Ask Coruscant For Old Times' Sake

[Vera Coulter]

What was this 'we' business all of a sudden? She felt an odd color rise up in her cheeks, and she cleared her throat awkwardly, shuffling her weight between the crutch and her other foot. "Young ones never learn," she muttered, taking another pull from her cigar, then sighing quietly. "We all make mistakes, Max. And sometimes we're too damn old and stubborn to accept things can flip on you in a sec."

She lightly nudged him with a shoulder, cocking a brow. "But we? Plan on cozying with an old bat on a beach somewhere, eh?" she slanted him a teasing grin, daring him to comment. He was being awfully cute for a guy that threatened to toss her like a sack of potatoes earlier.

@Nefieslab

 

[Maxims Tionson]

... was she embarrassed?

Force above he was tempted to start recording because if she started blushing he knew there was no way anyone would believe him if he didn't have video evidence. Of course he didn't do that - both because he respected her too much to share her embarrassment like that and also because he was certain he would end up with a concussion from a hospital crutch. Too much of a risk to end up as the first Jedi Master killed with medical equipment.

Not the mark on history he wanted to leave behind.

"Good thing about being a space monk?" he smirked lightly, "I can blame it all on the Will of the Force and everyone thinks I'm being wise and insightful or something."

It honestly worked on most padawans.

He snorted in amusement.

"If I didn't go with you, you'd end up roughing up the others retirees for getting more pills than they should from the dispensary."

@Killa Ree

 

[Vera Coulter]

A low, rough laugh burst from her lips, shaking her head. "You mean good Cip bullshits? That's cute," she smirked, leaning harder against the wall. The stump started to ache even more now, a proof that some of the numbing drugs were beginning to wear off. But she welcomed the pain, the sharp relief it gave to every thought where the whisky seemed to dull her senses.

"Come now, and here I thought you just liked my company," she drawled, refilling the whisky glass. Why not, seemed up for grabs. "But hell yeah. Gonna be an ass about stuff, I'd let them remember that it's better to share." But the fact that even bothered or cared... who else did? She didn't protect enough people on the Ranger base. She didn't stop them when they came blasting in and slaughtering her brothers and sisters at arms. But instead of letting the despair sink her, she felt righteous anger. Caught between burning up with rage or sinking into fear. A constant struggle to maintain, and here was a small sweet spot.

Nothing she deserved, that was for damn sure.

So instead, she just took another drink, gaze focused ahead. No point dragging Max into her sick head, he had a galaxy to save. And she just wasn't up to sobbing in his arms. No use in it, by the end of the day he had enough going without dealing with a broken cripple with a rage problem.

@Nefieslab

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Ah he had the opening RIGHT there to start spouting some Jedi Master-y stuff about how everyone did things to amplify their confidence and the confidence others had in them. He could have given her a little mini-lecture about how bullshitting was actually a really useful skill to have - maybe pepper in some anecdotes about how it had saved his life in the past? But... nah.

She wasn't a student and he didn't want to start sounding like some kind of college professor.

Bad enough he sounded like a middle aged man these days.

"Best we start saving up then." he declared with a smirk, "Cus we both know Ranger pensions are hot garbage and the only pension plan out there that's worse is the Jedi."

Seriously, Jedi didn't even retire, you just got older and older until you were of no use to anyone aside from as a human audio-book of teachings - and then you returned to the Force. That last bit sounded far more peaceful and fulfilling than ending up in a lecture hall was academy students.

He didn't say anything more about how her emotions were a freight train right now. Didn't say a word about how he knew she wasn't actually dealing with her issues so much as putting them off until another time. Instead he just reached over and threaded his fingers between hers as he held her free hand.

Didn't need to say anything.

@Killa Ree

 

[Vera Coulter]

She chuckled once, but it wasn't particularly amused or emotive. It was true, the Jedi didn't seem to have a good retirement plan; she'd already had some credits stashed away, though most of it was to put Liann to a good college. She never really thought of a beach place to retire to, just considered a place where she could tuck away and waste until she died. That's what you did as a Ranger; you kept going until you'd be forced to retire.

At least, that was how it was in her mind--

She stopped when he slipped his hand through hers, twining his fingers through her own. For a moment, she stiffened, and it seemed like she would move away, put some distance.

Instead, she lightly squeezed his hand, sighing quietly. Just give me time, Cip. I don't want to be saved right now.

@Nefieslab

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Max had been ready for her to move her hand away from his - she had never been a touchy-feely type of person after all and this was exactly that. The kind of unspoken softness and comfort that she likely needed but would never have accepted if he had said anything about it aloud. That she ended up relaxing and not moving her hand meant that he had judged it well and this was something she was comfortable with.

Instead of drawing attention to it by speaking or smiling at her or something like that, he just gave her hand a gentle squeeze back and smiled as he looked out over the skyline instead.

Didn't need to say anything - everything that needed to be conveyed already was, words would just get in the way of that level of connection in his eyes.

So they just wanted the sunset.

/End Thread

@Killa Ree