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

[Loxa Visl]

She stared while he tested it, irreverently patient in her inebriation. Something told her it was well worth the wait and something to be cherished in little quiet moments. Loxa's eyes unfocused as a hazey parade of memory splinters passed before her mind's eye. The man's hands gently looping around her from behind to rest on the baby bump, proffering chocolate.

A small morsel left on the nightstand, awaiting her arrival to soothe away the feeling of an empty bed.

The taste of it on his lips after he'd eaten some and forgotten to share...

Loxa quickly blinked and sat bolt upright, eyes refocusing on the hand now offering her chocolate. The same hand that used to feed her small pieces when she was too pregnant to get up and get her own - NO.

For a moment she looked at it as if the chocolate might turn into a venomous creature, but the booze in her system didn't let the alarm linger for long. It vanished almost as quickly as the images in her head. She reached forward to take it, holding the whole piece up and carefully nibbling off a bite. That bitter-sweet euphoria melted on her tongue so quickly, rich flavor that seemed to coat her entire mouth, she didn't quite know what to do with herself.

<<This One is...>> flabberghasted? amazed? at a loss of words? <<...in love.>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

Khaleel was ignorant of her visions and perhaps that was for the best.

It was better not to ruin a good tipsy high.

"I can already hear the wedding bells." Khal teased her as he laughed and tore off another bit for himself. Chewing with fervor and pulling in his glass to take a sip. This time he didn't swallow the whole thing whole. Instead he let the two favors settle against one another. It was a nice combo. Alongside not being alone for it.

For some reason her presence gave him comfort.

Disturbing thought, that.

"Here, have some more." He broke off a larger chunk and passed it onto her. "Try it with some whiskey. Your mouth will explode from the good tastes."

 

[Loxa Visl]

<<Wetting bell, what is?>> Loxa mumbled up at him, though her confusion wasn't allowed to linger long as he pushed more chocolate her way. The witch gently received and stared, blinking slowly at the chocolate as her mind processed this marvel she currently held in her hand.

She'd only taken the smallest of bites and experienced so much - now she had all this.

<<...much...>> muttered, a hard blink. The witch looked up, <<Noh noh noh->> and shook the chocolate at him in the negative, <<whisk bad. Bad for This One.>>

Erp. Oh gods, the gummie taste had resurfaced with that burp.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

"Wedding. Ya know? Get hitched? Partner for life? Do witchesss not do that?"

He yawned and took a bit more chocolate. Nomming on it absently as he thought about the concept of marriage. Wasn't that the greatest black hole in existence?

It made him shudder even to think of it.

"Tis not baaaaad! Ya just shouldn't swallow it in one whole, lady, that's all. Careful sipsss, til yar used to it, yeah?" Even with that Khal didn't push the matter further. The glass was already refilled and waiting for her. If Loxa wanted another sip? She'd take it... if not, then she wouldn't, which was entirely up to her.

Him?

Oh, yes, he was sipping from his glass. The warmth was flooding through his body and he sighed happily.

"This is a good time." Forget about being chased by bounty hunters and having a half-healed hole in his shoulder. That didn't matter.

 

[Loxa Visl]

"Wedding. Ya know? Get hitched? Partner for life? Do witchesss not do that?"

Loxa struggled to understand this concept and it showed on her face. <<This One ... not think ... so.>> Though presently the whole idea of Dathomir was a bit of a wash to her. Her mind was doing its best just to deal with the present. Perhaps ... perhaps another bite of chocolate would help. She bit off a larger (but still small) piece and released a pleased sigh as she chewed.

She could eat this all day.

All. Day.

Hummmmmmnnnn.

<<Is good,>> she agreed belatedly with a slow nod, her attention shortly moving once more back to her glass which had magically refilled. She blinked at it, as if awed by this, and reached out to claim the glass.

<<Good sipss...>> muttered. Loxa attempted to sip ... and failed spectacularly into draining the whole thing again.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

"Damn, lucky." he murmured to himself, even if he didn't feel that to his core. Khal knew that he wasn't made for marriage. For companionship that ran deep down to the soul, but somehow? It didn't feel right to him regardless. But then again. That was most likely the alcohol making him deeply nostalgic for things he didn't even have words for.

That was the magic of the poison elixer.

He chuckled as he watched her eat chocolate. She clearly seemed to enjoy it. Khal was about to comment on it, when she reached for the glass anyway after protesting earlier.

About to make a snarky comment about THAT... when she chucked the whole glass.

"Lady, really?" Khal almost died laughing there and practically fell of his chair. Only managed to stay on it by steadying himself on her knee. "That wasn't a sip at all!"

Then he raised his glass.

"This is a sip." He was about to take a sip... and then somehow drained the whole thing too.

 

[Loxa Visl]

A hard blink. The room wooshed. Her throat burned.

The witch cocked an eyebrow at the man, swaying as she watched, and with a delayed break of a smile let a laugh break loose that set her leaning on the table. She'd not laughed like that with anyone but her sisters. It was strange and new and freeing. He was fun and curiously comfortable to be around.

<<A Man knows how to play Revetung?>> she lifted her brows expectantly. He did not know how to play.

Loxa lifted her hands and gently planted the heels of her palms on the table, <<This One speak riddle, A Man repeat. If A Man say wrong->> she leaned toward him and pointed at his glass, tapping her finger on the rim, <<drink.>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

He wasn't sure what the wisdom was of a DRINKING game when they were already slowly sliding towards 'hammered'.

But.

Being hammered meant his wisdom gauge was severely lacking anyway. So, if Khal believed this wasn't a good idea, that must mean it was actually a really great idea. Right? Right. So he shook his head and listened intently to the rules. It became necessary to support his head on his palm however, because it seemed to grow heavier by the minute.

What a bother.

"That... hmm..." He taps his chin there. "I ain't great at riddlesss. You sure yar not stacking the deck in yar favor?" Eyeing her suspiciously for a moment before smirking.

"Then again, even if I lose I win, sooooo. Sure. Yar on. You can start!"

 

[Loxa Visl]

An unknown amount of time later.

In the kitchenette the witch was curled on the table bench and wrapped most snugly into her blanket. How they had gone from stiff paranoia and death threats to getting black-out drunk over silly games was the mystery of the stars. The ship hummed along its route, its pilot and Captain having not even made it to his chair for how obliterated he'd become. Instead he was slouched in the doorway to the cabin, out as cold as his traveling companion.

There were many empty bottles to speak of. Perhaps too many.

It would have been nice to sleep it off, but Khaleel's ship did not seem to have a sense of compassion for their comfort. Cue a loud route alert that startled the witch so abruptly she slid/fell off the bench and under the table with a yelp.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

Khal groaned.

Everything pulsed, shifted, moved, including his stomach and head. This was one of the bad times. It made him happy he had nine lives (less now), because otherwise he would be seriously concerned about dying right about now. Instead as the shrill sound of the alarm rang through the ship Khal forced himself to stir.

One eye opened groggily and quickly closed again.

No, too dangerous, the light was out to get him.

"Loxa?" Is what Khaleel wanted to ask. But his mouth was made of cotton and sticky paste. Instead something like Lxfidsaaa? Slipped out his mouth and dumbfounded Khal thought about that for a moment.

Absolutely miserable.

Now the ship was actually shaking in protest. So he began to crawl slowly, but surely to the pilot seat. Inch. By. Inch. Until. One hand reached out with feeling rather than perception and yanked the automatic pilot controls back into gear. The ship was an oldie and sometimes it did that. Tired of driving itself it would demand some attention.

"Kark me." More like krrk meeh.

Oh, this was horrible.

 

[Loxa Visl]

Khaleel wasn't the only one having difficulties with locomotion.

Loxa groaned beneath the bench table, head throbbing and gut whirling up a storm. She'd not been this zozzled since ... perhaps Orine's nameday several years back. There was no dignity in this on dry land and even less in space. She was, first and foremost, a creature of the earth. Gaining her space legs had taken some time, but it always regressed with a few too many full cups.

But out of all desperation there came some clarity.

She needed water.

And she needed to pee.

It was difficult to know which one she needed more, but regardless of the one she chose it still required movement. Well ... one of them did, anyway. The other only if she wanted to maintain the little dignity she had left.

With a grunt and a beleaugered moan, the witch slowly shuffled and shifted about within the trappings of her blanket, pushing herself clumsily up to hands and knees, jostling the table and sending empty bottles clattering and crashing all about. She loudly swore as one rolled off the table and landed on the back of her head.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

Ship steadied.

Now his stomach.

And his head.

And his stomach and his head.

"This is terrible." He muttered. Hey, that was actual language and words! Progress. Such as it was. Khal couldn't enjoy it however, because he was busy crawling out of the cockpit. Yes, crawling. On his hands and knees. Moving into the direction of the kitchen. It was time for one of his infamous hangover cures.

It would be perfectly disgusting.

"Loxaaaaaaaaaaa." Almost growled because his throat was so parched and dry. "You. Aliveeeeee?" His hand settled against the wall adjacent to the kitchen as he waited for a response.

Then he realized a corpse wouldn't destroy his day as much as not getting water in his throat, so he didn't wait.

Started to crawl into the kitchen and then dragging himself up by the table. "Oh, good. Still... kicking..." Rubbing his head there. "Do you remember-" Then he raised his finger in the universal gesture of 'Hold that thought'. With speed that had been absent just a moment ago, Khaleel sprinted towards the garbage chute.

And.

Began to throw up.

Yes, this is that kind of story.

 

[Loxa Visl]

She'd managed to shuffle-crawl her way out from under the table, crunching her way through the glass of a shattered bottle and keeling down to the floor as the nausea took hold.

"Loxaaaaaaaaaaa." Almost growled because his throat was so parched and dry. "You. Aliveeeeee?"

The witch gave a humbling, miserable whimper into the blanket bundled in her hands.

"Oh, good. Still... kicking..." Rubbing his head there. "Do you remember-"

Didn't see the hand gesture, but the sound of his retching that followed told her everything she needed to know. Now she didn't usually vomit from hangovers, but the stench of his own and the sound of his interlude wasn't helping the situation of her innards. The misery kicked it up a notch as the noise of him thundered so profoundly in her head it rang in a stage 4 splitting headache she'd not noticed until just then.

Loxa muttered something into her blanket. A prayer to the Dathomiri Goddesses for mercy, no doubt, and rolled over onto her back in defeat holding her head.

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

He was panting over the chute in complete and utter defeat just the same.

A sigh once it was over. "This is terrible." he muttered to himself and punching the button that would draw it all into the compactor. At the very least the stench would filter out at some point once the filters kicked in. In the meantime Khaleel stumbled over to the water supply. He stared at the tap for a moment and then activated it, dunking his head under the ice-cold water.

Once, twice.

Until he was shivering but very much more awake.

"Ya need help? I can dunk you too. Helps you be more awake."

Loxa Visl

 

[Loxa Visl]

"Noh." The response was immediate and strong. A wiry hand appeared out from the folds of the blanket in gesture of warning.

"A Man no touchie."

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

A chuckle there, before he quickly stopped.

It was still causing his head to spin.

"Sure, no touchy." Khal agreed there and then... he began filling a glass with cold water. Ostensibly to drink it himself. Until he sauntered (or attempted to, it was still mostly a painful grimaced stumble) and pulled the blankets up to reveal Loxa's face. "Need you awake and alert however." Then he unceremoniously poured the water over her face.

"You did say no touchy, I didn't touchy you." A grin there.

 

[Loxa Visl]

The screech that sounded from the witch might have been enough to make a banshee balk, but the results were nothing short of his exact intention. Loxa was AWAKE but also shocked and offended. A slew of exceptionally grave Paecean swears aimed at the man shot from her mouth at the speed of vile, seething hatred and in just a few quick moments she was sitting up and scrambling away from him in furious confusion.

She landed somewhere back near the bench table and clung to it like a buoy at stormy sea. Bloodshot eyes wide and breathing a bit frantic, Loxa wiped the water from her face to better allow for the full effect of her deathstare at her space companion.

Loxa shivered.

<<A Man is rude.>>

 

[Khaleel Malvern]

Loxa Visl

He paused there when she finally spoke.

Looking over his shoulder Khal smirked. "The absolute rudest fether you will ever meet. A woman speaks truth." Bemused there as he poured another glass of water. Looked at Loxa again and then picked up a paracetamol as well. Probably for the best to get both with a creature like that in the ship with them.

Especially with that screeching.

Khal was about to walk past her and then-

"Drink up, it will make you feel better, promise." Offering the glass to her and also the pain killer.

 

[Loxa Visl]

Dour and disgusted, Khal received a wary grimace as he approached with another glass of water. Loxa wasn't prone to unnecessary acts of violence, but he was pushing his luck...

Frowning, she took the glass as though he were handing her a live grenade and accepted the pain killer with a cupped palm. The latter got a leery, curious glance, <<What is?>>

The Sisters so rarely used modern medicines when they had access to potent, natural alternatives. Even in her long live, Loxa could not recall using pain killers in this form.