat and zoom off with vehicle, taking it back to the old Je'har ruins in the forest for his friends to marvel in awe of his bravado and the speeder in which he had taken. They would ride it around the forest for hours until it ran out of fuel, and together they would watch it burn up after setting it on fire before returning to their homes for supper, or a beating if that was on the menu.

It was a good dream. Sometimes he would wake up smiling in spite of himself, and then he would look in the mirror to remember that he wasn't that boy anymore. The person that looked back at him was hollow, and gaunt, and rough, and irritable, and tough. Still, if Vilox Pazela was honest with himself- despite not liking the man he had become- it was a sight lot better than what was laying in the bathtub. Joined to the main bedroom was an off-shot bathroom that was as dirty and moldy as the rest of the apartment complex. Thick tar like black stuck to the bathroom tiles; pieces of hair, ranging from pubic to everything in-between hung onto the sink, and toilet basin; and there were stains all over the walls and ceiling from God knows what the tenant had been up to in here.

But the crimson sight of blood, which stuck onto the tiles, shower curtain and taps was much, much worse. He's beginning to smell, Vilox thought to himself as he pissed into the toilet whilst trying not to look at the man. Hopefully Lyra doesn't smell that. Need to leave soon. Flushing the toilet he turned, closed the bathroom door and locked it. He took a moment to survey the bedroom and decided that he would be glad to not sleep here again.

Stepping out of the bedroom, with a black duffel bag full of belongings, and a coat in the other arm Vilox made sure the room was locked before surveying the sitting room. A mean thought came to mind. He imagined leaving Lyra here to discover the bathroom, and all the gore that was in there. Imagined that she would conclude he had something to do with the victim's death. He also imagined a scenario where she would still be sleeping only to be woken up by knocks on the door, and whoever they were would find her, the body and starting putting things together. Imagined that they would take her to find out what happened, and all the bad things that would happen to her if that was to play out. The thoughts made him feel sick of himself. What was wrong with him?

He lowered the bag to the ground, resting the coat on top of it, and gently made his way across the sitting room to where she was sleeping. He crouched beside her, and for a minute he watched her. Behind her the door that led back out into the hallway was inviting. Part of him wanted to leave her here, but in the end the part which did not won out. "Lyra?" he whispered.
 

Lyra Mantel

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

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MatureContentWarningx
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Jan 19, 2020
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The smell of the corpse that rotted in the other room hadn't reached her, likely masked by the other putrid smells that lingered in the apartment. It wasn't the cleanest place she had ever slept and even the busted couch held some odor Lyra could only attribute to some kind of dried bodily fluid. It was likely vomit, but she tried not to think about it for fear it'd make her sick to her stomach. The state of it all should have hinted to her that he'd been on Terminus far more than a month as he had previously admitted, but she had been so distracted by the events that had led her here, that she'd thrown out all sense of caution and observation. She didn't know it yet, but based on the fact that a man sat in decomposition in the bathroom, it had been an almost fatal mistake. Perhaps Vilox had plans to murder her too, but that possibility had yet to cross her mind.

It was hours later that his whisper awoke her, the sun barely up over the horizon and the room still dark from the thick yellowed paste that held to the windows. She ran a hand through her hair and stretched, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Vilox was knelt beside her, his face much closer to hers than she felt comfortable, but it wasn't worth saying anything to him. No, she rubbed her eyes and sat up, pulling her jacket back over her shoulders though it smelled first of the stale rooms in the Lucky Den and now the apartment and dilapidated couch she'd had the displeasure of sleeping on.

"What time is it?" Lyra muttered, half-dazed as she tried to determine the time of day by the amount of sun that came in through the windows, but the grime on them made it near impossible. It was still raining outside too, the soft pitter-patter of raindrops on the glass near pulling her back into the couch. She wanted to sleep some more, but remembered Vilox had mentioned they'd need to leave early in order to reach their destination, wherever it was. It had been two days now that she'd survived on only a few hours of sleep and it was starting to catch up to her, her eyes heavy and limbs sore.

"It doesn't matter." Lyra dismissed her previous question, stretching again as she stood from the couch. "I'm ready to leave, just as soon as I freshen up."

Her eyes searched the dark apartment for any signs of the bathroom, remembering which door Vilox had disappeared behind when he'd went off to bed and walking towards the opposite. There were only two rooms in the apartment, so it made sense the other would be what she needed.
 
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