Private Half-Past Five

[Dagon Kaze]

05:29 AM,
DENON

Early. He was home early by a little while. Six, seven AM was the usual time he snuck through the window of the apartment he shared with Yula. She was usually asleep, but it wasn't surprising to see her ride the night as he did. For different reasons, of course. He was busy fighting crime, she was...look - it's complicated, it's the good fight according to her. Dagon wasn't buying it. But while she had the whole day to snooze, he could only catch a few winks before being up with the sun again. Crime was done at night, paperwork - during the day.

05:30 AM

His holo rang and he was quick to silence it thinking it might wake up Yula; since there were no flying objects at him for entering through the window he assumed she wasn't home yet. Another - clearer this time - glance at his wrist holo drew a frown on his face.

Lyra.

Habit pulled him out of the window where the fire exit was and habit pushed him down to sit with legs over the edge. Dagon adjusted the earpiece and answered the call,

"Hey, what's up?" he was completely oblivious that half-past five in the morning were not normal hours for others.

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

"Oh heyy!" She replied in a rather surprised tone considering she was the one who called. "Yeah, uh I'm doin' good." She answered even though that wasn't what he asked.

"Listen, I'm in a bit of a pickle." She began so snicker. "It's funny because I'm green." She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter before trying to regain composure to continue, though there was still a hint of flippancy in her tone. "Can you come and uhh tell your police friends I'm actually really nice once you get to know me?" She asked.

"No, it's ok. He's my b- my friend. He's my friend." She spoke away from the microphone to someone else in the room before speaking back into the device at Dagon. "Do you have any pizza rolls?"


Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

The pun made him chuckle and oddly remind him he apparently had a thing for near-humans. All the malarkey running through his head faded away when she divulged the reason for calling him.

“Wait, hold on—are you on Denon?” he blinked once, twice then glanced back to see if Yula was home; no one was peaking curiously. There was nothing between Lyra and Dagon, well not anymore (at least from his side), but the Jedi was well aware of how Yula sometimes acted when it concerned his past romances.

His track record with Jedi was concerning.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you??”

Oh, brother…

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

"Yeah! I'm on Denon." She replied enthusiastically. "I was just passing by this part of uh... space and I thought I'd stop by and see what Denon is about." She told him. Definitely a poor lie but she was in no mindset to care.

"It's a good job you help out the cops round here, by the way. There are definitely quite a few criminals about." She informed him while she surveyed the people in the holding cell that she had just been taken from to make the call.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you??”

"Only a few." She answered the wrong question again.

"So those pizza rolls..?" She asked again, followed by an irritated man's voice in the background. "Okay, okayyy!" She giggled. "Bring extra." She spoke into the phone before her voice became more distant. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Don't take it off me. I'll tell him now. Yes I will! Don't-" There was a muffled sound of voices in disagreement and a struggle over the phone before her voice returned.

"So they're saying I was being disorganised. What?" There was a pause as someone corrected her. "Disorderly? Yeah? Ok. Disorganised, right, so could you come here please and they might let me go with you. Hang on-" She turned away from the phone again. "Does he have to pay?" She asked. "How much?"

"What?! I'm worth more than that!"

"Oh."

"Maybe bring 60 credits or so with you... I'll pay you back! I have the money, just... not here." She spoke back into the phone.

Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Ugh...

"Don't talk with anyone, alright?" he replied just before the connection was ended from the other side. Time was up.

The raven-haired Jedi drew out a long and tired sigh. Man can't get a break, he thought looking up to the slowly rising sun in the distance. Wouldn't be long before Yula's back from wherever she is and he'd rather not have to lie. He was an awful liar, especially when he tried.

"No word to Yula, Arthur. If she finds out--"

"Not to worry, Master Kaze, I fully understand discretion. I shall divulge Ms. Yula Perl nothing."

"Good. Now let's go have some fun." it was supposed to sound sarcastic but the gathered-up fatigue only conjured his words plainly.

---

---

Six am on a Saturday at the precinct is when you get friday night's specials. Uniforms' most irritating shifts. Who could blame them? It's all vices going out at once. Drinks, drugs, getting lucky, spinning the STI wheel of fortune, and so on and so on. You'd expect a Jedi to be the one doing the apprehending and not the one standing behind bars for disorderly conduct.

I mean, c'mon, man, it's the New Jedi ORDER.

Ugh...

"Damn, Jedi, you sure can pull 'em, huh?" bald and greasy officer Humrock welcomed Dagon with a sneer; short and aged fine like wine sergeant Sola shoved fatty in the ribs. She had the fancies for the raven-haired Jedi, but who didn't at this point?

"Ow, sarge, fine. Feth." he groaned. Breath like the breeze of a stale pepperoni downed with cheap beer. "Sixty creds, kid, and sign here. You know the drill."

Dagon rolled his eyes, dropped the creds, and signed his name. He heard Humrock snicker at his back, "Could lock up greens like this one every night-- ow, sarge, damn it!"

Banging on the bars, drunken howls and whistles, threatening growls, and 'do you know who I am, copper?!' followed his trail to Lyra's cell. The usual lock up with the usual suspects. Just another night in the precinct's brig.

The heavy door slid open and there he was standing in front of her with no pizza rolls in sight. The moment she stepped out he would growl with a hushed voice to her, "What the hell are you doing, Lyra?"

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

"Oookay." She replied with a playful roll of her eyes before hanging up. Talkative at the best of times, the Jedi could hardly help herself in her augmented state and after a few moments of silence, fulfilling her short-lived agreement, she tried to strike up a conversation with the cop leading her to the cell.

"What are you having for breakfast?" She asked as they walked.

"I don't know. Probably just a coffee."

"That's sooo edgy." There was a pause "Can I have one though?"

"Your friend will be here soon. Ask him." He replied, sliding the door open to usher her inside. She didn't complain or resist, having calmed down considerably since being brought in.

"Come out for breakfast with us! You can have more than a coffee." She offered enthusiastically but was met with the door being shut in her face. "Fine. I didn't want you to come anyway!" She shouted at him before turning to wander over to the... well calling it a bed would've been generous when it rather looked like a block upon which a pillow and blanket might be placed, though there weren't either present currently.

She lay back on the 'bed' with her hands behind her head but once the ceiling began to spin she closed her eyes and rolled onto her side. When she opened them the sideways figure of Dagon stood before her so she quickly, and rather foolishly, pushed herself up to her feet and made her way towards the other Jedi, though the sudden movement dizzied her so she reached out to the wall for support momentarily.

Her appearance was far from its peak as she had made a poor attempt at tying her hair back with one loose strand she had missed tucked behind her ear. The lipstick at one corner of her lip had bled and a purple bruise had formed on her cheekbone.

His words finally sank in, many seconds after he had spoken them. "I came to Denon!" She replied, cheerily. Her eyes searched his empty hands and then her unfocused gaze met his. "You didn't bring any food?" She asked, disappointed.

The sternness of his words didn't quite grip her in her current state. She could not yet see the severity of her actions.


Dagon Kaze

 

[Yula Perl]

"No word to Yula, Arthur. If she finds out--"

"Good. Now let's go have some fun."

Halfway up the fire escape, Yula stopped.

The pre-dawn morning air was cool against her skin, which was now suddenly hot with rage. Yula was one to jump to conclusions, but really, what was she supposed to make of that? Especially given the distinctly feminine voice drifting from the holo call several feet above her. Surprisingly, fidelity had never been an issue between them.

Until now.

Practically seething on the ladder, she waited for the sound of retreating footsteps and the slamming of a storm door before ascending up the escape and rolling through her own bedroom window. The suspiciously full duffle bag resting over her shoulder was tossed away, a conversation piece for another time.

She’d give him a few moments to get far enough down the block and turn the corner. Then she snapped the window shut, applied a few nails, and went downstairs to change the locks.

He wanted fun? She'd give him fun.

Dagon Kaze | Lyra Ozu

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Dagon said nothing until they were in front of the precinct when he pulled her away to the corner of the building away from prying eyes and gossipy ears. His gloved hand retained hold of her arm, not tight but not soft either, as he spoke with exhaustion channeling an austere tone.

"You know what I am asking; you came all the way to Denon to get drunk.. why, Lyra?" the Jedi believed he already knew the answer. And he already knew they had to have the talk.

Again.

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

She trailed alongside him idly until they passed a holding cell with others waiting inside, at which point she pointed a finger towards a woman inside with her free hand and gave some half-hearted resistance to Dagon walking her out as she engaged in conversation with the woman. "Guurl, where did you get those shoes from?" She asked.

"The mall round the corner!" Came the reply.

"How much?" She asked back, raising her voice as she was walked further away.

"Like I'd know!" She replied.

Both women laughed. "Good one."

Once outside, she remained unfocused, distracted from the ebbing of darkness in the sky as the day threatened to dawn. She was still unable to understand the severity of the annoyance that Dagon must have been feeling despite the warning signs.

"I didn't come to get drunk." She replied, eyes still skywards before they moved back down to meet Dagon's with an amused smile. "It was just an unfortunate side effect." She told him.

Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

"Then why did you come to Denon--" the patter of steps took his glance away from her to the wide stairs leading up to the precinct. The morning shift was coming in, soon there would be too much eyes and ears to evade. Especially when the smoker crew deployed on the corner they were standing on for their morning coffee and cig.

"--hold on that thought for a bit..." he murmured and pulled her lightly by the arm and leading her away from the precinct. "...where are you staying? I'll walk you home and you'll tell me what brought you to Denon." Dagon stated, unaware that 'walking her home' might be giving her the wrong, optimistic impression.

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

He seemed equally as distracted as her but for a juxtaposing reason. While he was overly concerned with them being seen or overheard, she was without a care in the world.

Lyra didn't hold her thought but instead her mind continued with its own train of thought as he led her further away. "Can we go out for breakfast?" She asked. "I'll pay if you take me to- ohhh a dog!" She began to move towards the animal in the distance but to no avail as her arm was still in Dagon's grasp so she looked back at his hand and then at his face with a frown but otherwise made no effort to release herself.

"At a hotel a few blocks from here." She replied automatically, the frown quickly dissipating and forming into a smile as her gaze connected with the furry creature in the distance again. "Oh we're walking back?" She followed-up after her brain caught up with the conversation. "Okayyy, can you let go of my arm then pleeease?"

Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

"Whoa there." he had to swing her back to him after she tried darting after a stray dog.

<"Master Kaze, I'm detecting alcohol levels of around 1 to 1.2 percent in her blood."> Arthur's voice crackled in his earpiece.

What?? That much?? Man, what the hell did she drink?? Breakfast ain't a bad idea I guess, he sighed.

Dagon let her arm free only when they reached the nearest diner - Barry's. One of the his favorite chains for breakfast on Denon. Greasy, cheap and extra tasty. Just like Hutta Burgers on Coruscant. A real special.

"Full Galidraani?" the waitress asked rhetorically upon the sight of Lyra.

"Mhmmm." the Jedi muttered passing her by and sitting opposite of Lyra. Not much people yet, only those with early morning shifts getting their fuel for the rest of the day and late night shifters grabbing a bite before hitting the hay. Construction workers, retail clerks, night auditors, security and the likes.

The waitress arrived a second later pouring hot caf in their mugs, then leaving to get Lyra's order, or rather Dagon's order for Lyra.

"Soo...?"

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

"I will find you and I will love you." She whispered loudly to the dog who was way too far away to hear... not that it could understand anyway, as Dagon led her elsewhere and she followed like an obedient dog.

She gasped once she looked up at the sign and realised where they were. "You're the bessst." She told him as she wrapped her arms around him from the side to give him a hug of appreciation.

Once they sat down, she rested her elbow on the table and her chin on her palm, an absent smile on her face as her gaze wandered around what little life there was in the diner before focusing on Dagon ahead of her. Now her expression was less idle and more genuine as she sat opposite her former lover in a scenario that was reminiscent of a date.

She took a sip from her mug, maintaining eye contact with Dagon as he questioned her as though she was paying attention. After a few moments, she placed the mug down and paused before answering.

"What?"

Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Her gaze was reminiscent to the dog she had just met - blank, unable to understand a single word that was said to it.

"What?"

Dagon sighed. Again. It was going to be a long day of sighs that was certain.

"Why'd you come to Denon, Lyra?" he asked plainly and slowly, making sure she comprehended his words.​

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

Blessed with a lack of inhibitions as a result of the intoxicated state she was in, she felt an inkling of apprehension once he clarified his question but it wasn't nearly enough to prevent her from answering. "You know, silly." She raised an unsteady finger towards his nose to poke it, playfully.

"I came to see you." She replied more plainly, though her answer likely only raised more questions.

She hadn't meant for them to meet the way they did. No one sets out with the intention of getting arrested, no least so that they would have to call their ex to bail them out. Sure enough, the humiliation would hit her once the intoxicating effects of the drinks wore off.

Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

The hair on the back of his neck sizzled much like the eggs and sausages on the flat top grill. They shouldn't have, he'd known she hadn't moved on since their last meeting on Mirial. He hoped things would've changed since then.

Evading the topic, then sending her to sleep was no cure; she'd only come back and do the same. A repetitive cycle. Lyra needed closure, but Dagon didn't want to lose a friend. There was compassion for her. It was written across his eyes and even when he held her arm and dragged her to the diner. That compassion had simply morphed into a friendship and while he remembered them locking up goons and then breaking beds in intense passion - that was all in the past for him.

And it should be for her, too, but on her own terms and by her own volition.

"Why?" the question was laid out softly, curiously even, then he quickly added, "Could've called me beforehand, no?"

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

"Yeah... I suppose so." She replied with thoughtful expression before shrugging it off. "That would've made sense but it's too late for that now soooo... hi! How have you been?" She asked, initiating a casual conversation as though they weren't under awkward and unusual circumstances.

"For the record, I didn't plan to meet you like this. Just like I didn't plan to punch that man outside the bar." She smiled playfully. "But if the Force wills it." She stated flippantly followed by a stifled laugh, still not coming to terms with the reality of the situation.

Lyra hadn't wanted to emulate or relive the past through reconnecting with Dagon. She wanted it to be real again. Her only hope was that through emulating what they once had she would be able to reignite the flame. It was evident from their last meeting that Dagon had moved on but her heart demanded that she continued to try. As long as there was still hope, there was a way.

Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

He snorted. She hadn't lost her humor and it was a pleasant reminder of her company and perhaps part of the reason he'd found her attractive; you know, besides the-- yeah, you get it.

"I've been fine, busy but otherwise fine." he shrugged his shoulders, then placed both hands around the mug of coffee and leaned slightly forward. The talk..."Listen--"

"One full Galidraani for the totally sober lady comin' right up," the waitress, Zora, untimely interjected, setting a massive plate of the greasiest food on the planet before Lyra.

...was interrupted,

"You're one lucky lady, darlin'--" thwarted, "Dag's been a forcesend; busted a couple o' no-gooders here the other day and helped us clean up the mess after, too." a sudden realization hit him, widening his eyes - in his hurry to get her to sober up, he'd went straight to the Barry's he often frequented.

"Zora, ple--"

"No, no, no, Dag. People gotta know about you." derailed, the middle-aged lady shook her head then a grin shone on her face, "...speaking of knowing you, you know that sergeant lady y'all got at the precinct - Sola or somethin' - she's got the fancy for you but I told her you've been hands-off cuz of that other girl, the pi--" and then re-railed but as a freight train hitting terminal velocity. Another customer rang the order bell on her pad and she darted away, "--enjoy your meal, darlin'."

A nearby patron cringed.

Another rubbed his eyes.

Arthur sighed in the matrix.

Oh, brother.

"Uh, what were we talkin' about?" Dagon instinctively asked, a sheepish chuckle escaping his lips, "...oh yeah - the guy you punched! Hahaha, what'd he do?" and a sheepish grin.

Lyra Ozu

 

[Lyra Ozu]

She looked down at the food with hungry eyes and picked up a fork to rather inelegantly demolish the food. Her gaze shifted up to the waitress once the woman continued to speak but Lyra's hands remained focused on shovelling a forkful of beans into her mouth.

"Dag's been a forcesend; busted a couple o' no-gooders here the other day and helped us clean up the mess after, too."

With a smirk, she briefly looked at Dagon with a certain fondness.

She knew all about his endeavours in cleaning up the criminal underworld and the pair shared some exciting memories of the times they had experienced together. Some things never changed.

I told her you've been hands-off cuz of that other girl, the pi--

The world froze. With the effects of the alcohol beginning to fade anyway, the peak of her euphoric state had already been reached and she was in the process of coming down from the emotional high, as suggested by her faltering smile after hearing that comment.

Dagon's words fell onto deaf ears. She wasn't listening. His voice sounded almost distant as she replayed the words she had just heard in her own head, trying to make sense of them.

Under the circumstances in which he had left her, she hadn't imagined there could be anyone else. He wasn't in the mindset for that or so he claimed.

Still, perhaps it was a misunderstanding.

That was for him to decide.

"There's another girl?" She asked calmly, idly poking around the food on the plate while averting his gaze.

Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

The sheepish grin faded into a set of pursed lips pressed by the tension suddenly weighing down on their table. He couldn't think of a worse way of reaching to the information that Dagon, in fact, had literally moved on with another girl. Although, it had been some time after the breakup with Lyra.

He doubted timing mattered for her. He'd told her that he couldn't commit, mind and heart not at the right place because of Ayana's loss. Rebound was an awful word and one he preferred to avoid.

"Yeah, no, I mean yes." he stammered, trying to untangle himself from the web of different explanations firing up in his mind. Wow, at least Yula wasn't around to hear him sound so hesitant in divulging the existence of their relationship.

A long sigh escaped his lips, then, "Yeah. There's another girl." Dagon stated sounding like the unhappiest person in the galaxy. Really glad Yula ain't here. I better shut up.

Lyra Ozu