Private Rest Your Head

[Aren D'Shade]

Great, just great...she had been discovered and had to abandon her home pretty much. Luckily, Aren had several safehouses. These were from her days as a Shadowrunner for Darkwire. Technically, she still was, but that network had been mostly silent for a while.

Teleporting outside one of them, she noticed right away it wasn't locked. That might not be anything bad, as a few others did know of these places. Taking one of her tools out of her bag just in case she needed it, she knocked on the door and opened it.

She wasn't brandishing the wrench but held it at her side. Not seeing anybody in the front area, she relaxed and just hoped it had been unlocked.

"Hello!?"

Moving in one more step, she closed the door behind her and locked it. She didn't want to be surprised by any unexpected visitors that might be tracking her. Though she felt it was too early for that to be an issue.

Drewick Tivak

 

[Drewick Tivak]

Drewick had been on his own for a very long time. He couldn’t remember a time where he was surrounded by others. It was for the best. At least that was what he always told himself. Getting attached got you hurt, especially when that person ends up getting hurt because of you.

He had discovered the safe house a while ago. Seemed abandoned at the time and he needed a place to stay for a while. Since no one was coming back to it, he made it his own. He couldn’t understand why people left good places unoccupied but it wasn’t his problem. If they didn’t want it, then it was his for the taking. That was just how it was.

When the knock came, Drewick pulled his blaster to his hand. He had no plans to use it however couldn’t be too careful, especially with strangers.

“Who goes there?” He started moving towards the source, rounding the corner to find a woman with a wrench in her hand. Was she the owner of this place or just someone like him, a traveler looking for somewhere to crash.

He looked her over again, taking mental note of her features. “Can I help you?”

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Noticing the blaster in his hand, her wrench wasn't going to do much good against that. Neither of them had their respective weapons raised, so that gave Aren a bit of hope that this wasn't going to turn violent. Holding one hand open, she dropped the wrench. It hit the carpeted floor with a solid thud, and her now empty hand joined the other.

"I'm Aren D'Shade, and this is one of my safehouses. How long have you been here?"

Making herself comfortable, she leaned against the locked door. This also kept him trapped without a way to escape. Unless he could also teleport like she could. If things did turn violent, she had tricks up her sleeve that she could use.

"Who are you?"

Asking him the same question, she was calm as she looked at the young man in her secret home.

Drewick Tivak

 

[Drewick Tivak]

When the woman dropped the wrench, he eyed her slowly before ultimately returning the blaster to the bedside table via the force. His guess was correct. She was indeed the owner…which meant he was in her space. “I’ve been here for a few months.” He folded his arms, watching her lean against the door. “You must be rolling in credits if this is only one of your places. At least enough to keep power running.”

When she inevitably asked who he was, his face remained neutral. “Drewick Tivak.” After a moment of eye contact, he turned and returned to the living room area of the safe house. “I’d say make yourself at home but doesn’t quite fit when you’re the owner.”

He sat on the couch, putting his foot up on the table. “So what brings you back to this safe house? On the run or simply in the area?” It wasn’t his business but it didn’t hurt to ask.

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

"I might be, but who knows? I don't pay for anything. All in the trick of technology and manipulating certain things."

Once he had disarmed himself, she stood up and moved into her kitchen. Pulling open the door of the fridge, she looked at the empty shelves and then at him.

"What's your choice of food and drink? I'm going to be staying here for a while, and it looks like you can use something more than rations bars."

Closing the door, she opened a cupboard and pulled out a mug to get some water. It was about the only thing this place currently had.

"Hiding out. I uh...ruffled some feathers."

Without going into any details, those might come eventually.

"Did you just need a bed and a place to stay?"

Drewick Tivak

 

[Drewick Tivak]

So it wasn’t that she was loaded. Just resourceful. That kept you alive. He could appreciate that. “Not bad.” He had a charming devil may care grin on his face.

Now introductions were out the way, she seem quite chill. Well as chill as one could be when they realize that a stranger started living in your property.

She pointed out that she’d be staying a while and asked what he cared to eat. It was a surprise that she wasn’t kicking him out for her own accommodations. Doubly so for her offering to prepare a meal. “Bantha burgers are nice. So are bantha steaks. As for beverages, not a big deal for me.”

The place was empty food wise. Drewick never knew if he’d have to abandon the place so he kept ration bars and if he needed a hearty meal, he’d stop at a cantina or something. Also didn’t help that he was a terrible cook.

Turned out she was on the run from something or someone. “Guess they didn’t take too kindly to that.” He turned to face her.

She had asked if he just needed a place to stay. “Yeah. I don’t usually stay in one place for an extensive period of time. Can sometimes attract problems. Though, here’s been quite calm and quiet so I guess I’ve been hanging around longer than I usually would.”
Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren tapped a few controls on her datapad, sending the shopping list off to be delivered. A short while later, EL appeared in the flat, her humanoid form moving with smooth precision, a crate of ingredients balanced effortlessly in her arms.

"Shall I prepare the meal?" EL asked, her voice smooth and feminine, carrying that faint undercurrent of dry amusement she'd somehow picked up from her owner.

"Yes, burgers," Aren said, leaning back against the counter. "Bantha style. Nothing fancy, get them done."

EL moved toward the compact galley, motions fluid and deliberate as she began unpacking supplies. The sizzle of meat hit the small grill, followed by the warm scent of toasted buns and spiced sauce. Within minutes, the air was thick with the promise of real food—something that didn't come vacuum-sealed or taste like recycled air.

Aren shot him a glance, a smirk tugging at her mouth. "Don't get used to this. EL only cooks for guests if they're entertaining enough. And don't even think about complaining—she remembers."

"I do," EL replied evenly without turning around, sliding a perfectly cooked patty onto a bun.

The droid plated the burgers with impeccable presentation and set them on the table with quiet grace. Aren folded her arms. "There you go. Survive the meal without insulting her culinary skills, and maybe I won't throw you out after all."

EL paused beside the counter, head tilting just slightly as her optical sensors flicked toward him. "I would recommend doing so," she added lightly. "The last guest didn't take criticism well either."

Aren chuckled. "See? She's already warming up to you."

Drewick Tivak

 

[Drewick Tivak]

Drewick was a bit stunned when EL entered the room. That wasn't something he had expected. A droid with groceries? Offering to prepare the meal? When Aren had asked him what he wanted to eat, he figured she would be the one doing the food. Was she unable to make something edible too?

When the droid moved off to make the meal, a small smirk flashed on his face. Aren told him not to get used to the droid making the meals and the reason cracked him up. "So what, you walk around with a service droid all the time? How do you do that when you're on the run?"

He took a bite of the served bantha burger and nodded. "Not bad..." He started before abruptly changing his answer. "Actually, pretty great. Haven't had something this good in forever." He looked over at EL and then to Aren. "So what happened to the last guest?" He was absolutely curious.

After a few moments of quiet in which he focused on the meal, he glanced over. "So...what do you like to do when you're not on the run and meeting strangers in your safe houses?"
Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren leaned back in her chair, arms loosely crossed, her gaze steady but a faint lift at the corner of her mouth hinting at amusement.

"Running from someone, running to somewhere—it doesn't leave much time for hobbies," she said evenly, glancing at EL as the droid moved efficiently around the kitchen. "I have a droid that keeps me fed, and I make sure my equipment stays in working order. It's not glamorous, but it keeps me occupied."

Her brow lifted in genuine surprise, her tone sharpening slightly with mock indignation. "Parties?" she said, voice flat but incredulous. "EL… you've been having parties without me?" She shook her head, letting out a soft, dry laugh. "I can't believe you'd let someone else enjoy my safe house before I even got the chance."

A small smile softened her expression, just enough to let him see it. "Guess I should thank you for being my first real guest," she added, voice low, teasing but sincere. Her eyes lingered on him for a beat longer, and then she tipped her head slightly, a playful edge threading through her words.

For a moment, she let herself quietly savor the unusual feeling—a small spark of warmth that had nothing to do with duty, nothing to do with work, but everything to do with him being here, in her space, right now.

Drewick Tivak

 

[Drewick Tivak]

Drewick took a bite out of his meal as Aren answered his question about her hobbies while not being on the run. Turned out she didn't really have any. There was no time for it. Not with keeping her equipment working and surviving. "How'd you meet the droid?" He glanced over at EL and then back at Aren. She wasn't rolling in credits. Did she help build the droid or maybe it was a case where she helped out EL and the droid felt indebted to her?

He chuckled at the interaction between the two over company and parties. The smile on her face told him just how comfortable and relaxed she was. While he felt he could be just as relaxed, a part of him would still be guarded. It wasn't wise to let your guard down. That was a lesson he learned the hard way during his childhood. She thanked him for being her first guest which got a nod and a smirk out of him. "You're welcome. So...do I win a prize?"

He looked down at his plate to realize that he had already finished his bantha burger. Setting the plate on the table to the side, he twisted his body to face Aren more directly. "How long do you figure we will be safe here before those chasing you find us?"

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren didn't miss the way Drewick watched her, quietly testing the shape of her answers the way cautious people always did. She wiped sauce from her thumb with the back of her hand and leaned back slightly in her chair, expression flat but voice carrying its usual dry edge.

"EL? I built her," she said, jerking her chin toward the droid. "Piece by piece. Junk lots, old research scraps, black-market processors, half-fried motivators—whatever I could get my hands on." She took another sip from her drink. "Stabilizing her core programming was easy. Getting her personality suite to stop crashing every time she tried sarcasm? That took years."

EL, sitting primly at the counter with a datapad, looked up.

"I do not crash," she said with offended dignity. "Your calibration settings were simply inefficient, Aren."

Aren snorted under her breath. "See? Monster."

When Drewick asked about prizes, Aren lifted a brow, meeting his smirk with an unimpressed stare that still managed to carry the faintest spark of amusement.

"Your prize," she said evenly, "is me not shoving you out the door and calling the authorities." She tapped a finger against her cup, deadpan. "Not that I'd do that. Last thing I need is local law sniffing around a fugitive's apartment."

She shifted forward, forearms braced against her knees, the humor fading into a clearer, more grounded honesty.

"As for how long we're safe? They shouldn't find us. Everything here is clean. No network leaks, no comm drift, no traceable signatures. You'd need someone very determined — and very stupid — to track me through all that."

A beat.

"But I'm not staying long." She said it as if it were a law of physics, not a personal truth. "Safe houses are temporary. Always have been. You don't settle in, you don't get comfortable — you rest, repair, reload, and move before anyone realizes you were here."

She finally looked back at him thoroughly, brown eyes steady and unflinching.

"If you've got a problem with short-term safety," she said, the corner of her mouth lifting just barely, "then congratulations. That's your prize too."

EL glanced between them and added helpfully, "For the record, statistically speaking, this residence is currently the safest location within a twelve-kilometer radius."

Aren shot her a look.

EL shrugged. "What? You built me to be accurate."

Drewick Tivak