Private Secret Colors

[Jenn Kryze]

Fall down, get back up, keep on fighting.

A simple creed to live by, but an inspirational one: Jenn found a certain comfort in the knowledge that death would be the only way to stop her absolute rampage. Not that she was in a hurry to meet her end, mind: she still had a lot of people to kick into an early grave, kicking and screaming. War was her existence, and she relished in that truth... and yet, she felt a yearning for companionship that all but ate away at her. Something that could not be attained with sheer force of will and judicious use of revolver rounds was beyond her- or so she thought. After all, she had befriended a Sith, a Dar'manda... and a Mandalorian she'd beaten up to the point of breaking his mechanical arm.

Said Sith was the reason why she stopped by Kalabesh III. The world was but a ball of sand at the best of times, covered in the ruins of a time long-forgotten by the Galaxy... the planet was a tomb. Still, Jenn had come to know of its location from a fellow Mandalorian, and told it was the best place to lie low and avoid unwanted eyes. She could see why Alina Tremiru would decide to hide on this barren world: few would find her there, and those who did would be unable to cause collateral damage.

So it was that she touched down on the surface, weapons at the ready as she proceeded towards the nav-point displayed on her helmet. Knowing the Sangnir, being prepared to deal with trouble was only fair.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina hadn't been on this world for long. A stop, one of many, as she made her way through the Empire's former space to find what Sith she could. Sith that needed a way out of that life, but didn't know where to run. It was often violent. Being in a corner with no hope made anyone violent. It's why she was here, on Kalabesh. The stop wasn't just a stop. A place to recoup, heal.

The Vampiress sat in a bar, sipping at a drink. A cocktail, though not of booze. Her body needed blood to heal. No one would notice the small amount she took as she walked by. A subtle prick of the neck, almost like a mosquito. She took a long sip of her drink, sighing happily. The wound she had healed. Ever so slowly. A hole in her side. A lightsaber wound. It wasn't a surprise, panic made anyone violent.

But the young acolyte was free of that. Free to find their own life. That Alina could take pride in.

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

''Still alive, I see.'' Jenn's voice was... well, it was warm, which was something to note, when it came to such a cold woman. For a moment, she simply stood before the Sangnir, taking the woman's dark majesty in, a hint of jealousy prickling at her mind. This effortless elegance and grace reminded her of that which she secretly longed for- something she could never become, to her deepest sorrow. Banishing such gloom, she sat down next to the reformed Sith, the aura of violence radiating from her strong enough to stop the bartender from asking what she wanted for a drink.

''It's good to see you, burc'ya. I was worried someone finally got around to taking care of business.''

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Mandalorian.

Jenn.

Alina raised a brow for a moment, looking towards Jenn Kryze as the woman approached. A soft smile formed as she dipped her head. "I see you suffer from much of the same. It's been some time, hasn't it?" There was a startling difference to the girl from before. The Vampiress still looked as young as ever, eternally stuck at the age of eighteen and no matter how she did up her hair, did her makeup, it showed. But the confidence she held. How she sat, how her posture demanded respect and attention.

For her, it was a sign that she wasn't letting herself be held back any longer.

"Someone will always try. I hope that's not why you're here, though."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

''I imagine it has'', admitted the Mandalorian with a shrug. ''Hard to keep counting the days.'' As ever, she was laconic warrior, struggling to find the proper words to express what she felt- or rather, what she wanted to communicate. After a moment of silent searching, she gave up, relying on the tried-and-true method of speaking her damn mind. It made her blunt, but honest to a fault: for better or worse.

''Stars forbid this, Alina! I'd have to know how to beat you first.'' The mirth in her voice was uncharacteristic- or, perhaps, this was simply how she behaved around what few friends she had. The tension bled away from her being, leaving the Mandalorian to turn her helmet-clad face towards the Sangnir, tapping two fingers over the front of her helmet.

''My siblings used this to... convey a smile, seeing how we are forbidden from removing our helmets.''

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina cracked a fanged grin. She didn't know Jenn Kryze so much to know that the mirthful tone was something new, but it none the less left joy in the Sangnir's heart to hear something similar in a friend. A brow did raise at the gesture, though the explanation made it so very clear. One of those, then? She turned in her seat to more properly face the Mandalorian, her grin ever present.

"Cute."

It wasn't a mocking tone in the slightest. It was already obvious Jenn had a better relations with her siblings than Alina could ever hope to. Ah well.

"What brings you here, though, Jenn? Is it just to see little ol' me?"

 

[Jenn Kryze]

That fanged grin left her... well, confused, admittedly. Ignoring the comfortably warmth spreading throughout her body, she quietly thanked the ancestors for the hallowed gift of this most holy of artefacts: a helmet! A helmet that hid the way her face twisted in a truly precious mix of confusion and... well, a touch of embarrassment. That sinful voice hardly made it easier for her to swallow it all down and resume their conversation!

So it was that she remained quiet for a little while, arms crossed over the counter and head turned towards the Sangnir... before she all but jumped up as she realized how long she had been staring at the woman. ''Is that so hard to believe? I have few friends, but I try and look out for them. And you-''

The warrior abruptly stopped, finger still raised upwards as if to make a point... and slowly lowered it back down.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Helmet or no, Alina could read Jenn Kryze like an open book. It was something she'd gotten used to after she first turned into what she is. The smell of blood, the pulse of a heartbeat. The Sangnir chuckled softly as she turned back to her drink, taking a long sip of the mixed blood that was so.. Bland. It was better fresh, and not mingled with countless others. But short of making her own thralls, this was the way it had to be.

Asides, ever since she bit Quinn Varanin it felt wrong to drink directly from anyone else.

"I appreciate the sentimentality. Actually, I think I could use your help, if you don't mind." Alina slowly lifted up her shirt, mostly wincing in the process. The hole that had been burned into her side was mostly closed. Mostly. If someone looked close enough they'd be able to see through her.

"I may or may not have made an enemy that may or may not of followed me here. Not the one that did this, though. Sweet kid. When you're stuck in the Sith and there looks like there's no way out, you fight tooth and claw to survive against anything that might be a threat. Including those that tell them they can get out. Their master though, that's.." Alina grimaced briefly before pulling down the shirt and taking a much longer drink of her blood cocktail.

"Pains really distracting, is all."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

The Mandalorian remained blissfully unaware of how easily Alina Tremiru could read the gentle flutter gracing her cheeks and the way her heart skip a beat, the flow of her blood requiring far more than beskar to hide from a Sangnir. ''I am not sentimental'', let out the girl in a breath, as if the motion made her... lesser. What she felt was well out of her grasp, and it terrified her: how could she even begin to handle something she had never experienced before? Something wild, beautiful and untamed?

When her friend lifted up her shirt, she cocked her head to the side, the maelstrom within her mind growing in intensity. It only made sense that the only woman to beat her in hand-to-hand combat was strong, of course; and yet, that knowledge somehow failed to prepare her for the perfection of the vampiric being's chiselled body. Still, taken aback as she was, the considerable damage inflicted to her was met with a nod, the warrior hesitantly drumming her fingers against the counter as the shirt was pulled back down.

''I'm... well, I know a few things, but I'm not a medic, Alina.''

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Pfffff. No, no no. I heal on my own, far faster than any medic of yours could. It just.. Hurts. A lot. And like I said, pain is distracting." Or power, if you believed the Sith. Not that Alina subscribed to that belief anymore. She gave Jenn Kryze a far weaker smile once the drink was done. The healing would start. That alone would turn her smile to a grimace as she leaned more against the counter. She'd always hated this part.

"I just.. If you had a safe place, I wouldn't mind being able to.. Ah.. Hide.."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Right.

Covering a wounded ex-Sith while she recovered from a grievous wound? That much, she could grasp- it was set firmly within her realm, her sphere of understanding. With but a nod, she looked towards the door leading out of the bar, fingers resting around the grip of her revolver. ''I don't have a safe place here, but I can make one.''

With that, she bade the Sangnir follow her with an encouraging tap against her shoulder, ready to raise her weapon and send whoever would dare try and come after them back to the darkness... and led the two of them out of the bar and into an adjacent building she'd noticed on the way in. Once upon a time, it must've served as a warehouse of sorts: considering the pitiful, nigh-deserted nature of the world, it was little else than another abandoned building.

Each and every room was secured by the Mandalorian, weapon now raised and ready to fire if she found anyone untoward hiding inside: once she confirmed the coast was clear, she made sure to secure the doors leading in and out, beckoning Alina Tremiru over so that she may sit onto a crate. Not as comfortable as a chair or a bed, but it was the best they could do.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"That.. Works too." There it was. She'd been delaying it with smaller sips of her blood wine, all with the intent of keeping her wits about her. Keeping herself from being too overwhelmed by the pain it brought. Agony. That's what she felt. Anyone would, having a hole in their side. Alina let her gaze drop, the confident posture dipping in turn. Jenn Kryze was immediately used as a crutch for the woman, her mind blurring as her body rapidly and painfully knitted itself back together. Not rapidly enough, though.

The Vampiress stumbled around like she was drunk, only able to stay on her feet because of the Mandalorian's aid. When they made it to the abandoned building, Alina leaned heavily in the doorway. Letting Jenn take care of exploring the building. Force knew just how much the other woman was helping. With a half chuckle half groan of pain she moved to sit on the crate once the all clear was given. Sit, which turned more into falling back as she gripped the healing wound.

"Ah.. This shit hurts.. How'r you feelin?" Alina snickered, doing her best to distract herself. Her glowing eyes shifted to the helmed warrior. "Find someone yet?"

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Jenn helped Alina along with one arm, her free hand holding the revolver as she escorted her to the warehouse: once she made sure that every last part of it was clear of any undesirables, she could focus on her friend, alarmed by how weak she'd become all of a sudden. Healing from such a wound couldn't be pleasant, and she found herself wondering if painkillers would even work on a being far beyond her comprehension. Shaking her head, she kept her weapon trained on the door leading into their little refuge, far too preoccupied to turn around and face the Sith... or at least, that's what she told herself.

Alina Tremiru 's words hit hard. In fact, she refused to answer at first, filled with a powerful sense of melancholy, a feeling of... emptiness.

''No. Not really. I don't- chit, I don't even know where to begin. How do even handle these things? What I want feels... so far divorced from what I am. What I was raised to be.''

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"That's.. Depressing as hell." Alina forced a laugh. Had to, really. It felt like she was being stabbed all over again. Worse than the initial. Burns were always the worst to heal. She curled up on herself, biting back any whimper of pain. Pride kept her from wanting to show weakness. To Jenn Kryze or anyone that might come inside after Alina in the first place. Showing weakness was a quick way to get killed.

"I was raised to be a trophy wife to someone my mom wanted to please. Sometimes it's better to follow what you are, not what others wanted you to be."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

A mirthless chuckle left the warrior's lips at such a comment, pained by the blunt reality of Alina Tremiru 's words. The Sangnir hardly needed to hide how painful the healing procedure went, seeing how the Mandalorian kept facing the door, weapon at the ready- taking her task of guarding her friend as seriously as any other duty imparted upon her. Sith or not, the woman had proven herself worthy of her consideration and her help, and so she jumped on the opportunity to repay her in kind.

''It's not so clear-cut for me, Alina. My mother... was a great woman. She loved me, even though I was not her own. All I am is a warrior, fated to die in defence of Mandalore and its people. I don't- I can't fathom being anything else. Anything more.''

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Was pretty clear cut for me. Get married off, be a trophy wife. Let them do whatever so my mother's connections could stay strong." Alina half snorted, half whimpered. The pain was hitting it's peak at this point, and even she couldn't hide the pain as it etched into her features. Everything hurt. Pain just coursed through her body as the hole knitted itself together. Her mind fogged over.

It took several minutes before the Vampiress actually spoke up again. When the writhing stopped, she let out a sigh and sat up. The pain was gone just as quick as it arrived, leaving her in a far more calmed state. "I slept around a lot. Did way more drugs. Drank even more. Just dulling the pain of a choice that wasn't mine. You're welcome to just sit there and accept it, but know that's your choice."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

''Alina'', interjected the Mandalorian as she finally turned towards her, the way she canted her head expressive enough that it conveyed her worry. ''You're my friend. You don't have to hide the pain with me.'' And with that, she turned right back around, weapon trained on that door, as if she expected someone to be stupid enough to run in there intending to harm a Mandalorian and a Sith. The thought filled her with an odd sense of curiosity- she had been raised in the belief that Force Users were the enemy, and yet... the most martial culture in the entire galaxy, combined with the sheer might of a Sith? Perhaps this was why her people had been blind enough to expose themselves to the Sith.

Of course, the Sangnir's words stayed with her, her mind trying to digest the information given to her- to take it into account, and further herself as a person... but it was hard. ''I suppose it is'', admitted the warrior with a nod. ''But, as you can imagine, turning my back on everything my people fought for is not an easy thing to envision.'' Turning around at that, she offered her hand to her friend, giving her an upnod. ''You alright?''

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Friend. Right. Alina let herself truly smile for a moment. Having friends wasn't something she was used to, for sure. Still, her smile faded after a moment as she listened to Jenn Kryze speak about her people. Quietly she slipped from the box she'd laid upon, stepping over to the armored warrior. "It's hard to get a read on you, given all the armor. But if 'my people did it so I should to' is your only reason, you should really rethink things. If I followed my families path I'd be manipulating the lives of others now. Literally. Alchemy is my families forte, that and sorcery. Continuing the First's great work."

Alina scoffed, her expression twisting to something of annoyance before she took control of it again. A much calmer smile formed once she had, instead reaching out to take Jenn's hand.

"I'm fine now. Just, find your reason. Find yourself."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

''That's the point'', admitted Jenn as she placed two fingers over the front of her helmet once more- the only way for her to convey to a friend that she was smiling. ''I can't deal with social interactions as easily as a normal person would. The beskar'gam... well, it helps. Hides me from their gaze, makes me feel less naked.'' Blissfully ignorant of how easily the Sangnir could read her heartbeat, she smiled from ear to ear, looking upon her friend with a pleasant mix of feelings. Awkward as she may be at times, it seemed she managed to wrestle the touch of attraction she felt for her, slamming it down into the back of her mind and transforming it into something more productive: she was proud of being able to call such a woman her friend, cherishing this growing bond they shared in spite of their radically different upbringings.

''It's not my only reason'', continued the girl as all mirth and happiness vanished from her mind. ''But my clan loved me, raised me in their ways, and fought for something that was just, something bright and glorious in this cold and selfish galaxy.'' Shaking her head, she remained calm in spite of Alina Tremiru 's words, knowing better than to antagonize a woman who had never shown her ill-will, even as she threatened to take her life. With her hand holding the Sangnir's, the other one came to hold her forearm- an odd and martial sort of handshake, honest and true. ''I will'', promised the Mandalorian gravely. ''Try to keep yourself out of danger. I know you won't listen -hell, I wouldn't- but I mean it. You are a singular soul, driven by motives far more noble than I thought possible from a Si- from one using the Force. Don't deprive the galaxy of this kindness.''

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Maybe that was the real difference. Where Alina's family hated her, Jenn Kryze 's loved her. She let out a sigh and nodded. The resign on her face changed to curiosity as Jenn grasped her arm with the other. Was this a kind of Mandalorian handshake? Seemed uncomfortable. None the less the woman grinned wide. "I make no such promises. I don't plan on dying, but I don't plan on backing off on my own plans. There's still lots of people to help."