A Cricket Returns!

[Laura Na'Varro]

Sullust
Cupping Room Caf Bar; Biodome District

The Cupping Room was a quirky little hipster joint that wasn't well-established enough to be flooded with the young and dumb, but still had that 'cool' atmosphere. Laura liked it here, particularly at this relatively early hour of the morning. It was quiet, full of nooks and crannies where she could escape any unwanted attention and read her books, and best of all it was only a couple of blocks from home. And most importantly, the caf was good. Sometimes her and Dad came here for a cuppa on the weekend, drink three cups each and debate about sports and general public issues. It was her favourite place on Sullust.

She had been excited when Micah had messaged her. She had missed her old childhood friend ever since they had parted ways, and she was looking forward to seeing him again. Laura wondered how much he had grown, or changed ... and wondered what his reaction would be to her changes. Because she had changed. Grown. Her interests had developed, her personality had developed ... was she a little nervous? Definitely.

On the surface though, she was calm and ready, to drop bombs, but she keeps on forgetting-

Laura frowned, and shifted the words from the hop-hip classic Lose Yourself to a less prevalent part of her mind. Instead, she buried herself in her book, Forming Artificial Biomes (for her university project), and tried not to think about anything. She was seated at a table for two in the corner of the caf bar, by the window that looked out onto the street. Her fashion sense hadn't changed much. Denim jeans, flat-soled shoes, flannelette button up shirt with her sleeves rolled up to about two inches below her elbow, pony-tail. And the book. The book was the main part.

Burying her nose further in her book, she tried to think more about how she could create a sustainable ecosystem in a bubble and less on worrying about any possible awkwardness that might eventuate from this reunion.

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Vexen]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"]
When Laura next looked up over her book, she would find a shadow peering back her her though a pair of turquoise goggles. Vexen was a Defel Wraith. She had no knowledge of where she came from, but all Defels had fur that perfectly absorbed all light in the spectrum visible to humans. The goggles sat on her canine snout because anything more than candle light could cause permanent damage.

"Hi," she said quietly in her small voice. She shifted uncomfortably in the chair as she waited for Micah. Vexen went where Micah went as much as possible and generally spent her time pining when he was away. Abandoned on an ithorian herdship as barely a toddler, she had existed in ignorance and squalor for years, living off the scraps of civilisation. Micah had rescued her from that, shown her limitless compassion and asked for nothing in return.

She was well attuned to Micah most of the time; her own limited Force sensitivity allowed her to sense his emotions and exchange telepathic messages. But his expression had been quite perplexing when talking about Laura and he'd quickly shut off his mind from her. Very strange.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Vexen"] [member="Laura Na'Varro"]

He had a plan.

Well half of a plan. More like a quarter of a plan. To say he was excited as much as he was looking forward to this meeting would be putting it lightly. Truth be told, it was Jacen's bit of bait of seeing Laura again that had brought him to Sullust. Finally seeing that come to fruition to meet up with his childhood friend was enough to get him a bit more excitable than normal.

Hands would reach out from behind to cover Laura's eyes. They were lightly placed, with a notable slight drum of fingers. The figure came out of nowhere, following in the wake of the Defel's low hello.

Micah had always been the sort to tease his friends, Laura a bit more than most. It was just his light hearted nature, one that would be as infectious as it was mischievous. He was quick, but the devilish greeting that would float over the shell of Laura's ear would be quicker.

"Guess who?"

 

[Laura Na'Varro]

Sensing a presence, her eyes peered over her book ... and she almost jumped. Peering back at her was a pair of turquoise goggles sitting among a canine-like outline of, well, blackness. It only took her half a second to register that the being in front of her was @Vexen. Truth be told, she wasn't surprised. Where Micah went, Vex inevitably followed. She didn't really know the Defel Wraith very well. Really, she was Micah's friend and had been attached to the group solely through Micah. In fact, she was more anti-social than Laura had been.

"Oh, hey Vex!"

If Vex was here, then surely Micah wasn't-

She felt the warmth of his fingers cover her eyes, and despite herself her lips broke into a wide smile.

"Guess who?"

Well, it was Micah, obviously. Usually, she'd roll her eyes and admonish him for being so obvious ... but she hadn't seen him for ages. All the nerves disappeared. Rising quickly, she turned around and launched herself into him with a fierce hug, burying her quickly reddening face into the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms around him.

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Vexen]

Vexen rolled her eyes and went 'pfft' at the silly gesture for Laura instead. She placed a muffin, that had come with some trendy ingredients she didn't even recognise instead of chocolate, on the table and idly picked at it with her claws.

Long ago she had convinced herself that Micah had been ticking her, that he was going to abandon her somewhere. It had sent her into fits of distress. Years later, in some manner, she knew it to be true. It was just a rumbling concern in the background now. She knew more about how the galaxy world out, knew that one day Micah would settle down and raise his own family and she could hardly be clinging onto him. It was a problem for another day. Though perhaps not that far away, she wondered.

She had to find her own place in the 'verse.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"] [member="Vexen"]


"WHOA!" Micah would cry out in an amused exclamation. One Cricket latched herself around his neck, and his arms instinctively went snaking around her. He grabbed her in a tight bear hug, giving a spin as he laughed, the sound rumbling up his chest with amused cheer. She'd feel the rasp of his scruff along his jaw, the flex of the muscles of his arms, and then the slight dip as he settled her back onto her feet.

His head drew back, and bright orange eyes would shine down upon Na'Varro with a mischievous air. "Well, well, well... Looks like not much has changed." He pulled her back from him a bit, making a dramatic show of giving her a once over.

"Certainly are short enough," He'd tease, ruffling her hair much like he would with Kailie.

 

[Laura Na'Varro]

[member="Micah Talith"] [member="Vexen"]

He'd certainly grown, the scruffy-lookin' nerf herder. Facial hair on his jaw and cheeks, strength in the way he spun her around with ease ... Micah was a man now. Mostly. A very scruffy-lookin' man. As they drew apart, Laura gave him a quick appreciative once over. She folded her arms and smirked. Yes, he had grown, but he was the same boy that she had known from before. Same stupid jokes. She loved those stupid jokes. And when he pretended to give her a once over, she had the good grace to act shy.

"You've changed though," she teased, "trying to cover up that boyish face with peach fuzz."

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"]

He shone her a cheeky grin.

"Peach fuzz?!" he gave a mock expression of affront. "You calling this expression of my manilness peach fuzz, Cricket?" insert the sudden dip and rasp of his jaw and cheek against her own, aiming to make her eat her words!

"I'll show you peach fuzz!" he would say in light-hearted humor, a devilish glint in his orange eyes and an equally mischievous grin. A tease for a tease! That was his motto. To top it off, his fingers went lightly dribbling down her sides, as if warning her of the dire state of affairs she'd be if he'd so desired.

"Can you believe her, Vex?" he would turn to the Defel, pulling away from what would likely be a barrage of strikes from the Na'Varro. If he could, he'd sink to his chair if he lived.

"The academy must not have taught her any manners." he added with a playful wink.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]


Vexen rolled her eyes. It was an expression she had entirely picked up from being around the brat pack. It didn't really work with her eyes behind goggles, but the flick of the head tended to show through.

"You know," she said addressing laura directly and looking past Micah. "When he first tried tha' out it took him two weeks and his mum broke into a giggling fit. He didn't try again for months!"

Her bright pink tongue flashed out in his direction, before her attention returned to the muffin on her plate. There was some kind of cultural thing about boys growing facial hair for them. [member="Laura Na'Varro"]

 

[Laura Na'Varro]

Laura paid for her remarks with the raspiness of peach fuzz being rubbed on her jaw. Slightly annoyed, she squealed and aimed a series of jabs at Micah's stomach before pushing him into his chair. The young Na'Varro stood there for a second, grinning at a seated Micah before tossing him a wink. Big tough Master, my bahooty ... And that was when Vex launched into her story. Laura watched Micah almost squirm in his chair in light-hearted embarrassment and launched into a fit of giggles.

Weakened, she had to collapse into her chair and bury her head behind her book and compose herself. The girl could imagine Vex's story almost exactly. Eventually, she managed to pop her head up, still grinning.

"Micah..." She shook her head. "You haven't changed at all."

[member="Vexen"] [member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"] [member="Vexen"]

"Easy there! Easy!" Micah would protest with mock affront, holding his hands up and pretending as if he had been dealt a series of terrible blows. Mischief and devilry shone bright within the orbs of his eyes, and that familiar crooked grin would curl in lighthearted humor.

"Nor have you!" he would state with feint distress, rubbing his stomach as if it still stung from Laura's strikes. They didn't, but he was wont to play along. It had been a while since Laura and he spent time together, and seeing her again was enough to make his day.

"And you!" A finger would gesture over to the faint dark shadow that had darted out that treacherous pink tongue. "I see what you did there! Soon as Cricket shows you were wont to doublecross me!" he joked, dramatically slinking down onto his seat, gesturing on the crudities of the universe.

"Alas, woe is me and my curse to be surrounded by women..."

That... was likely to get him another smack to the back of the head. Yet the glitter within the depths of the twin suns of his says said this -- NO REGRETS!

 

[Vexen]

[member="Laura Na'Varro"] [member="Micah Talith"]

Vexen had started the encounter in a slightly morose mood. However, the playful mood of the two teenagers was infectious. Her eyes and goggles meant she could observe things without anyone knowing exactly where she was looking. As she idly picked at her muffin her snout faced down, but she looked back and forth between the two intently, watching their body language carefully.

She should have stayed quiet, let the old friends settle and have a relaxed conversation. Unfortunately being around Micah for so much of the time ensured that she was developing her own sense of humour.

"I dun get the beard or no beach thing an human men. Are they decorative or to keep warm. What d'you think Laura, are they attractive?" she asked poignantly. Sometimes being an entirely different species made it all too easy to hide her expressions.