Lost In The Rain

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

"It's no biggie, really." He replied while stifling a yawn, cup of caff warming up his palms. "You're more than welcome to stay as long as you wish."

Ar'ekk's eyes followed a trail between the bed and the couch, nodding. It didn't bother him to give Amea his bed for as long as she needed it, specially after her comment about not sleeping in one for weeks. The couch was comfy enough to sleep at so it was no problem, plus the rain hitting the windows was relaxing.

"You know I really don't mind taking the couch, right? Use my bed, you're my guest. It's the least I can do. Besides... what if you fall from the couch and hit your head?"

Nothing like some friendly jest between the two, sipping coffee and joking about a fun night out. The Galactic Cup was taking place and the galaxy was over their heads with the games, most of the big teams falling to the underdogs per act of magic. Some people in certain "exclusive" circles would be very angry at their clear loss at making money.

"I could very well watch the games with you, I follow that sport almost faithfully. But yeah, the galaxy loves to watch twenty-two individuals following a ball like mindless Tuskens."

Taking a sip from his mug and grinning, he continued talking.

"Now let me make us some food, you're probably hungry after sleeping."

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

Her fingers touched against the bump on her forehead at his comment. Her brows furrowed and her nose scrunched with the shake of her head. She had only fallen out of bed because she was in a state of utmost surprise. It wasn’t a habit of hers to wake up in someone else’s sheets, and especially not a man’s. Her hand covered her eye and she let it drag itself across her face as the realization of what she had seen when she woke up from her short nap had been.

The playful smile faded to a blank frownas she looked down into the cup again.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” She muttered and looked back over at Arekk and then the screen. It turned on to show that the last channel had indeed broadcast the games. She looked at the teams. “It’s Bastion against Dosuun. Any of those teams interest you?”

She took a long sip of her drink and looked out the window. The brightness of the screen caused her face to reflect upon the surface of the window and for a second she was taken aback by who she found looking back. She had expected someone else, but this was who she was now. Or at least part of who she had become, and the loss she felt was part of it too. They were connected to a degree.

She took another sip and continued to look at the way the rain poured down on the other side of the glass.

“I really wish we had that wine right now.” She muttered and sighed before she turned to look over into the kitchen again. “I really could have used it.”

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

The bump on Amea's forehead started to get swollen as the minutes passed so Ar'ekk grabbed an icepack from the kitchen and returned to the girl, pressing it gently against her forehead. She'd feel the sting for a moment but soon enough would be able to withstand the pain.

"Hold that there."

Indeed, last night was huttball season too and Ar'ekk had spent the whole evening eating and screaming his lungs out for the team he supported. Now with the Galactic Cup going on and Amea's question popping up, he didn't really seemed to have a clear answer about what team he supported.

"If I had to pick one? Probably Dosuun. They're the stronger team, specially in offensive."

Ar'ekk stood behind the girl as she eyeballed her reflection on the glass, his gaze dragging between the screen and the empty seat next to her. Debating wether to sit down or head for the kitchen, the question that followed made him wake up. Walking over to the kitchen and raiding the cupboard, the man stumbled upon a bottle of fine wine hidden behind cereal boxes and canned food.

Why he kept that in there? No idea. Special occasions, maybe.

"You won't believe what I found."

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

She sighed and put the ice on her forehead. Most of the time when she did this it was because she had been knocked out good or in general something to do with physical violence. To think that she had been taken out by a bed was just embarrassing. Arekk went back to the kitchen and began to root around for something to eat. Except what he found was much better than that.

She wouldn’t believe it, huh? Her free hand reached towards the bottle that Arekk held up in front of him to pull it over to her with a telekinetic grasp. There was no point in really hiding that anymore, she was deep in the force and few had ever gotten the chance to truly see that. At least in this current iteration. Her fingers wrapped around the bottleneck to look down at the label.

“I’ve heard of this one.” She nodded and looked over at Arekk. “It’s a good year.”

Her presence in the force though, it wasn’t as prevalent as one would expect. The ring on her finger helped with it. She made the aura seem smaller to allow herself to blend into crowds, and the other ring was a gift from her brother from way back.

Her real brother that is.

She put the bottle on a nearby table and leaned back in the couch.

“It will make a good drink for the meal.”

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

He was particularly good with channeling and knowing who was a force sensitive individual yet with Amea this wasn't the case. Not until she used telekinesis to levitate and drag the bottle away from his grasp while she sat down by the couch. Ar'ekk found more and more about the girl without asking too much and that was good.

"I purchased it during a trip to Manaan when I went to meet a senator from Eadu."

Not officially, of course. He's someone that could barely care about politics in the galaxy, other business dragged him to that side of the universe for totally unrelated reasons. "Undisclosed business" as he liked to call it.

"Now, let's see... I've got Atrisian takeaway and I can cook a second plate. Just enough to fill up your belly."

The perfect food to accompany that wine would be a fine steak with Ar'ekk's secret ingredients that included spices, herbs and other delicious complements that would make the plate a perfect combination of the most delicious things your mouth can taste. His culinary skills had improved vastly the last month, considering he lived alone and had to cook for himself every day.

Turning the stove and cutting up food in the counter by the kitchen, cooking would just begin. His eyes moved back and forth between the food and Amea, pondering heavily about a bunch of things.

"How hungry are you?"

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

The players just kept punting the ball around as if they had a hard time trying to figure out of it was meant to be in the air or rest on the ground. Her eyes stared at the screen as the wine and ice bag was deposited on top of the table in favor of the caf that had chilled to a degree. Still drinkable, just a bit colder than last. Or maybe that was the cold from the ice pack that tricked her senses. She took a sip, and sure enough it was the cold that tricked her.

Dosuun passed it right to Bastion and the Sith-Imperial team made a go for the First Order goal. It was a wide miss and the roaring crowds mellowed out in disappointment. Chants kept being screamed at the top of people’s lungs to such a degree that Amea could only shudder at how incredibly loud it had to be there at the stadium. All those people, all those voices. No, she was better off watching from afar, and probably more comfortable too.

Arekk asked a question and she turned to look at him again.

“I never say no to a home cooked meal.” She laughed. “Or a warm meal for that matter.”

“I mentioned I slept on ships most of the time? Imagine the rations they have on those ships. That’s my life.” She shook her head and looked back at the game. “I mean, don’t get me wrong? I love it, but solid foods and real drink is always appreciated. Much like couches and beds that haven’t been worn out or stuffed with rock-cotton.”

“I’ll eat anything you throw at me, trust me.”

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

Multitasking wasn't something that Ar'ekk was very good at and that made watching the game while cooking very hard. The pots boiled hot while he continued cutting the herbs in little pieces and dropping them with the rest of the food being cooked up in the biggest pot of them all, using a wooden spoon to swirl everything around and have a little taste every now and then. Not too salty and really great, perfect balance.

"I purchased it during a trip to Manaan when I went to meet a senator from Eadu."

Not officially, of course. He's someone that could barely care about politics in the galaxy, other business dragged him to that side of the universe for totally unrelated reasons. "Undisclosed business" as he liked to call it.

"Uuuuh, can't help but relate with you on that. I've spent a lot of time sleeping aboard my ship during missions, six months being the longest. Living on awful food rations and water killed me." He commented. "Good thing you have all of that here. Warm and cozy, sheltered from a tempestous weather outside. It's perfection."

While it would take him about thirty minutes to have everything done, Ar'ekk had both plates and an empty glass ready by a big tray on the counter. He served the food on each plate, filling up just enough to enjoy a solid meal that evening. Nothing better than going to sleep with a full stomach, right?

He grabbed the tray from both side and made his way towards the couch, sitting down right next to Amea and setting the tray on the table that was close to their feet. Cutlery laid out for both of them plus pouring wine into his glass, Ar'ekk tapped glasses with her before eating. Everything looked delicious, making your mouth drool just by the aroma coming from the plates.

"Please, enjoy."

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

Manaan wine. Morbid question was how many times this wine bottle had been sunk then. It was a planet with a capital known to, well, fail to stay afloat during invasions. It was a miracle the people of Manaan hadn’t just retreated entirely to just being an underwater society yet. She had read the history books and it did not inspire confidence.

Regardless though whether or not Manaan was going to go underwater or not, Arekk spoke of his own experiences aboard ships and how he had lived on rations and water too. Her brow perked at it, he didn’t really seem the type from the way his apartment looked. Then again, neither would Amea just a few months ago either albeit the vice versa.

“I mean, yeah, but warm and cozy can be ever temporary. If you know life at the bottom then you know how to survive most if not all scenarios.” She begged the differ to his comforts. “Comforts are nice but I would not want to get used to them. At least not too used to them.”

The food was served and Amea took her serving with a nod of appreciation.

“Thank you.” She said and grasped at the cutlery. Her fork pierced the meat and cut it into a neat slice before she carefully and ever so gracefully put it in her mouth. The meat touched her tongue, teased her taste buds, and sure enough the food was good enough. She gave no audible indication of it, but her eyes closed and she let out a delighted exhale that at the very least showed it.

She continued to eat the food while looking over the last few minutes of the game.

“Seems you missed most of the game.” She smiled at Arekk. “Dosuun three points, Bastion two.”

Well would you look at that then. It seemed Arekk’s prediction was true after all.

“Seems you were right.”

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

There was more than a man enjoying his commodities on a big city such as Lithios, cozy apartment and all. He had seen the worst of the galaxy, waged in battle with the Sith on Malachor V and lost too many good friends on the battlefield, his cybernetic arm was the price he paid while staying alive. Although looking fleshy and normal thanks to flyntesh, the entire arm up to the shoulder was nothing but robotic and complete nothingness if the prosthetic was removed.

Never judge a book by its cover.

"Of course it's temporary, nothing lasts forever. But it's nice to enjoy them while you can like we are right now." He countered. "You deserve a break after everything you go through, that's what I'm doing at least."

Leaving that in the most ambiguous way possible, Ar'ekk used the knife and fork to cut a piece of the steak to promptly devour it. Its taste was exquisite and combined with the wine it was pure bliss.

"Good prediction, I told you."

He smiled back to Amea, seemingly enjoying their evening dinner. The night was still young and the game would keep going until late, his insomnia would stop him from being able to sleep comfortably. At least the girl would not have to worry about a thing as she'd be sheltered in the warmth of his bed while he rested on the couch nearby.

Slouching back in the couch and resting his bare feet to one side of their table without being disrespectful, Ar'ekk sipped from his glass of wine and entered a state of heavy pondering. The silence overtook their conversation for a moment until either one of them decided to speak out again.

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

The food went down and Amea leaned back in the couch with her wine glass in hand. The night was young, she wasn’t quite sober, and the way things were going it was just a matter of time until ‘wasn’t quite’ returned to ‘wasn’t’ as she had planned. Though Arekk sipped, Amea took greater measures. It was a good wine, it was a waste but she wanted this and there was no stopping her. The small sliver of wine that traversed down her throat drowned her worries in a sweet yet sour layer of melancholic contentment.

Her neck craned back against the top of the couch and she closed her eyes for a second to enjoy the silence between them. For a brief moment she felt alright. Her feet found the table’s edge and she let her ankles rest against its somewhat rough edge. A sigh parted her lips before she opened her eyes to give the real world another chance.

From the game there were screams of jubilant joy as the Sith scored another goal and equalized the standing. Amea’s eyes wandered over to the screen with a haze before she downed another piece of her drink.

“Well, they are equal now.” She slurred and chuckled at the idea that she was watching a game with the boys. Or well, boy. “Guess we’re back to the guessing game.”

She blinked and her eyelids felt heavy. A heavy breath filled her with air and a slow exhale emptied it.

“You know, part of me is rooting for the Sith here, for some reason.” She said and blew an amused exhale through her nose. “Never thought I would be saying that.”

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

Eventually, he would snap out of the deep trance. The food was getting cold and his glass of wine wasn't near being empty so there was no tiime to waste at all, cutting the steak and eating a big chunk of it. Amea was enjoying the silence, of course, it was the best thing to experience while inside. Ar'ekk was no stranger to that feeling, specially combining that with a good drink and looking outside the window while it rained.

"I usually follow games when there's money involved." He laughed in return, filling up his glass and Amea's if she had ran out of wine. The more, the merrier. "Not a gambler per se, but there's this sports bar down the street where everyone gathers for events like this one. I'm not a regular but I occasionally go there to joke arounnd with those who love to waste money."

He had shown his preference for Dosuun but definitely did not care about who would win tonight, the game was entertaining as they watched it unfold. Constant attacks, pressure on all ends. Fun and energetic. The attention from the holoscreen diverted to the wine bottle and about getting drunk despite the consequences of an early morning headache, that'd be more fun than watching the Galactic Cup.

"Should we finish the bottle or you want me to put it away?"

The man's eyes glittered brightly as they sought out Amea's, a warm smile to accompany it. It was an expensive wine, might as well make good use of it before it returns back to the cupboard and collect dust for months.

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

People usually did that, Amea had found. Gambling was an addiction she strayed from mostly because she knew that she hated losing. It was bad enough that she was a sore loser when it was a friendly match, but if there was money involved she could only imagine it was two-fold, so she just sort of didn’t imbibe in that area of life. She wouldn’t judge Arekk for it of course, she was merely being aware of her own vices for this one.

“Let’s finish it off.” She sighed and glanced at the half-empty bottle. “Should be enough for a glass each in there.”

She moved on over to pour it up for them this time around. Arekk had been a gracious host and in all honesty it was probably the absolute least she could do. Normally she wasn’t one to enjoy the pampering. She found it made her feel smaller than she was and that just wouldn’t do. Though perhaps given all the recent changes in her life she would be glad to just feel that extra bit special again.

Not for the wine though, that one she could handle on her own.

The empty bottle was put back on the table before she handed them their glasses. The game was starting to wrap up, reaching into penalties as sudden death seemed to be the only solution to the score problem. The sith and the first order both lined their kickers on the ready and Kaili took a big chug out of the wine in her hand.

“He’s… Totally gonna miss.” She spoke with a slight lisp as her tongue began to disagree with her. “Wouldn’t count on First Order to keep a steady offense without backup from other players.”

Her head shifted to the side.

“The Sith on the other hand, too much power. They will probably just go wide of the bar.”

“Man, I think I am getting this sport now. It only took…” She began counting on her fingers but quickly gave up. “A lot of drinks.”

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

Each to their own with vices, his were cigarettes and long nights surfing the HoloNet for interesting gadgets to purchase or information vital to reach certain "places". Gambling wasn't one of them otherwise the luxury of having an apartment in the good side of town was out of the question.

"I'm feeling a little tipsy. This is some damn good wine, I must say."

Ar'ekk loved to make others feel special, cared about and pampered. Beneath the cosmetic mask and the tough guy appearance that he seemed to carry everywhere was a man that was gentle and gave a damn about people's feelings and emotions. This wasn't a coincidence or an act of "I want this person to like me by putting a fake facade" situation, Amea did really feel like someone he could talk to and be around with without having to worry about a thing.

She was alright in his eyes.

That's what he learned from her in such short time, they'd have to know more about them in due time to come up with a more solid opinion.

"Aaaand it's gone! You were right." He said laughing as they made a small toast before necking the drinks. "About five or six, give or take."

Yep, he was drunk too.

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

The wine was all gone, Amea was the opposite of sober, and the world was alright again. She leaned back against the couch with a small snicker at the amount of drinks she had that night. Seemed like it was a good amount then. A tolerance had been built, but that didn’t say a whole lot. The effects of alcohol went to her head immediately and that was not to mention the aftereffects. She was fully aware of the pain that the morning would bring her, but when had that ever stopped her?

It felt good to get careless though. Or was it carefree? Her mind pondered the two words for a second before shrugging itself off into a haze of wine and shots. It wasn’t going to cooperate with her, and at this point she was fully aware of this.

“You sssaid the bed was mine, right?” She slurred and looked over at Arekk with an almost arrogant look. Her eyes remained closed but that hardly mattered. “Cause I am taking that bed.”

She rose from the couch with an unstable balance. Or rather, that was an understatement. She swayed from side to side as the world seemed to spin in three different directions at the same time.

Well now, this was certainly an adventure.

She took the first uneasy step forward and it felt like the entire bed moved towards her rather than her towards it. Another step and she felt herself instinctively reach for the nearby wall for balance.

“This…” She held back a hiccup. “Will be interesting.”

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

His vision was slightly blurry, head was spinning in all directions and his balance was affected by the heavy drinking with Amea. The hangover in the early morning was going to be great, like an axe hitting you in the middle of the temple over and over until you could barely feel anything.

"Yesss, the bed! It's yours, use it." Ar'ekk said in a slurred tone, characteristic of someone under the influence of alcohol.

Making way for Amea by moving his feet aside, he looked at Amea struggle at keeping her balance and hugging the wall nearby. That somehow amused him even more in his drunken state, raising his index finger and standing up almost immediately. Grabbing the girl's arm and placing it around his shoulders, Ar'ekk made sure she could reach the edge of the bed and sit her down.

"You already fell once, I'm not letting that happen a second time." He said while struggling to mantain Amea steady. "Stay here, I will get you some clothes."

Almost tripping because of the clothes on the floor that were in his path, Ar'ekk opened the armoire and reached for some comfortable but rather big set of PJs for the girl to use. They had his scent and a bit of cheap cologne but they were warm and comfy, good enough to sleep like a baby.

"I'm going to take a shower before sleeping. If you need anything? Just scream."

Ar'ekk stood on his feet for a moment as if he lost track of time or where he was, looking around aimlessly. It was funny.

"Yeah! That."

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

Well she found the bed somehow. Her eyes blinked as she sat down and tried to register her surroundings, but the weights on her eyelids were far too heavy to bear. The soft padding of the mattress beneath her thighs began to lure her in, call to her and make her feel everything so much more. Her back leaned in against the softness that was the bed, and almost in an instant she found herself dozing off.

A pair of PJs were thrown her way and she snapped out of her slumber only to take her shirt off and expose the t-shirt underneath before she took the pants off and rolled herself up under the cover with a content smile.

Under most circumstances a prude. Under most circumstances also not wasted out of her mind.

The content smile on her lips slowly faded as sleep began to seep in.

… And in its place, almost immediately, came a small pool of drool that drowned the lower corner of the man’s pillow.

It was a bad habit she hadn’t been able to kick. She was exhausted.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

The hot and steaming shower would wake him up from the rough state he found himself in only for a moment, his drunkedness made it difficult to stay on his feet and even more when the water sneaked through his toes and soles. It was warm and relaxing and his couch was waiting for him, sleeping was his urgent desire after finishing here.

Ar'ekk walked out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his torso, eyes focusing on Amea as she peacefully slept on her bed. She was going to feel the full effect of the hangover in the morning but at least the bed would make it a lot easier for her, specially since the pillow was designed to be as comfortable as ever.

The armoire opened and he grabbed some clothes to put on for the night and blankets, making his way to the bathroom to change. He was a prude too. No shirt, no socks and just shorts to sleep. Flicking the lights off for the entire apartment, Ar'ekk prepared the couch with two blankets and a pillow he grabbed from Amea's bed.

After months without being able to sleep comfortably and for the first time, Ar'ekk closed his eyes in under five minutes. However... they'd pay the price of a good night's place with a hangover in the morning. He'd definitely wake up after Amea, the man was destroyed.

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

Smattering. That was all she heard before her eyes fluttered awake. It took a moment to take in the surroundings. The headache however did not take a moment to take in. No, that was almost instantaneous and grew even worse for each consecutive second that ticked away with the cruelty of the clock. A hand moved up to cover her eyes and forehead with a quiet groan and she pushed the sheets off of herself.

Sitting up straight was the worst decision she had ever made in her life. Her elbow propped itself against her knee much like the other hand that moved up to cover her other eye to envelop herself in darkness. Headache, dizziness and nausea. She had a hangover or a case of the dehydrations. Granted, they weren’t exactly mutually exclusive. If anything they were the opposite, inclusive.

Her mind strayed to the past. To what her aunt had told her about headaches when she was a child. All you had to do was focus on the thrumming pain and apply a degree of pressure. Not actual pressure, of course. It was a metaphysical pressure to equalize the one that felt like it pressed against her brain. Something to soothe the pulsating sensation on her mind.

Like a fresh breeze there it was, a small sense of relief. The force swept across her mind and she let it subside as best she could. The dizziness was still there, the nausea too, but the headache was not and that was just a massive bonus. With it the girl pushed herself off the bed and got herself dressed in the few pieces of clothes she could find along the floor. Which was to say just her pants and shirt.

Sneaking her way ever so masterfully through the apartment over towards the kitchen she got herself a glass from one of the cupboards. The sound of the tap pouring water into the sink sounded off momentarily before she filled it up and took a few chugs with great pleasure.

The dizziness and the nausea began to subside already and she looked over at the couch.

Looked like Arekk was pretty out of it too.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ar'ekk's Apartment, Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Amea Virou"] ​

As per act of instinct, Ar'ekk slowly opened his eyes to find the sun shining directly at his face. In the background the modicum of someone fiddling around the kitchen... That had to be Amea, the man thought. Gaze dragging over the bed to see the sheets set aside and her clothes no longer on the floor, the girl was no longer there.

His headache got intense all of the sudden like a hammer hitting your temple over and over at full speed and a nausea that made him feel like he had been infected by the rakghoul plague. Regrettable decision to drink last night? Not really, he enjoyed it to the fullest but being hangover made him rethink that only for a moment. Breakfast followed so that would definitely cheer him up.

Ar'ekk jumped out of the couch and walked towards the kitchen in nothing but shorts because his shirt somehow had disappeared throughout the night.

"Good morning!" He smiled while also suffering underneath just like her. "How did you sleep?"

The caff machine was already turned on, good thinking. That would revitalize the two of them and wake up even faster from a very good night's sleep and a deserved hangover after a long night drinking wine.

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[Amea Virou]

[member="Arekk"]

Truth told caf was just part of a habit as well. One that would probably fade with time and one that for the moment didn’t bother her too much. She had made a relatively small amount of it, there was usually just the one person who drank it when she was around and they weren’t here. She grinned at Arekk’s state and let her bare feet get lifted off the ground as she took a seat on one of the unused counters with her glass of water rested in her hands.

“I slept well.” She chuckled and took a chug of the water. “If you are referring to waking up… I’ve had more pleasant mornings.”

She looked over at the couch and then Arekk.

“I was half-tempted to sneak out and catch the first flight, but I figured breakfast would have been nice first.” Amea said and glanced at the refrigerator. “It is easier to catch work on ships first thing in the morning though. Less competition for the different positions around the ship.”

She was aware of his arm. It was hard not to notice it in the force, but she made an effort not to ask. People had a tendency to get insulted when someone asked them about an old and covered up injury like that. Nevermind the fact that cybernetics were badass, right? Focus on the bad aspect of it.

The girl’s brow perked and she gave Arekk a self-indulging grin.

“I don’t mean to presume you are a good breakfast cook as well.” She laughed. “Except I totally am.”