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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 22, 2015 14:22:10 GMT -5
The room interior didn't disappoint.
Of course while Bax didn't notice the balcony, Kara did first. Whether you could chalk it up to various differences in senses or some other unknown quality, the end result was that what was a captivating illusion to a human was 'nice' to Kara. The view though, that didn't lie. She headed out onto the balcony, which was quite spacious. There was a couple-sized hammock on one side, a hot tub for two on the other side, but she stopped at the very edge, hands resting neatly on the railing, and she looked out at everything.
She had a clear line of sight all the way to the transparent wall of the city, and out across endless jungle. There were, in the distance, grey clouds moving in, it looked like quite a bit of rain was going to fall. Kara smiled.
"This view is worth whatever they charged," She said softly. Her green eyes stayed fixed on that skyline, and she breathed in the warm air with great enjoyment.
The fact was, she didn't even feel the need to jump into physical intimacy. What she wanted right now was something... More. Something fuller, rounder, more meaningful. It was the difference between idly skimming the pages of an article as opposed to reading an actual book. It was that kind of intimacy she wanted, that she'd been gaining piece by piece. But there was still more to do in that respect.
"Bax," She began, "Tell me about you."
It was a question she'd never asked.
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Mr. Slender
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Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 22, 2015 17:36:25 GMT -5
Bax chuckled silently to himself as Kara went right for the balcony he'd missed so casually. Being more observant when not dealing with women, money, or old tech was another resolution he made a mental note to work on. In fact, seeing as they would be going beyond the dome soon, that item got placed at the top of his list. It'd be obscenely tragic if he ended up dying horrible this shortly after becoming genuinely satisfied with his life. Junking itself brought momentary happiness, but the headache of finding room for everything, or trying to find a buyer, was unbearable at times. This time with Kara had no such drawbacks, nearly dying before notwithstanding.
The junker heard his lover say something from balcony, but could quite make it out from over by the bed. He offloaded the luggage and his satchel on the bed, then headed out to join her, hoping he didn’t miss anything really important. Bax had just made it through the balcony door when Kara ask a rather odd question.
It wasn’t a traditionally off the wall question, just something he’d figured they would’ve discussed by now, or at least settled on it not mattering. “Hmm..” was all you replied at first, as he closed the distance and took to leaning on the rail with her.
“Well, I’m not 100% what all you’re looking to know, but I guess the basics are as good a place to start as any.” He stated next, beginning to rummage in one of his belt pouches before continuing. “Well…my full first name is Baxtaugh, I’m 29, I’m from Outland Station originally, I have a brother and both my parents are alive, I’m pretty sure I told you I was an Imperial at one time…..”
The object he’d been looking for was the last few inches of an Ithorian cigar he’d decided not to finish off earlier, which he relit with a match struck on his boot. After a long first puff he went back to the business at hand.
“Was this kinda what you were looking for, babe?”
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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 22, 2015 23:42:33 GMT -5
Kara settled onto the hammock as Bax talked. What he said was mostly mundane, the sort of thing you didn't ever really think much of. Just lines of text in a little biography somewhere, not very personal or interesting, just kind of there, nebulous even if it was all definite information. She kicked her legs up in front of her, and scrutinized the man's face as he talked. It wasn't as if she was looking for lies or tells, just that she wanted to know how he felt about all that. It was weird, but overall, he was stable. His situation was one that, well, wasn't so terrible.
Hers was a bit different.
Bax asked if it was what she'd been probing for, and lit up a cigar. Her nose crinkled a little at the pungent smell, and she weighed it over.
It was a bit of both really. Somehow she'd expected more. But yet it did answer what she'd asked.
"Yes, I guess," She answered a little noncommittally. She sighed a bit. "I don't really... Know how to know people. I read them, and get a feel. But I never really stopped to wonder why they were. I don't think I ever really cared, well until now."
She was silent for a second or two, frowning a little. Luckily she could be real with Bax. He knew much of her unpleasantness by now, and it hadn't scared him away. No, he was realistic about things. That meant some degree of immunity for whatever she said. Honesty was just going to continue.
"I don't get close to people. I feel like I should know more. It just seems right. Because for the first time, I'm actually feeling like I care. And that's new, I don't know what to do with it."
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Mr. Slender
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Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 23, 2015 21:47:10 GMT -5
A good cigar had a way of bringing a smile to Bax's face, not unlike good sex, but even after a second and third puff, he couldn’t stop himself from frowning. He’d expected Kara to answer back something to this effect, yet he still felt a bit down listening to her emotional plight. After a fourth drag he flicked the smoldering remains of the stogie over the balcony edge and went over to the hammock.
“I understand where you’re coming from, hon.” He replied calmly as he approached her lovely feet, and then began to give each a smooth massage with his strong hands. “I can honestly say you’re already doing what you need to do what with this new inclination you have to care; you’re caring.”
“I know that sounds like a vague cop out, but hear me out. I know you decided to let us take a ride in that gunship, and even played down the information I knew you had to know about it, letting me live out a fantasy I’ve had for a long time. You cared to see me happy. Just like I cared to see you happy on a world more like your home.”
With all that said the junker’s frown finally rose into a playful smirk he flashed before going back to massaging. “Caring manifests itself in a lot of ways, whether you consciously know it or not. Honestly, the first time I knew you cared enough to be my partner/friend, not even considering lovers yet, was when we first agreed to be honest with each other. “
“Anyway, if you really want to know more about “what makes me tic” we can start with a few blatant things. As you’ve noticed since we first met, I love T-shirts, caps, and all manner of extreme informal wear. Besides the obvious comfort factor…..I’ve always felt that nobody would ever care what I looked like. Not my clients, and especially not any women. Dressing up something, or someone in my case, plain just seems like it’d be a waste of time.”
“I'd rather be comfortable with myself, then try to make other people comfortable around me.” With that explanation done, Bax’s deft hands moved up to start kneading her ankles next, leading towards her supple calves.
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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 23, 2015 23:54:55 GMT -5
Bax was damned perceptive. Kara would give him that for sure. He was able to seize on her mood perfectly, and he even went the extra mile, tossing the cigar, coming close to her, and quite surprisingly reaching out to touch the rusty skin of her feet, rubbing them soothingly. It wasn't something he'd really done before, but it was welcome, and she smiled a little as he talked. He was right though, just the fact she was bothering to care, that she was trying, that counted for something. And it wasn't as if she was that much worse a person that he could somehow be surprised. He was under no illusions, neither was she, and that meant her moderate success was appreciated with a proper sense of perspective.
Her smile widened into quite the grin when he called her out for playing along with his gunship fantasy, in the best possible way. He'd noticed, and he appreciated it. That made her happy.
If perhaps slightly disappointed she'd been detected in the lie.
His explanation of what made him tick was strangely simple. Comfort. Informal comfort. It wasn't really what she'd expected. Indeed she couldn't really guess why he liked being so informal. Well, unless it was reflexive somehow. Psychoanalyzing people was a job best left to the professionals and the desperate, and well, she was neither right now. Best to take things as they were.
Somehow she could picture him on Shili, in an actual house with a large veranda, enjoying the warmth, feet up, sipping on an ice cold beer. It was an image she let float in her mind for a short time, idle romance and nostalgia mingling for at least a little before she found her rational thoughts accepting Bax would look at home most everywhere. Except maybe Hoth.
"Thanks for the tip," She replied slyly, and leaned back a little more. "Maybe it's silly, but I like that about you. You seem to be at ease in most places. I don't think I've ever met someone who can slide so seamlessly from a t-shirt to an Imperial Officer's uniform. You're quite the man Bax, and I mean that. And not just because you're giving foot rubs."
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Mr. Slender
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Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 25, 2015 22:23:26 GMT -5
In a strange kinda way, Bax enjoyed getting genuine praise vastly over great sex or high end cigars. Both of the latter seemed much more fleeting in turns of enjoyment, compared to confirmation of his good standing among people he knew, and the galaxy on a whole. The Junker's initial response began with him angling down to kiss the big toe of Kara's right foot, only breaking his wide grin to pucker his lips
"Kara, words fail me when I tried to come up with all the praise I have for you. Let's just summarize it with you being the most amazing person I've ever met. You make everyday an adventure. I can't think of a better person I'd rather spend my days with." Bax admitted, before releasing her feet and kneeling to deal with his.
A quick release of two clasps on each of his boots allowed his feet to be freed, and the junker used a few brave seconds to remove his crunchy socks next. Freshly barefoot, he curled his toes a few times to flex them, and enjoyed the feel of cool stone against his heels, before sliding himself onto the couple's hammock along side Kara.
"Ohhh, this is nice." He stated gleefully, rooting around a little to get comfortable. The side by side comparison of his feet and his lover's were comically in a way, but he kept quiet about that. "I know it doesn't really matter, considering where we are and how things have turned out, but your history is still something that's bugged me more than a bit."
"From what I've put together, just putting it lightly, the past has been pretty rough for you at times. I'm up for listening to whatever you wanna say, just tell me what you're comfortable with."
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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 26, 2015 1:31:27 GMT -5
Kara's lips curled into an amused expression at Bax's praise, because by rights he was woefully misguided. By any standard metric, Sikaara Dey was not amazing, or the best person to spend even a week with. Her moral scale, she was well aware, tended towards the unscrupulously self-interested, and she was about as trustworthy as fresh fish on Tatooine. Not a great list of criteria. Still Bax did like her, for whatever it was worth, so she'd accept it. Even if privately she thought he was a little bit deranged for holding that view.
He removed his shoes, slid next to her on the hammock, and then asked a very uncomfortable question.
It was good she was so physically at ease, because the questions reminded her of clergy inquiring about sins. It was like a village elder wanting precise accounts of an incident which was unambiguously problematic, and which no amount of self-serving was going to twist away from the conclusion of being an awful person. All test results would point to just that, even on totally unrelated tests. It was simply that self-evident from her own experience. Still though, he'd asked, and their policy was honesty...
The smile faded from her face, and she sighed softly before approaching the ordered thoughts.
"Well, I'm from Shili. I was born there. Not far from Cover City, in a small village. I walked into the city to go to the Republic school with my brother. Our parents weaved grasses and tanned leathers. They were very stern, very traditional. The school was something they mostly tolerated rather than endorsed. After the Republic fell, they took part in a scheme to funnel fugitive Jedi into hiding in the bush."
Kara tried to form her next thoughts carefully. There were a few details she was inclined to say weren't needed. In particular there were college lectures, there was sexual experiences to coax information or favors from the Empire. Plenty of things that any attractive young woman could do for favors, things her lover some time later probably didn't have the stomach to here. And of course the entire incident with her brother wasn't something she felt particularly inclined to share. No, the next thing to mention was the collapse.
"The Empire stumbled across the whole scheme eventually, and we were all arrested. I looked through them for any marks, and found one. Major Derne. He bent protocol and kept me close at hand. It was something like five years I was with him. It grated after a while. Other people don't see it as self-preservation, they see it as collaboration. Eggs, stones, words. It stacked up after a time. But he became a little too complacent, too relaxed around me, I took his code cylinders one night and released an entire shipment of E-11s to a smuggler for passage far away."
There was a small amount of professional pride over that last feat. If a bit of sadness.
"That's why I can't go back."
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Mr. Slender
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Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 26, 2015 11:20:20 GMT -5
Bax's smile had faded with Kara's, but didn't form a full on frown until The Empire came into the story. It seemed almost every story of horror or oppression began and ended with them, which wasn't surprising. As selfish as it sounded, the junker was glad he was born human. This just really didn't seem like a good galaxy to be an alien in anymore.
"I know it might not mean much, but I'm sorry you had to go through all that. Once upon a time, I'd wanted to work for Imperial Intelligence or ISB. The Empire kept it's claws away from Outland station, so things didn't change much when things shift to the new order. In the end, I'm glad I was just a garbage man."
"My brother is still a captain of a Star Destroyer last I heard, I can't help but wonder if he's done anything monstrous in his career."
"Anyway," He began again, before rolling over and shifting on his so he could look at Kara directly more easily. "If you want to go home, we can do it. The offer is still on the table for me to shoot Dern in the face. I especially owe the bastard now. We can smuggle you in easy enough I think, maybe add a little makeup to disguise your distinctive markings at first glance?"
"I'm up for it if you are."
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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 27, 2015 18:24:04 GMT -5
It was funny to think Bax had been a garbageman while his brother had been a Star Destroyer Captain. It was a difference in prestige that must have been a little odd at family get-togethers. She vaguely wondered if he still attended things like that, given how far from Imperial orthodoxy he was. It was an amusing little thought, and the grin slowly climbed back onto her face as he was even more of an absolute dear. He still had this reflexive sort of simple approach, like he could just shoot Derne and be sneaky and everything would be fixed.
It was charming. But completely clueless.
She wasn't about to rebuke him, but if he did kill Derne it'd just raise the priorities of their little adventures on the ISB's to-do list. Embarrassing the man on Nal Hutta was one thing, but a dead officer was serious. The ISB hunted people down with extreme prejudice for that. No, what she wanted was a low profile. As to Shili, she missed it, but not so much as she missed different times. You could go to locations, but you could never change up the march of time right.
"What I missed on Shili most was knowing people. And at this point, everyone who I knew considers me a collaborator. I don't want to go back to that. And if I found some other place to settle on Shili, I'd just have to prove myself to them all over again. It's just too much work."
That one he could understand, by simple virtue that it wasn't a priority for her either.
"As to Derne, I'd just prefer it if we could keep a few thousand parsecs between him and us. There's no sense seeking out trouble to get in, we have a knack for finding it anyway."
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Mr. Slender
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Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 27, 2015 20:31:40 GMT -5
Bax's grin remained while Kara spoke, yet his stomach soured a bit while digesting her words. Being ostracised by the community you've known all your life had to be all kinds of disheartening, to say the least. His childhood on Outland Station had been equal parts being raised by his family and the swarm of delightful bar flies. Also, the mostly alien, 100% smoking hot, staff of dancers and waitresses helped out a lot too.
"I can appreciate that. I'm sure you've weighed the time it'd take to reestablish yourself versus how much you miss your homeworld. As things are, when we get to a world you'd really like to get to know people better just let me know. We can tackle first impressions together, I swear I'll shave and wear fresh clothes for it~."
The junker chuckled a little under his breath at that last line. Oddly enough, he was getting getting used to the idea of shaving on a regular. He was getting better at it, he didn't miss the sometimes itchy periods his stubble went through, and he didn't look quite as thrown together without his unruly whiskers.
Plus, the lack of facial hair helped capture the Imperial look at anytime that Kara wanted to play the colonel and the governor's daughter again....
"OK, on second thought, I agree with you about Derne. He's not worth it. Damn, it was nice messing with him though." Bax stated, before pause to break out into full laughter. "You're definitely right about trouble. We got lucky with that trip to Nal Hutta, I only hope we don't run into any trouble with the hutts or ISB anytime soon."
Before he could ask if his lover wanted to try out the hot tub, a light chiming resounded from one of his pouches for a few moments before stopping. "That'd be the proximity timer.... We got a bit longer until we meet the contact, you wanna lounge together a little longer or get to the meeting spot a tad early, hon?"
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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 27, 2015 22:16:19 GMT -5
Kara smiled and gave Bax's leg a squeeze with her hand. He was so willing to help, to shave, to be clean, because it made her happy. He was really very sweet. For whatever it was worth, she was glad they'd wound up together. Not simply because the alternative was being spaced or kept in a broken lifepod until the oxygen gave out. This was good for it's own virtues, not just negative alternatives. Bax wasn't some absurdly handsome man. Nor absurdly rich. Nor particularly desirable in social terms. But still, she knew he was a catch.
She burst into a full giggle, adding a sense of humor to the list of traits he did have in spades, as he made a spot-on comment. Of course she was right about the ISB.
She pecked him on the cheek quickly, and noticed his timer go off. That meant it was the meeting he'd arranged.
"It's in the local tapcafe," She said, remembering the details she'd heard. As it happened she felt like a meal and nice drink would be quite welcome. And it had to be done anyway. "I don't see the harm in getting there a little early. I'll go and put on a little more clothing."
The Togruta woman slid out of the hammock, and padded back into the room, fishing in the case for her boots, and a belt, and a knife. Plus a few other little incidental nothing-to-bother-withs. If they headed straight into the jungle, she'd be quite ready. After all that was what this whole thing was about anyway, getting out there and getting a solid pay-day.
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Mr. Slender
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Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 28, 2015 2:38:00 GMT -5
Between the adorable giggle and the sweet peck on the cheek, Bax really wished they could blow off the meeting for a little later. Not even for sex on the balcony, just to lay there and enjoy her company. It'd definitely be nice. Still, business before pleasure, and all that.
On a side note, the junker really liked that Kara had kept up with the location of the rendezvous location. It spoke volumes about how much more directly involved she was with the financial situation now. Besides that whole mess with that guy....Torve, that was it, and the other guy who the spice, this was their first bit of business together.
"Don't put on more for my account~." The junker chimed in, as he rolled out of the hammock himself to get ready. Along with all the medical gear and survival junk he'd packed for the jungle, he really regretted not bringing new socks. The ones he was forced to wear felt so crunchy a first they almost could leave scratch marks on his skin while being pulled on.
Bax joined his lover in suiting up, only really having to grab his bag and slip his cap back on. "Once we get beyond the dome let me know if you need any goggles or a breathing mask, I got us covered." He reminded calmly, while extremely hoping they wouldn't have to use any of the gear he'd packed.
As they were leaving he grinned and offhandly added, "you know, we can try that survive naked in the jungle thing you mentioned earlier when this job is over~."
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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 28, 2015 18:44:07 GMT -5
Kara blinked a little over 'breath mask and goggles.' It had been a few years since she'd been through here, but she hadn't formed any memories from her brief jaunt of toxic air or anything burning the eyes. No it had been much more of a 'don't touch things' because every other object had been toxic, caustic, sharp, or multiple variations. She'd been thinking between her gloves, her boots, pants under the skirt, and good situational awareness that would be enough. Though, amusingly, he brought back the whole naked comment she'd teased him with earlier.
She flashed him a winning smile in response to that.
"Let me lighten your wallet a little more first."
Thankfully the city wasn't too large, and they arrived at the Lo-Stirn Tapcaf, which had a slightly cheaper outside look. There was prefabricated metal, but once past the initial doors, it was a sunny atrium, with meandering stairs leading down into a surprisingly pleasant courtyard, surrounded with a bunch of tables. The scent of tabac smoke hung in the air, dispersed slightly by the ceiling fans churning, and the bar's metal look was actually surprisingly good. Kara found a booth in a sunny corner, and slid into it, her fingers deftly maneuvering over the display in the center of the table. Computerized menus were something she could appreciate well enough.
In the end she ordered a cold blended caf drink.
"So Bax," She said, looking about casually, "Who IS this contact?"
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Mr. Slender
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Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 28, 2015 19:40:46 GMT -5
Bax loved the Lo-Stirn Tapcaf from the second he laid eyes on it. Visually its architecture was anything spectacular or outwardly expensive, but it had a certain respectability that he appreciated a hell of a lot more after the last few places he'd been. Garqi hadn't been bad, but Socorro and Nal Hutta had textbook dives.
The lack of a row of swoop bikes at the curb, a couple of burly bouncers, a long waiting line, nor a few scattered drunken dregs made the Lo-Stirn a five star establishment in his mind.
The Junker's appreciation only grew once they got inside and got a look at the decor. It was damned nice, to say the least. The exquisite smell of tabac in the air was a tad saddening though. Bax had unfortunately forgot to restock his belt with cigarillos or grab a few full sized ones while they were still on the ship.
This minor lapse in his normally impeccable foresight was annoying, yet not enough to linger in his mind for more than a few miffed seconds. After he slid into the both Kara picked he chose to just bask in the warm of the sun while she navigated the menu. In fact, he nearly went to sleep while he was sitting there.
"Well...." Bax began, while taking his turn to go through the menu. "I believe it's a woman named Izzy, I'm not a hundred percent sure honestly. I've never met her directly, this is a "friend of a friend" kinda deal. A close friend of hers owes me a favor and we're collecting through her. In exchange, I'll probably owe her a favor down the road myself.....these things can get complicated."
As hungry as he felt, the junker ended up just going with a fried nuna sandwich and put in a custom order for an outland sunrise. Since Socorro it was kinda becoming a ritual to try it on every different planet he landed on. "Not sure if I asked this before, but do you think you could fly The Drifter? Might have to in the near future."
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Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 28, 2015 20:20:47 GMT -5
Unbidden, as Bax talked, Kara's mind strayed back to the early space explorers she'd heard about, heading out into the stars with little guidance, with no real knowledge of safe ports, simply doing and hoping things would stick... And she could picture Bax doing that quite readily. His social navigation was skillful, and the effect was something like watching a sailing vessel tacking into the wind. Or rather, watching the mariner doing it. It was quite curious to see how he negotiated favors and advantages. After all Kara was the sort to simply lie her way through the immediate situation, and burn the whole social bridge behind her.
So he had a friend, who had another friend, who owed that friend a favor, and that friend owed Bax, and therefore by extension... Or possibly some other complicated flowchart of people and favors.
As their order was delivered to the table by a serving droid, Bax inquired if Kara could fly the Drifter.
That was a good question.
Sikaara Dey was no pilot. She could manage a landspeeder if there was no traffic, a speeder bike any day of the week, but her actual flight experience with ships was about as much as her experience being a protocol droid. Namely, zero.
"A qualified yes," She said after a long sip of caf to cement the thoughts. "I need practice, but I'm confident I can catch on right with a little time. I've watched you flying it often enough. Something to work at in the next few weeks?"
Presumably they'd have plenty of time between finishing their business on New Cov with Izzy and their next destination, wherever it would be, to get in some good practice time. Bax certainly sounded forceful about the whole thing as well. If he was motivated for her to learn, then she'd learn.
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