Private Bad Company

[Loske Treicolt]

At first I did not know it was your diary.
I thought it was a very sad handwritten book.

Coruscant // Collective Commerce District // Amea’s ?? Apartment ??
Sometime after the events of reconciliation…
Allyson Locke // Amea Virou
BAD COMPANY

This was the last lie in her life, and maybe the only one that she felt responsible for in any regard, and it needed to come to the light. The protection she’d flexed over the Kaili and Allyson relationship was beginning to wane, and it wasn’t fair for one to know more about the other and live in the existential agony of that knowledge. At least in Loske’s mind; she was a far cry from the final arbiter of what was fair and what wasn’t, but it made her heart hurt to know both people she loved felt so incomplete.

“Is my name even Amea? What is—”
.“No. Don’t— Just, their name. Have I met them? Does she know who— that I don’t know who I am?”
“Were we still… Close?”

“I’m sorry that you got stuck in the middle of this, Loske.”
“I— I can try to find these answers myself. You don’t need to answer anything, there has to be someone else out there, right?”
“Like another friend or— apprentice, or something?”

"She's someone named Amea - she's a brunette, tough and smart. I've only met her once before, but I saw her when I told Kaili goodbye. It was like my reward for finally letting her go. I got to see that she's still alive, and I want to believe she's happy."

It might have been selfish, but she was on an arc of self-interest and it’s protection. And shedding anything that made her uncomfortable.

The only way she could reconcile any level of guilt she felt was to focus on both of their initial jovial responses. The without-a-doubt support and enthusiasm to her Treicolt announcement and rally for a contained celebration.

Perhaps the most self-serving part of getting Amea and Allyson in a room together was the clandestine approach to organizing it. She couldn’t wrap her head around a way to be completely transparent with her intentions and still captivate the interest of both parties. So she’d used the excuse to make herself the centre of attention –– dubbing the evening as her belated bridezilla demand. Although her being the focus of the evening would be incredibly short-lived as soon as that door opened.

And for the first time, Loske was the orchestrator of chaos.

She just wasn’t sure how much celebrating was actually going to happen, which would...maybe be disappointing for them. On top of all the other emotions that were about to evince.

Thus, she continued her explanation to the espionage virtuoso. It was no doubt Allyson would have suspicion in her mind — Loske hadn’t owned this apartment ever since she and Maynard had moved in together a timeline ago. The mysterious friend who happened to inhabit it was who the blonde was talking about as they neared the end of the hallway. Without ever saying Amea's name.

“She’s really great, and I’m still not sure how she has this place to herself but I’m just gonna leave that unanswered. But yeah, the back-and-forth went a bit like this ––
"I volunteered your home."
"Your home?" Says she, the current homeowner.
"No, your home?"
"My home? You mean your home?"
"What no? Your-- yes, my old apartment."
"So your apartment? I don't own that apartment.

And long story short, here we are. So, don’t..comment on the whole place thing.”

Adjusting her grip on the pack slung over her shoulder, filled with goodies and whatnot, she knocked on the door of her formerly owned apartment and offered an easy shrug to Allyson. The more movement she made the better she felt. Anxiety gripped her throat and stomach and now she was avoiding eye contact, finding the embossing of the doorway endlessly fascinating as panic started to suffuse its way into her train of thought. Maybe her nervousness would be misinterpreted as excitement.

But this was probably going to suck.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Coruscant //: Amea's Apartment ? //:
//: Loske Treicolt //: Amea Virou //:
//: I know that we can't take it now again //:

Allyson raised her eyebrow. Loske was a terrible liar, probably the worst one she had ever met. Still, Allyson gave the blonde the benefit of the doubt mostly because, after everything they’ve been through, it was deserved. Also, Allyson was looking forward to actually being a human being for once. She was going to celebrate her friend’s happiness, drink, have fun and not really care about the governments of the galaxy, etc. Tonight, she got to be a normal girl. ​

The thought echoed in her mind as she played it over again. She tried to remember when she was able to be normal, not play a part to get something she wanted. Allyson Locke hadn’t played Allyson Locke in quite some time - a part of her worried that she forgot how to be herself. ​

“She sounds like a peach.” Allyson smiled as she tried to file through faces that she assumed would be on the other end. Unlike most of her intel, she really never dove too deep into Loske’s personal life. A part of her feared to find something she didn’t want to encounter - mainly another blonde named Kaili Talith. Loske was that common ground, the one that, if she would have realized it sooner, could have probably found Kaili before the whole mess of whatever happened to her. ​

Funny how she was thinking about the blonde now; at least lately, she didn’t feel the knife twist in her heart - it was getting easier to breathe and focus on the good memories. Rolling her shoulder’s back, she waited by the door and did her best not to get annoyed with her long brunette hair that for one was down and framing her face. “I really wish you would have let me contribute a bit. You shouldn’t have to get things planned for your own bachelorette party.” Allyson teased as she finally gave in to the desire for a ponytail. Fingers laced through her chocolate brown hair as she twisted it quickly into the hairband. ​

“I was kind of surprised you invited me,” She started as her eyes went slightly crossed as the Corellian pulled at her bangs to return them to the shape she was well known for. “Not a bad way though - I’m really happy,” A smile as Allyson sighed, putting her hands into pockets of the fitted pants she wore. “Like extremely, the Agency has drowned me in pap--” she stopped herself and gestured a zipper across her lips. “No work talk, I promised myself that - so help me stick to it - I just want to have fun and celebrate with you.” ​

Allyson laughed and nodded. Whoever this girl was - she was important to Loske; maybe she could be a new friend for Allyson as well. Force knew the girl needed it, especially with her struggles with a recent acquaintance. ​

“What was her name again?” Remembering that Loske never mentioned the girl’s name, it would be awkward to step into the apartment without knowing the host’s name.​

 

[Amea Virou]

Loske Treicolt / Allyson Locke

On paper this apartment was owned by Manfred Albrecht, wealthy trader and owner of several other small pieces of real estate across the galaxy. A socialite, a man of renown and flavorful tastes. In reality however it had been taken over by Amea Virou, a drifter-extraordinaire and all-round person of as-of-late questionable morals. Stealing an apartment had never really been on her agenda, at least not up until the fact that Loske mentioned moving out. If ever there was a spot that seemed like a good one to lie low in, hidden in plain sight had always been one that Amea preferred.

For this one she had prepared. Not just for herself and how she looked but how the apartment as a whole looked and what it had in store. Wine and champagne, a few decorations spread neatly around the apartment and the new Art Deco paint job it had gotten since Loske had last been there. It looked high-end, and some part of Amea had to admit she appreciated it even if it was a blatant misuse of money to acquire all of this. Which was not to mention the fact that it was stationary to begin with. Amea was not a stationary person, but many of the agents of the hex was.

Not that Loske needed to know that part of it all.

There was a knock at the door and Amea twitched in place to stare at its colorful wooden paneling. With a swift grasp at one of the bottles she had placed in a nearby tub of ice, she kept them in her grasp as she opened the door with a smirk. It was Loske, and her surprise guest was Allyson Locke, the traitor. How curious. Nonetheless,

“Amea Virou.” She drawled and held out a bottle for each of them to grab. “Though from what I hear, you already know that much, Soldier Girl.”

She turned her back on them and began to lead them into the apartment with a wide spread of her arms.

“I changed the place up a bit, made it just a little bit more my own…” She turned back around towards them. “And hey, even changed myself up a bit to be a bit fresher than usual, right?”

Amea flicked the blonde and purple highlights in her hair and raised her bottle. “To the belated bride.”

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Coruscant //: Amea's Apartment ? //:
//: Loske Treicolt //: Amea Virou //:
//: So, I won't say I love you, it's too late //:

Amea Virou​

The door opened, and a voice drew Allyson’s attention from Loske. In that split second, the galaxy stood still, and Allyson came face to face with a girl she had only seen previously through a shattered memory. Green eyes fell upon the woman who not only had once been the love of her life but also never remembered that life—a whirlwind of emotions circulated through the Corellian in a matter of moments. A lifetime passed before her: beaches and a faraway planet - every memory shattered in her mind. ​

Allyson realized she was holding her breath, fighting back whatever would crack the smile on her face - showing her genuine emotions. Soldier Girl. Allyson wasn’t even a name to Amea; it was probably for the best. Still smiling, she reached out and grabbed the beer doing her best to avoid any physical contact with the girl who was now sporting blonde and purple highlights. If only the universe could be crueler, she was reminded once more of the girl she never found. ​

Was this her punishment for everything? Was she supposed to continue living a life filled with regret and reminders of those past mistakes? Her mind moved a mile a minute, trying to find the answers to her crisis. Of all nights, of all people, why did Amea have to find the sudden urge to have blonde highlights.​

“Yep, that’s me, Soldier girl - uh, you can call me Allyson or Ally if you want.” She quipped and then thought quietly to herself almost begging the cosmos. Please don’t. Allyson smiled and nodded the neck of the bottle towards the other girl. Amea was someone else. Allyson had to continue to remind herself of this. She wasn’t the same girl she met in the droid shop and had wanted to leave everything behind for. ​

Are you happy?​

Allyson held up the beer and smiled. “To the prettiest bride in the Alliance.” It was easy to fake happy. She had done it for so long - at least there was a reason she could be happy. The alcohol met her lips as they had made their way into the apartment. ​

Did you hate me at the end?​

Small things reminded Allyson of the Borleian girl, but she kept them to herself. Glancing around, she did her best to avoid any sort of eye contact with Amea and Loske. Amea’s gaze would break the Corellian, while Loske would instantly feel the burn of the daggers Allyson wanted to throw at the Kiffar. Bridezilla knew about everything and still put her in this situation. Lowing the bottle, she could already feel the lightness of the almost empty bottle. When did these things get so small?​

Sighing softly, she regained some of her composure; she was going to make it through the night - she had to. Tonight wasn’t about her and her problems; for once, the night was about Loske. After everything that she had done for Allyson, it was the least she could do. ​

Still, Allyson wanted to shoot the Kiffar Jedi. Turning back to face the pair of women, Allyson found her gaze softening for just a moment as she glanced at Amea. “Nice place Amea, thanks for hosting really - my place isn’t as big.”​

Did you still love me? ​

 

[Loske Treicolt]

“Every time you talk about work, you have to take a shot.” Loske winked, leaping at the opportunity to talk about the evening ahead of them in any context out of the chaos she was unravelling. Focusing on the potential party attitude somehow managed to smooth over the panic she was riddled with. A temporary bliss that was quickly shattered.

“Amea Virou.”
“Though from what I hear, you already know that much, Soldier Girl.”

The full impact of how bad, no good, very terrible this idea was slammed into Loske like a conveyex. A rolling sensation bubbled in her stomach, churning and clenching and filling her cheeks with an ashen pull. Anxious nausea.

Reflexively, she accepted the offered bottle from Amea –– who, above all else, looked positively elated to be a hostess. Beyond coloured with burgeoning sickness, Loske was coloured surprised and impressed. The ability to makeover a space she’d known so well, and make it look so different and unique was impressive and she willed herself to focus on the choices in decor and not the pandemonium of emotions.

She was grateful Amea’s back was turned to the pair, and she allowed herself a wincing glance at Allyson. Her apologetic grimace was pulled so tightly it forced her eyes into small arches. The Corellian looked unfazed on the surface, but that K’paur bond she’d never broken with Loske felt otherwise. It was like a pummelling sensation.

And once again, looking at Allyson, Loske was forced to remind herself not to apologize. This would end up being for the better. It had to be. It had to. Don’t apologize. Don’t apologize.

“I changed the place up a bit, made it just a little bit more my own…”
“And hey, even changed myself up a bit to be a bit fresher than usual, right?”

“It looks so good.” The would-be kiffar admitted, squirming out of her cringing expression and nodding enthusiastically just as the former Borealis native turned around once again. “And so do you. The uh, the blonde is..” was she going to vomit? She felt like she might vomit. How was Allyson keeping so cool? “Obviously great, but more or less of a change.”

“To the belated bride.”

“To the prettiest bride in the Alliance.”

She might have been both of those things, but she was also one of the best secret keepers in The Alliance.

Obligatorily, Loske blushed and quickly tilted the beer bottle back and didn’t pull it away until it was done. Just to help things along. It had the opposite effect on her stomach, she the back of her hand instantly flew to her mouth to encourage the carbonation to stay behind her teeth.

“I mean,” she started –– “You’re too much. But this is much nicer than having some sort of shebang ceremony. Although, you both would have looked really knockout in matching dresses. Blush, taupe, navy? Maybe?”

Was glazing over the elephant in the room the right move? She could feel the residual pain at the foot of that ethereal tether with Allyson, and the happy ignorance of Amea. Waving her hand through the air, she set the empty bottle down and drew in a sharp breath. “Planning’s not really Maynard’s thing. Unless it’s some sort of attack.” An awkward chuckle interjected her stream of thought. “Or my thing..obviously, hence this right now and I'm already so sorry, I..probably should have planned tonight, this moment a bit. And, I..I hope we can keep this as a party or something or, I don’t know, and if not, that’s okay, but..I want you both in my life, and you’re eventually going to cross paths and you’ve both got to know what’s happening here.

Amea, Allyson’s that pain you felt. The cherry tree vision.

Allyson, well, you know who Amea is. You found that out yourself, and it’s hurting you." That much was plain in the dreamlike expression that Allyson had just projected on Amea. The silhouette of her former lover, and the former wearer of the ring that rested against the Corellian's chest.

"And I can’t keep having pieces of information that I collect and hold and watch you both wander around feeling some kind of void when I’m feeling so..complete. It’s not fair. Maybe this isn’t fair but...here we are. I don't know what forward looks like.” The carbonation of the beer might not have come out in actual vomit, but it was definitely word vomit. The embarrassed flush never left her cheeks.

"So uh, have either of you played never have I ever?" The end of her sentence was mousish in volume. "Mighthelp."

 

[Amea Virou]

Loske Treicolt // Allyson Locke

“Alright then, Allyson.” Amea said and put extra weight on the name to show that she was complying with the request. “I mean, I tried to make it a bit more lived in than it currently is, you know? Give it a bit more of that whole ‘I am rich’ vibe. Not that I am, but… Well, you know how it is.”

And then, Loske decided to speak.

Amea opened her mouth to provide a witty retort about the dress, but as soon as the words were about to part from her tongue she was cut short by Loske who jumped straight for the nuclear option. In an instant it became all the more clear that this never was a bachelorette thing as much as something more similar to an intervention. The brunette’s eyes danced between the two with a perplexed glance. Her eyes closed, and they opened, and then they closed and they opened as her eyebrows reached for the sky. A confused smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she listened to what Loske said.

“The uh, the SIA Agent?” Amea looked down at the bottle in her hand and gave it a twirl. “Well, shit.”

Yeah, what direction was even ‘forward’ from that? The bottle found Amea’s lips and she emptied it in a sweep before she discarded it on a nearby counter with a slight slide across the polished ebony surface. A chuckle blew from her nose as she grabbed another one.

For a moment she hesitated, but she was clearly not the only one in need of another. She grabbed a second bottle and looked over towards Allyson and threw her a new one.

“This just turned into something very different from what I had expected.” She gave a solemn nod and took a seat on a nearby couch.

“Never have I ever been to a party quite like this one before.”

Ideally, they would all take a swig with her on that one.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Coruscant //: Amea's Apartment ? //:
//: Loske Treicolt //: Amea Virou //:
//: So, I won't say I love you, it's too late //:

So that's that this was. ​

It was all an elaborate plan.​

Allyson shouldn't be surprised, knowing Loske. ​

She just wanted everyone to be happy. ​

Allyson held her breath, listening to the secrets flow from the Kiffar's mouth. Everything Allyson had told Loske, whether through their bond or verbally, was on the table now, along with whatever Amea told her. ​

Allyson wanted to be mad; she wanted to hate her best friend for doing this, spilling everything into the open - for failing as a confidant. Yet, she couldn't be mad - Loske never asked for this position. She never asked to be the focal point for so many people for so many secrets. Having been in Loske's position so many times before this, Allyson exhaled the frustration and did her best to avoid Amea's glance. ​

The brunette/blonde/purple-haired woman spoke first, which let Allyson mull over everything that just happened. Never before had Allyson wanted to disappear so bad? She could disappear, which was a nice thing with the Force, but as the Corellian began to sink into the folds of the Force, she caught the emphasis from Amea. Allyson looked over and sighed softly, realizing that there was nothing beyond surprise behind her words. It was either Amea or Kaili who was really good at hiding what was happening, or she really didn't understand their connection. ​

Allyson didn't know what hurt more. To be forgotten because of reasons that could have been prevented or forgotten because the memory was attached to painful emotions.​

Amea continued, and Allyson caught the bottle and looked at it. She was suddenly reminded of a time when she was about twelve years old. It was a memory that she hadn't thought about in so long until now. A blonde, a girl she was best friends with and shared everything with. All of Allyson's secrets were known by this girl. At the party, her friend assumed it was a good idea to share them with Allyson's person, who had developed her first crush. The oversharing had only done more harm than good, and Allyson developed trust issues. ​

"Chit." Allyson opened the bottle and took a long sip of it. The alcohol at least put her mind at ease and began to numb the pain of everything that was happening. How stupid was she to think that she was going to be able to be normal for once? That for once, there was going to be a night she could NOT hate herself. The bottle left her lips, and she ran the tip of her tongue along her upper lip slightly to catch anything that hung against it. "Well, now that everyone is quite acquainted with everything - can we move on?" Looking to Loske, the Kiffer would know the whirl of emotions she was feeling. ​

Amea's reaction was enough, and despite Loske's attempt - Allyson didn't feel any better. "It's not important to continue talking about it. Won't change anything." Fingers brushed back her loose bangs as she bottled her emotions up. "Never have I ever fallen in love at first sight." As much as Allyson should have taken a sip, she didn't - maybe it was better to pretend nothing had ever happened. ​

 

[Loske Treicolt]

It was done. It was out. She’d do what she could to help shape it into something useful, but at least that anvil of responsibility no longer anchored in her heart. Why did truth have to come so tightly knitted with consequence?

Triumph and relief didn’t find a foothold in her outward expression rut, though. Loske still looked predominantly sheepish, and maybe inching towards tipsy. A biological weakness.

“Never have I ever been to a party quite like this one before.”

Amea taking a seat, and obliging to the suggestion of the game was perhaps the first foray back to normalcy and the Kiffar exhaled gratefully.

The rules were simple. Drink when you’d done something the initiator suggested. Loske’s life was a series of interactions and reactions, and she’d been cornered a few times when it came to emotions. “Ah,” she ran her finger around the rim of her empty bottle before crossing for a new one, sipping, and gesturing. “On top of this one —“ she thought to explain. She’d forced both of them into a foxhole or vulnerability and awkwardly posed herself at the top. In fairness, she’d have to open that up again to make the friendships feel safe. “Not a party, but in terms of an awkward ambush yeah. That’s how I found out about being a clone and my whole family situation.”

It didn’t much help. Allyson’s glare was almost more exposing than everything Loske had laid out. She could only heh in meek response.

"Never have I ever fallen in love at first sight."

At least Amea’s drinking suggestion was doable, and Loske shot a quizzical glance in Allyson’s direction. Why would she throw herself under the bus like that? The blonde’s tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth and she shrugged. She would have loved to drink to that. Admit that run-in on Peace with Maynard had been an open and closed deal within an instant, but she’d fought to dissuade herself from feeling anything for him for at least a year. She ended up not being very persuasive in the end, and the rest was history now.

“Never have I ever..” she was going to say lost her memory but not only were they untrue it was outright mean.

What else did the two have in common that could help pave the grounds for mutual acceptance and friendship?

Loske accepted Amea for who she was, who she was choosing to be, and she hoped Allyson could appreciate the distinctions as that person herself. And remember the decision to lay Kaili to rest.

And Amea could probably benefit from the person Allyson was now too. If for nothing other than information, if it came down to the wire.

That selfish bud of desire started to blossom again. The vision where Triocolt had their homestead and Loske had infinite babysitters to introduce and rely on.

“Hmm.” Moving to sit on the couch adjacent to Amea, she tucked her legs under her. “Been able to talk to technology.

Talknology, if you will.”

 

[Amea Virou]

Loske Treicolt // Allyson Locke

She wanted to avoid the game. Amea’s eyes wandered up from the flask and up towards Allyson with an understanding nod before she glanced back at the brown container in her hand. The question she followed Amea’s with was pointed, lingered with something she didn’t want to ask. Call it an assumption or a read of the room, everyone was tense for the moment and showed it in other ways. Loske with her attempt at masking her frantic search for a happy ending, Amea with the empty stare that gave away just how deep in her own thoughts she was.

Never had Allyson ever experienced love at first sight. Amea hesitated for a moment to give the unspoke answer. Did Yula count? The woman made her nervous, caused her to bubble with anxiety and excitement everytime that they were around each other, but that could be hormones just as much as it could have been love. And then it begged the question, did Runi count? As distant as they were now Runi was still the only person Amea could say she cared the most for and who was the person she would lay her own life down for without hesitation if she was asked to, but it hadn’t exactly started off like that. Any semblance of emotions shared between them one way or the other could be boiled down to the bond that Runi had accidentally forged between them as much as Amea’s misguided attempts to rationalize why it was there.

The bottle never found Amea’s lips and she never took a sip. Her eyes lifted to gauge the Corellian’s reaction to it with a pitiful frown before she let in a deep breath and focused on Loske. Never had she ever been able to talk to machines. Naturally Loske didn’t even drink, but Amea certainly did. A long drag and a chug forced the contents of her drink down her throat as she covered her mouth and kept from throwing it up.

“That one is cheating.” Amea hissed and groaned a joke under her breath before she exhaled and quickly inhaled again. “You already know that I do.”

And yet again, Amea glanced over at Allyson to see how she had reacted. Her eyes lingered on Allyson. This woman had been special to Amea once, had held her heart and then lost it before their memories were even gone. Was there a reason for it? She tried to achieve some form of eye contact, get a good read on Allyson but something seemed to push her away and she quickly gave it up.

Never have I ever hurt someone I loved.

The question lingered up there at the forefront of her mind where it burned bright against her skull. Maybe it was a morbid curiosity to know who had hurt who, but in the end Amea just couldn’t put thought into words. Her head began to sway back and forth for a moment before she eventually opened her mouth with a prolonged ‘uhhh’ and a deep breath with accompanying sigh. This was a game of indirect storytelling. Amea could play that angle.

“Never have I ever had my memories taken from me against my will.”

It was a big chug for that one.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Coruscant //: Amea's Apartment //:
//: Loske Treicolt //: Amea Virou //:

Allyson waited and watched; neither drank, and she figured it was a good sign if anything or maybe a bad sign. Either way, Allyson was trying to ignore it. Thankfully Loske decided to interject quickly with the next question, and Allyson was confused by it. She knew that both of her friends were technology-driven within the Force - what a silly question to ask. Allyson sipped her drink to show what Loske already knew. ​

After sipping, Allyson moved closer to the group and sat at the coffee table in front of the couch. She set her beer down after grabbing a coaster, not wanting to damage the table. Despite having a spacer and scoundrel background, Allyson did have parents that burned manners into her head. The banter between Loske and Amea allowed for a distraction from her, something Allyson took advantage of. As she sat there, she pulled her comm device from her pocket and held it. Her head down, she flipped through the contacts for a moment and hesitated. ​

Looking back up, she caught Amea's glance for a moment, then looked towards Loske. Both were being labeled her least favorite people right now. Unfortunately, for Allyson - she was the only one here that had feelings and felt the pain of losing someone she loved. Loske was Kaili's friend but still had Amea - their friendship was probably not the same as before. Yet, she was still in Loske's life. Amea was utterly unaware, unknowing of the emotions' weight - virtually free from what was happening. Allyson felt her jaw tighten as she remembered what she had initially thought this was going to be. If only Loske had kept the confession to herself. ​

Amea spoke her question, and Allyson's face showed her surprise. She wasn't aware of why Amea didn't remember her but hearing that it was something against her will make Allyson feel a bit guilty for being upset. In a sense, that was some closure that the Corellian didn't realize she needed to know. ​

Kaili was gone, and there was no getting her back. That small hope fizzled out like a candle in the wind. It was the end, and Allyson felt her shoulders relaxed. Grabbing the bottle, she took another sip. Her memories had been damaged, which caused a rift that eventually led to her and Kaili ending. It was against her will, but maybe it was just the universe telling her something. ​

With the sip, she gave herself some time to think and remind herself she was here for Loske - not for herself. The bottle found its place back on the coaster, and Allyson coughed slightly, clearing her throat. "Hmm," She thought quietly, there were a million questions to ask, but for the first time since Loske's bomb, Allyson smiled. ​

"Never have I ever kissed a girl." She looked to Loske and stuck her tongue out playfully. Another sip was taken as she was actually more curious to know Loske's past; it was also a fun question, nothing deep diving as the Corellian was tired of it. ​

Tonight was meant for celebration.​

Tonight was meant to forget the chaos that was in the galaxy.​

Tonight was about Loske and her happiness. ​

As she finished her sip, she turned her head down and quickly typed out the message she had been pondering. ​

<hey>
<its ally>
<what are you up to?>​

 

[Loske Treicolt]

“That one is cheating.”
“You already know that I do.”

Loske served up a click-of-her-tongue-and-wink combination at Amea, tossing in a single finger gun for good measure. “Strategic information leverage. Or something –– you both tell me what it’s called.”

“Never have I ever had my memories taken from me against my will.”

Memories were something all three of them had in common and Loske obliged in the libation as well. She hadn’t known anything of her Force-based origins until she’d travelled back to Kiffu once upon a time. It wasn’t as tragic as either of their tales, but it still counted as an involuntary disappearance of recollection.

"Never have I ever kissed a girl." ​

With Allyson’s suggestion, Loske only narrowed her eyes in faux consideration. She knew the answer immediately but wanted to prolong the apparent delight Allyson seemed to get from the idea of putting her on the outs. Her first kiss had been Cedric Grayson and anything thereafter had just been the man that was now her husband. Maybe if she’d had more of a normal life, like an actual upbringing and in more academies, schools, parties, and whatnot, she might have done more rather than just constantly being in the cockpit and swiftly transitioning to Jedi training. Training that the one-time Kaili had cautioned against.

Per the rules, she abstained from the drink and shook her head. For a moment, she glanced at Allyson’s attention waning and shifted her weight agitatedly. Ultimately, she couldn’t blame the woman and didn’t say anything other than giving Amea a glancing shrug. Instead of reprimanding and begging for attention, Loske tucked her lips together and tried to empathize. There had been so many instances where Allyson had touched Loske’s mind in conversation, that the tether was easily two-way.

Sorry I word vomited everything up, but..I thought you deserved to know Amea for who Amea is. And you guys could be friends.

And Amea had to know who the person was that she felt, and know they’re a good person too.

Normally, at this sort of event, Loske supposed people would divulge about their love lives. But that sort of anecdotal approach seemed like it would be a painful avenue, so she sought something more neutral amidst the game.

“The decorations are great, thanks for setting this up. Right, uh, never have I everrr..” the ‘r’ dragged out while she considered another neutral space where the two had something in common that could be used to restore some sort of relationship. There were so many, but they didn’t result in many more story times.

“Had cybernetics in my body..” She paused, tapping the mouth of the bottle against her teeth and winced. “Er well, I guess some of the connectors in my lungs count.” And took a small sip. “But not really, I think they disintegrated or something after a while.”

 

[Amea Virou]

Never had she ever kissed a girl. On one level, given what little she had let Loske tell her, Amea could figure that one was true. Not from memory, and whether or not her current experiences counted was another matter. A kiss on the cheek? There were more than a few times when Amea woke up from having been blackout drunk in a stranger’s bed, but did those count either if she didn’t remember them?

Still, she took the sip and gave Loske an amused glance as she clearly feigned to ponder the question. Allyson hit her phone, the small orbs of electrical activity teasing against Amea’s mind despite her best attempts to shrug the curiosity off. Her eyes were pried away from the device to look over at Loske and her question.

Cybernetics. A mellow glance shot down at the palm of her hand, a slight smirk spreading on Amea’s lips as she thought on just exactly what had happened. The bottle found her lips as she looked at the other two and downed a sip.

“Got hired to steal this artifact piece from some supposed low-life.” She exhaled with a bemused smile. “Tracked him down to the spot of a sale, set myself up for a quick run and gun for the package, except…”

“Well, there was this Sith there. Pompous, dressed big and spoke bigger. We had a bit of a race in which he managed to corner me, he made a swipe and I tried to parry with my arm, and well…” She raised her arm before her to summon a small candy bar from her hand. “This happened.”

“My best friend made it for me.” Eyes went up towards Loske and then Allyson. “No, uh, offense to you guys. Of course.”

Her eyes wandered off, lips spreading into an even wider, warmer smile.. “Chastised me for being dumb enough to do it after her knowing she had done the same thing once before.” They closed with a chuckle before she shook her head and turned back towards the others. “Haven’t seen her in a while now.”

“Never have I ever been willing to walk through hell for my friends.” Eyes setting on Loske, on account of Amea literally having done so already, and then at Allyson who had been there as well. She chugged the remains of her beer for that one. “Still can’t believe we did that and lived. All of us.”

Allyson Locke // Loske Treicolt

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Coruscant //: Amea's Apartment //:
//: Loske Treicolt //: Amea Virou //:

Allyson's attention lifted as she waited to see everyone's reaction to her question. It was simple, but she had already figured the pair's moments. It was hard not to laugh at Loske's contemplation of if she had kissed another woman or not. Allyson knew the truth, but still, the question was more geared towards Amea. It would be a lie if she said she wasn't a bit curious. What changes had happened? Was she even still in her type range? Allyson wrinkled her nose as she tried not to think about that; there was no reason to walk back down that road.​

A small light flickered in her lap as she looked down. A little bit of surprise spread across the Corellian's face as she noticed that there was a response. She had honestly figured she was going to be ignored, but sometimes life surprises you. As she went to open the message, Loske poked around her mind. The Kiffar and the K'paur had a damaged link at one point, but in recent times, she had felt it mended. A soft sigh escaped through pressed lips and teeth as she knew Loske meant no harm. Despite how she felt, Loske had walked through the chaos and back to get the Corellian home, risking everything.​

It's okay. The band-aid had to be ripped off one of these days. Better to let the wound air outright? Thank you, I needed the closure I got.​

I can really move on.​

It was the truth, Allyson had always wondered if there was a piece of Kaili hiding under Amea's skin, but with what came out - Allyson knew there was none. Kaili was gone, and that chapter of her life could finally close. Moving on was necessary, and the device in her hand fumbled to open the message in hopes of moving on.​

Allyson waited for a moment, then looked up once more, paying attention to the group. The next question was asked, and Allyson gave it some of her attention. Loske's was a little simple, not as juicy as she had expected, though the night had already been juicy enough. As Allyson pondered, she looked down and quickly read the message.​

<Working a case>​

<What do you want, Locke?>​

The Corellian wrinkled her nose; she could sense the annoyance from the detective as she read the message. Allyson looked up to Amea as she explained the story about her hand. At the mention of friends, she smiled slightly and nodded. Eyes peered down as she quickly responded.​

<What kind of case? Also, just bored, saying hi?>​

Allyson reached for her drink as she took a sip. When she thought about it, 'starlight' was very much cybernetic in a sense. Shrugging, she decided to mention it. "Always good to have friends that can help out. It's a pretty cool piece of tech. Your friend's a bit handy." A pleased grin hid the grimace of the hand being taken. Allyson remembered the flash nightmare and the searing pain she had felt when it occurred. During that time, she and Amea were still connected. Allyson held up her hand, and several blinking lights showed. "This is starlight. It's a two-way communication device that cannot be hacked or interrupted. The only downside is that it's a two-way device - it only goes to one other point, and that is its twin." Allyson pressed the lights in her palm as she put her hand down and showed the main screen's projection that was now showing on the coffee table. "I can use most materials to project an image, and I can get holovid calls with it." Allyson shrugged as she quieted the device back into her hand. "It's pretty cool, one of the few things I put together - it also doubles as a very accurate honing device." A nod and Allyson let the story hang, if only Loske had known her ties with Jyoti Nooran - finding the Corellian would have been far easier than the road taken.​

The next question came as Allyson read the following message that came through; she wondered if the Kiffar was really working a case if she could respond to this quickly.​

< One that pays better than the GA>​

<I doubt you do anything without reason>​

<Make it quick>​

Jeez, Allyson thought to herself as she sighed and quickly typed out a message listening to Amea's question. It caught her attention as she fired off the response.​

<You still butthurt over that? I offered you the contract back>​

<I do stuff without reason, can't I just check-in and say hi, what's up, how are you doing?>​

<Jeeze, anyways maybe I can help?>​

She put her device down, almost frustrated; maybe it was a bad idea to message her of all people. The question Amea asked now had her attention as she sighed. She wasn't going to share the story, but she took a sip and then decided it was her turn. "Never have I ever regretted a choice I made." Maybe Allyson didn't understand the game or just wanted to get drunk at this point. Getting drunk sounded like a great idea. She finished the bottle from the question, and she stood up, leaving her device on the ground where she was sitting. "Hey Amea, you have anything harder than beer? Maybe some Corellian whiskey?" Allyson looked around as the next message came through from the Kiffar detective, who was totally Allyson's biggest fan.​

<Last I checked, you were the one with the butt issues>​

<And you helped enough with Dapan>​

 

[Loske Treicolt]

“Never have I ever been willing to walk through hell for my friends.”

See, when Loske was targeting them, she left herself out of the equation as an option each time.

However, this was at least the second time the pair of espionage agents, saboteurs of sorts, missed the agenda she became suspicious. Her incredulous look started to turn accusatory. Her eyebrows became heavier, and mouth drawn into a small, thin line.

"Never have I ever regretted a choice I made." ​

"Oh my god." Loske's eyes narrowed, and she peered left-right-left-right between the two suspiciously. She didn't need to think of an appropriate never-have-i-ever to help them establish further similarities.

"Either you two do not understand the rules of the game," Curling her fingers around the neck of the bottle, she librated one to point between the smug expressions of her two friends. "Or you're just trying to get obliterated."

"Hey Amea, you have anything harder than beer? Maybe some Corellian whiskey?"

"Okay. New game."

 

[Amea Virou]

Regretted a choice? Now that was the real one, wasn’t it? Amea had an ocean of blood on her hand from the ones that had caused her this pain. She had nothing that came to mind as she tried to come up with something she had regretted. In truth there was no time for those. Regrets were rarely conducive to good work performance in her field.

The only thing she feared or felt a semblance of regret for was the paranoia of being tracked or being found that had become difficult to overcome. It was the one part that kept her signing on with new ships. It had been an unintended side-effect of having been reunited with Loske and the part of her that Amea at the time had wanted to leave buried for good. Now, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Her past hovered in a void that she didn’t know if she wanted to fill or not, it depended on what day it was.

“I mean—”

Amea said and was about to push herself out of the couch to go get something stronger, but Loske cut her short and the brunette fell back into her seat to give the blonde a curious look.

“I mean, yes?”

She blinked and shuffled in her seat to face Loske, awaiting the new game that never came. Her eyes glanced over at Allyson and then back to Loske with a,

“O— oh. You meant me. The game, I— hah, oh boy, that’s not something I—”

Her teeth bared in an embarrassed grimace.

“If you think I attend parties like this under any other guise than robbery you are sorely mistaken.”

Amea extended her hand towards the cooler and pulled it over from the counter, water dripping along the floor as the ice that had begun to melt within it swept over the edges. She placed it on the table and pulled out the big champagne bottle from within.

“Found this at a baron’s home.”

Amea said and arched away from it to give the label a proper read.

“Practically untouched, begging to be confiscated.”

It wasn’t an attempt to force one of the others to pick a game, not at all!

“He’d be outraged if he knew that we’re about to open it.”

And to that, Amea could drink with no small amount of pleasure. Man deserved it.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Coruscant //: Amea's Apartment //:
//: Loske Treicolt //: Amea Virou //:

Allyson wandered back over and saw the champagne bottle, and tilted her head. As much as she enjoyed champagne, but it usually made her do stupid things. Stupid things happening would not be a good thing here and now, especially with this company. Loske knew all her deepest secrets, and Amea - well, Amea was her long lost fiancée who was really dead, but not really. Allyson took a moment and sighed; it was a mess of a situation. Being spaced sounded like a far better idea than getting further drunk with the pair of women. A hand rested over her lips as she contemplated the champagne and the rest of her choices. ​

Wandering over, she parked herself back where she was and pointed towards the bottle. "Okay, I'm convinced pop it open, Amea." ​

As she waited, she quickly responded to the text message she had received. At least that was something, yet it wasn't going as well as she had hoped.​

< I've had no complaints about my butt, not even from you.>​

<See, we made a good team. Come on, let me help.>​

Allyson moved to shove the device back into her lap, but it seemed the person she was speaking to responded faster than she had expected. Blinking quickly, she looked down and felt her chest tighten. The Corellian knew the woman was blunt, but the words still stung. ​

<Maybe it's just not worth the time to comment>​

< I'm good without the SIA leash, thanks.>​

<You might dabble because you're bored, but this is my job.>​

< Don't you think you've messed with that enough?> ​

Remembering their first interaction, Allyson cursed under her breath. If only her day had been better and she didn't knee jerk react. A hand went over her face as she sighed and then looked towards the two women. She needed a bit of time to think of a response to don't knee jerk react again with the Kiffar. "Uh, new game, Truth or Dare?" Allyson shrugged and then looked to Loske. "Since it's your party, truth or dare?" A forced smile spread across her face as she waited and then looked down at her device for a moment to respond. ​

<I think we are all good without the SIA leash>​

It wasn't a lie. Allyson was looking for a way out - foolishly, she figured the detective could be that way out. Obviously, it was a foolish endeavor.​

< I'm not dabbling because I'm bored - I actually enjoyed working with you despite how stubborn you are.> ​

<I don't know why I thought to message you.>​

<Good luck on the case>​

Looking back up, she waited for the blonde's answer. Her eyes wandered to the other woman in the room, and smiled. "Hopefully, this game is fun, but Amea, please pour the champagne. This thing is begging to be drunk." ​

On the queue, Seniya answered. ​

<Thanks.>​

< I'll send you my bill for this consultation.>​

<I prefer OPA talons to GA creds.>​

< You're literally the worst>​

Allyson didn't know if the situation she was in with Loske and Amea or the cold shoulder from Seniya was why she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, but the feeling was there as she waited for a response.​

<Stop projecting.>​

< It's not a cute look on you.>​

Ouch. Allyson thought quietly and quickly responded and tried her best. ​

< That's bold.>​

<Since I'm paying for this conversation, you at least want to go for drinks when you're off shift?>​

<Now who's bold?>​

The response made Allyson shove her phone into her pocket, and she sighed softly then looked to Loske. Apparently, she was out of practice with flirting and obviously had ruined her chance with the detective. Now all Allyson wanted was to drink. ​

"So what will it be, Loske? Truth or Dare?"​

 

[Loske Treicolt]

"Uh, new game, Truth or Dare?"

"Since it's your party, truth or dare?" ​

Drawing her lips into a tight line, Loske considered the implications of the game Allyson was suggesting. For the past handful of time, they’d been playing a truth-based game.

"So what will it be, Loske? Truth or Dare?"​

“Dare.” The blonde challenged against every ounce of her better judgement. She’d played this before, in pilot locker rooms and the outcomes of each round were entirely dependent on the group of participants. The two she was playing with now could go..either way entirely. Especially since she’d just stirred up a whole mess of a pot –– but it was for the long-term happiness play!

“But,” she interjected, wagering a bargain with a gesture of the bottle in her hand “— since it’s my party," she enunciated her repetition of Allyson's suggestion "You dare me, I dare you back.

And I dare you to invite that person you’re messaging over since their company is so addicting.”

In hindsight, maybe she should have waited for Allyson to charge her with demand before being so incredulously bossy but here they were. Everyone was paying for their faults in spades this eve.

She glanced to Amea Virou for backup.

 

[Amea Virou]

Loske Treicolt // Allyson Locke

It was an innocent mistake, a slip of the mind into something it didn’t belong in. Usually not one to respect privacy unless asked, Amea would most of the time make a conscious effort for her friends. Allyson was somewhere in between all of that, drifting between the world of someone that she used to know, and the world of someone Amea instinctively understood she would see more and more of in the future.

Still, her eyes shifted over to Allyson and then her butt with a raised brow before she glanced up at Loske again and then the game suggested by the SIA agent, a game that depended on something Amea had a dysfunctional relationship, and the other one that she just straight up didn’t know. Dares fed into her kicks, truth was just never quite on the agenda. It was easier to stay alive that way, or well, enjoy being alive.

The conversation seemed to move into the ‘dare’ section of the game. Amea blinked at Loske and then Allyson as she tried to understand the hype of this game. It felt like they were far too few people for it.

“Uhh…” She rubbed at her neck and downed a big part of the champagne. Sour, not too sweet, clearly effective with its warm embrace of tongue sparkling chaos. “They might be fun?”

Amea scratched her neck. “It’s up to you, Allyson. Really.”

She gave Loske an apologetic shrug. This game was weird.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Coruscant //: The Middle //:
//: Loske Treicolt //: Amea Virou //:

Nothing had come back through the text, Allyson fought the urge to try and pester Seniya again, but she figured it was the end of the game there. Instead, she had another curveball thrown at her. Loske seemed to suddenly take the Queen Bee persona. Green eyes fluttered quickly as she let the quick turn of the tables settle in. Allyson felt a sense of deja vu once more, and she looked to Amea, who now decided to chime in as well. Another disastrous sense of deja vu echoed as the voice, and the face of her former lover said something that she had heard before in their shared past. ​

The world spun, and she wondered if the alcohol was starting to take effect; at least now, things would be numb. Her head felt as if she was drowning; sounds dulled out as she felt her slight smile shift working the muscles into a frown. This wasn’t fun. It wasn’t the night she was told. Was this just some sort of revenge from the Kiffar? Was this because of Ryv? Because of what happened to Kaili? There were too many questions, and Allyson wasn’t sure if she wanted the answer to any of them. ​

A weak vibration in her lap snapped her out of her daze as she looked down. In the message was an address. Seemed Seniya didn’t mind her company, Allyson wanted to smile, but she fought it. Looking to Loske, the Jedi could pick up every ounce of the Corellian’s emotions if she wanted to. Allyson didn’t care to hide them. ​

“No thanks, I’m done playing.” Standing, she dusted herself off and finished the champagne glass, then set it down. Looking at Amea, she gave the woman a half-smile and nod. “Nice place, good to meet you, again or something.” Looking back at Loske, she pulled a small box out of her pocket and handed it to the woman. “My wedding gift to you and Maynard" Allyson paused, she was going to just leave Loske's dare alone, but her temper got the best of her. She had been punished enough for everything and if this was Loske's way of getting payback - Allyson was over it. "Also the person I was messaging, was work. Going to get back to it - at least there my secrets are safe.” She nodded and headed towards the door, leaving quickly with her hands in her pocket. She needed some space, as much as she wished it was work she heading off to, a part of her was happier that it was someone who she felt could possibly understand her. At least she understood the work the Corellian did and what that life entailed.​

When Loske would eventually open the box, it would contain a pair of small X-wings. Each a pin that could be easily concealed. A note would explain that they were similar to Allyson’s starlight two way communication she had talked about during the game. The Corellian had designed the two pins for the husband and wife so that no matter where they were, they could always find each other even without the force. ​

Maybe one day. ​

The walk to the bar wasn’t long, and when she entered, she smiled like she had when she had first started out her night.​