Private Sanguine Woes [ Tessa ]

[Jonah]

The Warmaster was...shaken.

The holodisk in his dominant hand slowly went silent. The azure projection it once bore now gone, leaving only the silence of Mandalore's afternoon in its wake. For Jonah, the conversation that took place should have been routine. In fact, it was one of the first times in recent memory that he had felt truly heard regarding his hardline opinions. But what came as a result of that conversation? What Jonah had been asked to do? It...It didn't sound like his brother was on the other line.

That wasn't to say that Aether had been compromised by any means. But the man was changing. Growing up, Aether had been the gentlest soul among his siblings. He wanted to be a strong Mandalorian to make his father proud and to bring honor to their family. But he wasn't the sort to revel or seek out blood. Hell, he was just as likely to talk through an ordeal than let it go to violence. That much had been reflected in how his Empire had been run thus far. He was a patient ruler. He didn't immediately jump to raids and invasions.

And that is why this request didn't sit right with Jonah. It was so different that it worried him. It worried him so much that he wasn't truly present, despite where he sat. The Warmaster was seated at a cafe, in a quiet corner overlooking Sundari proper. Beneath him, the hum of airspeeders filled the air - but even that he couldn't truly hear. He had come here to wait for a friend...wasthateventherightword...so that they could finally spend some time together.

And now? He didn't even look at the menu, let alone notice when she had came into view. Right now, his mind was on what the hell was happening to his little brother. And if there was anything he could do to stop it.

Tag: Tessa Monroe

 

[Tessa Monroe]

Tessa weaved through the people to get into the cafe, muttering her apologies. She was late, courtesy of her mother who was absolutely punishing her for bailing on her little family gathering. The old war droid she'd had her working on was definitely smile and in need of a reprogramme but no. She had to repair it and leave its personality chip alone. Whatever. At least she wasn't making her spar.

She caught herself in a window reflection and cursed, stopping to run he fingers though her hair and scooping it into a loose pony tail, curling a the few loose strands around her finger and using the sleeve of her top unsuccessfully to rub a grease stain from her cheek before giving up. It really could be worse.

Slipping through the door of the café she was greeted by the low hum of conversation and the rich smell of caff, Jonah was in a corner, his gaze elsewhere as she slipped into the booth opposite him. "Sorry I'm late. Got caught up fixing my buir's old basilisk as recompense for bailing on her. Who knew that chores was a thing in your thirties."

Jonah didn't answer, didn't even seem to notice her. Concern flickered across her face, before taking in the full stock of his stance, holodisk in his hand eyes wide but vacant...like he'd seen a ghost. Gently, Tessa reached over the table and placed a hand over his.

"Hey." she said softly. "What's wrong?"

Jonah

​

 

[Jonah]

At first, her voice melded with the background.

Jonah's thoughts were on the plans that had been laid. Of the blood that would be shed in the name of Mandalorian Supremacy. He knew that his brother was trying to walk a fine line between honoring the desires of the Clans and ensuring Mandalorian survival. And while, months prior, Jonah had been the voice urging for Aether to be more aggressive...this was too much.

It wasn't until he felt a warm hand upon his own that Jonah was snapped out of his thoughts. He blinked and saw Tessa before him, seated across from him in the booth. Her expression was that of concern and Jonah cleared his throat. He leaned across the table, placing his lips upon her brow, before sitting back down.

"Sorry, work's been a lot lately. Got a lot on my mind." he shrugged lightly before motioning to her. "Comes with the territory, though. How are you?"

Tag: Tessa Monroe

 

[Tessa Monroe]

A small smile pulled at her lips when he leaned across the booth to place a kiss on her forehead and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze in response, though the concern didn't quite fade as he attempted to brush whatever was bothering him under the rug. She offered a small shrug in reponse to his question. "I'm okay, enduring familial crap because some hills aren't worth dying on."

Her gaze slid from him as a waitress came by with two mugs of caff, letting them know if they needed anything to flag her down, all the while she spoke, Tessa ran a thumb gently over Jonah's knuckles. Sharp blue eyes slid back to Jonah. Hadn't he given up the title of Warmaster? So what was it that was pulling him into such dark depths. This was too open a place to ask him outright.

"Boss doubled your shifts?" she asked. "Is there anything I can do to lighten the load?"

Jonah

​

 

[Jonah]

"I love how we both wear the same helmet, different colors."

His response came with a chuckle. Enduring family crap seemed to be the flavor of the week thus far. Jonah then watched as the waitress came by and deposited a pair of mugs before them. The Warmaster gave a grateful nod and brought one of the mugs to his lips. As for his offhand...

He felt her touch...and for the first time felt warmth. It was enough that his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

As for her question, Jonah eventually lifted his gaze to meet hers. And it was then that the floodgates opened.

"Our boss is finally listening to me...but y'know when you get what you want and it's not what you expected? Yeah. Living that right now." He sighed, adjusting his hand so that his fingers now held her own.

"What I know is that he's doing the right thing. But doing it means peace won't be a thing for me. The fight's not done...and I had been telling myself when it's quiet, then I'll. Y'know?"

His fingers gave hers a squeeze.

"Wanna help me out? Tell me what you're hoping for. Out of me. Out of this."

Because at the rate of things now, beating around the bush wasn't in the cards for him. Peace wasn't in the cards. There would never be the "right" time moving forward - so why not now?

Tag: Tessa Monroe

 

[Tessa Monroe]

Tess's free hand wrapped around the mug, warmth seeping through the ceramic into her fingers and palm as she drew it towards her but didn't drink, thumb still tracing soft lines along his, even as he adjusted his hand gently to hold hers, the slight drop in his shoulders had not gone unnoticed.

She brought the mug to her lips, taking a small sip as he spoke, listening carefully, wondering what it was the Aether had asked him to do, a faint frown creasing her forehead as her eyes dropped to set the mug back down.

His question brought her gaze back up, eyes widening slightly as her thumb stopped, tension creeping into her shoulders as he unintentionally sat her in the firing line for something she was absolutely not ready to answer.

“Jonah…” she began, though she really had no idea where to go with it.

She took a small breath and she studied his face. She had asked what she could do to lighten the load, but she had absolutely not expected that to lead here. Truth be told she hadn’t given the future much thought, she spent so much of her time living in the now.

Her eyes dropped and she let out a quiet nervous laugh, forcing the tension out of her shoulders as she shifted in her seat.

“Peace and quiet isn’t exactly in our namesake.” she said finally, lifting her gaze back at him. “I’ve never really been one to think or plan beyond the moment I’m in, so if you want honesty?”

Her thumb traced along his fingers again.

“I know that I enjoy your company, that you bring me joy. And in a galaxy that’s prone to going to shit without warning, I intend to grab that with both hands and enjoy it for as long as it lasts.”

Her head tilted slightly. “I don’t need anything else beyond that.”

Jonah

​

 

[Jonah]

Jonah...

The way she said his name placed a nugget of tension in his shoulders. Not that the Warmaster expected her to toss the fresh mug of caf into his face or anything absurd. It was just...well, he didn't know what he was expecting and his mind had now stepped into that lovely zone of overthinking a tad. He held his peace regardless, listening intently. Watching as she took a small breath and looked upon him.

The nervous laugh which fell from her lips wasn't lost on him either. What he had done was the definition of putting someone on the spot. And yet, he needed to know. There wouldn't be a better time, not if the present kept up the way it did. No golden peace on the horizon for him to finally say I did good, time to get a white picket fence.

So if that wasn't in the cards then...Leap, right?

Soon, her eyes met his own again and she began to answer. And as she spoke, her touch found his fingers again. His shoulders relaxed and the words he said felt easy to say.

"That is such a you way of putting it," he began, "but you're right. I don't see a beach vacation in our future anytime soon."

It was then that his freehand abandoned the mug and he took her hand with both of his own. The gesture was intentional.

"I can live with that. And I'll be honest, what I want out of this is real simple: you. Doesn't matter what crazy ass twists this life takes, right now, when I have a second to breathe? I want to come back to you."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze with both of his own. He grabbed what brought him joy with both hands and intended on enjoying it for as long as it lasts. His touch lingered for just a moment before he let go, found his mug, and took a swig.

Then, just to swing the mood in the right direction, a bemused question escaped him:

"Any dealbreakers I should know about? I solemnly swear not to watch a holoflick without you."

Tessa Monroe​

[/CENTER]

 

[Tessa Monroe]

Panic flared in her chest as he took her hand in both of his, her eyes wide searching his face as he spoke. It took every ounce of her self control not to pull away, and by manda did she want to, not because she didn’t like Jonah, but because his question and his statement set expectations where there had been none before and suddenly the possibility of this becoming something more than two people enjoying each others company sat like a heavy weight between them.

Then he let go and Tessa slid both her hands back to her mug, pressing them both against the hot porcelain in the hopes the burn would give her something else to focus on besides the sudden desire to find an excuse to get away.

It wasn’t fair to Jonah, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. Besides, was it so bad that someone wanted to stick around?

Her eyes had slid to the table when Jonah’s lighter question swept over her, pulling her bright blue gaze back towards him.

“Don’t spring ‘where is this going’ questions on me in the middle of a cafe without some forewarning”

The response came out of her mouth before she could stop it.

Jonah

​

 

[Jonah]

CAFE, MANDALORE

The Warmaster watched the woman before him.

Though they had been doing this only for a brief span of time in the grand scheme of things, he picked up a thing or two. He could tell when she didn't like something she was eating or if she wanted what was on his plate. He could definitely tell whenever she was uncomfortable - their time dealing with enclosed spaces gave him a thorough education on that front. And similar to being crammed into a tight space aboard an Imperial ship, the smuggler was doing her absolute best to not let her skin crawl. Jonah could tell, it was all in how she willingly clutched the hot mug for dear life.

He shook his head.

His lips twitched.

Then he laughed.

The words she said in response were more than fair. Though he was dealing with the existential crisis of future wars, she just had a mountain of her own dropped on her lap. Jonah spared a thought about how he'd react if the boot was on the other foot and...yeah, he got it. If all was well on his end and she said what he did? He'd clutch his mug for dear life too.

Her "deal breaker" only cemented this fact. So, Jonah leaned back in his seat, hands raised in mock surrender.

"I will give you 3-5 business years' worth of notice before dropping something like that on you, ever again."

He then placed his hands on the table, folded neatly, as if he was in trouble in school and she was the principal deciding his fate.

"I can arrange another greasy burger as a heartfelt apology, if you're willing to forgive me. Two if you still let me spend time with you."​

Tessa Monroe​

 

[Tessa Monroe]

His laugh cut through her panic, her eyes narrowed at him.

“Don’t laugh.” she hissed at him through gritted teeth before leaning back in her seat, shaking her head and lifting her mug to her lips, before setting it back down on the table and passing a hand over her eyes before letting her cheek rest on her palm, staring at his ridiculous posture as he awaited his punishment.

Her own laughter bubbled up the tension in her breaking, as she buried her whole face in her hands and groaned into them before sitting up straight again shaking her head.

“Burger isn’t gonna cut it.” She picked up the caff mug before setting that back down too. That wasn’t cutting it anymore either, beneath the table her leg bounced, a small outlet for the fight or flight energy that had built up that now had nowhere to go.

Her eyes flicked over him, like she was reassessing him before a smile settled fully into place something dangerous glinting in her eyes as she met his gaze.

“Come on,” she said, punching herself to her feet. “Go pay for our caff, we’re going.”

Tessa didn’t tell him where, or what she had planned and she had no intention of doing so.

Jonah

​

 

[Jonah]

Don't laugh.

The hiss of Tessa's voice was much akin to a mother glaring at her child from the choir stand during a church service. It was the kind of glare that made an offending youth only want to laugh more, even though their life was now in mortal danger. As for Jonah, his lips immediately curled inward, as if he was attempting to restrain the largest laugh of all time. His nostrils flared for a moment as the woman composed herself...

And when she laughed, Jonah unleashed a horrendous pfft!

Suffice it to say a couple heads turned as they shared a decent laugh. However, amusement wouldn't absolve the Warmaster of his punishment. Oh no. That was only the calm before the storm. Jonah swallowed when she said a burger wasn't going to cut it...before telling him to pay for their beverages. She didn't say where they were going next. She didn't say what they would be doing. And suddenly, Jonah was glad that he had signed up for life insurance.

At least someone would benefit from his impending doom.

He, obediently, nodded before draining his own mug of caf and flagging down their waitress. With credits promptly exchanged, his full attention then returned to the woman before him.

"If wherever you're taking me results in my death, I do have it in my will that you get my ship. Please be gentle."

To him? To the ship? Yes.

Tag: Tessa Monroe

 

[Tessa Monroe]

Tessa would have been lying if she had said that his fear didn't bring her an iota of satisfaction. Her smile shifted into a smirk as she slid her eyes sideways towards him leading him out of the cafe before rolling them at his plea.

"You Verds are so dramatic." she retorted, "I'm not gonna kill you," she paused head tilting as if contemplating if that was the truth before shaking her head. "No." she confirmed finally. He was however going to hurt. She slipped her hand into his as she led him away from the bustling centre of the city towards the palace and the more prestigious residence close to it.

The Monroe Manor was set not to far from the palace proper, modest by most standards in Sundari but still boasting of quiet wealth accumulated over a century. The single storey with high ceilings and warm terracotta floors polished over years of use, the residence had three wings that wrapped around a broad square courtyard.

Had it been any other family would probably have held a delicate garden, supporting flowering shrubs and flowers to offer colour and a place of quiet respite. Instead, it was little more than hardpack earth worn smooth over years of use, weapon racks set at its edges holding practice blades, beskads and staffs. Small trees rested in large pots before each supporting column of the terrace that surrounded it, providing the only real decoration.

Tess released Jonah's hand, pausing for a moment at the courtyards edge before reaching to readjust her hair, pulling the loose ponytail into a tighter bun and kicking her boots off, turning the hem of her trousers up before stepping barefoot onto the cool hardpacked earth.

"Armour off." she instructed, hating in that moment how she sounded like her mother, before shaking it off and turning back to look at Jonah with a small smirk. "Unless of course, you are scared?"

Jonah

​

 

[Jonah]

You Verds are so dramatic.

Really? Really? The daughter of Mia-fucking-Monroe was calling his family dramatic? Her mother had more drama in her left pinkie than the entire Verd Clan put together! Now, did Jonah say this out loud? Absolutely not. He was already in the metaphorical doghouse and didn't want to escalate his consequences any further. However...He couldn't help it when his face scrunched in disbelief when she spoke. It was an immediate ooookay reaction, but he quickly fixed his face when she took his hand.

"Why do I get the feeling that what you've got planned is worse than death?" he asked as she led him through the heart of Mandalore. He didn't anticipate much of an answer as they navigated the streets and ended up at the Monroe Manor.

The Warmaster didn't much have an opinion on the decor of the residence. The Verd Estate on Mandalore was a sandstone-hued fortress in the middle of their homeworld's desert. Their secondary residence was cut into the side of a mountain. Tertiary was...also cut into the side of a mountain. Huh. Jonah realized as he crossed the threshold that his family had a tendency to like rocks close to home.

When Tessa released his hand, he watched her for a moment as she pulled her hair into a bun. Her boots were then off. She then demanded that he remove his armor. Jonah blinked. He didn't want to assume, but the excessively pretty woman in his life put her hair up and was telling him to remove his second skin. Was he being punished or rewarded?

Nonetheless he complied immediately. His beskar'gam was unstrapped and peeled away in a swift, disciplined manner as if he had done so a million times before. When he was reduced to his undershirt, pants, and boots, he even joined her in being barefoot a moment thereafter. Finally, feeling exposed, he shrugged. "Am I scared? Very. However, my Verd programming makes it impossible to tell pretty, blonde, barefoot Monroe women no."

He was as smooth as gravel, clearly.

Tag: Tessa Monroe

 

[Tessa Monroe]

Tessa watched each piece come away, surprised by his easy compliance. Had the shoe been on the other foot would she have been as quick to agree? Probably not. But then she'd spent half her lifetime playing a game of 'is this person going to try and kill me?' The answer was becoming no, more often these days but that didn't make the wariness fade, no matter how much she told herself trusted Jonah.

When he stepped barefoot onto the earth to join her, his comment pulled a smile from her face as she stepped neatly into his space, leaving little more than and inch between them as she looked up at him, her head tilted slightly. "You shouldn't tell me things like that, I might use it to my own advantage" she murmured.

For a few moments she just drank the image of him in before she tiptoed, a hand lifting to his chest to steady herself as she rose, eyes flicking briefly to his lips before she stopped herself, eyes level with his. Her fingers tightened slightly pressing against corded muscle of his chest as her mouth curved into a smile.

"Spar with me." she breathed.

Jonah

​

 

[Jonah]

The smuggler invaded his space like it belonged to her.

And frankly, with how they were "getting along" lately, his space was quickly becoming hers. There was a time when Jonah wouldn't have allowed anyone to step within arm's length of him; be it friend, family, client, or otherwise. Yet now? The blonde woman looked up at him with that smile of hers, with her head tilted like that, eyes looking like that? She could have asked him for his wallet and it would have been in her grasp immediately.

"If ever you decide to take advantage, just know, I'll never call for help. I'll be exactly where I want to be."

And then she moved. She tiptoed. Glided across the cool earth with her touch upon him. The Warmaster's mind may as well have turned to puddy in that moment as, when she leaned close, he instinctively leaned as well. But what he wanted? He didn't find. He found words instead. Spar? He blinked. Spar? He leaned back ever so slightly. Was this some kind of funky, Monroe-style foreplay?

His lips moved wordlessly for a second as he tried to formulate a response, but ultimately settled on:

"In public? I like it."

Clearly they were on completely different pages.

Right?

Tag: Tessa Monroe

 

[Tessa Monroe]

I'll never call for help. I'll be exactly where I want to be.

It was not the first time he had something like that, and just as before it sent a rush of heat through her. For a moment she considered giving in, closing the infinitesimal distance between them and giving him exactly what he wanted, what she wanted. Discipline was not something she had in droves, but she had just enough to hold her ground.

Barely.

His response drew a soft click of her tongue and an eye roll whose impact was lessened by the soft breathy laugh that escaped her.

"You're impossible." she replied, her fingers grasping the front of his undershirt as she pulled him the tiny distance, her lips crashing against his as her feet shifted, planting back on the floor before her lead leg moved to wrap around the back of Jonah's knee and that hand that that was tangled in his shirt released him and shoved hard, the combination intending to plant him on his backside on the ground.

Jonah

​