Anodyne

[Joza Perl]

Her head rolled back, away from his as she stared straight up at the ceiling. Joza was becoming more inebriated by the moment, as one of the machines she was hooked up to released a controlled dose of something into her bloodstream. Whatever it was, she had no incentive to fight it.

Yet on some level, the way he spoke resonated with her and it made her feel a little old.

“Before I had the baby,” She began, judgement of exactly who he was and what their relationship was impaired, “I was a Jedi.”

She shifted, readjusting one of the wires protruding from a pad on her chest. “Before that I was a dancer in the slums. Worked real hard at trying to be a good Jedi, but some things just weren’t meant to be.” It was unclear where this was coming from, but there was a measure of sincerity in her voice.

“Developed some nasty anger issues, got caught in the dark and didn’t know how to control myself. I hurt people—people that I cared about. Pulling myself out of that dark hole was probably the most difficult thing I ever did.”

She cleared her throat. “Sounds like you’re still figuring it out.”

[member="The Slave"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The Slave simply smiled as she lulled herself into her drug filled state. Sighing meagerly, he simply rested his chin on the sternum exposed between her breasts, a faintly cushioned seat for his face as he watched her. Her expression was obviously that of someone under the influence, but he didn’t exactly want to leave yet. Although the conversation thus far was relatively selfish, he hadn’t seen Joza in a long while; he didn’t want to depart to let her sleep just yet.

To relieve her of some of her tiredness, The Slave did what The Slave knew how; a legendary maneuver he didn’t actually know would work or not. To jostle her, The Slave brought both hands up to the flesh pillows that cushioned his head and gently began to squeeze them as he watched her. If no response would be had, he’d step up his game; delivering a very small shock through the force to each.

Was it the right thing to do? No.

Was it the fun thing to do? Yes.

The Slave began to grin as the devious child he often was, and spoke in response to her earlier mention;

“I’ll figure it out, Joza. Especially if I have you to rely on.”

A relatively deep statement considering his less than appropriate actions.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza felt his hands on her chest but as out of it was she was, she didn’t particularly mind. What she did mind was the impromptu defibrillation.

“Hey!” Her back arched mildly in reaction to the shocks and her look of surprise quickly turned into a frown. At the very least, it jerked her into a more lucid state. “Rude.” She brought one hand down to smack him in the face, letting gravity do the work rather than put any force behind it.

“It’s not appropriate to shock people in their tits while they drift off into a drug induced bliss.”

[member="The Slave"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The Slave simply laughed as Joza let her hand fall on his face, grinning in his usual wild manner before letting go of her chest and relaxing once more. It was a childish prank, but one he seemed oddly proud about all things considered;

“Only we could say something like that in a conversation without it being weird.”

He made an odd expression before shaking his head, gently jostling her.

“Nevermind, that was still a weird statement.”

The Slave went back to moving a finger across her exposed skin, still on her arm for reassurance sake. It made the conversation easier, more comforting for the both of them since they both so heavily strived on physical contact to socialize. For The Slave, emotionally, for Joza, biologically.

Eventually, he spoke again, without the childish attitude he had just lambasted her with, but something faintly softer and appreciative; a rare compliment from The Slave kept in a hushed tone.

“I like you Joza. Thanks for being there.”, he said, avoiding eye contact as he watched his finger trail on her skin.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“It was necessary.” She insisted. Maybe in a different setting she’d properly enjoy it.

She snorted.

“Not like I have a choice. The only reason I’m not in restraints is because I own the joint.”

It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to make her escape before (mostly while she was high, thank you) but that the cocktail of drugs and injuries slowed her down enough for even the particularly frail nurses to wrangle her back into bed.

Still, she had to smile at least a little at him. The hand that had fallen on his face and punishment returned to stroking his hair.

“I hate hospitals.”

That much would be evident. Too much time in them after too many bad memories, the worst of which was her going into early labor with her son.

“Do me a favor and don’t get yourself killed, alright?”

[member="The Slave"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“I can make no promises.”, he said in a light hearted tone; but the message it carried was a bit darker than he’d hope. It was reality, the reality that The Slave was no more a man that may live, than he was a dying man still walking. The danger he was constantly in, the fact was that he could die tomorrow, and they both knew it.

He sighed slightly at the thought, but eventually ignored it as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment they shared. Joza and The Slave had formed a tight bond over the past few years, as little as they had seen each other, and if not for her he would have likely died already. She was a saving grace for him, and despite all the darkness he seem to draw, she was a small candle flickering in the distance; something to always remind him there was good in the world.

He smiled with eyes still closed, waiting for her to speaks as her heart beat beneath him. Just as it was before, it soothed him; the slow consistency that it held. In his life of rampant hedonism and constant fighting, there was almost nothing that kept him grounded, kept him carefully down to earth in a sense that could keep him happy. No, his life was as turbulent as the force storm that shook Atrisia to its core; something he so desperately hoped to fix someday.

Eventually, he sighed and seemed to sleep; despite the fact he was so lively a moment ago. Unless she spoke up to wake him, there he would slumber; cradled by her bosom and serenaded by the thumping of her beating heart. It was odd to see The Slave sleep; all the hate and uncertainty faded from his expression, and despite his attractive features he seemed innocent as he drifted into slumber. It was one of the few times something like that could even be surmised about him; all things considered.

When he was asleep, he actually seemed normal.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

She hummed softly, low and throaty while stroking his hair. She was lucid enough to feel a surge of protectiveness in the moment, the sort that she hadn’t felt for many people. Her son, her son’s father at one point, a few close friends. People who’d impacted her and who she’d impacted in turn.

“No one can.”

Maybe they were some weird sort of family now. Joza was never good at family. It was always small and broken, from her mother to her estranged father, whirlwind lover and child. But it was her own and she protected it fiercely.

She didn’t say anything else, didn’t need to. He didn’t either. Instead they just drifted to sleep, comforted by one another’s presence and a small feeling of belonging.

[member="The Slave"]