Private Everything is New

[Aerik Lechner]

TAG: Skadi Lightbane​

Aerik rounded the corner with his shirt slung over his shoulder with sweat running down his spine. The never ending storm had been particularly strong and had shaken the walls of the training room the pup had spent the past two hours in. His arms ached with a dull pain that sharpened with certain movements. The air in the corridor was dense and chill, though he did not feel the way it made his skin tighten as his nerves were more focused on the soreness that settled in his muscles.

This training session had been especially brutal.

His steps carried him toward his chambers with familiar determination. The door opened with a tired swipe of his hand and closed just as quickly behind him. The shirt slipped from his fingers and landed on the floor. His boots came off without care and rolled wherever they wanted. A trail of clothing marked the path he intended to take toward the refresher.

He took two steps before he stopped.

Someone stood near the far side of the chamber. The faint profile and pale hair made his stomach drop as he realized Skadi was in the room. He had forgotten they were sharing this space for the moment. The scattered clothing and the sweat running across his skin told a story he wished he had noticed before walking in.

The pup said nothing. His chest rose with a slow breath that barely steadied him while heat crept up the back of his neck. He shifted his gaze toward the refresher and gave the smallest nod he could manage, one that did not pretend the moment was anything other than what it was.

Aerik bent to gather the clothing still in his hands and moved toward the fresher with a pace that felt more deliberate than the one he entered with. The door hissed shut behind him.

Steam filled the room as he turned the water on. The heat spread across his shoulders and eased the pull in his muscles. Little by little the ache faded until the pup felt himself settle. His thoughts drifted back to the chamber and the way he had walked in without a second thought. Forgetting Skadi was here had been a mistake he could not take back.

When he stepped out of the shower the air felt cool again. A towel dragged over his hair and shoulders as he moved to the counter where he had set his clothes. He worked his trousers into place and pulled his shirt over his head before tightening his boots with steady hands. The routine grounded him again.

The fresher door opened with a soft hiss.

Aerik stepped into the chamber and paused long enough to steady himself. The earlier moment lingered in the corners of the room. He adjusted the sleeve of his shirt as he looked toward her.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “I uhhh… forgot about our arrangement.”

A small nod followed as he took another step into the room, doing his best to move past the awkwardness he had created on his way in.

 

[Skadi Lightbane]

DROMUND KAAS

Tag: Aerik Lechner ​

Skadi was busy braiding her still damp hair when she sensed a presence just beyond the door, and she paused mid-braid when it slid open to reveal a shirtless and rather sweaty Aerik as he stepped over the threshold and into his den. She held still, waiting to see how long it would take him to notice that she was there, and she felt a touch of heat rise in her cheeks as he continued to disrobe the further he entered in, carefree and eager to be free of his remaining attire. Her eyes roamed for a moment, before she tore them away and cleared her throat, her face flushing a pink hue at the sight and the moment that was taking place.

Aerik paused, finally realizing she was there, and the weight of the moment hung awkwardly between them. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, catching his gaze briefly. He seemed like an ice-puppy caught in the torchlight, and she couldn’t help but feel some amusement at the predicament he found himself in. He said no words, not at first. His gaze flickered in the direction of the refresher and gave a silent nod as if to say he was headed there, and she turned her gaze away once more to continue her braid.

Skadi had been staying with Aerik for a week or so, perhaps a little longer; the storms continued to rage beyond the walls, and she was adjusting to the energy and atmosphere of Dromund Kaas little by little. The place was utterly saturated with the dark side, more so than anything she’d ever felt before in her life, outside of the planet known as ‘Korriban’. She was waiting with the patience of a hunter for her summons before the supposed ruler of Dromund Kaas, a Darth Prazutis . Until then, she would stay with the young man.

Skadi’s arrangement was a new experience for her; while she had stayed with her siblings when she’d been younger, she’d never been allowed to stay in the same space as another male. Her mother would be so scandalized to learn that Skadi was living with a young man that was not her betrothed - even if it was a temporary thing.

She wouldn’t admit as much, but even in the short amount of time that she’d been around Aerik, Skadi found that she rather admired him, and not just for his looks either. He carried himself in a way that spoke of self-confidence and assurance. She noticed when others gave way to him, a silent testimony to his status amongst the denizens in Dromund Kaas. It certainly made him more attractive to her - something she was both trying to push aside and understand the longer she stayed around him.

It certainly made the moment where he had almost stripped naked in front of her more…difficult to push from her mind; her thoughts were beginning to stray into other things and it was difficult to stop them - thus the reason why she returned to her braid, using the moment to distract and redirect her thoughts.

A short time later, Aerik stepped from the refresher, having cleaned himself. Skadi stopped her braid for a moment and flickered her gaze towards him, the awkward moment still fresh.

“Hey - I uhhh…forgot about our arrangement.” the young warrior said quietly.

She cleared her throat and tried to put on a nonchalant face, giving him a shrug. “It…it is alright. I sometimes forget too…until you walk through the door.” Skadi said with a slight and definitely nervous chuckle.

“How…was your training today? I assume that is what you did, ja?” she asked, an attempt to make small talk with him and push through the moment. Though if she was being honest with herself, she was a little saddened to see him with a shirt back on.

 

[Aerik Lechner]

TAG: Skadi Lightbane​

Aerik froze when she spoke. The sound of her voice cut through what little composure he had left, and the weight of the earlier moment settled on him all over again. She had seen him walk in while half undressed. She had seen the shirt slip from his fingers and land on the floor. She had seen the boots scatter in different directions when he kicked them off. She had seen the way he shed the last of his clothing without a single thought that anyone might be watching. Heat crawled up his neck as each detail replayed in his mind with far too much clarity.

His gaze stayed fixed on the floor while he tried to steady himself. The short pause did nothing to help. His body felt tight in a way that had nothing to do with training.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I forgot.”

The words came out rough as if something caught in his throat on the way out. His hand drifted to the back of his neck, the motion slow and restless. The pup had not felt this self conscious in a long time. The room felt smaller because of it. His eyes lifted for a moment and then dropped again when the heat in his face refused to settle.

“I was focused on getting out of there to hit the shower, and I walked in without thinking.”

His gaze shifted toward the corner where he had left his shirt earlier. He remembered exactly how it slipped off his shoulder. He remembered how little attention he gave anything in the room. The memory pulled another breath from him and he tried to push some order back into the space by picking up what he had dropped. It did not erase anything, but it helped him feel less like every part of the room still pointed to what happened.

He moved to the table and leaned against it as if he needed the support. His shoulders were tight. His breathing was uneven. His eyes drifted to her braid before he looked away again. He could not hold her gaze for more than a heartbeat.

Her question gave him something to answer, and that helped.

“Training was rough,” he said. “Prazutis pushed harder today. The storm made it worse and the sound inside the room drowned out almost everything else. I could barely hear myself breathe.”

He rolled his shoulders, though it did little to loosen them.

“It will be worse tomorrow,” he added, not with complaint, only with the familiarity of someone who expected nothing less.

Silence settled in again. He could feel the edge of it, sharp and uncomfortable, waiting for him to acknowledge what happened earlier. The pup cleared his throat and forced himself to try.

“Sorry about all of that when I came in. I did not mean to walk in like that.”

His eyes lifted toward her again, though they flicked away just as quickly. Embarrassment pressed into his chest in a heavy and steady way.

“I did not mean to make it strange. And I did not mean for you to see any of that.”

 

[Skadi Lightbane]

DROMUND KAAS

Tag: Aerik Lechner ​

Skadi watched Aerik, not directly - she didn’t want to make him feel trapped by staring him in the eyes. She could feel the discomfort radiating off of him still; clearly the embarrassment of what happened just minutes prior was still weighing on him. He seemed so tense, his eyes locked onto the floor, like a child caught with their hand in the proverbial treat jar.

He repeated once more that he had forgotten, when she had spoken up - her attempt to try and lighten the mood of the moment. His tension made her tense, his discomfort and self-consciousness felt acutely by her. All she could think of doing was easing that from him, somehow.

“I was focused on getting out of there to hit the shower, and I walked in without thinking.” the young man said, trying to explain the moment, offer an explanation. She watched as he quietly tried to pick up his discarded clothes and boots and pick up his space a little more, a distraction from the awkwardness of the moment.

He seemed to shift focus a little more when she inquired about how his training had gone, and he took the offered distraction to tell her that Lord Prazutis had pushed him hard and he expected to be pushed even harder the following day.

He rolled his shoulders, something he seemed to do to let go of tension, though his energy and presence still radiated uncertainty and self-consciousness. Silence fell between them once more, and the tension returned somewhat. He cleared his throat, then spoke again: “Sorry about all of that when I came in. I did not mean to walk in like that.”

Aerik glanced up at her, but only briefly, before looking away once more. She felt a faint upturn to the corner of her lips - not in amusement with his discomfort, but more the fact of how shy he seemed to be in the moment. He clearly didn’t know how to interact or even act around a female. “I did not mean to make it strange. And I did not mean for you to see any of that.”

At this point, Skadi sat up a little straighter and looked more directly at him and offered a soft smile. “This is your domain…your territory, Aerik. You have every right to walk in however you wish. If it helps, when I saw what you were doing, I made sure to look away.” She wasn’t sure if her words would help settle that discomfort he was feeling, but she offered them anyway. She inhaled and released the breath somewhat slowly, trying to bring a sense of calmness to the space between them.

“Are…you hungry? I’m a little bored…I could make us something to eat. Maybe you can tell me what sort of foods your kin make, and I can share mine with you.”

 

[Aerik Lechner]

TAG: Skadi Lightbane​

Aerik let out a slow breath when she spoke again. The tension did not vanish, but it eased enough for him to shift his stance and straighten slightly. Her words did not challenge him or linger on what had happened, and that alone helped more than he expected. The pup lifted his gaze from the floor, though he still did not hold hers for long. Some part of him remained acutely aware of the moment he was trying to leave behind.

"It's still strange," he said quietly, just glad she hadn't caught him shifting. He Aerik would not need to do that for anither day or so. "Just not for the reasons you think."

His shoulders rolled once, the familiar motion easing a bit of the stiffness that clung to him after training. The heat from the shower had helped his muscles, but the tightness in his chest took longer to settle. He focused on that instead of the memory of walking in without thinking.

When she asked if he was hungry, the question caught him off guard. Hunger had not crossed his mind until she named it. The effort of the session, the heat, and the long hours without pause made themselves known all at once. Aerik shifted his weight and rubbed his palm against his thigh, grounding himself in the physical sensation.

"Yeah," he said after a moment. "I could eat."

His eyes lifted again, this time just enough to meet her gaze briefly before drifting away. The flush in his face had not entirely faded, but he was past the point of wanting to disappear into the walls.

"My people do not complicate food. Meat is what we favor. The rarer side of it."

There was no hesitation in the admission. It was simply how things were.

"Still warm if possible. Fresh when it can be."

He paused, considering how much to explain. The way he had been raised did not leave much room for ceremony when it came to eating. Food was fuel. It was also a shared thing, something taken seriously but not dressed up.

"We roast it when there is time. We sear it when there is not. Sometimes we cook it over an open flame. Sometimes it barely touches the heat at all."

His hand lifted briefly as if to gesture, then dropped back to his side when he realized he did not need to explain further. A faint awareness crept in that his answer might sound severe to someone unfamiliar with his kin. He cleared his throat softly.

"I am not too picky, as long as it has substance to it. Something that lasts."

Another breath passed. The earlier awkwardness no longer pressed so hard, though it still lingered like a bruise he did not want touched. Aerik shifted again and glanced around the chamber before his attention returned to her.

"I would like to hear what your people make. I don't know much about them."

His tone softened slightly at that. Curiosity edged in where embarrassment had been.

"And if you want to cook," he continued, slower now, more deliberate, "I won't stop you."

The corner of his mouth lifted just a little, not quite a smile, but close enough to show he was trying to move forward instead of staying trapped in the moment that had already passed.

 

[Skadi Lightbane]

DROMUND KAAS

Aerik Lechner
​

Skadi felt a surge of satisfaction hearing that he was willing to eat. It would help pull his thoughts, his mind, off the moment which was still fresh for them both but he was still clearly struggling with it. She had already brushed the embarrassing moment aside in favor of trying to ease him back into his more normal state of being.

And eating food just sounded nice, right about now.

While he was standing there, Skadi rose to her feet and stepped through the main living space and towards the kitchen area; his suite was fully outfitted and he had some food available. She had made sure to pick up more from the market area, and so there was more food stuff in his space than what there had been before. She wasn’t trying to appear like she was moving in but - she needed to eat too.

She listened as Aerik spoke about how he and his people preferred their meat, while she gathered up some items with skill and a sharp eye. “Well I cannot make a fire in here without causing problems…though it is my preferred way to make food. But, this will do.” Skadi said in reply to Aerik’s statements as she continued food preparation.

He also mentioned that he wasn’t picky, and she took that into account as she began to make dough for pan cooked bread. Next came the meat itself, a fresh cut she had obtained a day or so prior and had been saving. It had achieved a nice caramelly, meaty scent to it and was ready for preparation.

As she was working on making them both some food, Aerik mentioned how he wanted to hear what her people made, food-wise.

“Our meals, unless for special occasions, are not…fancy. They provide energy for the day’s work, hunts, whatever…and they fill one’s belly with warmth. Stews are most common - filled with meat and broth and easy to keep and store vegetables. When on a hunt, we often cut slabs of meat fresh from the kill and cook it over open flame and that is what we live on until we return back to our village. What I am making for us is a more traditional meal - hot pan bread and seared meat - but it should fill you and help replenish some of your energy.”

Soon, Aerik’s apartment filled with the scent of roasting meat, though from what creature she wasn’t sure. She cooked it in fat, let it crisp on the edges, and when she pulled the meat off the heat and set it aside to rest, she added a hint of flour to the juices left and let it thicken, while another cooking pan was heated to red hot, rubbed with more fat, before the flattened dough slab was set inside the pan to fry.

When it was all done, there was a very traditional Lightbane Clan meal prepared and split into two portions - the larger portion being for Aerik, as was customary in her clan. The men always received the larger portions, for they did the harder work around the village.

“Meat is red in center…bread is dipped into the blood gravy. I hope it is to your satisfaction.” Skadi replied as she handed the young man his food, waiting for him to seat himself somewhere and begin eating first before she did. It was a rather domestic duty, performed for a man who was not her betrothed or mate - but she found she rather enjoyed that moment, cooking him a meal. She’d gladly do it again, if she was being honest with herself.

“Perhaps…next time, I can make for us a blood stew. It is very good. Energy packed. Good for being out on long hunts or missions or…whatever. Maybe I make that tonight…so you have something for your training sessions tomorrow.”

 

[Aerik Lechner]

TAG: Skadi Lightbane​

Aerik remained where he was while she moved into the kitchen space. The shift in focus helped, but the quiet between them did not vanish entirely. It thinned enough that the pup could breathe through it. One shoulder leaned against the wall near the table, arms folding loosely as attention stayed on her hands rather than her face.

The scent reached him before it consciously registered.

It was fresh meat, neither preserved nor prepared in the way palace stores favored. The apprentice recognized it at once. It had been handled recently and carried a warmth that caught low in his chest. Instinct stirred in response, sharpening focus in a way training never dulled. Breathing slowed without intent. The smell carried iron and heat and something deeper that pulled at him more than hunger ever had.

His eyes followed her hands as she worked. When she turned away to reach for the pan, the pup moved without a sound. Two quiet steps carried him forward and a thin slice lifted cleanly from the board. The motion was precise and controlled.

The meat never touched the heat. Aerik ate it quickly, turning just enough to keep the action out of view. His jaw worked once before the taste fully settled. It was clean and satisfying. Eyes closed briefly before he swallowed and stepped back into place as though nothing had happened.

He had hoped she had not been looking. Aerik did not want to explain his taste for raw meat.

When the meat began to cook, sound reached his ears first and the scent followed as it changed. Fat met heat and the edges began to crisp. Attention pressed closer to the surface then, fully engaged. A shift of stance followed and fingers flexed once at his side as the smell filled the room. It took effort not to hover, and more effort still not to reach again.

No words came while she worked, but the pup listened.

Her explanation stayed with him as she spoke about stews and long hunts and meals meant to last through cold and travel. Aerik did not need to look at her to follow it. The shape of it made sense. Food that carried warmth. Food that endured. Food meant to sustain rather than impress.

When the plate was finally set in front of him, the apprentice sat without ceremony and began eating at once. The first bite drew a slow breath he did not bother to hide. The meat remained red where it mattered and the heat had sealed it properly. Bread soaked easily in the thickened juices.

Eating followed at a steady pace, neither rushed nor careful.

“This is perfect,” Aerik said after a moment.

The words were simple, but deliberate. Attention stayed on the food as the earlier tension loosened its grip. Embarrassment did not vanish, but it no longer pressed for space. The room smelled of the aroma of the meat she had prepared and something familiar enough not to need explanation.

When she mentioned stew again, the pup lifted his head slightly.

“That would be fantastic, especially after training.”

Nothing more followed. Aerik returned to the meal and let what she had shared settle without adding anything else.

The meal slowed him. The warmth settled deeper than the heat of the room, grounding in a way training never quite managed. The apprentice ate a few more bites before setting the utensil down, not because he was finished, but because the moment asked for it.

Aerik drew a breath and finally lifted his gaze toward her, holding it longer than he had earlier. There was still a trace of tension in the way he sat, a carefulness that lingered from before, but it no longer ruled the space between them.

“This was good,” he said, quieter now. “I did not expect it, but I am glad you made it.”

His hand rested briefly against the edge of the table as if to steady himself before he continued.

“If you ever want to cook more later,” the pup added, testing to see how she may react, “you can. You don’t have to ask.”

Aerik returned his attention to the meal, giving her the space to answer in whatever way she chose, the evening no longer stalled, but moving forward on its own terms.

 

[Skadi Lightbane]

Dromund Kaas

Aerik Lechner ​

Skadi was too focused on the task at hand that she didn’t notice when a slice of meat disappeared from the piece she had set aside to cook. It was simply not something she had expected, and so she didn’t think to look for such movements or actions. Instead, she carried on, even humming one of her Clan’s hymns quietly to herself as she set about making the meal for him.

Aerik listened to her as she shared her bits about her family and their cooking traditions; it felt…nice…to have someone simply listen to what she had to say. She felt like her voice, her words, her knowledge and memories were valued. She wouldn’t say it directly to his face (not yet anyway), but doing this for him made some deep part of her heart happy. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but she would no doubt reflect on it later when she tried to sleep.

She was a little bit anxious when she handed off the plate to him, ringing her hands somewhat unconsciously as she waited for the verdict of her cooking. Aerik sat down and began to eat without restraint, and he seemed like he enjoyed the food she had prepared - as basic as it was. After a moment, he told her it was perfect, and that brought a genuine smile to her face. “Good. I am pleased to hear it.”

When she mentioned making him a more traditional stew for later, to give him energy for his training later on, he heartily agreed and she dipped her head. “Then it will be done.”

Silence settled over the two of them; Skadi was in no rush to fill the quiet space between them, and it appeared that neither was Aerik. He seemed content from his meal, and that was good enough for her. While her Clan was known for being boisterous and wild at communal meals, when she ate with her family - moments were similar to this. Quiet, appreciative, connecting.

“This was good, I did not expect it, but I am glad you made it.” the young man across the table from her said after a while. “If you ever want to cook more later, you can. You don’t have to ask.”

“I will certainly keep that in mind, Aerik. I…” her gaze flickered away from his for a moment, before she glanced back at him, the faintest hint of color touching her cheeks. “I enjoyed making you something to eat. It made me feel something…happiness, I think.”

She tore her eyes away from his face a second time and stared at her hands, which were folded on the table in front of her. “I wonder how long it will be before this ‘Lord Prazutis’ calls for me. Not that I mind waiting…here, at your place. I could easily stay in my ship but…I enjoy your company. I hope my presence here isn’t too intrusive.”