First Reply Lump Sum

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Open

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

The acidic smell of rain pouring doen the lower levels of Coruscant never changes. The way the water splashes on the canopy, how the neon lights reflect on the puddles, the ashy stench from the cheap noodle bars, the deadbeat drunks grazing the dirty alleyways, spending the rest of their credits on temporary release and instant gratification, while their family is facing a slow death of hunger and sorrow, it all effortlessly takes me back to the days of old.

The day where we barely scraped for a once a day meal, where the neighbours next door beat their children senseless, where I had to rove through several levels of the city, stealing from nearby grocery stores which shopkeepers' got punished for every lost goods. Surviving means the death of ten others, back then, and my mom, she's the strongest of them all. She taught me how to navigate this repugnant, cruel world, how our very livelihood relies on how many of our neighbours we finessed. All that for a box of condensed carbohydrates each and every day. The tiny path and its railings near the place we used to get our rations lead me to a small shack, dark and long abandoned.

Mom. She was the strongest of them all, until she wasn't. A year after I managed to escape the heinous life a child domestic terrorist, I managed to re-establish contact with her, now as a Jedi Padawan. It wasn't easy, she felt betrayed by my disappearance. Yet I can see the pride deep in her solemn, blue eyes. As her body weakens, voice turning creaky, the warmth inside has never changed. Until one day, close to my knighting, the force called upon me, way down. That day I was forced to put down my mom's physical form, as I faced her soulless body act as a vessel of a malignant spirit. That day I was reborn a Jedi Knight, an empty vessel of Ashla's will.

The abandoned shack is the silent witness of the somber scene, of a metamorphosis of once a young and passionate kid, fresh off a terrible childhood. The scratches and banged up walls, the shattered furniture, the eerily cold breeze, the breeze that follows me wherever a spirit is. Today is the fifth anniversary of the tragedy. Nothing has changed since that day. Not me, not the shack, not Coruscant. The energy is still the very same one I left that day. The floor I'm sitting on is still the same. The meditation routines remain the same for the past four years I've visited annually. Same thoughts, same emptiness. Nothing, no one had ever bothered me from the annual ritual I partake in. Not until today, when a squeaky noise pulled me back from the deep trance of my meditation.
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

Standing in the doorway of the shack was a wide figure in the casual clothes of someone who'd never lived the slum life . Her face was burned and mildly scarred, but those wounds were old, the one in her side less so. One hand hung at her side clutching a blaster, whilst the other tried desperately to staunch the flow of blood. She barely knew where she was, only that she needed to survive. A look of surprise painted the stranger's face as she found this shack to be occupied. From the outside the shack seemed disused and abandoned. Hopefully whoever was inside would be more hospitable than those she'd just run from.

It took a few moments of awkward silence for Tibera to process the situation, her breaths hanging ragged in the cold air of the metallic abode. What could one even say in a time like this? Sorry to bother you but I need to bleed on your rug? Not the best way to ask for entrance into someone's home. The mercenary dropped her blaster and held up one hand, she assumed that it would do given the circumstances.

"Frag me! Guess this night isn't going to get any easier..." Her voice was a deep rasp that had to fight its way through gritted teeth.

Whatever in the hell was going on, it must have happened on another level, there'd been no sounds of blaster fire or fighting anywhere near the dwelling. Then again, it would have been hard to hear anything over the sounds of speeders and slum life. To make matters worse, there was a fairly popular dance club just a level above the slums. Perhaps that was the draw of the place, an escape for those from below, and a sideshow attraction for those from above. If one listened closely enough, one could hear the thumping music hidden under the patter of rain and the din of the city. It made for an interesting scene under the acid rain and neon lights. Two people, brought together by happenstance, or perhaps something more.

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

The squeaky noise did get closer, it's getting more obvious by the second that it comes to the alleyway that leads to the shack. Standing up from my meditation stance, I perked up my senses and tightened my grips on my lightsaber. Sounds of the rain, the deadened thumps from the club above, the occasional speeder passing on the speedway, all mixed with the gasping breath of a stranger getting closer to the shack.

It doesn't take long before the mysterious figure makes their way inside the shack, declaring their arrival in a non-verbal way. "Not one step…." karkin' hell! In front of the door is a woman, casually dressed, streams of blood flowing out liberally from the side of her ribs, throwing her blaster to the ground and looking pale as a corpse. Instinctively, I dashed towards her, taking the weight of her body on my shoulder, laying her down near what used to be our small kitchen.

Memory surges in once again, to the exact same day, putting the forlorn spirit into rest, putting down what remains of my mom, her flesh, her dignity on the very same spot. This couldn't be a coincidence. Out of all the days in the year, this woman had to be in this exact situation in this exact place today. This is the doing of the force. After checking her pulse, I leaned in closer to scan her fresh wound, gauging the damage that her assailant had caused. It goes quite deep, and she's losing a lot of blood. This could be fatal if not tended quickly.

With no medical equipment around, the only thing I can do is rely on my very basic force healing ability. It has to do, no one's dying on me again, on this very same spot. However, it would all be in vain if her assailant found where we were and caught us off-guard. Stroking her cold burnt and scarred cheeks to keep her consciousness, I whispered to her a question. "Anyone on your tail?"
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

Aymeric Prendergast

Whether this was the doing of The Force, fate, or pure coincidence Tibera knew it hurt like hell. She laid there in the stranger's arms, a hiss coming through her teeth as the Jedi put his hands to her side. Through his connection with The Force, her wound began to knit itself back together. The pain of the injury held at bay by the arcane mending. Relief washed over the mercenary as Aymeric did his work, her breathing returned to a normal rhythm soon thereafter.

"That Force stuff... works better than Bacta," She joked, "No one should be on my tail. Not for now anyway..."

Whatever had happened to her, it was clear to the Jedi that it was no accident. The wound in question was deep and jagged, probably from some knife or another kind of edged weapon. Thankfully it was just shallow enough that his Force healing ability. Maybe something was looking out for Tibera after all? Be that as it may, Tibera was uneasy about things involving that unknown energy. She was the type that didn't like things she couldn't explain, and yet, it had saved her life. If this was all conspired by the fates, they were certainly a dramatic bunch.

"Thanks for your help Jedi. I don't want to think about what would have happened in you weren't here. Must be my lucky night. Sure as blazes didn't start out that way."

For a while Tibera was content to just lie there on the kitchen floor, pondering how her night had gotten so screwed up. This was supposed to be a simple job after all. A reprieve from all the crazy things she'd seen over the past few months. It would be just like her to get herself stabbed the one night she decides not to wear armor.

As she thought of this, she took stock of the man who was her savior, he couldn't have been much older than her. That said, his face was much nicer to look at. Something about the Force user's eyes just screamed out that he had something on his mind. They had this quiet intensity about them. Probably best not to stare too long though.

"They give you a name with all those powers you've got?"

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

I hummed at her answer as one of my hands was working on her wound, putting all my concentration on fixing and patching her wound, while my other hand was holding her trembling body, joints jolting at the sensation of the less than experienced healing hand. It must hurt a lot, she's hissing and squirming, her muscles tense, her breath erratic and heart's racing. Still, it has to do, while the wound isn't deadly per se, she lost a lot of blood, a few more minutes and she would've passed out. At least I know that her assailant doesn't follow her here. I'd rather not make a mess for things outside of the Jedi's jurisdiction. Who knows if this woman is a criminal or something similar, and I'm caught in the middle of a conflict I have no interest in.

Her breath and heart rate eventually normalise, however, and the muscles in her body started to relax. Good, that means that the procedure was a success and she's at least out of the grave danger she was in. I smiled at her thank yous and remarks, although I noticed some kind of curiosity in the woman's face, as she's staring at me quite obviously. Perhaps it's the strange location she happened to stumble upon me earlier, or how my mind was occupied with the memories of the past.

"Aymeric. You?" I asked her back, while my hand was on her temple, checking her temperature. It's slightly warm, but stable. I don't think she would need urgent medical attention, but it wouldn't hurt either, considering her previously deep wound, her loss of blood, and the fact that she was only treated by an amateur. Moreover, the place we are currently at is not a place you can rest comfortably at. The shack doesn't even have a bed anymore, it's merely a ruin. It would be much better if she happened to have a place she could rest in for the night. "Do you have somewhere to go?" I asked her softly, pausing in the middle, before adding. "This shack is not… exactly a proper place to rest."
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

"Tibera," she said bluntly "Wish we were meeting under better circumstances Aymeric."

Already the Mercenary was trying to raise herself off of the floor. Her body was telling her to stay down, but this lady was nothing if not stubborn. There were other less severe wounds all over her body, mostly bruises scrapes from the fight to get here. The adrenaline was wearing off now, she could feel all those small injuries starting to add up. Air was sucked in sharply in response to this sudden shock. "I've got places to go, I just came across this place by accident."

If nowhere else she could board a passenger ship and be out of here by morning, if she could walk there without falling over. That wasn't what was on her mind though, she wanted to put a blaster bolt in-between the eyes of the mongrel that stabbed her. To that end, she lifted the blaster off of the floor. Malice burned in her eyes as she looked down at the weapon. It wasn't even hers, she'd picked it up off a fellow bodyguard in the scuffle a few levels up. She had the feeling the poor bastard wouldn't mind if she took it just a while longer.

"First place I'm going is to try and find the slugs that stuck me in the side." It felt wrong not to tell the Jedi what was going on. She worried about what would happen if she said too much. She'd heard stories about what happened when the saber wielders got involved in such matters. Tibera knew little about the reclusive order of warrior monks, only that they saw themselves as peacekeepers, something that might get in her way. "I was hired to guard a local slum lord while he held a party at that club up there," She said, motioning with her finger in an upward motion. "Guess some of his less than pleased public took exception to that. So they broke into the V.I.P area and ambushed us. I slinked away while the fighting was going on, now I figure I should go inspect the damage before the Coruscant security forces get there."

Didn't sound like the smartest plan, but then again Tibera was never much for planning anyway.

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

"Perhaps in the future, there will be better circumstances." I whispered to Tibera. Feeling that she's trying to get up too quickly, I put a little bit of force on my hold over her. At the very least, she shouldn't get up too abruptly, she's been laying down for a while now and the shock could put her out cold. Her body is still in a spasm from all the injuries that add up, from any possible hit on the nerves earlier. Still holding her around my arms, I helped her stand up slowly, withdrawing gradually to check if she can stand on her own.

I can only sigh at what she said she's going to do next. To be frank, just from the look of it, this isn't a woman who is going to avenge her hit and salvage her mission. This is a woman who's going to end up in the gutter because of her own recklessness. The scars and injuries, the stubbornness, it seems like she's never been taken care of, just like I was a decade ago, and the city always finds its way to win against the lone wolves. I can't help but feel a sting in my heart, a push inside to help her, not in her mission, but in a more general manner. "Look, Tibera. I'm not gonna stop you from doing what you have to do, nor would I offer my help in doing so." I said rather bluntly. I know how it is with people who were born in this world, I was one, we had no choice but push through anything that's been thrown in our direction. "Crime is a fact of life in this portion of the galaxy, with or without you, I'm not going to lecture you for living in it." I am a Knight of Ashla, my gripes are with the dark siders, I am not here to judge those who do mortal crimes to meet their needs.

Yet, I can't help but feel obliged to help Tibera, to show her that there are those who care for others sincerely. Never had I imagined that I would be one of those, but faced with someone who reminds me of my childhood, I can't help but not try lending my hand on her, to show her just a small percentage of what the NJO showed me when I was lost in my rock bottom. "But you just lost a significant amount of your blood. Chances are, whoever ambushed you has got what they need, and the security forces are already there, cleaning up the mess. You can't make it on time, not in your current condition." I added, trying to get her to reconsider her current plan, to think things thoroughly with her safety and well-being taken care of by someone else for the moment.

"My place is 20 minutes from here. Rest up, call your contacts, plan your next move." Offering my place to a stranger I met in a coincidental accident, a stranger that in her life is likely to have committed countless sins. Yet, the force did bring us here, two strangers in a different stage of their respective life, and if the NJO had led me into the light once, I would have given her the same opportunity. The same spark of light at the end of the dark tunnel.


​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

She must have been in worse shape than she thought, because this Jedi was starting to make sense. She could stand on her own, just barely. If she walked into a firefight now all she'd be is a particularly well armed target dummy for the other shooters. She knew this, but she'd pushed on through injury before she could do it again. Yet something felt different this time, something inside her was saying to stop. For now, she would listen to that notion inside of her. "Agh...maybe you're right. I shouldn't go looking for any more trouble."

Soon she would start leaning on Aymeric again for support. It put a bad taste in her mouth, having to rely on someone else. Though, there really wasn't any better options for her. With all the blood she'd left on the streets of Coruscant, it was a wonder she wasn't dead already. All that being said, she was still going to be stubborn about the whole ordeal, that was her way. At least with the Jedi there she wouldn't have to worry as much about keeling over from overexerting herself.

Begrudgingly, the Mercenary made her way towards the door. An audible grunt coming from her as she made short, labored strides out onto the street. It was in this time that thoughts began to bubble up. Being held by this guy she'd only just met, it didn't feel embarrassing as she thought it might. In fact, not that Tibera would ever admit it, she kind of liked it. It was a feeling of safety and comradery that the Mercenary rarely allowed themselves to indulge in.

"So this must be a regular thing for you eh Jedi? Saving damsels in distress?" A laugh could be heard just over the sounds of the polluted rain. Tibera was a good many things, but calling her a damsel was a stretch. Such a delicate term fit her as well as most off the rack clothes did, which was to say badly. "All the blowing smoke aside Aymeric, you're a good one. Most blokes I know would have left me in the gutter, after they took anything on me that shines."

Just what the hell was going on tonight? Everything seemed wrong for some reason. Tibera couldn't wrap her head around what she was feeling, or what she was doing. Whatever was going on, it meant another rough night in the books. Her idea was that no matter how bad a job was, as long as she survived, she'd keep going. Tonight was just the weirdest one she'd had in a long time. But maybe all of this was for the best? Hell if she knew, one thing was for certain. Her suit and jacket were ruined now! Yes, that was definitely the worst thing about all this.

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

"You're the first in a long while, my lady." I chuckled at her jokes, retorting with my own. I don't usually do this, rescuing, healing, and escorting injured people. The nature of my specialization means that I mostly deal with dark side artifacts and spirits, and that means quite away from the majority of the galaxy's population. It entails a lot of things, that it's more serene most of the time, but also, that companionship doesn't come natural for me. The last person I was truly close to was my mother, and that was a complicated relationship and a half. To think that she died five years ago there, and find myself helping out a bleeding Tibera there years later. "I wasn't going to let anyone die on me again, in that very same spot." I told her as we walked through the cramped and humid alleyway, before quickly shifting the topic elsewhere, wanting to avoid questions about that statement. "Besides, that's not the way of Ashla. Greed doesn't bring anything but misery."

It didn't take long until we reached the elevator to reach the mid level of Coruscant. While being a Jedi is not the most glamorous job out there, it's enough to provide for a decent life, which includes renting an apartment in a nicer area of the ecumenopolis. It's still very far from the ones inhabited by the upper-class of Coruscant, but it's a much improved situation for me, growing up in the slums. Of course, the downside would be the long elevator ride from and to the low-level. That made me realize something when we entered the elevator. Tibera's bloody and torn-down suit and jacket. That would definitely raise some eyebrows in the area where I live. The last thing both of us want is for any meddling randos to call the law enforcement. Of course I could try to mind trick every single person we pass through, but that doesn't sound legal, and unless it's an emergency, I don't really want to break the code. There has to be a simpler solution. "You have something else to wear with you?" I asked just as we start the long and awkward elevator ride. I should've thought of this before we entered the elevator, but better late than never, I guess.
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

Aymeric Prendergast

His joke struck home with Tibera, eliciting a short laugh followed by a nagging pain in her side. Best medicine her ass, that one hurt! Though she didn't hate being rescued like this, there were some hints that her savior was new to the whole thing. He spoke about things as he carried her onward, things that she was keen to listen to. He had lost someone before, and at this very place, what were the odds of that? Tibera didn't want to pry, now wasn't the time for an emotional breakthrough. "You should try being greedy sometime Aymeric, pays a hell of a lot better I can tell you that."

Once collapsed down on the elevator floor Tibera gave a huff, before looking down at her garments. Yeah, it would probably be a good idea to get a change of clothes, lest she end up in one of the many jails on Coruscant. Getting to some new clothing wasn't going to be that hard, just time consuming. "I've got some extra clothes in a rented speeder, that should do for now." So long as nothing else went wrong they should be in the clear. Maybe finding a random speeder in the biggest city in the galaxy was a slightly larger task than she made it out to be.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find, just a floor or two up above us I think. Too bad this whole city is one big maze, don't know how people stand it." The city-world was a maddening place at the best of times, moving through it like this made it even worse. Eventually the elevator reached the desired level, where Tibera would begrudgingly stand up. Her teeth were gritted together so hard she was afraid she'd chip one, the sooner this night was over the better. "Hopefully the speeder hasn't been picked clean while I was gone..."

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

Tibera did raise a thoughtful question. "You don't stand Coruscant, you just force yourself to stomach it. This city is the epitome of the bitter reality of life." People stay in spite of the condition, from the poorest to the richest. Whether because they are literally trapped in the city, or because living here provides the best avenue to maintain their position. Even the richest of Coruscant lives an empty life. It was a quite distracting question, enough for me not to realize when she punched the floor where her speeder was parked without consulting me.

I quickly put my arm around her as she tried to help herself standing up, using my shoulder to help her walk and my hand to cover some of the holes on her suit. She was gritting her teeth, the force did help in patching her up, but she was still fundamentally injured. Scanning the street of Coruscant as we walked out of the elevator, we were quickly greeted by the bustling sideways, full of people, street vendors, and parking speeders. "You sure you can find that speeder of yours?" I asked her in a teasing tone. There are possibly hundreds of rented speeders here, and that's if it hasn't been stolen. Coruscant isn't known as the capital city of crime for no reason.

"It might be more handy to buy a new pair, makes changing easier too. You don't want to change in a random alley here, trust me, and I'd much rather not slice some random creeps or perverts, it's too much paperwork." I grew up in the slums, I know how people are. Not to mention the dirty pavements, moldy walls, and stray animals. Tibera is a mercenary anyway, she should be able to afford most clothings on this level. It would also be interesting what type of clothes she'll be going for outside of work. Or if she's sticking to something similar.

"Your call."
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

Aymeric Prendergast

Aymeric's comment about slicing creeps was actually doing a lot to sway the Merc into changing course. Sure, they'd have to be an especially desperate sort of low-life to go after someone who looked like Tibera, but such people did exist. Never know what sort of gross things you find on the lower levels, better to not chance these things. A fresh set of threads would do her some good anyway, if she could find any that fit.

"Right, wouldn't want you to have to whip that saber of yours out. I can't imagine it's easy to justify those kinds of things to your order."

Tibera wondered what the paperwork for Jedi kills were like, for her it really depended on the employer. The Jedi Order was certainly more strict that ganger bosses were. Thoughts like these distracted her mind, which was actually helping her get down the street. Eventually one of the boutiques caught her eye, it was a rare moment of femininity for the more masculine mercenary. She gave a grin before excitedly charging into the clothing store. Even with a fresh stab wound there was time for some clothes shopping!

Once inside she got a few strange looks from her fellow shoppers, thankfully the store was only seeing very light traffic right now. Everything was coming up Jessen's way apparently! As a matter of course she began looking through the various clothes on offer, price not really being a factor for her. She was still living off the stock of credits from a few jobs ago, a big contract with the Final Dawn. Probably best to not mention that name too loudly, not on Coruscant anyway.

"Ya know some of these dresses would look alright on me, if I didn't have such wide damned shoulders. Guess it's all the better, not like I go to a lot of parties anyway."

Not a lot of time for partying in-between jobs unfortunately. Deep down though, that was the sort of life Tibera wouldn't mind trying out. It seemed so nice in holovids and in books. After some time passed she had finally settled on an outfit. A tight fitting black shirt and pants set, with a red leather vest. In the changing room she moved her arms around a few ways, being mindful of her side. Yeah, this was a lot more comfortable than a suit!

"Just gotta pay for all this," She wasn't looking forward to this, these duds looked expensive. But they were technically a business expense! "Just charge these to the credit account of M. Sularen."

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

The clothing store that she chose happened to be a quite luxurious one. She has credits, as I predicted earlier. The excited grin she flashed makes me think if she doesn't usually have the time to visit such establishment.

Going through the boutique shop's collections, I noticed that she lingered around the dress sections for a while, before making her way to a different aisle. "Ehh, don't sell yourself short like that, some people prefer strong features on women." I gave her a reassuring word. While I have to admit that Tibera is not the most attractive women at first sight, I can't deny that there is something in her that intrigued me. Perhaps it's the relentless attitude and the dry humor, or maybe I slowly grow attraction in said strong features. She does look like an olympian, after all. "Those one-shouldered dresses might look great on you, don't want to give it a try?" I told her, taking it off the rack for her to see.

When she came out of the changing room with her new outfit, I gave her figure a quick glance. The red vest is surely a choice. It isn't bad, though I can't help but pictured her in the black one-shouldered dress I spotted earlier. "Hmmm… Chic." I commented as she's making her way towards the cashier.

The name that she mentioned caused my ears to perk up and piqued my interest. Could that really be that Sularen that used to be a senator of the GA, before defecting to the Maw? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was him. Tibera seems like a high-profile mercenary that a man such as Sularen would work for, perhaps in a previous job? There is a small probability of her lying about working for a local slumlord, but what proof do I have? It's better to just stay calm, and learn slowly of the nature of her agreement with him, and, if possible, find out where the guy has been hiding after the war.

Walking outside the boutique shop, we geared towards the elevator once again, another long elevator ride waiting. "Alright, we going up? Or are we going to party?" I teased her, flashing a mischevious smile.
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

"You know, that's not a bad idea, I don't have too many dresses. One that fits just right might be kind of fun." Besides, it wasn't like the creds were coming out of her own pocket. The Merc had a direct line of credit and planned on using it. Maybe she'd have to double back here to grab that dress, a little surprise for the guy risking his neck for her. It was only after she left the shop that she remembered her original plan. Finish the mission, to hell with that, nothing about that job was worth finishing. What she needed now was a good rest and probably a shower.

Tibera walked with Aymeric towards the elevators again, finally she felt like walking with her head up again. "To your place for the night, I could use the shut eye. It's been a few days since I slept in a safe spot. Won't even need my blaster under my pillow." The burly woman gave a wink to her would be guardian. She could see this Jedi wasn't anything like she'd been lead to believe. For one thing he had a sense of humor, and for another there was a clear spark to those dark colored eyes.

There was more to think about, and a lot of it confused her. Everything from the last few hours was a fast paced blur in her mind, a collage of disconnected images. Once in the elevator she felt like decompressing, she wanted to scream, cry, and flail herself around all at once. That wouldn't do, especially not with a Jedi present. Instead she'd do what she always did, tamp down all of those strong emotions and hope they didn't bubble up later. It was enough to make her stomach sick.

"Chin up kid...just like always..." She said quietly to herself as she looked out onto the wide open cityscape. All of the neon light almost made Coruscant look beautiful, it would help if she didn't know what the blinding lights were hiding. It was times like that which almost made her yearn for the comparatively simplistic lifestyle that she had before striking out on her own. Sure, her parents weren't making anyone's top ten for love and compassion, but they were still there for her in their own strange way. In a place like Coruscant it plainly sucked to be alone. Then, she looked over to Aymeric...maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought after all.

Aymeric Prendergast

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: x
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

I raised my eyebrows at her statement, noticing the playful wink that she threw in. "Hmmm, already feeling safe and secure are we?" I replied in a hushed tone, leading her into the elevator.

The rest of the elevator ride was comparatively quiet. Tibera muttered a word to herself. Chin up kid… just like always… Studying the curves of her face, I wonder what's really in her mind. Her mission going kaput, or is there something else? The senseless cycle of violence perpetrated in this ecumenopolis? Or just the underlying feeling of a lonely merc, the very same loneliness that infested most people in the galaxy.

Not wanting to make assumptions, I left the questions unasked. If I meant to know, I will know. Instead, I gave her a soft smile from across the elevator when I noticed her stealing glances at me, my gazing eyes inviting hers to mine.

There weren't any interruptions during the whole ride, and it didn't take long until we reached the level where my apartment is at. It's located just a minute from the elevator. Scanning my eyes and hand, the apartment door opens and I let her come in first.

"Welcome, Tibera." I walked in behind her, into a medium sized apartment. It was the small living room we were first greeted by, with a small kitchen on the right and a balcony on the left. Walking past the living room, I opened the door to my bedroom, a medium sized room with a queen size bed, working station, and an extension to the bathroom and wardrobe area.

"That's the shower, make yourself home." I directed her towards the bathroom door, before slowly making my way back out of the bedroom. "I'll be in the living room, just call me if you need anything."
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

It was a pretty nice place for what it was, better than most places she stayed in. The only thing that she cared about was getting in the shower. She didn't even want to know how strong the smell of blood was coming off of her. She never got used to the copper-y stench no matter how many times she smelled it. While she waited for the water to warm up, Tibera inspected herself in the mirror. Her side had already closed and left nearly no scar, that Jedi healing worked better than expected. Too bad he couldn't do anything for some of the other burns and blemishes on her. Such was life.

Tibera spent a good thirty minutes in the shower, making sure she had thoroughly gotten all the filth of the day off. Maybe buying more than one set of clothes wouldn't have been a bad idea. At least something comfortable to sleep in. The shirt and pants would have to do for the night. Once out of the bathroom she made her way into the living room. After everything the bulky woman just collapsed herself on a chair and shut her eyes.

Silence filled the room for a while, as she looked out the window. While counting different colored speeders, thoughts formed in her mind like bubbling water. Questions and regrets were top of the pile, she had no answers though, it was seriously pissing her off. "It's a bunch of bantha bollocks... This working for crooks and scum just to live... Guess I can't complain though. this is what I've trained for. Once you're in the life you can't ever get out."

Decompressing, while healthy, was totally alien to Tibera. She didn't even know where to start with everything, she just blurted the first thing that came to mind. Maybe that was a good building block, or maybe it was just annoying. She was sure that Aymeric had his own troubles, possibly even worse than hers. "You must know what that's like, you Jedi have to fly around the galaxy putting out fires. No doubt you've seen your fair share of the evils of the galaxy..."

Aymeric Prendergast

 

[Aymeric Prendergast]

LUMP SUM
~fit it all, fit it in the doldrums~

OUTFIT: short & t-shirt
TAG: Tibera Jessen

​

CORUSCANT SLUM, CORUSCANT, CORUSCA SECTOR, CORE WORLDS

While Tibera was in the middle of her long and steamy shower, I had the chance to change into more comfortable clothes, smoke a cigarette joint on the balcony, and make my way back to the sofa. I did intend to sleep there after all, at least if that's what it takes to make her take the bed. She looked very rough earlier, and the wound didn't help either. She needs the rest way more than I do.

Not a long after I went back inside, Tibera walked out of the shower with the same set of clothes she walked in. Of course, she only bought one set of clothing earlier. She looks way better now, however, she did clean up nice. Seeing her flopping to a chair, I instinctively offered her the bed.

"You can take my room for the night, you need it more than I do."

She did start ranting through the circumstances of her life however, which I have to say, not ideal. If there is something I'm really bad at, it's talking out my mind and opinion. Yes, parts of my job obliged me to study scriptures and that includes discussing it with fellow Jedi. Yet it's all based on something concrete, while all this, opinions and feelings, they're subjective.

"Most of us are just dealing with the cards we've been handed. Such a cruel fate of the living." Shifting my gaze from the window back to Tibera, I answered with a vague enough answer, one that is easy to cop out of, and sound as neutral as possible. But there's an underlying feeling of relatableness in that statement too.

Still, I feel like it's too late for such a serious topic, not that any other time is preferable, and maybe a rest would do both of us good. Still, I give her an empathetic smile, looking at her out of the place outfit once again. With her formal wear bugging my mind, and thinking that it would be a good conversational change of pace, I offered her access to my wardrobe.

"You can borrow a t-shirt and shorts too if you want to, you know? That doesn't really look comfortable to sleep in."
​

​

 

[Tibera Jessen]

In truth it was a good idea to bring the conversation back to something as banal as her clothing or where she'd sleep. It took the wind out of her, figuratively speaking, and helped her collect herself mentally. Why the hell was she just opening up to a complete stranger anyway? She'd blame that one on the stress of getting a blade rammed into her. Regardless of where the thoughts came from, Aymeric helped her shake them off.

"Now that you mention it, sleeping in nice clothes like this would be a silly idea." It was good to be back to reality, instead of whatever downward spiral she'd been in. Something she'd only now noticed was just how infectious that calmness was that her new friend put on. It was strange how easy she felt talking to him, maybe because they had both seen some serious stuff in their lives. He didn't exude the holier than thou smugness she imagined the Order's Knights to have.

Tibera was quick to stand up after being offered a change of clothes. It would be rude to do otherwise she supposed, not that being rude usually mattered to her. She took a look through Aymeric's clothes and smirked. He seemed to have a simple way of things, no designer threads in here, aside from what she assumed were ceremonial garb. "Not touching those," she thought, taking a dark colored shirt and the closest matching color of shorts. Once changed the clothes were picked out, she returned to the bathroom to swap outfits. There was a bit of tightness around the legs, but beyond that the clothes were quite comfortable. Something to be said for casual wear.

"Right, now I can lay down and play dead for a few hours. You are a good sort Aymeric, not a lot of guys out there would be so polite." Tibera added as she sat herself down on the side of the bed. Now she was starting to feel heavy, and her body began to acknowledge it's need for sleep. Before she knew it she'd flopped back onto the mattress with a mild thud. Her hand reaching for her side as she did, still not used to that tender spot. "If the security guys show up looking for me, let em know they can arrest me after I have breakfast..." One last quip before she finally dozed off.

Aymeric Prendergast