Private I Roved Out: Ch 3 - What We've Become

[Loxa Visl]

A short glance met his gaze over her shoulder. Indeed, she was alive, though the circumstances of her survival were such that shortly after that hunt ... she was freed from her chains. Loxa's mind considered the years of her life - long compared to some, infantile compared to others, but to her she felt as though she'd lived two lifetimes and sometimes she could feel the weight of the exhaustion settle upon her, mind and soul.

<<When a slave is set free, they can stay or go. This One stayed to learn, to become Witch, to gain Sisters. This One lived with Clan for many years before joining Sisters in the stars.>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

A snort there.

"So you befriended your slavers and became their family? That's an unique journey." Khal would remark dryly as he carefully rose up from the seat and started to walk towards kitchen cabinets. Now, where had he stashed that rum? "You want a drink? Or two. We just dragged our asses straight out of the fireline, so I am gonna have some rum either with or without you."

Oh, there it was.

Back side of the cabinet. Now the glasses....

Loxa Visl

 

[Loxa Visl]

<<This One had nothing and nowhere else to go. Matris took This One in to learn and grow.>>

A simple fact. Had she left, she likely would have been dead many years before she ever reached the stars.

Golden eyes narrowed at his offer as the man shuffled through his cabinets. For once, she knew what he was referring to and could agree that their close call and successful escape was perhaps a good cause for a drink. She nodded, <<Yes, can drink to that.>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Perhaps it was Stockholm Syndrome.

Because in his mind, if he needed his slavers to survive? He'd use them for as long as he needed. Then Khal would discard (read: kill) them once the opportunity arose. None of this 'sisterhood in circumstances' chit. But perhaps that was why Khaleel was a criminal hitman and Loxa Visl was a witch huntress roaming the galaxy.

Two different paths, two different people.

"That's the spirit." Joke completed he poured her half the glass and then himself as well. Settling himself into the chair and pushing the other glass to her side of the table.

"To survival and all of its funny consequences."

 

[Loxa Visl]

The joke went right over her head. Not even a smirk or twitch of an amused brow. Hands dried, Loxa rejoined him at the table and curiously took up the offered glass. She had no idea what he'd poured, but her keen senses could smell its strength. Brows raised, her hand raised the glass as well.

<<Savas,>> the witch said in traditional Dathomiri toasting tradition, and then in one harrowing swig downed the entire contents of the glass.

"Ohhhf-" Loxa pursed her lips and blinked hard at the almost sickeningly sweet sting of lum, <<what is?>>

Whoof.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

Guess it was her time to swallow something in one go without giving it a thought.

Then again.

Khal downed it in one go as well. Just that his mouth was used to it. Hers... was not. He chuckled and shook his head. "Your turn to have your tongue burned... then again, yar not crying." Grinning as he refilled his glass. "So that is an improvement over my performance. That's Lum, darling, great at a whole lotta things."

Then offering to refill her.

"Another one? Course is already set, so, nothing more to do tonight."

 

[Loxa Visl]

<<Guhhh->> Loxa blinked hard again as that gulp rose back up with a vengeance. She burped the taste into a fist and gave a slight groan, pressing her hand to her sternum next where a spark of sweetness stubbornly clung.

<<The Sisters make drink on Dathomir...mm,>> brow furrowed, she tried to think of how to translate it to an outsider, <<we call Tsumik - like ehh, death gasp->>

"Another one? Course is already set, so, nothing more to do tonight."

Loxa cocked her head in thought then nodded and raised a pointer finger to indicate one, <<One more, only. This One - This One will have slow.>> Had to set some limits or she'd be in the bucket in no time given how little she'd partaken of drinking over the last several months.

...and how much weight she'd lost.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

"Tsumik..." Sounded familiar, didn't it? Why did Khal suddenly have a bad ache in his stomach and bile in his throat? Almost like he had had it before and really puked his guts out.

Weird.

"I'd love to have some sometime. Maybe I will keep the tears in this time, hm?" And then pouring her another one. Just as full as his. "What should we drink to next?" There were a couple of things that came to mind. Like survival... again. Because holy feth that had been entirely too close for his own comfort.

The fact their (his) ship hadn't been blown out the sky.

Well, that was also kind of like survival, wasn't it?

Loxa Visl

 

[Loxa Visl]

She watched him pour another measure into her glass and thought the aftertaste of the lum was really quite pleasant. The sweetness that lingered was not so powerful - it reminded her of something.

<<This One's Sisters kept barrels of Tsumik on ship,>> Loxa smiled faintly, fondly as she gave her sisters a brief thought and silent prayer, then lifted her newly refilled glass to toast them, <<we drink after good hunts.>>

But what should they drink to next here?

Loxa smacked her tongue once, her mind still caught on the thought of the taste, <<To truth,>> she offered after a few moments, <<we will find.>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

His expression scrunched up for a brief moment.

"There ya go again with the truth." Khal muttered teasingly before shrugging. "But its yar drink... so fair enough. To the truth then... and all its consequences."

Repeating the addendum of his previous salute.

Mostly because it sounded funny. But part of him? Wondered. How far this rabbit hole truly went and if they would really be all that happy, if they ever got to the bottom of it. That thought really drew a number on him, so Khal quickly raised his glass and then poured the Lum into his throat without second-guessing.

It washed down perfectly.

He sighed happily at the extra burn and settled back into the seat.

"Gonna keep going 'til this bottle is empty, lady, ya sure ya dun' want another one yarself?"

Loxa Visl

 

[Loxa Visl]

Sweet sweet.

No, that wasn't it.

Loxa gave her glass a healthy sip, but only just, being sure to uphold the statement that she would have slow this drink. She winced at the sting again.

Sweet sweet sweet.

"Gonna keep going 'til this bottle is empty, lady, ya sure ya dun' want another one yarself?"

A sideways glance at the bottle and his empty glass, a brief blink of consideration, the witch gently shook her head, <<Have slow,>> she repeated, <<is sweet. LIke ... like ...>>

Sweet street?

<<...sweet treat!>> that was it. With another sip, the witch was suddenly on her feet and striding out the kitchenette door.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

She was... more of a lightweight than Khal had thought.

Oh dear.

It was best to keep an eye on her, so she didn't hurt herself, no?

He poured himself another one. To my mental sanity. And dropped it over, swallowing with relish, before putting it down and following the sounds of her boots to wherever it was taking her.

"You kay there, champ? Need something? Maybe some bread, some coffee... maybe a whole breakfast feast for yarself?"

Loxa Visl

 

[Loxa Visl]

<<This One has remember,>> the woman's voice echoed down the hall as she walked quite deliberately up to the pilot's nest and clambered inside.

There she half sat-toppled into the pilot's chair (Khal's bed) and began to dig around the foot area.

He would walk up to the sudden sound of crinkling and the witch's hand suddenly shooting up over the top of the backrest triumphantly holding the bag of gummie bears.

<<A Man's sweet treat!>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

"Ohmystars, you are a godsent from the heavens."

Okay, so maybe that third shot really got him a nice way towards tupsy.

Khal clapped his hands and did not care.

"Let's gooo. Gummybears and drinks, this is perfect, yes." He wasn't entirely sure if it was perfect. Would the taste actually mix well? Loxa Visl seemed to think it would, so perhaps he ought to bow down to her wisdom. Why did his mind seem entirely comfortable with that concept? Really weird. He didn't bow down to anyone.

And he was definitely not protesting too much.

With a spring in his step he went back to the kitchen.

Now there would be gummies in his life too.

 

[Loxa Visl]

Gummies in hand crinkling with expectant joy, Loxa paused as she moved to push herself out of the chair, finding the blanket roll on the floor as well. It had gotten quite a bit chillier on board now that they were in hyperspace and she'd only just really noticed. She grabbed it, struggled momentarily to stand, then found herself face to face with the Aviators. Scowling, she left them there.

Loxa appeared back in the kitchenette doorway looking curiously at the bag of treats and stumbled distractedly as she rounded the corner.

Crinkle crinkle. She squished the bag in her hands.

<<Why skeesh...>> the witch muttered to herself as she stepped over to the man and handed him the bag.

While he busied himself with tearing it open and diving in to his guilty pleasure of sugary delight, Loxa fussed with the blanket roll. Unknotting the tie that held the roll together, she tossed that aside and held it up to let the blanket fall open. Dark blue in color, it was decorated by a very cute design of various cartoonized banthas doing various things. Loxa turned the blanket over, then back around again, holding it up and looking down over it, <<What is?>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

In fact, he arrived at the kitchen a little bit before Loxa did, which allowed him to remember something.

Chocolate.

By the time she came in? It was already waiting on the table for them both. However, the blanket took his attention and Khal didn't immediately remember to remind her.

"Well, that..." A blink blink blink. "Is a whoooole lotta banthas on one spread." Khal even giggled a little, but that was most likely the booze. Mostly the booze. He poured himself another shot and then gestured. "One for you?" Either it would be filled or not, but in the meantime he'd grab his gummy bears and drop a few in his mouth.

Then offered the bag to her.

"Here, try some, you might like it!" His gaze was still fixated on the banthas however.

"That... is really cute honestly."

 

[Loxa Visl]

<<Bantha?>> the witch echoed at him, then looked down at them again, <<Bantha?>> twisting the blanket to face her once more and inspect the curiously adorable little things. Her brows arched upward and eyes widened, <<Ahhh, yes - This One has seen these before!>> And the smallest of smiles plied at her lips as she slowly turned the blanket this way and that to look at the little chibi banthas doing silly things.

Skating on ice.
Making a sand castle.
Frying an egg - Loxa gave a chirp of amusement and walked closer to him, pointing out this one, <<Is A Man, haa.>>
Another one was planting a tree.
Another ate a cupcake.
Painting a flower.
Riding a tiny swoop bike.

And on and on it went. How fun!

Inexorably pleased by this random choice of her own, Loxa looped the blanket up over her head and wrapped it snug around her shoulders before plopping back into her seat across from him. He was offering her something and she was too distracted to know what it was, so she just nodded her head yes while she next turned her curiosity on the chocolate.

He held the bag of gummies out garnering more split attention. Witch looked back and forth between one thing and the other, carefully plucked a few gummies from the bag and very suddenly found all her attention on those.

<<Is skeeshy,>> she remarked, squashing them between her fingers, <<like rancor snot.>> But they smelled much better than that. Furrowing her brow, Loxa popped one into her mouth.

At first it was surprising! The flavor! The sweetness! Her eyes widened. Then she began to chew and the texture was so strange. A myriad of expressions filtered over her face ranging from brief disgust to momentary confusion to shock. Finally swallowing, she cringed at the weird sensation of it and decided to chase it down with the entire contents of her refilled glass.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

His eyes were drawn to the egg-making bantha.

"I dunno if I am that cute!" Khal chuckled again and dropped more gummies in his mouth. Now, what he hadn't anticipated when he filled Loxa's glass, was her dropping it in one go. He blinked and then laughed even louder. That really tickled him for some reason. "By the stars, you really are something, aren't you?"

Teasing her there as he refilled both their glasses once more.

Then he began to unwrap the chocolate.

The nice smell was already washing off of it.

Or maybe that was just his imagination.

"Ya want some of dis next?"

 

[Loxa Visl]

<<Buuuah->> the face that followed the shot was not at all attractive. Between the texture of the gummie and the intensely strong sweetness mingling with the weird artificial flavoring and lum - it was all a bit too much. The witch shuddered and shook her head, <<Nyah like.>>

The remaining gummies in her hand were summarily deposited on the table between them. She would not be eating another one of those willingly any time soon. But the chocolate? That had her attention. Her keen senses could smell it and a flood of unknown nostalgia hit her so forcefully she lost focus of what she was doing for several moments. Loxa stared passively while her mind caught up.

Or maybe that was the lum.

<<Yes,>> she said finally with a fluttering blink, leaning forward with keen curiosity, <<This One think it is better, chok-let. No skeesh.>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

"Chok-let. I like that pronunciation." He thought to himself... and apparently also outloud. "It's rather cute."

He sighed and leaned back, breaking off a chunk of the chocolate. Not immediately passed over to her however. Instead? Khal took a little bite for testing purposes.

Nom.

Nom nom nom.

"Okay, yeah." Khal almost moaned there, because this thing hit the spot. Melted right on the tongue. Combined with the Lum taste? It was basically like dying and being brought to heaven. The fact that the man was getting quite towards drunk had nothing to do with it, of course. He snapped off a bigger chunk and passed it into the waiting hands of Loxa Visl .

"Dig in. You will loooooooooove it."