Cold Water

[Prudence]

​

The wind coursed through like the warm breath of a benign deity, impishly playing with papers and other loose items, sending them flitting around where they sat. The breeze was nice, and smelled of the sea as it came in on its high tide. Mixed with the setting sun, casting a warm golden light on the area, and the loft ambience of patrons chattering, holoscreens playing, and the straw roof rustling in said wind, it was quite a beautiful atmosphere. Kira had been around the galaxy a time or two in her life, but she had always found that atmospheres like this were her favorite. Relaxing, friendly, and warm.

Tilting a crystal clear glass towards her lips she took a long sip of water, before setting it back on the counter to rest in the rapidly forming pool of its own sweat. Nearby she could see a couple of Rodians squibbling back and forth in their native tongue as they played some game that involved cards and knives. A tickle came to her cheek as a stray gust of breeze caught her hair and brushed it into her face. She pushed the hair aside and leaned forward onto the counter, taking in the scenery once more.

She sat here in one of the many uniform brown chairs, waiting for Eryn to arrive here. It had been a bit since she'd seen the man that was quickly becoming her operations partner. She wore a bright teal colored sleeveless shirt that buttoned up the middle, and extended well past her waist, almost like a vest. Underneath it she wore a belted pair of long tight black leggings, fitting in well with the female crowd here on Chandrilla. Though the air around the tiki-bar was warm, the rest of the city was caught in the cold clutches of night, and thus she had her long black coat folded and set against the bottom of the bar beside the feet of her chair, along with her bag. In it she had her lightsabers, an EB-4 blaster, and her thermos of cryptberry tea- a solace in the cold night.

She took another long sip of her glass and then began watching the holoscreen set above the middle of the bar, while subtly scanning the surrounding area in the Force, especially for those who may approach her.

 

[Deviant]

His feet stippled between every lackluster cast of sand. Stride intrepid and forthright, he fluttered over the brink of the shore with curious delay. The elevated crest of the sea lathered over the beach, frothing ashen blisters of water over his toes. As the water receded, he approached the verge of the tiki-bar. His old partner would be biding her time there, awaiting his requisite arrival. Though he didn't mind if she waited: he was enjoying himself at the channel of the coast, and no doubt she was enjoying herself and a chalice of balmy liquor.

Now within a fair distance from the canteen, his prudent gaze caught the uncovered fringe of Kira. Unfortunately, the prevailing fixation on his long-time acquaintance had him too distraught to see what was laid out before him. In an instant, his feet plowed through the delicate carcass of a sand castle. A toddler, who sat next to it in preceding bliss, looked up to him in tears. Before he could witness the young child burst into sobs, Eryn hustled away from the beach and into the enclosed scaffolding of the tiki-bar.

Taking off his sleek brand of sunglasses and stuffing it into the collar of his sleeveless shirt, he took a comfortable seat next to Kira. As he waved away a precarious bartender, hinting an pithy abstinence from alcohol, Eryn remarked firsthand. "You look like you're having fun."

@Prudence

 

[Prudence]

The familiar and jovial signature of Eryn flooded her senses before he even came within vision, and she let a smile onto her face. As the sound of his footfalls reached her she pivoted her body towards him in time to hear his remark. The girl just shrugged raising her glass of water and downing the rest of it.

"Only as much fun as a girl can have when her date is late. " She gave him a mockingly annoyed glance that quickly softened into a soft laughter.

She held a hand up nonchalantly, but noticeably enough that she caught the bartender's eye. He walked down and she grinned at him, "I'll take two glasses of tea please?"

The man gave a burly smile and nodded "Comin' right up miss"

Kira slid a few credits to the man and then crossed her legs, glancing over to Eryn as she did.

"Enjoying a long walk on the beach now, are we?"

 

[Deviant]

"Date? Don't flatter yourself, honey."

His gracile fingers tapped rhythmically against the unrefined counter; agitation broached upon granular wood. Though he was seldom ever impatient or flustered, he had gone without liquor for the past several days. The euphoria of a cocktail, regardless of breadth, implicitly beckoned for him. Be that as it may, he knew full well it was better to elude the bewitching innervation of intoxication. Despite offering a brief escape from thoughts of precarious temper, it muddled his perception; it bungled his concentration. If he ever wanted to prevail through the Sith, he'd need to first surmount the troubling issues of his past rather than by the amenities of inebriation.

But, on such profound thoughts aside, his awry gaze motioned to his sand-caked feet.

"Not my fault— they got a damn good shore I just can't resist. I'm honestly surprised I didn't catch you paddling around in the shallow end with some floaties and a callow snorkel."

 

[Prudence]

A snort sent a spire of water that Kira had meant to swallow spurting through her nose. She coughed a bit to clear her throat and then continued laughing. "My friend, have you seen my hair? I don't get this wet if I don't have to."

She flipped her hair a bit for dramatic effect. It was then that her tea arrived and she began sipping at it. After a moment she noticed that he wasn't ordering alcohol and realized that he would need to not be inebriated for the day. Snickering she took a long dramatic sip,

"The poor damaged alcoholic can't have his drink? Poor Eryn. I never took you for the long walks on the beach type either. Don't tell me you're secretly a hopeless romantic at heart."

 

[Deviant]

He managed a brusque chuckle, especially at the sheer spectacle of water slobber out of her nose. His hand lightly clapped against the eloquent counter as he dipped his head down in amusement. As a smile emanated and lined the fringe of his jowl, he peeked out from his recline to beam at a jeering Kira. Leaning back into the threshold of his seat, Eryn faced the winsome bearing of his partner.

"Me? A hopeless romantic? Wow, your jokes are getting better and better as the day progresses— I'm impressed."

Peering over her, he noticed the horizon lastly dissolving into the sea, leaving a vibrant horizon in bittersweet gloom. As he raised his eyebrow in precipitous anticipation he continued. "Even if I was one, sweetheart..."

Another succinct pause. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be stuck here underneath the canopy of some decrepit tiki-bar waiting for you to finish guzzling down the rest of your drink."

 

[Prudence]

As Eryn shot another quip about her jokes she just rolled her eyes, drumming her on the wood finish of the table top. She couldn't quite get a feel for who Eryn was under all of these layers. He enjoyed pretty things, like Onderon, and the beach. She leaned into his line of vision, blocking the horizon,

"I don't know, I think you'd still be here. You have a pretty great view."

Another little laugh came out as she finished her drink, setting down the glass and stood, "But we can go ahead and leave this decrepit tiki-bar as you so politely put it. I've got things to do today, I'm a busy girl."

 

[Breezy Breezer]

"Pru-Dan! You saw me standing alooooone." crooned the sultry tones of Breezy, his latest single already a hit in most second-rate dive bars in the Galaxy. By most he meant three, and by second rate he meant....well, dumps like this. As he crooned out the next line, some nonsensical garbage about the color of a moon, breezy could almost hear the thoughts of the old man in the front row.

What load of sh... Breezy cut the thought off, after all, he didn't want to lose his PG rating. People paid good money for his family friendly content (before the watershed, after that, things got crazy). Placing down the Soosifute, and plucking out a death stick in clear defiance of pretty much every law ever (but who cares, I'm a celebrity right?), he lit it and sat by the bar.

It appeared the young lady was spurning the gentlemans advances, and - well, it would be a fool to pass up an opportunity. Facing Eryn, he spun a drink in his direction, with the suave sophistication of an Oliphant in coat tails. "Names Breezy, you may have heard of me before. This lady bothering you?" he said, a sly grin on his odd looking tunnel shaped mouth thing mouth.

Fame, everyone loves it bar those who don't have it.

You'd think it was simple folks, being Breezy? But as I've said before, it ain't easy, being Breezy - everyone either loves you, or wants to be you.

Class.

 

[Deviant]

He stifled a laugh. Inhibited, surreptitious, and cackled: his hand wrapped around a swiveled grin as to muffle his chuckle. As he briefly glanced to the noted Breezy Breeso the Breezer Geezer, a common joke idol in the stature of the Outer-Rim, Eryn waved down the barkeeper. "You know what? Just go ahead and get a bottle of Corellian Ale." Leaning in, he added with a murmur. "The biggest one too, please."

As he stretched back down to the solace of his chair, Eryn revolved around to face the Rodian big shot, completely ignoring his compatriot. "Oh, she's bothering me alright. But she doesn't matter— I mean, you are the Breezy Breeso the Breezer Geezer, am I right?"

Desperately attempting to conceal his laughter, he offered a broad crimp of his lips before snagging the bottle of Ale now settled over the counter. There went his entire endeavor to quit drinking. But, at least it was for a good reason.

Spoiler: OOC

LOL! I just couldn't resist posting now, regardless of quality.

 

[Breezy Breezer]

Another adoring fan, the Rodian rockstar noted. As earlier stated, the easiness of the Breeziness is certainly in question now. Taking another drink, and adding it to his ten-year long tab (one of the perks of being famous, you never pick up the bill, just die and let your loved ones inherit the vast debt associated with fame) he looked into the mans eyes, his own vast pools of black emotion delving deeply, invitingly into his own.

Years from now, this exact scene would be played out by Z-List A-List actors, replaying Breezys best selling book "It Ain't Easy" as the first of an epic saga about his life. It would sell more copies than the complete works of Unupjuleer (a famed play write who invited most of his words, I mean who the hell uses 'forsooth' in a sentence?) coming second only to the Bible sacred texts of Gorupha'ludeen.

Centuries from now, ninth graders would read it in 'Basic' so as to 'understand the subtext', most of them would have no idea who Breezy actually was. Of course, the Rodian didn't know this (my abilities to predict the future are a tad off today) but if he had, he probably would have written a song about it.

Totally forgetting what he was going to say to the man, who's Corellian ale frosted enticingly, Breezy settled for the old classic. "How you doin'?" most men, women and semi-sapient plant based creatures would have fainted, Eryn clearly didn't.

Breezy look with fascination, in something that would be immortalised in 3,500 ABY by the famed actor Juup Fahzem, in his epic portrayal of Breezy as a stalwart protector of Republic Justice (I never said holodrama in the future was more accurate than it was now), in the hit movie "Jangling With Love". They connected, both spiritually and via the wifi on their comms devices, over that pint glass of Corellian ale.

They bonded.
They truly met.

Fan looked at idol.
Rockstar behold follower.

All was silent.

 

[Prudence]

He stifled a laugh. Inhibited, surreptitious, and cackled: his hand wrapped around a swiveled grin as to muffle his chuckle. As he briefly glanced to the noted Breezy Breeso the Breezer Geezer, a common joke idol in the stature of the Outer-Rim, Eryn waved down the barkeeper. "You know what? Just go ahead and get a bottle of Corellian Ale." Leaning in, he added with a murmur. "The biggest one too, please."

As he stretched back down to the solace of his chair, Eryn revolved around to face the Rodian big shot, completely ignoring his compatriot. "Oh, she's bothering me alright. But she doesn't matter— I mean, you are the Breezy Breeso the Breezer Geezer, am I right?"

Desperately attempting to conceal his laughter, he offered a broad crimp of his lips before snagging the bottle of Ale now settled over the counter. There went his entire endeavor to quit drinking. But, at least it was for a good reason.

Spoiler: OOC

LOL! I just couldn't resist posting now, regardless of quality.

Kira gave an exaggerated sigh when Eryn ordered a bottle of Corellian ale. She motioned to her glass and the waitress picked it up and refilled it with Alderaanian tea, handing it back to Kira. She took a sip of it and rolled her eyes at Eryn,

"Alcoholic."

Then the Breezy Rodian approached her gurgling something about her bothering Eryn. She shook her head letting out a small laugh. She couldn't believe this, the day couldn't get weirder. She ate the last of her chips in the basket and ordered another round turning so she could see the Rodian and Eryn. "Bothering you? Ha! Honey you wish I was bothering you." She blew a kiss to Eryn, playing every bit the diva and stuck up hot girl that she could. This breezer wouldn't know her from any other woman, and it was better that he just think she was a stuck up rich brat.

 

[Deviant]

Carousing the final scale of liquor from the articulate shadow of the bottle, Eryn exhaled with satisfaction at the indulgence of intoxication. Inherently, a tint of resentment simmered at the sight of another failed bid to quit drinking, but he ostensibly felt his disposition hearten at the ease. As he glanced to a cheeky Kira, the Sith played along with her gesture, pretending to snatch the imaginary kiss with his bare hands before tossing it away. Grinning in bravura, he painlessly overlooked the notorious icon situated at his side, instead fixating his attention back to his original companion.

Right as the barkeeper presented the woman her next round of liquor, Eryn reached over to seize it from her custody. Instantly sloshing the drink down to the clear ire of the bartender, he slapped it against the counter. "Let's ditch this joint, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes."

 

[Fruity]

A tall, chiss waitress walked from the grill near the far side of the bar to the group of three sitting together. She was in a long yellow sun dress, a requirement for the women of the bar. She quietly looked around the bar as she walked, chip basket in hand. As she approached, she noticed the Rodian man. She hated everything to do with the Rodians. She didn't even know who this icon was, but she knew she hated him. As she walked, she got a lot of stares. The chiss weren't exactly the most common species outside of Scilla, and even if they were, a tall blue woman with red eyes was still a sight to behold. Xian'Mei approached the three, and lowered her tray with a basket of chips on it. She lightly smiled and handed the woman her chips. She examined the Eryn beginning to leave. She retracted the chips. "I apologize for the wait..do you need these to go Ms.?". She turned her gaze for the moment to the Rodian. She looked him dead in the eyes, glaring with her pools of red protruding from her skull.

@Deviant @Kira Elan

 

[Prudence]

A laugh was barely stifled as Eryn pretended to 'catch' the kiss she had blown at him, before proceeding to toss it away. The man, who had already finished his alcohol, then stole her glass and downed it. Eryn was quite skilled at this game, and that was one of the qualities that made him a good partner. Kira rolled her eyes at the loss of the drink, before her train of thought was derailed. Turning to face the eerily red eyed woman she shook her heads,

"No thank you! I better get him back home before he drinks everything you've got!"

She smiled back at Eryn and nodded, taking his hand, "I agree, let's ditch this place."

She practically drug him by the hand away from the bar, towards her rented speeder and slid inside the driver's seat. She cranked the speeder and then waited for Cipher to enter, before she would take off.

 

[Fruity]

She'd take a deep sigh in, tired of wasting chips on drunk customers. She'd look back to the Rodian. She thought for a moment, then had a stroke of brilliance in her crimson eyes. She began to walk away past him. She ate a chip, and all of a sudden feel back, dropping the chips all over Breezy. She caught herself on the bar barely, hitting her back on it slightly. Xian'Mei smirked slightly. "Oh geeze..I'll find some one to clean that up for you." She took a chip from his lap and ate it, smirking at him and waiting to see what he said.

 

[Deviant]

Eryn struggled to maintain his composure as Kira wrested him from the convenience of his seat. Flashing a look of dejection to the beguiling frame of their waitress, as if he was pleading for help, the Sith roved alongside the surprisingly tight grip of his companion. Receding into the now lackluster tone of the surroundings and away from the resplendent scene of the tiki-bar, he ambled himself over to where Kira's parked speeder laid in wait. As she slid into the drivers compartment, followed by his own mount onto the vehicle, he wrapped himself around her waist like a child searching for his toy.

Leaning his face against the back of her neck, he murmured drunkenly. "Hey, wait a minute. You drank too, didn't you? Why the hell are you driving?"

 

[Prudence]

Mock annoyance swelled across the woman's face at his complaints. Kira cut her eyes towards Eryn, as if the answer were obvious and he just weren't seeing it staring him in the face.

"Well yes, but I had less to drink, and I'm a better driver."

She shifted the speeder into gear and hit the accelerator harder than she had intended to. The speeder lurched forward for a moment, before slowing down to a more appropriate acceleration, "Ignore that" she said quickly, her face reddening a bit. The speeder quickly was into one of the skylanes, cruising alongside the other speeders. She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and looked over to the passenger seat. "So are you going to tell me what it is that you're drinking to try to forget? Or what you started drinking to forget? At this point I think you just drink to drink."

 

[Deviant]

"A better driver? Yeah righ—"

His voice plunged to the hindmost of his throat as the speeder wrenched forward. Fingers tightened at the unexpected momentum, obliging the anchor over his companion's waist to stiffen with unease. With his gut laden in the intemperance of alcohol, he groaned uncomfortably. As he nuzzled his face further against the rear of her spine, eyes closed out of angst rather than fear for his life, he cracked with apprehension. "It's hard to ignore the fact that you clearly suck at this, Kira."

Sarcasm was underlaid in his tone. Though not to be taken literally, it certainly came as blunt word against her guile. While the speeder transitioned into the engrossed enterprise of the freeway on the way to the water plant, Eryn felt the faint glare of his accomplice burrow into the side of his temple alongside a nosy inquiry. "None of your business, sweetheart."

His pause melted in the impeding draft of air. "But if you had to know, you creep— I had a good friend before, but... she isn't here anymore, so. Yeah. Life sucks."

Hoping the answer would fend off further questions into his past, he sighed into the braze of air.

 

[Prudence]

Kira could feel Eryn's mood shift subtly. Instead of the jovial sarcasm that had inhabited the space between them, now hung an awkward silence as he first just brushed the question off as none of her business. After a moment, however, he did break down and give her a bit of an answer, nothing specific but clearly designed to attempt to sate her curiosity. Kira mentally broke down his statement, a good friend could be anyone, but Eryn had specified. His good friend had been a she. Thoughts of his behavior on Cotellier flooded her mind and she assumed the figure that she resembled, and this good friend were the same person.

The sith gnawed at her lip her cheeks reddening almost unnoticeably as she dipped her head, "I-" the words caught in her mouth for a moment "I'm sorry." was all she said. She left it at that, the silence that hung between them awkward and stiff. The rest of the drive was calm, with nothing of note standing out until she pulled into a small shady parking lot and parked the speeder,

"I need to guy inside and buy something real quick." She flashed Eryn a quick smile and got out of the care, sauntering towards the entrance to a windowless permacrete building that had a single durasteel door. She paused a moment at the door, seeing if Eryn would follow or choose to stay in the speeder.

 

[Deviant]

"Ah, okay. Get me some snacks too, if you could, dear."

His eyes wavered. Thoughts engulfed by inebriation. Hands fastened together in a single coil. It took him several moments before he realized what he was truly meant to do, and with graceless clout, he shifted out of the parked speeder. Disembarked and laid bare in a dimmed lot, a single-handed sigh slipped in between a slouched simper, all at the behest of obligation. As he exhaled, Eryn pursued Kira to the dull tract of the calcified edifice, accompanied by a sole lightsaber and a dulled charm.