Private Just another day

[Kiran Arlos]

Bastion
Aknoby
​

The hangar reeked of fuel, sweat, and cheap promises the usual perfume of a job well paid and poorly planned. Kiran stood near the ramp of the freighter, arms crossed, eyes tracking the last crate as it disappeared into the waiting cargo sled. Bastion's cold breath seeped through the open bay doors, carrying the metallic tang of the city's lower levels.

"Cargo delivered. No shots fired. That's a first." one of the smugglers joked, slapping him on the shoulder as they passed.

Kiran couldn't help but chuckled as he gave a simple nod of his head. He was just glad to make sure the cargo made it here in one piece. And it had. For now, that was enough.

By the time he left the docks, the neon haze of the upper ring was starting to glow through the grime. Bastion at night was a place that didn't bother pretending — loud, sharp, alive in all the ways honest worlds weren't. He found the first pub that looked like it wouldn't check weapons at the door, shouldered through the entry, and let the sound wash over him: clinking glasses, off-key music, laughter that didn't reach the eyes.

He ordered a cup of caf, leaned against the counter, and for the moment let the worries of his mind settle..

 

[Aknoby]

Aknoby was enjoying his time off. He was almost barred from entering the pub, but being part of the Lilaste Order and starting to gain a certain reputation for his actions in certain events is making him recognized by the citizens of Diarchy.

The teenager was calm, carrying one of his usual lightsabers, but only one of them so as not to cause unnecessary apprehension among civilians.

Entering the pub without any shame, he ordered hot chocolate. The days were getting colder, and for some reason, the autumn weather was so cozy.

He sat down with his order, making no effort to hide his presence in the Force.

Kiran Arlos

 

[Kiran Arlos]

Aknoby
​

Then the door slid open, and for a moment, the noise dimmed.

A young man entered no older than seventeen, maybe eighteen his presence impossible to miss. Even before Kiran saw the glint of metal at his belt, he felt it: the subtle pulse of the Force like a heartbeat beneath the surface of the air. The boy's coat was worn but clean, his step unhurried. A single lightsaber hung at his hip a compromise, perhaps, between confidence and restraint.

Hot chocolate....? What's that? Kiran thought curiously...

Aknoby, though Kiran didn't yet know the name took his cup and found a seat not far from where the mercenary stood. He made no effort to hide his presence in the Force. It flowed freely around him, calm and steady, like sunlight breaking through Bastion's gray skyline. The scent of cocoa drifted faintly in the air, oddly out of place among the stench of blaster oil and ale.

Kiran turned slightly, studying him the deliberate openness, the quiet composure that didn't quite fit the chaos of the city. There was power there, but not the kind that reached for control. It rested, grounded in something older and harder to define.

For a long moment, neither spoke. The hum of conversation filled the space between them. Then the boy looked up, meeting Kiran's gaze as though he'd felt it all along.

"Hey there!" he said simply, warmth in his tone that didn't match the steel of Bastion outside. "What is that you are drinking?" Kiran asked, even though he knew the answer already. Looking down at his cup of caf, he looked back over to him.

Kiran's gloved hand tightened slightly around his glass. "Is that stuff pretty good?"

 

[Aknoby]

He enjoys his hot chocolate with a smile, distracted from the chaos around him as if he were safe or able to protect himself.

He looks relaxed, despite being young, he seems accustomed to all the chaos. When he sees Kiran, he is surprised, as if the other's posture reveals that he is not a civilian, and he hears the other's friendly voice.

"You don't know what hot chocolate is? It's the best hot drink in the universe!"

He speaks with a friendly smile, taking another sip of hot chocolate without taking his eyes off him now.

Kiran Arlos

 

[Kiran Arlos]

Aknoby
​

Kiran exhaled, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. "Hot chocolate." he muttered under his breath, as if testing the phrase. He hadn't had one since he was a kid before Bastion, before mercenary work, before the long trail of jobs and regrets that had dulled his taste for anything soft.

He motioned to the bartender. "Make that two. Whatever he's having."

The bartender blinked but complied, soon setting down a steaming mug beside his half-empty glass of ale. The scent was richer up close, cocoa and warmth cutting through the cold air. Kiran wrapped his hands around the cup, feeling the heat seep through the gloves.

He took a sip tentative, cautious and blinked once. It wasn't bad. Not the drink of warriors, maybe, but there was something grounding in it. Something human.

Kiran huffed a quiet chuckle. "Wow...." he said, lowering the cup. "This could be the best drink in the universe after all." Kiran chuckled lightly as he motioned for a seat next to him. "Why don't you join me my friend?"

 

[Aknoby]

He smiles, looks at the other young man as he hears his reaction to trying the hot chocolate, and chuckles softly at his exclamation.

"I told you it's the best!"

He looked surprised at the invitation but smiled and sat down with him.

"Thanks for the invitation. My name is Aknoby, and you?"

He asks and takes another sip of hot chocolate.

Kiran Arlos

 

[Kiran Arlos]

Aknoby
​

"Kiran Arlos." He spoke with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've got to say, in my travels I haven't met someone as friendly as you. This is a welcome exchange." He chuckled lightly, as he spoke the truth, while things in his life were making a turn for the better. He still didn't deny those first few months in the year had been incredibly rough.

He took another sip, savoring the taste as he stared at the liquid and the mug itself.

"I'm gonna have to get me some of this stuff." Kiran looked over to him. "So, Aknoby, what brings you around here by yourself?"

He inquired, taking another sip.