Ask The Best Laid Plans

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc paused in the middle of fixing his hair when Jaikus repeated his statement. His gaze flicked over to the screen as he muttered under his breath, “Whatever,” but not before idly mussing his hair up again.

The half Sephi said nothing regarding the show, mainly because he was still overanalyzing his own strange behavior. It wasn’t in his nature to laugh like that and especially over something so stupid. Emryc silently and grumpily kept watching the show. He barely noticed Jaikus getting sleepy next to him. His thoughts quickly went from his own attitude to the sequence of factual and continuity errors he saw. Emryc pointed a few of these out and eventually he heard nothing in response.

It wasn’t till much later that there was a tremendous thud that would abruptly jolt Jaikus awake. When he did, he would realize he was slumped against Emryc who was still sitting there calmly staring at the credits rolling on the screen. Meanwhile, there was a barrage of slamming and thudding against the door.

As soon as Jaikus opened his eyes and came to, Emryc would glance down at him. Only then did the half Sephi abruptly spring out of the bed to rush to the door. He opened it and blasted back the horde with the Force. He disappeared from sight as he moved out to engage the horde directly. Regardless of whether or not Jaikus joined in, he would hear utter chaos erupt outside as the infected were quite literally torn to shreds. Body parts flew in every direction, heads were being yanked right off and exploding in a gruesome display.

Emryc stepped back to let Raze take over handling the problem.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

There was an undeniable look of satisfaction plastered across Jaikus’ face when Emryc begrudgingly rustled his hair. It wasn’t the usual shit-eating, smug expression that the Axxilan usually wore, but instead something far more sincere. He had been genuine when he stated his preference for the new hairstyle and the fact that the half-Sephi had indulged him in that delighted the Axxilan to no end. He didn’t say anything, but he faced Emryc long enough that he likely would’ve noticed the stare – green still tinting his iris’ in that moment.

Minutes ticked by and blended together until over an hour had passed. To his credit, Jaikus had valiantly attempted to keep himself awake over the course of the movie – more than once abruptly jerking his head upwards after he’d begun to doze off. Eventually, though, there was no fighting it. The adrenaline-filled events of the day had thoroughly drained Jaikus, and for the first time, he was actually feeling comfortable enough to allow himself to fall asleep within the resort.

Unfortunately for Emryc, their close proximity side-by-side meant that the stoic half-Sephi soon became the thing in which Jaikus leaned against while he slept, having tipped from his seated position over the course of the hour. As he slept, the man had taken to quite literally burying the side of his face into the half-Sephi’s shoulder, using the other man like a pillow. At some point, Jaikus’ left hand had shifted to lay across the half-Sephi’s forearm, gripping lightly while his right arm was still lazily crossed over his chest. The entire thing might’ve been adorable to look at, had the Axxilan not begun to snore like a tranquilized Blurrg.

And then he heard the slam at the door.

Cruelly roused from his slumber, the Axxilan’s eyes shot open with momentary panic. Citrine’s immediately began to flick across every corner of the room for the perceived threat, only settling upon Emryc when he realized that was room was still secure for the moment. Only then did he realize that he’d been taken to laying against the half-Sephi while he slept and – more importantly, in his mind – hadn’t been brushed off. He stared blankly up at Emryc, blinking thrice before the man sprang to his feet and rushed out the door.

Jaikus was groggy and still half-asleep, taking far longer than usual to process all that happened. His mind lingered on the way he’d been sleeping far longer than it should have, a thought that inadvertedly brought the beginnings of a blissful smile to his face. After a few moments, Jaikus finally realized that Emryc had sprung into action against a horde of infected. Immediately the Axxilan rose to his feet, rushing out the door after the half-Sephi. By the time he stepped out into the hallway, the Sith Lord had already dispatched the overwhelming amount of the creatures – body parts torn away and gore painting the pristine white walls of the resort.

Resolving to do his part, Jaikus extended a hand outward to one of the infected, coiling the Force around it. The creature was still some distance away and would’ve no doubt been dispatched by the half-Sephi, but Jaikus wasn’t going to give it the opportunity to get close enough. Hoisting it into the air, Jaikus slammed the creature’s body hard against the wall, ensuring that it was no longer moving before sending it like a projectile into another shambling infected. The next two of the Axxilan’s targets were disbatched with significantly less fanfare, the Force wrapping around both skulls and squeezing until each split open like a melon.

Only once all of the infected lie dead did Jaikus turn to Emryc, regarding the man with a momentary look of concern. “..So much for a peaceful night’s sleep.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

By the time Jaikus burst into the scene, most of the horde was destroyed and scattered. The half Sephi didn’t interfere with the Marauder taking care of the remaining infected. The Sith Lord was silent as he walked around the scene, using the Force to call a pack of cigarra to his hand. It was in pristine shape, unopened and intact from one of the infected’s pockets. The half Sephi said nothing in response to Jaikus, still gazing ahead as he brought a cigarra to his lips and ignited it easily with the Force.

“Take the room,” He spoke after a moment, his voice back to its icy chill, “I will see you in the morning,” There was a tone of finality to his words, “You will be safe,” Finality and promise.

He stood there for a moment longer before sparing a sideways glance at Jaikus. It was then that the Axxilan would see the solid yellow eyes staring back at him. His gaze didn’t linger there long enough to see Jaikus’ expression turn to one of fear. He had no desire to see that inevitability. The Sith Lord turned back ahead and walked away down the hallway. All that lingered was the cloud of smoke and the massacre he had left behind.

His thoughts were a mess for as long as he was alone. He felt the crisp, cool air of the night against his skin. He leaned against the wall of the building downstairs, staring up at the night sky, exhaling clouds of smoke into the air. A battle raged within his mind as two conflicting sides clashed. His thoughts churned and whirled from bloodlust at tearing the infected apart to suddenly flicking to that genuine smile he saw on Jaikus, back to carnage, suddenly to the way it felt when Jaikus curled his arm around his and pressed his face into his shoulder, abruptly to when saw Jaikus’ bloody face as a result of his doing. Finally, he saw a flash of golden eyes and a soft spoken voice calling him soldier boy.

Before he knew it, he growled and whirled around to slam a fist into the wall next to him, causing a sizable dent at once. The half Sephi stared at the damage, the yellow bleeding away from his eyes at last for silvers to replace them. Who was the root cause of every single problem? It was him. Was it he, Emryc, or he, Raze? It was everything he was in his entirety - because he was ultimately a whole made up of two very broken and tainted parts.

He stepped forth and pressed his forehead against the wall, closing his eyes and exhaling quietly. The cigarra was crushed in his hand and he didn’t care that it burned. Pain had always been an escape for him even though he had abandoned the whip some time back. Bits of the crushed cigarra and the still burning embers fell languidly from his hand.

---​

It was almost mid-day the next day by the time there was a sharp knock on the door back in the room. Emryc wasn’t sure if Jaikus was awake, but he would patiently wait till he was allowed in. The half Sephi was back to his usual self.

“I was able to load up the bike with a bit more fuel,” He explained flatly, “It should get us most of the way there - at least enough that we can walk the rest,” The exhaustion was clear on his face. Emryc glanced down at his chrono, “Are you ready to go?”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

With the infected dead at their feet and the threat neutralized, Jaikus allowed his attention to settle back onto the half-Sephi. Despite the fact that neither of them had looked worse for wear, a distinct expression of concern had been plastered across the Axxilan’s face. He could not explain why, but his first instinct had been to close the distance between himself and Emryc, citrine eyes glancing for injury as he took a few steps forward – until he was only a few strides away from the half-Sephi.

And then he saw the solid yellows staring back at him.

Jaikus abruptly stopped in his tracks. In that moment, it was as if every muscle in his body seized and pinned him into place, rendering him thoroughly incapable of moving even a millimeter closer to the man. Memories suddenly began to flash across the Axxilan’s psyche, dredging up that which had recently been banished to the dark corners of his mind. Memories of bloodied fists and animalistic, yellow eyes looming over the top of him.

Is this my enemy?

The sickening, familiar question ringed in Jaikus’ mind. It had been the same question that he asked himself the last time he had glimpsed the half-Sephi like this, and he still wasn’t sure of the answer. He bit his lip when the half-Sephi spoke, not entirely sure what to make of the statement. He could sharply feel the distance begin to widen between them once more, and yet the promise of safety did not go unnoticed. In that moment, Jaikus couldn’t help but wonder how much of Emryc was still present beneath those yellow eyes.

There was nevertheless a slight sense of relief that the half-Sephi had looked away, the Axxilan’s frozen expression only then beginning to crack and reveal the fear that had begun to resurface externally – playing out plain as day across his face. He did not react when the man began to walk away down the hallway, still frozen where he was standing.

“..I will see you in the morning.” He finally mustered a response after a long pause, confident that he was heard before the man rounded the corner.

Only then did Jaikus allow himself to move, lingering in the hallway for a long while before finally disappearing back his suite. Secluded within the room, Jaikus’ finally allowed his mind to race. A flurry of emotions washed over him in heavy waves, but there was no dramatic outburst. No articles of clothing were thrown, nor did he scream into the abyss. Instead, the Axxilan stood as still as a statue at the base of the bed.

A mixture of frustration and confusion lanced through Jaikus in that moment. A spike of frustration was directed at Emryc, having once more being pushed away after having only just been given a glimpse of the man beneath the stoicism and icy walls. But perhaps more pronounced than that, the Axxilan was frustrated with himself, for allowing something so mundane to wound him. A part of Jaikus was still puzzled why he allowed himself to be so vulnerable around the half-Sephi. It was a question that had followed him since he left Telos all those weeks ago, and yet it was something Jaikus still didn't have an answer to.

The Axxilan finally allowed himself to fall backwards onto the bed, his head colliding with the pillows with a muffled thud. Silence filled the air all around him, the shambling thud of the infected growing silent for the first time since they arrived. The world around him was entirely peaceful, and yet his mind still raced for hours to come.

---​

Hours passed and morning had come and went, giving Emryc plenty of time to fill up the tank of the speeder and occupy his morning however he saw fit. Jaikus had made no attempt to rendezvous with the man up until this point, staying within the room until Emryc rapped his knuckles against the door. After he knocked, there was an delayed sound of movement from within the room. Within a few moments the deadbolt unlatched and the door opened – revealing it was Jaikus’ turn to look uncharacteristically disheveled.

The Axxilan still wore the high-necked tank top had been sporting the night before, having only traded the sweatpants for a pair of slim-cut jeans. Despite the obvious attempts to brush his hair into its usually immaculate style, the lack of product meant that the natural curl and wavey texture of his dark locks was significantly more pronounced than it usually was, loose ringlets falling down his forehead. Despite having the entire room to himself for the night, the dark bags beneath his eyes were slightly more pronounced than they had been the night before. Quite frankly, he looked as exhausted as Emryc was.

When questioned, Jaikus shrugged his shoulders a bit. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer?” He quipped halfheartedly, sparing the half-Sephi a sideways smile. It was clear that the Axxilan was back to his normal self, or at the very least appeared to be. After a pause he finally answered truthfully. "Yes. With any luck, there will be more on the other side of the city.” The Axxilan made his way out of the room after that, tucking his hands into his pockets and following after Emryc.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had helped himself into another room to freshen up to prevent waking Jaikus up earlier. He had also changed into some rather ugly, but sporty sandals. With how massive his feet were, it would be impossible to find close toed shoes that fit. And he refused to wear dress shoes and socks with his newly changed hoodie and shorts getup. The man’s shoes were grasped in his hand when Jaikus opened the door.

For Jaikus it was right back to talking to a wall, but it was really Emryc processing what he was seeing. Silvers took in sight of the exhaustion on his face, the smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, the messy hair he quite didn’t mind. Emryc stood in silence for a second longer to where anyone else likely would have questioned it, but Jaikus knew the half Sephi had some bizarre habits.

Without a word, he spun on his heel and began to walk, stepping casually past the limbs and viscera on the ground. Downstairs, Emryc walked over to open the storage compartment in the bike to reveal he had procured some bacta patches and two small containers of water. He stuffed his shoes and socks inside before hopping on, waiting for Jaikus to do the same.

While they had measly snacks the night prior, food was beginning to pose a real problem. There was absolutely nowhere to raid for food and Emryc began to wonder what kind of wild animals could be hunted. They would have to venture far out of the city to go hunting.

Emryc rode in silence, doubling back from when they had forked over towards the city. This time they were back on the path to the other compound. Though open, the journey was largely uneventful. The sun glared down on them and Emryc was less than pleased at having chosen a hoodie for his attire.

They were just passing by some forests when the speeder began to choke. Emryc tried his best to shift controls and adjust, but it began to sputter, smoke pluming from the back. After a few more rasps, the thing casually coasted to a halt. The half Sephi stared at the terminal, noting that the fuel wasn’t the problem. The bike had taken quite a beating from that slick landing Emryc pulled back at the compound and finally collapsed.

There was nothing but complete silence, no civilization or anything in sight. A bird vaguely cried out somewhere in the distance.

The half Sephi blinked a few times before he finally got off the bike. He walked over to open the storage box to empty it out. Emryc paused for a moment to look up at Jaikus.

“What?” He asked calmly, “We walk the rest of the way, of course,” He answered matter of factly. As if it wouldn’t take them a very, very long time to do so.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

When Jaikus opened the door for Emryc, he was expecting to see the half-Sephi standing there to greet him. What he wasn’t expecting was to see the man holding his shoes while doing so. Blinking thrice, Jaikus arched a brow at the half-Sephi, glancing down at his ridiculously large feet for the first time ever. There was quite literally one and only one thing that crossed his mind the longer he stared.

Gundark.

Perhaps the only thing that prevented the man from vocalizing the comparison was the ridiculous state of his own shoes. Much to Jaikus’ dismay, the only things he found in his size were a pair of large, fluorescently colored sneakers. They were thankfully clean, plucked off the rack of the gift shop, but it was a stylistic choice that made the Axxilan’s skin crawl. Emryc would have no doubt seen the brightly-colored shoes the moment the door was opened, basically reflecting the light back at him.

Rather than lingering long enough to question their mutually odd choices of footwear, Jaikus followed closely behind the half-Sephi as they made it out of the resort, taking care to maneuver around the limp bodies of infected that they had left in their wake since arriving. Once they arrived at the speeder, Jaikus noted the bacta patches and containers of water that Emryc had collected, realizing that the half-Sephi had been busy while he was in the room. It was hard to tell whether Emryc simply wanted to let the man sleep – though it was clear by this point, he hadn’t – or if the half-Sephi simply preferred some distance after the events of the previous night. Jaikus tried to believe it had been the former.

Rather than lingering on the topic, Jaikus mounted onto the speeder just as he had before – both hands slithering around the half-Sephi’s stomach and gripping onto him tightly. The ride itself was completely uneventful, albeit it was a significantly less pleasant experience than it had been the first time. Overnight, the weather had shifted to become not only hot, but also insufferably humid. Within minutes the two of them would’ve been glistening with sweat, not helped by the fact that Emryc was wearing a hoodie and had Jaikus plastered onto his back. At some point during the ride, the Axxilan withdrew one of his arms from around the half-Sephi, reaching back to do something else.

Long minutes of silence passed between the pair, only to be broken suddenly by the sound of the speeder choking and sputtering. Citrine eyes widened as their sole mode of transportation coasted to a stop, leaning around Emryc’s body to glance at the terminal. The sight of the still quarter-full tank was enough to make the Axxilan’s heart sink into his stomach, realizing that the problem lightly wasn’t as simple as running out of fuel. Emryc had mentioned having to walk the last leg of their journey, but Jaikus was hoping they would’ve been significantly closer to the compound before that was a reality.

Jaikus lingered on the bike even after Emryc hopped of, quite frankly looking in disbelief at their luck. From the compound, to the generators, to the swarm of infected which had ruined a tender moment – Jaikus was beginning to become bitterly convinced that the half-Sephi was cursed at some point. Only when Emryc broke the silence did Jaikus turn to face him – inadvertently giving the man the first real look at Jaikus since they left the city.

The mixture of humidity, exposure to the wind and lack of product hadn’t not been kind to the Axxilan, his dark hair seemingly taking on a life of its own. It now became clear that Jaikus had tried to save himself by planting his hand on the top of his head during the course of the ride, but the desperate effort succeeded in a grand total of nothing. By now, his usually straightened and tamed locks had transformed into a helmet of tight curls and dark brown ringlets, haphazardly sticking out in different directions and tumbling over his forehead. It was the natural state of being for the Axxilan’s hair, just as natural as the green of his eyes.

Jaikus looked livid.

Finally Jaikus registered what had been said, in that moment unable to help but to roll his eyes. “Oh, as IF this was all a part of the plan.” The Axxilan arched a dark brow at the half-Sephi, staring for a moment before flashing him the faintest thing resembling a smile. It might’ve progressed into something more, if he hadn’t just then caught sight of himself in the speeder’s mirror. He quickly dismounted from the vehicle after that, dusting himself off. A quick running of fingers through his scalp did absolutely nothing.

Emryc would not miss the particularly annoyed expression that now was painted across Jaikus’ face. Not only was it insufferably hot, but it would take them an entire day of walking – likely more – to reach the compound. Of course, what other choice did they have? Without an alternative, Jaikus had simply gritted his teeth and very grumpily began down the road with Emryc – even going to far as to share the load of carrying one of the containers of water and stuffing some of the bacta patches into his pockets. He might’ve been grumpy at this point, but Jaikus wasn’t so cruel as to allow Emryc to carry all the supplies on his own.

Luckily for them, for the first mile-and-half into the forest, the road ahead of them was smoothly paved and easy to maneuver. This would not last. Once they began to venture farther into the wood, nature had begun to reclaim what was rightfully hers in the absence of civilization. The road had started to splinter and crack apart until it was little more than rubble littering their path, vegetation aggressively moving in to fill the gaps. The farther they traveled, the ‘road’ ahead of them became less and less defined, until they finally had begun maneuvering through nothing but forest floor.

Once more the pair could hear the cry of a bird in the distance, accompanied the vague sounds of additional wildlife all around them.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t respond when Jaikus spoke, his gaze briefly flicking over to the man’s hair. The Axxilan suddenly had an alarming resemblance to a Kowakian monkey lizard. It was a credit to the half Sephi’s sheer willpower that he did not laugh at the sight, his jaw slightly tightening as he focused instead on taking the contents of the storage compartment out. To Emryc's visible surprise, Jaikus actually stepped up to help carry some things. Emryc stashed his things in his oversized pockets, rolling up his hoodie sleeves as sweat lined his body.

They walked largely in silence which Emryc found nice and peaceful. The half Sephi had to duck quite a few times to walk past branches and trees with his height. His keen ears could pick up on the distant sound of running water and he walked towards that direction. The shade from the trees offered a reprieve from the glaring sun. He kept moving deeper into the woods to get closer to the river, no doubt making Jaikus wonder about their destination.

After a few hours of walking, the distant sound of starfighters could be heard zooming above. They were headed in the direction of the compound, validating that the two Sith were going the right way. Every now and then Emryc glanced over to look at Jaikus who was far less acquainted with the outdoors. There were gnats, mosquitos and various other bugs zooming around their heads at all times.

The half Sephi could spot the river ahead, his face lighting up slightly at the sight. Emryc glanced back and waited for Jaikus to catch up before he kept walking, moving around to survey the area. There was a small patch of clearing amidst the dense trees that could serve as a place to rest.

Emryc finally turned to address Jaikus for the first time after hours of silence, “We will rest here for tonight,” He declared, “Any berries that have strange smells or sap are probably poisonous. If you take them off trees that look lethal or spiky, probably poisonous. If you need to pee, do it anywhere away from here. If you need to go beyond that, you have to bury it. Remember to dig the hole first,” Emryc completely ignored the look on Jaikus’ face as he explained, “If they’re leaves with sharply pointed edges, it’ll put you in a world of hurt.”

The half Sephi pondered for a moment, rubbing his chin in thought before stating blankly, “Okay make yourself at home, I’ll go hunt and see what kind of dangers we may face.”

He didn’t leave any time for questions, turning around to casually wander off.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

It was clear from the way he stared at the ground to the way his jaw tightened slightly, Jaikus was trying hard to ignore the half-Sephi taking notice of his hair. It was an admittedly bizarre look for a man who prided himself on being polished in almost every situation, making Emryc one of the few people to ever see him in such a state. Ironically, the Axxilan actually enjoyed the unkempt style on Emryc, but on himself? It was nothing short of annoying, made worse by the fact he almost expected the half-Sephi to make some dry, analytical remark about his locks. That brief look from Ermyc was met with a searing ‘not a fucking word’ stare, Jaikus still in the middle of pointlessly trying to finger comb the mess of curls into place.

Walking alongside Emryc, Jaikus remained uncharacteristically quiet while they trekked through the forest. It was hardly in the Axxilan’s nature to mimic the half-Sephi’s stoicism, but their current situation was aggravating enough to render the man entirely incapable of cheeky, flippant remarks.

He moved slower than the half-Sephi, a mixture of displeasure and exhaustion from lack of sleep making his reaction times delayed and sloppy. Jaikus didn’t have to worry about ducking from branches, but he still managed to scratch up his arms attempting to weave through the vegetation. The canopy amongst the brush would’ve been a welcome respite, were it not for the buzzing insects that seemed to cling to the shade. The silence that Emryc had come to enjoy was broken every few minutes by the sound of Jaikus harshly smacking himself in the attempt to squat away the bugs, cursing under his breath each and every time.

The sound of starfighters zipping overhead was not missed by Jaikus, enough to bring the man to stop in his tracks momentarily. While it was welcome validation that they were going in the right direction – something he had begun to doubt entirely – it remained the Axxilan of the previous compound for the first time in hours. He remembered the sight of the gate purposefully opened, allowing the infected to overrun it.

Once again, Jaikus couldn’t help but wonder whether they were making the long trek towards salvation or danger.

When they finally reached the patch of clearing amongst the trees, the sense of relief from the Axxilan was palpable. He immediately made a bee-line for one of the trees nestled amongst the soft green grass – allowing his weight to sink down against it. A combination of lack of food and rest had started to get the better of him, and he begun to savor the sensation of relaxing against the tree.

For a few seconds, at least.

The information about what berries to eat and which to avoid had been noted, something that he admittedly was clueless about. When Emryc took to explaining the cruder realities of outdoor life, however, Jaikus met the half-Sephi with a deadpan expression, his right eye twitching ever-so-slightly. It was unclear whether the Axxilan actually needed that information relayed to him, but if he did, he was going to kill over before he ever actually admitted it.

After Emryc very abruptly explained his plan to hunt and scout out danger, Jaikus watched for few silent moments the half-Sephi turned to leave. The man was once again making a nonchalant exit from the scene, and this time it was enough to send a clear spike of irritation through an already tired and grumpy Jaikus. Without giving it any second thought, Jaikus pushed himself to his feet once more – taking a few long strides to arrive back at the man’s side. “You did all the hunting the last time, as I recall. This time I’ll join you.” It wasn’t clear why he forced this particular issue, but the look on Jaikus’ face and declarative tone of his voice made it abundantly clear that there was no convincing him to the contrary.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc paused during his walk, eyeing Jaikus in silence as he stubbornly decided to join him. He had several points to bring up on why this was a terrible idea, but he caught the defiant look on his face.

“Keep up,” He stated icily as he looked ahead and started to walk, his hands slipping into his hoodie pockets.

Jaikus would quickly realize that coming along was a test of patience. Emryc was perfectly content to simply wander around and pause every now and then to stare at nothing. Truthfully, losing and regaining his sight had given him a whole new appreciation for the vibrant worlds around him. When put in nature, the half Sephi always took an absurdly long time to simply take in every detail. There was no rhyme or reason to where he was going, though sometimes he followed specific tracks or disturbances in the path to suggest the presence of small animals.

Emryc continued to walk around aimlessly as if he were on a leisurely nature walk, no doubt causing Jaikus to have an internal meltdown. Every now and then he snatched an herb here and there, and there was no method or pattern to it. The half Sephi walked in complete silence, pausing to snatch more assortments of plants.

After a while, he walked over to grab a slightly hollowed out bit of bark. He then moved towards the river, putting the plants he had been collecting all along together and mixing in the water to create a paste. Emryc glanced up at Jaikus at last, almost opening his mouth to explain how to apply the mixture. However, in the back of his mind, an entire scene played out involving the Marauder stupidly wiping the ointment in his eyes at some point and running around screaming at the top of his lungs. Emryc promptly closed his mouth and walked over towards him.

“Don’t want to waste the bacta,” He explained quietly as he applied some of the paste to the Axxilan’s arms. He would instantly feel relief from the angry cuts and scrapes he had gotten from irritant plants that were otherwise itching furiously. Emryc kept his eyes on what he was doing, methodically brushing his fingers along the wounds, “It will keep the insects off too.”

Emryc moved to stand behind Jaikus, applying some of it along his shoulder blades where there were scrapes. For a moment he forgot about the practicality, his gaze trailing the trajectory of his fingers and the feel of the man’s skin beneath his touch. At some point, a thumb idly slipped beneath the edge of the tank against his back, though it was impossible to tell just how necessary it was with the cuts there. He lingered there perhaps longer than needed.

He finally stepped to the side and applied the same mixture to his own legs. Emryc glanced up at Jaikus with a blank expression before coolly stating, “In case it wasn’t obvious, don’t eat this.”

With that, he walked towards the river to the side. They were upriver now, right by an overflow where fish were jumping out of the water to get upstream. Emryc crouched near the small waterfall, thoroughly washing his hands. He didn’t look up when he addressed Jaikus.

“Go catch us dinner.”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

When Jaikus made a point that join Emryc as he went hunting, it was clear there was no diswading him from his decision. Was it almost certainly a terrible idea? Absolutely. Did Jaikus realize that this was a terrible idea? He did. But that genuinely didn’t seem to matter to him. It had annoyed the Axxilan more than he cared to admit each time Emryc left abruptly. The incident at the hotel had been the most recent, but it certainly was not the first. Annoyed as he was, Jaikus wasn’t about to let the man get away with it again.

Citrine eyes momentarily flicked from the path ahead to the half-Sephi, his lips tugging into a characteristically impish grin for a moment. “I figured you’d enjoy the company as opposed to silence.” A heavily debatable statement. “Besides, it gives you something better to look at than just the trees.”

Despite his confidence, it didn’t take long for it to become obvious that Emryc had been right about this being one of Jaikus’ poorer decisions – albeit not eclipsing his stunt with the advanced infested and a kitchen knife. While Emryc walked aimlessly through the forest as if thoroughly enjoying himself, rather than working on getting food, Jaikus was becoming increasingly annoyed with the other man and the forest itself – still swatting the air every couple seconds to ward away the bugs.

This wasn’t to say that Jaikus disliked nature, quite the opposite, actually. Growing up in a strictly urban environment meant that the variety of different landscapes and diverse biomes were rather interesting to him. That had certainly been the case on Telos, one of the first times he’d seen snow falling naturally – a fact he admitted to the half-Sephi. Unlike Telos, however, the forests of Keldooine had quite frankly proved to be objectively hostile, rendering Jaikus thoroughly incapable of enjoying any part of the scenery.

Jaikus almost opened his mouth to complain. He hadn’t even noticed the half-Sephi bending down to collect different herbs and plants. Even when he grabbed the hollowed out piece of bark and began using it like a mortar and pastel, Jaikus was oblivious. It quite literally wasn’t until Emryc had started to walk towards him with the ointment that the Axxilan stopped being grumpy long enough to pay attention.

Jaikus’ went wide-eyed as Emryc began applying the mixture to his arms, blinking thrice. When the reddened cuts and itching welts on his arms and exposed body began to

There was a subtle pang of embarrassment that spiked through the Axxilan’s body, realizing now what Emryc had been doing this entire time while Jaikus did nothing but silently brood. Embarrassment was quickly replaced by something else as the half-Sephi moved behind him and began applying the ointment to his shoulderblades. He did not miss the thumb that slipped beneath the hem of his tanktop, lingering far longer than necessary to tend a bug-bite. In that moment, Jaikus was grateful the man had moved out of his line of sight – if only so he did not see the thoroughly flustered expression painted across Jaikus’ face.

When the half-Sephi moved to tend his own legs and broke the silence, Jaikus stammered for half a second before being able capable of formulating a response. “Yes.. Well. It doesn’t exactly -smell- appetizing.” He gave the man a sideways smirk, still looking a bit surprised and flustered from before. “..Thank you.”

Smirking silently to himself, Jaikus followed Emryc towards the river after they had used up all of the ointment, watching him absent-mindedly as the half-Sephi began to wash his hands in the crisp waterfall. What the man said next caught Jaikus off guard.

“Uh..How—” He cut himself off.

If it wasn’t painfully obvious before, Jaikus had never fished a day in his life. He briefly recalled watching a film where someone fished. Or was that a nature film of a bear catching fish? Either way, there was no way he was going to openly ask Emryc for instructions on that score.

“..Right.” He muttered, nodding to himself.

From there, Jaikus kicked off his shoes and socks, setting them neatly aside before rolling up his pantlegs. In a move that defied all possible logic or reason, Jaikus began to meticulously step his way into the river, the frigid water coming up to his knees in height. Positioning himself on rock amongst just above the waterfall, bending at the knees slightly with his hands out in front of him – quite literally attempting to catch their leaping dinner.

This went on for a solid five minutes – giving the half-Sephi a clear view of the man failing to wrap his hands around a meal.Once, Jaikus had been successful – having one of the large creatures propel itself right into his hands. Only for it to squirm and wiggle free within seconds, comedically smacking Jaikus across the face with its tail as it fled. It was only after five minutes did Jaikus stop dead in his tracks, as if realization had abruptly slammed at that moment. Without a word Jaikus straightened his back and reached out a hand instead, this time choosing to wait patiently in this position for the next fish to leap upriver. When it did, Jaikus reached out with the Force – coiling invisible tendrils of energy around the squirming trout. Holding it in the air for a few seconds, Jaikus then slowly moved the fish across the river and back to shore – letting it drop into the grass several feet away from the water near Emryc.

Both proud and embarrassed by his catch, Jaikus slowly began to make his way back across the river.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The half Sephi didn’t miss the surprised and flustered look on Jaikus’ face. In typical Emryc fashion, he misread the look, suddenly grumpy with himself for potentially crossing lines and acting silly. Why hadn’t he just told Jaikus to apply the stupid paste? This was exactly the kind of thing Raze despised and it was exactly the kind of thing that often landed him in messes. He couldn’t help but think back to the moment when Jaikus recoiled from him. It was absurd to think that the Marauder thought of him as anything but terrifying. As a monster. Because he was one at the end of the day, or so he told himself.

The half Sephi kept his gaze on his hands as he washed them, barely paying heed to what Jaikus was doing. He finally waved his hands to flick the water off, rising to stand. When he looked up, the Axxilan was….why was he over there? There was not a look of confusion on Emryc’s face, but it was one of genuine curiosity and interest to see what brilliant plan Jaikus had. This brilliance amounted to Jaikus pretending to swat a very large mosquito with his hands as he attempted to catch fish.

At some point, Emryc crossed his arms over his chest, silently watching the bizarre display. He mulled over reminding Jaikus that he was a Sith and had the Force, but he ultimately decided against it. After a few moments, he checked his chrono before looking back up. There was no way in hell Emryc was going to tell the Axxilan how to do anything, not when he was neck deep in the depths of his own stupidity.

By the time Jaikus was proudly making his way over with his catch, he would be infuriated by the sight that greeted him. Much like the time he had bent over to put on a show on Telos, Emryc was quite literally staring vacantly at a tree. After a few seconds of staring, he leaned in to sniff at a fruit from the tree before sneezing. He reached over to poke said fruit a few times as if this was the most fascinating thing in the world.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Where Emryc had misinterpreted the flustered and slightly reddened expression on Jaikus’ face when he applied the ointment, Jaikus lingered on it for entirely different reasons. The Axxilan couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt and embarrassment at the entire situation – his broodiness and frustration for the half-Sephi which had lingered since the night before suddenly dying with the kind gesture. Where Emryc began grumpy in his interpretation, it was enough to lighten Jaikus’ mood significantly, to the point where a task like fishing – or whatever he was doing that he believed was fishing – didn’t irritate him hardly at all. Instead, Jaikus focused entirely upon procuring their next meal.

There was a distinct glee painted across his face as he made his way back to shore – the same one might see plastered across the face of a child succeeding in their first catch. Which, quite frankly, wasn’t too far off. It wasn’t until he made it back to shore, lifting the fish up off the ground with the Force, did Jaikus turn to look at what Emryc was doing.

Just as he had in the past, the half-Sephi had taken to completely ignoring Jaikus – instead finding absolutely nothing at all to stare at instead. Purposefully, just as he had on Telos.

Jaikus stared in a mixture of disbelief and returning irritation. A part of him was annoyed to see his recent success go unnoticed, but it was more than that. The fact that Emryc had misinterpreted his flustered look had gone entirely over Jaikus’ head, making the Axxilan unable to understand how the half-Sephi could go from caring and tender to inexplicably ignoring him. The urge to hurl something at Emryc’s markedly thick skull returned for the first time since Telos. In the absence of snowballs, it took a concerted effort not to weaponize their dinner in the most satisfying possible way – hunger seeming like a far-off concept at the promise of that kind of relief. While he pondered the possibility, citrine eyes glared daggers into the half-Sephi’s back, up until they settled upon that fruit.

The fruit that Emryc found so exceptionally interesting.

Without any warning, Emryc would feel tendrils of energy coalescing around the piece of fruit that he was inspecting. Without any time to react, the fruit suddenly freed itself from the tree branch and was sent hurtling away through the treeline, whistling as it went and vanishing from sight. Its small size, coupled with the force put behind the telekinetic throw, meant that the fruit moved at blinding speed – likely to collide with something before it slowed to a stop.

There were other fruits on the tree for Emryc to inspect, or even collect as a snack if he so chose. But that fruit? That fruit had inexplicably become Jaikus’ mortal enemy and the unfortunate outlet for his brewing frustration. Should Emryc turn around at this point, he would see Jaikus approaching at a steady pace – the still wriggling fish held out in front of him and his face fixed into an expression that was equal parts annoyed and dejected.

“Who would’ve thought, I’m a natural-born hunter.”

---​

Somewhere off in the distance, far out of sight and earshot of the pair of Sith, one of the shambling infected roamed aimlessly through the thick forest canopy. It was the only one of its kind nearby, likely having been one of the stragglers who got lost within the area before succumbing to the virus. Without warning, a projectile stone fruit whistled through the trees and collided with the side of its skull. It caused the infected to screech angrily, rushing through the treeline in the opposite direction, searching for the mysterious assailant.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was entirely invested in the fruit, deciding that ultimately it was probably safe to eat. He blinked a few times as it abruptly whizzed past him, just barely grazing one of his fluted ears as it passed. The half Sephi turned to look, a slightly puzzled look briefly crossing his features. Subtle, inexplicable gestures usually went over the man’s head just as that fruit did. Emryc reached over for a different fruit, taking a bite and deciding that he liked it.

He didn’t miss the annoyed and dejected look on Jaikus’ face. Emryc wasn’t slick enough to connect all the dots, and his gaze flicked down to where Jaikus was holding the fish. Of course! This was a man of noble origin having to stand there holding slimy fish. It was a miracle Jaikus wasn’t throwing a massive fit about fishing at all.

“These will do,” He stated flatly as he took the fish from the man. He was certain that would stop whatever drama was festering there. Emryc turned and began to walk back towards their campsite, having collected a few berries and other fruits into his pockets for snacking. He was largely vegetarian and the prospect of fish didn’t sound too pleasing.

The sun had disappeared over the horizon by the time they were back, the skies still a brilliant orange and red with blues beginning to weave into them. Since he didn’t toss his knife stupidly back at the resort, he still had it on him. Emryc got to work on the fish.

“Get some firewood,” He calmly said to Jaikus as he looked down at what he was doing. There was an oddly peaceful look on his face as he did so, his mind back in that village where he had lived for almost an entire year. He had learned to fish and feed himself while blind till it became a passion. While before that period at the village this entire concept would have been unthinkable, now it was pleasantly nostalgic.

Once the wood was gathered, he stacked them appropriately before igniting them with the Force. Emryc went back to his normal silence, working to cook the fish for them. He tossed Jaikus one of the fruits to eat while he waited. Unfortunately, there was no real way to season the fish, but the slight charring would give it a bit of flavor.

After a while, he handed Jaikus a fish on a stick. He quietly sat down with his back against a tree, nibbling at his fish in silence. The air began to grow cool around them as the skies turned dark. The stars were vibrant and plentiful out here, though little was visible from the canopy. Soon enough, it was nothing but pitch black except for the small fire in their camp. Emryc, as usual, vacantly stared off at nothing while eating.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

When Jaikus had launched the piece of fruit half-way across the forest, a large part of him was hoping the gesture might garner some kind of reaction from the man. Just like his outburst on with the mask all those weeks ago, though, it was little more than a pointless venting of frustration – one that was entirely missed by the half-Sephi. The passive-aggressive nature of his following statement had gone right over Emryc’s head as well, having misinterpreted the source of his irritation for something else entirely.

Instead of than averting his eyes when he turned around or choosing to ignore the Axxilan as he had in the past, though, Emryc had turned to face Jaikus with his usual blank expression, a peacefulness behind his eyes that wasn’t missed. It was enough to give Jaikus momentary pause. It quickly became clear that the man had reverted to his usual stoic behavior, something that had never seemed to bother Jaikus in the past.

Rather than arguing the point about the fish, Jaikus simply turned on his heel and headed just beyond the treeline to begin collecting the firewood. The Axxilan lacked any tools proper tools for the job, resulting in him filling his arms with a modest bundle of measly logs and broken branches that littered the forest floor. At the very least, it would be enough for a basic campfire to cook their food.

As he worked, Jaikus allowed his mind to wander absently, inevitably moving to linger upon on the events of the past few hours. For all of his frustration at the half-Sephi’s obliviousness, the Axxilan couldn’t help but smile when his mind drifted back to the stint with the herbal ointment, and even before that the way the half-Sephi had purposefully ruffled his hair when Jaikus stated for preference for the style. Why did something that simple make him smile so much? Why did that memory seem stifle the irritation that had started to build within him? Arriving at the same lack of answer he always did, Jaikus simply allowed the question to fade into the back of his mind - his frustration tempering along with it.

After a few minutes of meticulous collecting, Jaikus returned to the makeshift camp – his mood significantly less grumpy than it had been when he left. He handed off the firewood for Emryc to bring to life and begin cooking the fish, snacking on a piece of fruit he’d been tossed while he did so. While their meal cook, Jaikus turned his gaze to fixate upon the mosaic of colors splayed out across the sky, weaving through the clouds and filling the heavens with a brilliant display.

When the fish on a stick was offered, Jaikus plopped himself down onto the ground close to where Emryc was sitting, taking a nibble of the fish with his front teeth. There wasn’t much in the way of seasoning, but the fact that Jaikus hadn’t eaten anything since fleeing the compound meant that his usually picky palette had tempered significantly. He was thoroughly enjoying his food, something that was evident by the way he ate.

Silence passed as they ate, only occasionally broken by the sound of some wildlife moving nearby. While Emryc might’ve found some comfort in the peace and quiet, it was was always something that Jaikus had revolted against. Even when he was not speaking, the Axxilan had often taken to humming under his breath or whistling – quite frankly finding anything preferable to the blank nothingness. “So, I never asked,” He finally broke the silence, citrine eyes flicking across the way to gaze at the half-Sephi. It was pitch black all around them, with only the campfire enough to illuminate their faces. “How did the movie end?” He glanced towards the half-Sephi from the corner of his eye, flashing him a faint smirk. It was another genuine attempt at a conversation, briefly remembering the way the half-Sephi had been engrossed in the film before.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Despite having eaten plenty of fish at the village, it was still not a preference. Emryc quietly finished his meal before moving onto berries and fruits which he genuinely loved. The half Sephi cast a sideways glance at Jaikus, noting his demeanor shifting back to normal. This tracked well with what Emryc knew about the theatrical types - they tended to be in great moods when fed. Perhaps all Jaikus needed this whole time was a snack.

Emryc focused back to stare ahead, taking another bite of fruit. Pitch black set in, the contours of his features highlighted by the glow of the fire. The fire reflected along the silvers of his eyes as he stared at it for a long moment. He could hear the river near them, the sound of rushing water almost soothing.

The temperature was cooling off quite a bit, and Emryc was suddenly thankful to be in a hoodie even though he sweated profusely earlier. The fire provided warmth, but everywhere else was collecting a biting chill.

Emryc glanced up when Jaikus spoke, blinking at the other man in silence. He caught the smirk on his face - something that had been notably absent for some time. The half Sephi looked back at the fire and took another bite. That entire moment back at the hotel room had been complicated. He had buried it, of course, like he buried most things that baffled him. However, he decided he would entertain the question instead of offering dead silence.

“I believe the mother of the investigator ended up being the killer,” Emryc stated flatly after a while, “I was unable to hear the dialogue over your sno-” He cleared his throat slightly, “Over the infected pounding at the door.”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

As the sun dipped low and blanketed the surrounding forest in darkness, Jaikus found himself leaning back comfortably against a tree close to the fire - one leg straight out in front of him while the other had been pulled close to his chest. It was the first bit of relaxation they had experienced in a while, and Jaikus was taking full advantage of it. The world around them had grown dark, but the fire glowed bright and served to illuminate the Axxilan’s features, highlighting the angular shape of his jaw and high-set cheekbones. The glinting citrine of his eyes took on an entirely new life against the dancing campfire, luminescing bright against the orange glow.

The cooling temperature and drop in humidity was initially a welcome sensation, the top of Jaikus’ head being the only reminder of the moisture-rich heat. As time passed, however, Jaikus was growingly coming to regretting his choice of attire. That tank top he wore did little to defend against the growing chill, enough to elicit a shiver from the man.

While he continued to pick apart his fish and try to ignore the cold, there was a distinctly gleeful look in Jaikus’ eyes when the half-Sephi provided a response to his question, proving successful in his attempts to be conversational. “..Really? Huh. Never would’ve guessed. To be honest I was expecting it to be the older woman. Not only was her alibi sketchy, sh—" Jaikus paused when he heard the second part of what Emryc had said. The half-Sephi had attempted to correct himself mid-phrase, but Jaikus had heard the first syllable and that had been enough to connect the dots. A dreadful question reared its ugly head in Jaikus’ mind.

…I snore?

It was a possibility Jaikus hadn’t ever considered. Certainly no one had mentioned that fact to him in the past. Had he merely been living in ignorance this entire time, sounding like a tranquilized Blorrg without knowing? Worse than that, Jaikus came to another terrible realization.

I had been snoring the entire time, hadn’t I?

Like most things Emryc had the capacity to bury into the depths of his mind, that night at the hotel had lingered at the forefront of Jaikus’ consciousness for hours – the single biggest contributor to his apparent mood-swings during the course of the day. The way it had ended irritated the Marauder to no end, but all his frustrations had seemed to melt away the moment he thought back to the half-Sephi’s rare laugh, or the way he gleefully cheered while watching the Huttball game.

Waking up to find himself cuddled against the half-Sephi – and the man having not immediately shoved him off – was another such memory that lingered sweetly. And now he realized that he had been snoring during the entire. Time.

There was a faint reddening of the Axxilan’s cheeks, though it was more difficult to see against the glow of the fire. Emryc likely would’ve seen it anyway. “Yes.. Well. Ehm. I was rather comfortable at the time.” He finally said, attempting to justify sounding like a TIE-fighter. “Leave it to the infected to ruin a nice evening.” He muttered, desperately attempting to recover from the spiraling train of thought and momentary embarrassment. It could’ve been worse, after all. He could’ve been drooling.

Clearing his throat, Jaikus continued. “I was going to switch it back to the movie you were watching before. I’ve seen it plenty of times, but it’s a classic.” Jaikus was, of course, referring to Maid in Theed, the exceptionally sappy romance movie that had been playing when Jaikus entered the room. The Axxilan had been entirely unaware that the half-Sephi had fallen asleep while that movie played, assuming the man had opted to watch it by choice. “Never would’ve guessed that was your cup of tea.” Jaikus shrugged a bit, a smile still plastered on his face.

He looked very pleased to have identified what he perceived to be another shared interest. What sweet, blissful ignorance.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t miss that Jaikus abruptly stopped speaking while talking about the movie. The half Sephi found Jaikus’ guess on the movie killer to be absurd, though he wouldn’t argue that point. Silver gaze flicked to the side to glance at the man as he looked as if he swallowed a bug while speaking. Emryc stared calmly at him, taking in sight of the way the fire accented his features and the vibrant glint to the golden eyes. He focused back on finishing off his fruits, reaching for some mint leaves to chew on.

The half Sephi hadn’t missed the slight flush to Jaikus’ face, and he sincerely hoped it had nothing to do with the fish. If the Marauder planned on hurling, perhaps he would have the sense to take it to the river. Emryc also hadn’t missed the goosebumps lining the other man’s skin and he preemptively moved to add a few more sticks to arrange them to expand the fire.

Emryc sat back down with his back against the tree, chewing on the mint leaves with the stem sticking out from between his lips. His hands were in his pockets, his gaze staring up past the canopies where he could make out a few stars.

He had actively avoided thinking about Jaikus having fallen asleep against him. It wasn’t normally his nature to linger in moments he considered ‘sappy’. He couldn’t explain to himself why he sat there while Jaikus roared like a rancor directly next to his sensitive ears. In fact, at this point he was convinced it was the Marauder’s obnoxious snoring that drew the infected in the first place. That was a truth he was likely taking to his grave. Emryc rapidly shoved that entire stream of thought back into the box he thought he closed.

When Jaikus brought up the other sappy movie Emryc had on, the half Sephi didn’t react right away. His gaze remained ahead as he chewed on his mint, his face the same default stoic. He didn’t have to look at Jaikus to know the man was smiling as he brought it up.

The leaf stem twirled between his lips as he slanted his head to the side to gaze at Jaikus. The silvers studied him quietly for a moment before a lazy half grin played across his lips.

“Just like Huttball is yours.”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Despite the Emryc’s initially guess, the reddening of the Axxilan’s cheeks had nothing to do with the food. As a matter of fact, Jaikus actually looked as if he was thoroughly enjoying what he was eating. Unlike the MRE’s back on Telos – which were horrifically disgusting – seafood was something he ate on a regular basis, and there was something about catching and eating it so fresh that was surprisingly pleasant. Whatever blandness that came from lack of seasoning was masked entirely by the fact he was also starving.

Even with his slightly disheveled appearance, the Axxilan still ate in the same dainty and refined way that he always did – gripping the stick with one hand, while the other meticulously picked off small pieces one at a time, making sure to keep his pinky pointed out.

It wasn’t until he had picked the fish clean and set the remains down that Jaikus looked up once again, spotting what Emryc was doing. It took the man a moment to figure out why the half-Sephi was randomly munching on random leaves, slowly piecing together they were mint leaves.

Only then did it dawn on Jaikus just how terrible his own breath likely smelled.

With no mints leaves of his own, Jaikus instead reached for one of the containers of water. He took a large mouthful from the container, squishing it around before swallowing. This was followed by popping a small handful of the collected berries into his mouth, chewing those before also washing them down with water. It was not quite the minty-fresh finish that Jaikus preferred, but at the very least his breath would no longer reek of fish.

When he brought up the cheesy romance movies, he almost didn’t expect Emryc to respond, but when the man did, Jaikus looked up at him like a Gallaze caught in headlights. In that moment, his thoughts were drawn back to the the gleeful look that had been plastered across Emryc’s face when he saw the Rancor’s t-shirt Jaikus had looted from the gift shop. It was a look that had intrigued Jaikus more than he ever cared to admit. What followed had been over an hour of watching and over-analyzing of the pre-recorded games found within his resort suite, fully dedicating himself to trying to understand the game and all its mechanics - entirely driven by the reaction from the half-Sephi earlier in the day. He wasn’t about to admit aloud how much effort had gone into trying to understand that particular interest before knocking on Emryc’s door that night.

Once more there was a redness against Jaikus' cheeks, seemingly unable to formulate an immediate response to that. Slowly but surely though, the look of surprise painted across Jaikus’ expression melted away and was replaced by lips turning upwards into one of those wide, toothy smiles. He chuckled softly, the faintest giggling cutting through the otherwise silent forest. “In my defense, I did openly say I had no idea what was going on. Not my fault I eventually got distracted.” It was quite clear that the brutal sport was not Jaikus’ cup of tea, but he had made a valiant attempt to watch the game anyway - up until the moment he became more interested in Emryc's lively reactions.

“You can watch anything in good company.” He flashed the half-Sephi a genuine smile.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The half Sephi didn’t miss how Jaikus was suddenly scrambling to find something to likely freshen his breath to copy him. Resisting the urge to scoff, Emryc reached into his pocket and casually tossed some extra mint leaves attached to stems at the man. These would bonk him right in the face when he wasn’t looking, but it would give him what he was searching for.

Emryc had a knowing look on his face when his Huttball commentary elicited a flushed look on the man’s face. Within moments, the Axxilan's soft laugh burned with warmth that not even the fire between them could provide. The half Sephi never knew what random, strange things invoked that laugh or his smile, and that perpetual mystery had almost become a passive game. One he wasn’t even aware that he was already playing.

As he glanced at the other man, his own thoughts were oddly calm. There was no Raze simmering beneath the surface because there was no draw or lure for him, nothing attempting to coax the monster out. It was simply just Emryc, and it was him isolated from all of the compartments he had boxed up. For better or worse. He drifted into his own thoughts, but it was a calm and placid lake instead of tumultuous ocean waves.

For a moment there was nothing but the sound of Jaikus’ laughter and the subtle crackling of the fire. While normally the half Sephi opted to stay silent or look away, he kept eye contact this time. Unlike Jaikus, there was no smirk or smile on Emryc, but he would know he had the half Sephi’s undivided attention.

“Perhaps sometimes I’d rather look at the company.”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Desperate to salvage his breath from the fishy funk, Jaikus was momentarily more concerned with popping berries into his mouth than looking at Ermyc. He didn’t even see the sprigs of mint being hurled at him from across the way, meaning that the leaves comically bonked him right in the side of his face – causing the Axxilan to perk up slightly confused. Only when he saw the sprigs of mint that had fallen into his lap did he look up at Emryc, a hint of amusement playing in his eyes. With a grin plastered across his lips, he mouthed a ‘thank you’ before popping a few of the sprigs – the stem of one sticking out past his lips as he chewed.

Emryc had been right about his assumptions with Huttball, even if the Axxilan wasn’t about to go out of his way to say it aloud. The sport itself didn’t particular interest him at all, but the way Emryc reacted to it? The genuine glee that it invoked was something the Axxilan had never seen up to that point and quickly decided it was something that delighted him immensely. It didn’t seem to matter what was playing on the Holo at that point.

When his fit of giggles finally died down and Jaikus made his latest quip – entirely genuine where they were usually smug or sarcastic – the Axxilan wasn’t sure how the half-Sephi would respond - if at all. When he finally did, it threw Jaikus entirely off guard.

As was often the case, his respond left the Axxilan flustered and tripping over himself – any initial attempts at coming up with some witty response devolved into a fit of stammering and stutters. Where Emryc’s thoughts were oddly calm, Jaikus’ head was now abuzz. Where the half-Sephi had usually opted to stare off into space with his stoic type of way, Jaikus did not miss the way that those silvers never broke contact. Where the man often found everything else in the world more interesting, Jaikus could tell that he had the man’s full attention now. It was something that brought a new intensity to the redness against his cheeks, his heart beating a bit faster in his chest now.

Jaikus’ posture suddenly changed ever-so-slightly. He turned his body now to face towards the half-Sephi, scooting himself a bit closer. Instead of remaining lazily reclined against the tree, Jaikus leaned himself forward a bit. Just as Emryc’s full attention was on him now, Jaikus returned the favor – glinting citrine eyes never turning away. It took him a while longer still to vocalize his response.

“Perhaps I like it when you look.” He finally said, a smile tugging at his lips even as the heat burned against his cheeks.

@Sreeya