Private Notation From The Stars

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Yeah, well that's because Leviathan's the best ship in the Galaxy," he asserted with a nod, giving her a goofy grin as he did. "Nevermind the fact that I found her at the bottom of a scrapheap. Or, maybe do. That's why she's so special, she was abandoned too and now look at her!"

So maybe Arcturus had a thing for lost and broken things. Go figure.

She discussed being some sort of elementalist, naturist type and he nodded his head somewhat eagerly to that notion. "Yeah I can see it. It fits." In comparison Arcturus was... Well...

Frankly he didn't know. Esoteric Sorcerer was what he aimed for, but was that how he came across? Who knew. He was still young though, they both were, they had a lot of time to figure it all out.

Then she spoke about the dragons, and asked if he wanted to see them through her memories. His head tilted slightly to one side as he considered it, and then he grinned.

"Now that you've offered I'd be crazy not to try wouldn't I? Sure thing, come here love..."

He waited for her approach, then reached out with both hands to settle his fingertips to her temple. Not a necessary action, but one which would help them to focus on the task at hand he reckoned. Physical connection always seemed to heighten telepathy, he'd found. Whether that was all in his head remained to be seen.

@Ishani

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Hard to believe she ever spent time in a scrap heap. Who throws away a ship like that, as if it were junk?” Meanwhile Ishani had to buy Vixen, using up most of her savings, when she could’ve gone to a junkyard and found a beauty like Leviathan for free. She felt like a fool.

Arcturus was eager to try. Ishani was more nervous, but she leaned into his touch against her head, slowly relaxing as she focused on the memory she wanted to share…

She was fifteen years old, sitting on the porch with her grandmother Rhiannon. Grandma lived on an old farm—the sort of place that felt like a world unto itself. They were looking out at the front yard, when a shadow appeared across the ground. As they watched, the shadow grew larger, until it covered the land in a sudden darkness, blotting out the light of day.

“Is that—?” Ishani asked, her breath catching in anticipation.

“Migration’s started,” her grandmother confirmed. “Don’t go walking out in the open, but you can go and look up from the railing for a bit.”

Ishani stood and approached the edge of the porch. Her head canted back.

Dragons. There had to be hundreds of them, thousands even. As they flew across the sky, she saw tongues of orange flame dart out of their mouths, and felt the heat of their breath on her face even though they were high above her.

"We'll be lucky if they don’t burn down the fields this time," her grandmother said behind her, rocking gently on the porch swing.

“...Did you get it?” Ishani whispered to Arcturus in the present, her eyes closed. She felt a little tingly, as if something was happening, but she wasn’t sure if it was what they’d intended.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"I mean, she was pretty busted up" he confessed with something of a shrug. If not for Maliphant's financial support she'd never have even flown again, but these days you'd never know she'd spent even a second on Lotho Minor.

Ishani seemed a little apprehensive, worried, but Arcturus trusted in the process and in her enough that he carried on with it all the same. Settled his fingertips to her temples, and flowed the Force between them in order to access her mind.

It took a moment, but then Ishani began to recall the memory. It was hazy, not entirely focused, and obviously it wasn't 100% as it had happened on the day. There were biases and inaccuracies aplenty where memories were concerned. Nobody could ever truly remember the past for what it was.

And yet even so when the vision of the dragons crossed between their minds it took his breath away regardless. The face of her grandmother, the impression of the farm, and the great winged creatures, they cut through the uncertainty and were each a ray of brilliance through the graininess of the rest.

Direct memories may not have been reliable, but the subject matter often was.

"Yes... I see it."

And then it was over, and Ishani seemed a little drained. He pulled back, releasing his mind from hers, and pulled her into his lap to hold her gently.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

He confirmed that he could see her memory, and Ishani smiled, pleased. Then suddenly she was in his lap, with his arms about her. His touch was gentle.

“Arc…” She started to speak, but didn’t know how to articulate what she felt. Didn’t even know how to begin. She felt… disturbed, but in a good way. Moved. Was that his reaction, transmitted through the connection, or was it her own feelings with regards to being able to share something as personal as a memory with another being? With Arcturus…

Her love for him was deepening. It was a slow process, a shift from mere attraction into more of an emotional affair. He was no longer just her boyfriend or lover; he was her friend. Someone she trusted. She could share memories and secrets and things she had never told anyone, knowing it was safe to confide in him.

“I feel like I can tell you anything, and whatever I say will be all right with you,” she murmured, stroking his cheek. “And if you ever want to tell me something, whatever you say is all right with me.”

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Ishani began to speak, before falling silent for a time. He just held her there, without further action, pressed lovingly against his chest. She had shown him something intimate and deeply personal, and he wanted desperately to show her how much that meant to him; he didn't know how to, though. So holding her was the next best thing. At least, he thought it was.

He kissed the back of her head, and peered past her around the crystalline room with quiet satisfaction. No need to break the silence, no need to rush past it to the next thing.

And when Ishani finally spoke her words were soft, as was her touch.

Arcturus smiled.

"All of this is true," he stated, shifting her slightly in his lap so that he could look at her in the face. When had this transformed from something rushed and impassioned to a thing filled with tenderness and sweet nothings? It had certainly become something more than he'd ever thought possible. "I will always be here for you. This I promise."

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Trying to track the precise moment when she began to love him was a fruitless exercise. Had it been love at first sight? Reuniting with him on Ossus? Spilling her guts about not wanting to be a Sith anymore without him? Choosing to fight a Jedi Master for his sake? Giving him a birthday?

Now, here, in this very moment?

"I'll be there for you too," she replied, her tone fiercely ardent. She kissed him, his scent backed by the sweet smell of cake lingering in the air. Quite the heady perfume. "Or at least, I'll make sure you aren't starved for affection anymore," she murmured against his lips, before kissing him again. Bidding him come and take what he wanted with the teasing motions of her tongue.

They presumably sat there making out for quite some time before she pulled away. "Too bad we can't stay like this forever," she grumbled, trying to catch her breath—only to give him one last lingering kiss before dragging herself away, out of his lap and into the kitchen.

What was she supposed to be doing? Frosting a cake? She found a knife and got busy.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Starved for affection?

Was that how others saw him..?

Arcturus was slightly distracted by that thought, at least until she started to tease him with her lips. Then he shelved it for later, and brought one hand up to her cheek where it fit perfectly as ever. He lost himself in her for a while, until she shifted in his lap and begrudgingly removed herself so that she could go and tend to the cake.

He sat for a moment after, processing everything, and then rose up and padded after her. The crystalline material was cold against his feet.

When he came upon the galley he leaned against the doorframe and regarded her from afar, head tilted to one side.

"This seems like a whole lot of work" he remarked, of the baking process, "A long time before you get to actually eat what you made... And people do this regularly?"

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“I’m trying to make it look nice,” she replied. “I could just slather it on all sloppily, but then I don’t want you going ‘Ish, what is this mess?’ Not that it wouldn’t still taste good anyway. It’s a cake, after all…” She paused, looking up at him leaning against the doorway. “Are you just upset because you wanted more kisses from me?”

Starved for affection indeed.

“No, not regularly. Usually just on special occasions, like birthdays.” Finished, she licked leftover frosting off the knife, then went to rinse it, as if she and Arc weren’t the only people who would be eating the cake. “Look at it, it’s glorious!”

Time to set about utterly destroying it, piece by piece. She carved out a slice, then handed it to Arc on a plate. “Here you go.” For herself she took a much smaller slice, but topped it off with ice cream from the freezer—she really did have everything when it came to food. Sitting down at the table, she waited to eat, mainly out of curiosity. She wanted to see his reaction.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"I'll have you know, I'm not upset at all" he stated, finally pushing away from the doorframe to saunter over to her. He hovered, watching over her shoulder as she decorated the cake with icing. Reached a hand around and swiped a small amount of frosting from the edge of the knife once she was done, and dotted some against her nose.

Then he tried it for himself. Chocolatey. It was good.

She explained that they weren't made all that regularly, just special occasions. "That makes sense, then. I can see people putting in more effort if it's only every now and then.."

Still, a lot of work wasn't it?

He got to see the cake in its finished state for all of two seconds before she cut into it like a monster! His eyes widened, and then he chuckled. "And just like that, it's over..."

He took the plate and brought it over to the table she'd just sat at, settling down across from her. Then he used a fork to cut the end of it off, and took a bite. He murmured in approval, though after just a couple of bites he found that he was unable to eat much more.

"It's... So sweet" he said, wincing slightly. "I feel like my teeth are going to fall out."

All the same, he definitely felt as though it was something he could get used to if he wanted to.

"Delicious though, Ish. Where'd you learn to bake?"

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Oh yeah, r—” She blinked, slowly turning to stare at him, her mouth slightly agape. He was putting his finger in his mouth; she could feel the smear of chocolate on the tip of her nose.

She tried to dab his nose back, but since he was likely expecting retaliation, he might prove too fast for her. He’d been showing a much goofier side than usual ever since they left Korriban, and she was enjoying it, so she didn’t bother trying to stifle his playfulness. As long as he didn’t get any of it in her hair, that is…

He went wide-eyed and made a comment about her cutting into the cake almost immediately after she finished making it, which made her giggle—as did his complaining about the sweetness. “Just make sure that you brush your teeth before bed.”

It occurred to her then that they hadn’t even actually gone to bed since boarding the ship, and they’d been awake since that morning on Korriban. She checked her chrono and did a double take, swallowing a mouthful of cake and ice cream. “Uh… my mom,” she answered his question, then looked up at him with wide eyes, starting to crack up. “I didn’t realize how late it is. And here we are eating sugar… we’re gonna be up all night!”

Well, “night” was a relative term in space, but y’know. It being far past her bedtime certainly explained why she had randomly decided to bake a cake on a whim.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

The look on her face was utterly priceless. When she tried to get him back he reached out to snatch up her wrist, and redirected her hand back to herself in hopes of making her all the more messy with it. He grinned whether triumphant or not, feeling genuinely alive. Happy. Content.

All of the things.

"Psht, I always brush my teeth before bed" he told her, though maybe he'd pay extra close attention tonight. You know, on account of all the sugar. He took another bite, before lightly pushing the plate away. "Will the rest of this keep?" he inquired of the half a slice of cake still on his plate. It seemed a shame to waste it, after all.

She mentioned her mom had helped her learn, and Arcturus decided not to press the matter any more than that. They'd already discussed the woman enough lately, and each time she'd been mentioned Ishani ended up somber and quiet. Nope, that wouldn't do. Not tonight.

Everything was going so well after all.

Thankfully soon enough she was laughing, and he blinked at the sudden change. Not that he was about to complain of course.

"Is it really that late?" he inquired, then he grimaced. "Well... I mean... Seeing more of you is never a bad thing."

He stood up from the table and stretched, then glanced past her down the hallway toward where the bedroom lay. "Say. Do you have a holoprojector in there by chance?" he inquired, "I don't usually do this, but would you maybe want to watch something if so? We could cuddle in bed, exist without having to do too much? Who knows, maybe even with all the sugar we'll find a way to fall asleep."

He'd meant it innocently too; a night watching movies or shows? What wasn't to love.

Well, given that he'd never actively watched tv before, save for the one time with Micah, Arcturus didn't rightly know at all.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Yeah, it’ll keep if I cover it up. We’re gonna be stuck eating it for the next five days. Woo-woo, faster than light travel.” A chocolate-dabbed and giddy Ishani got up to put the cake away, then sauntered over to his chair as he spoke of seeing more of her. “Uh-huh. Say, have you ever seen me like this?”

She knelt on the floor in front of him, looking rather coyly up at him—before taking advantage of his leaning toward her curiously to finally get him back, smearing chocolate frosting right in his face. “Gotcha!”

"Say. Do you have a holoprojector in there by chance?"

Hopping up into his lap again, she smirked at him. “I do indeed.” There was a touch of unfamiliarity in the way he spoke that clued her in: the poor man had never watched the holo. Which wasn’t too much of a tragedy, given that most of what was on the holo was trashy entertainment, but still. Simple pleasures. “Sure. As long as we aren’t watching Sith+.”

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Five days?"

That was a quick journey, to be sure. He grinned though, that meant they'd soon be on Coruscant and Ishani could have her tattoo sorted. Last thing on their list of must-do's, before they had time to do whatever they wanted. Maybe he'd show her some of the spots Starlin had shown him, mostly food joints because lets be real some of the best food he'd eaten had been with the Rands.

Before he could comment more on it, she was sauntering over to him and then she knelt down before him and his eyes widened. Heart skipped a few beats. Colour rose within his cheeks. Oh, that was how it looked when someone knelt before you? Why was Ishani always so frustrated when he did it? It seemed like quite the nice view to hi--

She got him back.

As she went to pull her hand away Arcturus reached out and snatched it, then pulled her up to her feet for a kiss. "Rude" he mumbled against her lips. "Now I have to shower again."

Then she was in his lap, and he squirmed a little under her. All of her teasing had done a number on him. A shower indeed.

"What say you go find something nice to watch" he mumbled into her ear, "And I'll meet you in bed shortly?" As much as he didn't want to leave, he also didn't want to have a sticky face so a shower was necessary. He lifted her up, standing behind her, and leaned down to kiss the back of her head.

Then with a playful tap of her behind he slipped past her and made his way back to the refresher.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Kneeling before him seemed to have had quite the effect on Arc. Ishani could barely keep from giggling all the way through their chocolate-flavored kiss.

“You don’t have to shower again, goofball, you just have to wash your face,” she replied. “Besides, showering too much can dry out your skin, and we don’t want that…”

She got up, yelping a little when he tapped her rear. “I’m going to get you for that, too.”

Arc would find her lying on her stomach on the bed, having cleaned herself up. She had a toothbrush in her mouth and the holo-remote in her hand, her brow furrowed as she flicked through the channels and streaming services and Force knew what else. The Totally Real Adventures of Auteme? Cooking With Caltin? Sithier Things? Did she even have a Holoflix subscription anymore?...

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Wash just his face? Yeah, sure, Arcturus knew that was an option.. He also knew that if he didn't get his butt into a cold shower he'd be restless for the rest of the night. Damn woman, she knew how to tease him to be sure.

So he did precisely that, and put on the same clothes afterward because they were still fresh and brand new. If not for his wet hair Ishani might never have realized he'd showed at all.

When he stepped back into the bedroom he caught her lying there flicking through the various shows available to her. She didn't seem to have any idea of what to settle on, though. "That bad, huh?" he inquired, slipping onto the edge of the bed and staring at the holoscreen with her.

"Honestly, I don't mind what you choose. I'd be happy just to sit here with you. I just thought background noise would be nice?"

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

When Arc returned, wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing before but now with wet hair, she sighed. “Darn, I was hoping you’d come back wearing nothing but Blush. Oh well.”

Putting away her toothbrush, she shrugged. “Yeah, they give you all these options, so many that you can’t decide what to watch.”

But then what did it matter? It was bound to just become background noise. So she put on a random movie, rolled over on her back, and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. “You look very dashing with wet hair,” she murmured, her eyes wandering over his face, lit up by the glow of the holo screen.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"I look like a womp-rat who found their way into a moisture system" he lamented, with a shake of his head, chuckling despite himself. She'd put something random on and that suited him nicely. He fell back against the bed, and turned over to embrace her. His gaze strayed over to the holo-screen though, he was vaguely interested in what was showing after all.

Call it curiosity. The only other thing he'd ever seen were cartoons, and not even good ones either.

Joys of babysitting younger Sith.

Surprisingly, despite the sugar, he was in fact feeling rather tired. A culmination of the past few days, no doubt, it had been a long journey to reach this point hadn't it?

He kissed her cheek then murmured, closing his eyes for a moment. No doubt he wouldn't actually be allowed to fall asleep that easily, but by gosh were his eyes going to try regardless.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“The sexiest womp rat who ever lived, sure.”

The movie was admittedly a good one, though she had seen it many times before. Arc clearly had not. She spent most of her time watching him watch it, observing his reactions to scenes she practically had memorized.

She could sense how tired he was. It seemed to suddenly hit him, dragging down his eyelids. Ishani was pretty exhausted herself, and was content to just let sleep come. She felt him starting to relax, heard his breathing slow as they gradually drifted off…

… and before she knew it, five days had passed.

Arc was still asleep, as usual. She was curled up against his back, singing softly. “You’ve got the biggest heart, sometimes I think you’re just too good for me… Every day is Life Day, and every night is New Years’ Eve…”

She had the melody, but not all the lyrics. Humming to fill in the gaps, she picked up her datapad, checking their arrival estimation. Fifteen minutes. Should probably get up and start getting ready. Or maybe not…

Ugh, she should make him get a tattoo too. Right… there, on the back of his right shoulder. Her fingertips lightly traced circles there, as though plotting a design to be inked. She eventually gave this up, preferring to play connect the dots between his freckles with her lips.

Had they gotten anything of note done during those five days? Uh… well, she certainly hadn’t.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Sleep, eat, try to dabble with a project and ultimately fail, shower, curl up in bed with a holoflick, cake. More sleep. More cake.

It had been an interesting few days to say the least. The laziest of his entire existence, one might argue. He didn't mind though, it was nice to take time to relax. But by the time the fifth day rolled around he was admittedly feeling a little bit restless. Not too much, he couldn't ever be unhappy in Ishani's company, just enough that to stretch his legs would have been nice.

He awoke to the feeling of her lips along his back, and murmured softly in response. How long had she been awake?

What time was it exactly?

He slowly opened his eyes and shifted, moving onto his back and dragging her over to settle against his chest. "Morning, gorgeous" he mumbled, cracking open just one eye to peer at her. Yep, radiant as ever. "How long 'til we arrive?"

Truth be told he didn't much want to know the answer.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"Oh, just another five days." She smirked up at him. "Fifteen minutes. But I think that's quite... quite enough time for us..."

She disappeared under the blankets, only to pop up again. "Hey Arc, would you consider getting a tattoo as well? Not an imbued one, but just a regular tattoo?"

Did she want him to suffer the pain with her?... Okay, maybe a little. But she also thought it would look cool on him.

Arcturus Dinn​