Private Supply Run

[Yuri Maji]

The mutt's grin was met by a laugh from Yuri at her quip. "Safe to say Junkfort wasn't a win for ya." He quipped, taking a sip from his bottle. From the look of things, he was taking his drink easier than she was. They still had time, Christophsis was still a distance away and he wanted to learn a bit more from his companion.

She wasted no time in regaling him with some of the antics and adventures she got up to before leaving her home. A knowing laugh or grin escaped him as she elaborated on the details, a lot of it reminded him of his own troublesome choices he made until recently... and still made to this day. But as her stories continued, Yuri's grin began to waver as he mulled over her words. He was... shocked... by some of it. But what shocked him more was the fact that he felt this way to begin with. That her actions appalled him to some degree.

But no judgement would be cast.

How could he? He was no better than her. He was a Mandalorian, a literal killer trained from boyhood to wage war on the galaxy. The amount of people he killed over the years easily numbered in the dozens, most certainly more than that. Hundreds. Her actions paled in comparison to the destruction of the Wardog's son.

It begged another question that he couldn't answer.

Was he struggling to voice the question weighing heavy on his heart because she deserved better? Or was he scared to ask the question because she was him? Because she was just a mirror, a reflection of what could have been if he made slightly different choices. If stuff beyond his control just played out a little differently?

He could have lived the exact same life on Coruscant, if his biological mother just made a different choice on that fateful day. He could still have lived the same destructive lifestyle he was living just a few short years ago, if he didn't decide it was worth changing. To be better. His own life followed so closely to hers, the prospect terrified him.

But it also answered the question for him.

He was afraid to ask Vara a question he yearned to voice, not only because she was a mirror of himself... but also because she did deserve better. She didn't need another killer in her life, at least not one like him...

The smile had long since disappeared from his eyes as she concluded her story. "Silent breath, roaring fury." He muttered, his vacant gaze directed out of the viewport for a few long moments as he downed the last few sips of his bottle. He finally turned to look at her once more, rising with a hand gently gripping her shoulder. "I hope your soul can smile again, cuyan'ika." He spoke gently, lost in her crimson eyes for a moment.

The question will have to be buried with the other regrets.

"Scoot over, I'll take us down. Just pay attention to what's happening." He finally instructed, the gentleness in his eyes buried as he gestured to the co-pilot's seat.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

…She just had to go and ruin this.

The harpy was quick to sense the shift in the mood, how concern began to take hold of her friend’s features. She saw it in his eyes. He was left appalled by her recollection of her experiences from back home. Vara did not think this was going to be the reaction he got from the mutt.

..And that she couldn’t help but find it extremely weird.

He was a Mandalorian..! He had done so much more than her in his lifetime, and likely took more lives in a single year than she had her whole life up to this point.

So why the long face?

A small, annoyed growl ripped from her core, as she hurled a silent curse at herself for being responsible for this. This was not at all she pictured when she decided to talk of herself, her past, the craziest moments of her life so far…

But one thing was for certain.

She did not like to see him like this.

Not one bit.

Vara was about to voice her own concern along with her intrigue, unable to figure out the reason for this discomfort on her own, but before she could muster her courage to speak out, the fellow mutt beat her to the punch; his smile was long, long gone by now as he spoke.

"Silent breath, roaring fury." He muttered, his vacant gaze directed out of the viewport for a few long moments as he downed the last few sips of his bottle.

Her brows knit as what he meant with his words eluded him at the moment. It didn’t sound like a compliment. His tone was the most serious she had heard from him thus far, since Junkfort. Was it some kind of a mantra?

His golden eyes swirled with concern and a hint of sorrow when he turned to look at her. Vara sat hunched over, the bottle of ne’tra gal clasped in both hands, held between her knees. Her elbows poked into the meat of her thighs as she leaned her weight on them. Her snout remained bowed as she held his friend’s gaze. A quiet sound under her breath followed in the wake of an exhale. A soft, uneasy huff left the harpy’s core.

The girl watched him rise from his seat. The weight and warmth of his hand on her shoulder proved a solid anchor, preventing the young woman from being swept away in this anxiety. The soft light in his eyes was an unaccustomed sight for the harpy, but certainly a welcome one.

"I hope your soul can smile again, cuyan'ika." He spoke gently, lost in her crimson eyes for a moment.

His kind and heartfelt words suspended in the air for a moment. Cuyan'ika. Mando’a still somewhat foreign to her ear, she had no idea what the word even meant. But nevertheless, his warmth was present in every syllable.

And that’s what mattered.

A gentle smirk wrinkled the corner of her lips. “...The kark did you say about my ma’?” The harpy threw him a quip; a desperate attempt at making him laugh. In the same breath of her gentle laughter, the young mutt reached for his hand on her shoulder. Her thumb traced and caressed the back of his hand as she held him.

Amidst their shared silence, Vara found herself holding his gaze for longer than she would have, under the circumstance. Her lips parted to voice out something, but once more the fleabag beat her to the punch.

"Scoot over, I'll take us down. Just pay attention to what's happening." He finally instructed, the gentleness in his eyes buried as he gestured to the co-pilot's seat.

“‘Kay..” A tender huff rolled from her snout as she stood up. The harpy came to a pause for a heartbeat, glancing at the dying warmth in his gaze. His mood was shifting again, for the worse. The woman found herself in a desperate battle, fighting the desire to leap at him and wrap him in the tightest embrace of his karkin’ life.

But, she wagered that would be untimely. Unwise for this instance… With a heavy heart, the foundling barely reigned herself as she moved again and slowly slinked past him, and brought herself down on the co-pilot seat.

The contents of her bottle sloshed around as she downed the rest of her beer in one hefty swig. With a muffled clack, the bottle sat on the durasteel floor beside her. The woman then began to watch him, intently. A portion of her attention was spared for the landing procedure, but the rest?

Her eyes shone with the kind of warmth she rarely allowed to surface as she looked at him. “Christophsis,” A digit went to play with her locs as her gaze remained upon Yuri. “Wherever we’re going; is there uuuh-… Any dangers I should be aware of?”

 

[Yuri Maji]

The mutt's quip had an effect on Yuri as he barked a laugh. Warmth briefly returned to his eyes again as he looked back at her, felt her hand grasp his. Calloused, hardened from years of hard work. Certainly tougher than his own, but the warmth didn't go unnoticed. When their moment broke and she got out of the pilot's seat, Yuri followed her movements before taking his seat to guide them down.

He felt her gaze on him as he shifted the ship and entered the atmosphere, fingers elegantly dancing across the controls to send out a landing request. From the viewport they could see an enormous vessel in the planet's orbit, accompanied by two "smaller" destroyers patrolling the space around Christophsis.

Once they breached the atmosphere, the crystalline planet's beauty came into full view for them to enjoy. "Nothing serious, at least for the moment." He answered. "Planet's run by a megacorp, Hex Incorporated, you might've seen 'em on Mon Gazza. Their personal army's got a grudge with Mandalorians. The Enclave clashed with them numerous times. But they won't bother us, at least." He reassured with a glance at her. The ship glided past crystal towers and structures seamlessly integrated into the planet's odd appearance, until they reached an open landing pad cleared for them. Yuri set the ship down, shut it off and got up from his seat.

He turned to leave the cockpit, but stopped to face Vara one last time. His lips parted to speak, but no sound escaped him for a second or two. What could he say? A burning question? A declaration or apology of some sort? "... Thank you." He finally muttered as a smile crept up. "You ain't too bad for a stray, you know." He teased, finally turning to leave the ship. As the ramp lowered, he checked his person one last time and yanked a cover off a speeder bike stored next to Baby. He guided the bike down the ramp and parked it next to the freighter as he waited for her.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

That’s more like it.

The harpy would have laughed until her crimson gaze was nothing but a glint. Vara shook her head, her laughter eventually dying down in the same breath as Yuri’s.

The woman kept her silence in the coming moments after the reasonable question she spoke out to him, allowing Yuri to focus. Her eyes ever so slightly shifted away from him, only to witness the formidable silhouettes of massive ships, hanging weightlessly in the cold vacuum as Christophsis grew larger and larger beyond the cockpit’s glass.

"Nothing serious, at least for the moment." He answered. "Planet's run by a megacorp, Hex Incorporated, you might've seen 'em on Mon Gazza. Their personal army's got a grudge with Mandalorians. The Enclave clashed with them numerous times. But they won't bother us, at least." He reassured with a glance at her.

Her eyes widened and her jaw left agape; a sharp gasp poured from her lips amidst Yuri’s remarks.

The planet stretched out before them was not some plain ol' backwater, unimpressive, dusty piece of rock.

Far from it.

Her eyes held the impossible visage of the planet before them. Innumerable shades of blue and green and turquoise danced in harmony, conjoined with the warm embraces of the web-like features of its inhabitants, as they long left their mark upon the planet in the form of cities so grand and eye-catching, even from the cold vacuum of outer-space.

Christophsis hung like a jewel in the emptiness, like the eternal masterpiece of a galaxy renowned artist, and their work forever on display to be seen, admired, and to inspire.

A silent smile emerged from Vara’s lips as she turned her attention back onto her companion. With a renewed sharpness in her eyes, the harpy closely watched her comrade carry out the landing sequence. Each expert flick of the switch, turn of the knob, punch of the buttons, the careful steering and adjustments to the engine’s collective, she committed all of it to memory.

Before long, they penetrated the planet’s atmosphere. Bright flames licked and danced at the corners of the cockpit from the sheer friction caused by their speed of approach. A shudder rolled down the airframe of their frigate in the same breath; the durasteel skeleton groaned and murmured in the accustomed tone she was used to hearing by now.

And before they knew it, the elegant embrace of the clouds welcomed them. And what laid beyond them added to the pleasantly growing list of her newfound fascinations. Magnificent and impervious spires of what appeared to her eye to be actual crystals jutted from the ground, as tall as the great skyscrapers she lived under back home.

And it was not just the spires that bore this captivating crystalline texture. The ground itself bore these hexagonal patterns. They webbed around in this pattern, strange and alien, yet completely natural! Like beautiful engravings of a masterful artisan, they stretched inseparably with the land.

The city laid ahead of them grew larger and larger as they neared their destination. Teeming with activity, the starport quickly became visible amongst the tall spires of buildings and the web-like streets below them. Space-worthy vessels of various sizes took off and landed from its great, spacious open hangars. Directed towards one such hangar, a new shudder rolled up from below their feet as the ship’s landing gear touched the ground.

The boisterous howl of the engines whined down and eventually silenced.

The woman got up from her seat with him. She idly brought her hand to her holster, and drew her blaster pistol as she walked with Yuri. On ‘SAFE’, the barrel glared at the ceiling. Her trigger finger stretched along the trigger guard as she pressed on the magazine release with her thumb, and went to slide in a fresh power cell. “Hey y’never know, right?” The harpy smilingly remarked.

She had to be prepared, if what Yuri said was true. She wasn’t in the mood to get caught lacking in a planet full of people that potentially held grievances with their kind.

As she went to holster the pistol, the harpy's eyes met the golden light of Yuri’s. Sensing his sudden pause, the girl herself came to a halt. Vara met his eyes with a curious glint from her own, as the Mandalorian willed himself to speak after a moment of visible uncertainty in his eyes.

"... Thank you." He finally muttered as a smile crept up. "You ain't too bad for a stray, you know." He teased, finally turning to leave the ship.

The woman’s crimson gaze quickly became nothing more than a bright glint as her rippers flashed in a toothy smile. “Yeah… And you ain’t such a colossal scughole yourself, after all.” Her fist found purchase on his shoulder in a light jab. “C’mon, loverboy. Daylight’s burnin’.” The harpy teased him back with another quip as she walked past him with her gaze averted.

With the nudge of her boot, the Foundling gently kicked the tarp away to a corner in the galley before joining Yuri down the ramp. Pep in her step, she felt ready to take on the entire galaxy as she hopped on at the back of the saddle. In the same breath, she wrapped her arms around Yuri in a perceivable level of warmth and held onto him, tighter than the grip of a vice.

The harpy leaned in close, her snout hovered inches away from his neck and subtly flared as she breathed in his scent at a gentle pull. Her lips now a hairsbreadth away from his ears, as the powerful engine between their legs roared to life. “Ten creds say you drive like karkin’ gramgram,” A snicker followed in the wake of her breathy murmur. The usual rough edge in her voice was softened with the playful dare.

Vara absolutely knew he was going to do everything he can to prove her wrong.

And the harpy couldn't be happier to eat her own words in the end of this.​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Vara seemed far too happy than was legally necessary with this trip. But he needed that enthusiasm with everything going on in his mind. Her words were in jest, yet he saw through her nonchalant play. He didn't answer, though she did earn a chuckle and a slap against her shoulder from the Hound before he guided his bike down the ramp.

Once they were on solid ground, however, she stole his attention once more as her arms wrapped around his torso. A faint grunt was forced out of him by her unnecessarily strong hold on him, but it was her snout next to his head that wiped his mind clean.

He felt her breath beside his ear, her scent filled his nose and the grip around his body made her impossible to ignore. It was in that moment that he did something he immediately regretted. His head tilted over, just slightly, to let him brush against hers in a brief second of bad judgement. He caught himself immediately afterwards as eyes shot open and he straightened himself out. The vulnerability was replaced by the mask of the fool as a grin crept up. "Given how my granny used to drive... I'll take it as a compliment." He remarked before yanking the throttle wide open to blast down the highway into the city.

The Hound weaved through traffic and glided around turns once they entered the city, closely following the navigation while ignoring the computer's speed warnings. The wind across his face, the thrill of the ride, it made him feel alive again in a way he sorely missed. Even if it was only for a few minutes, the smile on his face once they reached a mall said everything Vara needed to know.

"You hop off here, get yourself whatever you feel like. I'm gonna go and get what we need for the factory. I'll meet up with you in a bit." He slipped her a pouched filled with credits and gave her one last salute before pulling away from her.

To freedom, isolation and a solitude that allowed him to think clearly for a few moments. It was all a lie, he didn't need to split up, but she didn't need to know that.

"Karkin' harpy." He grumbled to himself as he zipped through the afternoon traffic.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

Vara pressed in.

With Yuri still wrapped in her embrace, she couldn’t stop herself from leaning in closer, when the Mandalorian went to reciprocate her advances. The woman’s maw closed shut, as she felt core tighten in the flurry of emotions she rarely ever felt. She could feel her own heart race. That simple brush of his visage against her snout almost set her off to go one step further.

The harpy barely reigned her desire to grab a bite off his chiseled, broad shoulders.

"Given how my granny used to drive... I'll take it as a compliment." He remarked before yanking the throttle wide open to blast down the highway into the city.

Vara laughed, her contented chuckle rolling from her core in all its heartfelt warmth. In the same breath, a winding up whine piercingly blared from the speeder’s engine at an incisive rev of the throttle, and soon, they found themselves shooting out the vehicle access of the hangar and into Christophsis’ lively traffic.

She might have just found her match behind the wheel.

The Shistavanen girl instinctively swept her ears back. Her locks and mane rippled as Yuri drove like the wind!Her eyes shot open and mouth tipped to a crooked smile as her lips drew back, just enough for those neat, white rippers to shine under the sunlight. The traffic around them turned into a rainbow-esque blur as they swept past landspeeders, lorries and bikes alike in break-neck speeds, weaving around and between them as the Mandalorian masterfully steered them towards the remainder of their destination.

Her laughter barked sharply over the bike’s rumbling engine, as she leaned her head up to feel the wind on her face, savoring every second of this trip before they came to a halt in front of the mall eventually. She hadn’t been behind the wheel for a while, let alone sat over at the back of the saddle.

Clearly, she had missed this.

The bike’s roar shifted to a monotonous hum after an expert deceleration into a halt. Begrudgingly the woman pulled herself from the embrace she had trapped Yuri in as she hopped off.

"You hop off here, get yourself whatever you feel like. I'm gonna go and get what we need for the factory. I'll meet up with you in a bit." He slipped her a pouched filled with credits and gave her one last salute before pulling away from her.

The girl did not seem surprised he wasn’t coming along. In her mind it made sense the parts they needed were most likely located over at the ‘industrial center’. No clue whether that was nearby or further out, she did not argue with him.

But the knowing twinkle in her crimson gaze told the Mando-Mutt she was aware of what this was.

His general hesitance to her advances were clear as day. And as much as she wanted to take charge in this, she needed to be sure; and he had to meet her in the middle.

And that was not something she could do for him.

The girl expertly caught the hefty pouch of creds she tossed her way. “‘Kay. Watch out for Five-Oh,” the harpy warned her. “Speedin’ like a maniac like yous on a rally tryin’a come first place,” Vara mockingly tisked, shaking her head. “Have you no respect for the LAW!?” A gigglesnort rolled from her snout at her own words.

Vara returned his salute. “I’mma wait for ya at that café,” She nodded towards the establishment without looking away from his golden eyes. Two digits incisively rose to meet the corner of her brow in the wake of her words, nonchalantly shooting him a two finger salute and sending him on his way. “Don’t take TOO long!” The girl watched him get back on the road, and disappear from around the corner in the span of a draw of breath. The woman weighed the pouch of creds in her hand, before sliding her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. She turned around, and joined the crowd of people headed for the mall.

Inside, her dreamy gaze looked around, taking in the various displays of jewelry, perfume, and a whole other plethora of accessories she didn’t need. The woman found herself going up a few floors to find a clothes shop, and began satisfying her needs.

Yuri was right with one thing. She needed to renew her wardrobe.

The selection offered to her at the racks and shelves of clothing was quite satisfactory. A quick disappearance to the changing rooms to confirm they were the right size, sealed the deal. A modest bag in her hand filled with her new clothes, she disappeared into a tech store before long, in search of a throat commlink.

Satisfied with finding what she sought -and something extra- after in a short span of time, the woman headed out the mall to their meeting point she had set for them. The girl put the small cluster of bags on a vacant chair at her table, and ordered caf. Idly, the harpy draped one ankle over the other after stretching her legs under the table, with her arms crossed over her navel.

Dreamily, Vara’s eyes searched for the mutt,patiently waiting for his return. A gentle sigh rolled from her snout a few moments later, in the same breath as she reached for her lighter and a cigarette. “So what’s it gonna be, Yuri?”

 

[Yuri Maji]

Vara warned him of the police with his reckless driving, but the Hound simply brushed it off. "I respect my laws. Theirs?" He shrugged in dismissal, revving the speeder up to leave but paused at the mention of a café. He spared a glance over and gave an approving nod before finally blasting off to get his part of the shopping done.

He was infectious, she was drawing him in and he hated it. Why? What, in Manda's name, did she see in him? He tried to find something to hate, something to push her away, but it all turned back onto him. A sigh of defeat was swept away by the wind as the speeder danced along the lanes. He was going to have to do something to get rid of her. Whatever this dance between them was, he couldn't allow it to continue. Perhaps get it out of the way before his Coruscant gig. Then again, he was likely going to need her help. It was a mess. Eventually his mind was distracted as he reached his destination in the industrial district.

Even the factories were satisfying to look at...

He shut the speeder off and admired the planet's unique architecture for a moment before making his way to a depot in search of the necessary components. Something universal that could interface with Imperial tech. Luckily Hex shops specialized in that sort of thing, and numerous components were sorted out in short order to be sent to his freighter. The next stop was something more personal, a little gift to himself to help feel better about the situation. A gun shop wasn't too far away and the goods inside left the Mandalorian's mouth watering. After browsing for a little bit, he decided on a pistol for himself... and one for Vara. As much as he wanted to refuse the gesture, he simply wouldn't be happy if he had to leave her hanging.

Licensing took longer than he would have liked, but eventually he had a secure case in hand containing the two newly acquired weapons as he got back onto the speeder. His drive back to the mall didn't go nearly as quickly as that same nervousness brewed in his heart once more. He had to get it out of the way as quickly as possible.

Not that he wanted to...

He parked the speeder and found the café in short order, though his entrance placed him behind Vara's periphery as he entered.

“So what’s it gonna be, Yuri?”

"What's what gonna be?" He spoke up, flicking her ear as he walked around to sit across from her. A gentle smile adorned his features, and the case was set aside as he lit a cigarette of his own. He spared a glance at the various bags sitting next to Vara, his smile turning into a smirk. "And how much of my money did you waste, exactly?" He teased

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

"What's what gonna be?" He spoke up, flicking her ear as he walked around to sit across from her.

…

Did this karkin’ meathead just outflank her?

The flick earned the Mandalorian mutt a sharp glare, thrown purely on instinct. The harpy was taken aback by just how silently he had moved. She hadn’t even heard him park the speeder. And usually, she was great catching on to these little clues.

But this time, there was the fact that her focus was somewhere else. Her head in the clouds.

Dreamy.

Vara’s crimson glare softened to a warm twinkle upon setting her gaze on the familiar silhouette of her companion as he moved to sit across from her at the table. “Nothing,” The harpy expertly parried as he threw a fleeting glance at the pair of cases he set aside, but could not help but avert her gaze from him as she went to take a drag of smoke from her cigarette. She pushed the fresh mug of caf towards him, and motioned for a waitress droid for another one of the same with a simple gesture of her hand.

Thank god for her beautiful hide. She would have been caught with her face beet-red if she was some smoothskin human.

"And how much of my money did you waste, exactly?" He teased.

Her mouth tipped to a scoff as a plume of smoke poured from her maw and snout with an exhale. “I don’t waste,” The girl had dipped a hand into her pocket in the same breath. A metallic jingle accompanied her motion. She threw the tied up pouch of creds at him to make her point. It would feel close to full in his hands when he went to weigh it. “What took you so long? Was starting to get grays waitin’.” A hand dipped inside one of the bags on the vacant chair beside her as she spoke. The woman pulled a rather expensive looking bottle of perfume, and modestly sprayed it on herself.

The meathead could no doubt connect the dots. During her solo outing, she had gotten her sticky paws on something nice for herself, a teeny-tiny heist in a blink-and-you-miss-it opportunity.

“You hungry?” The harpy asked him, sliding the perfume bottle back into the bag in the same breath. A curious twinkle in her crimson gaze, every time their eyes met. “Gotta be a decent noodle shop around here for a quick bite.” Vara remarked, holding Yuri's gaze with a warm regard of her own.

 

[Yuri Maji]

Her dismissal of his question earned a quizzical blink, but he didn't press it any further as he joined her by the table outside. Instead, she defiantly tossed the remainder of her credits back at him, the weight of taking him by surprise. Especially when she produced a bottle of perfume that looked far too expensive for their blood. He accepted the caf she offered and helped himself to a sip as an eyebrow rose up in skepticism.

"Grays and some spoils, from the look of it." He remarked, nodding to her tidy collection of bags and the perfume she drew from it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was less of a purchase, and more of a strategic transferrance of equipment to an alternate location, but he couldn't fault her for that. He would have done the same, if some of the prices were any indication. "I hope for your sake the cameras didn't see you." He continued with a chuckle and another sip of caf. He did have to admit, however, that the smell of the perfume was nothing short of glorious. Definitely worth pinching.

His nose flared with a few quick sniffs, followed by a pleasant hum. "Kark, that smells good, though." He admitted. It fit her as well, though he couldn't say that aloud.

It really didn't help him with wanting to break this off...

“You hungry?”

“Gotta be a decent noodle shop around here for a quick bite.”

The Hound shrugged, looking around for a moment. "Thought we could just grab something here." He suggested gently, sparing a glance at a specials board before looking back to Vara. "Oh yeah, got ya something." He perked up with bright eyes, sliding the plastoid case over for her to take a look. He waited for her to open it first before continuing. "Ain't Mandalorian... but it's still a damn good pistol." He elaborated with a grin. "Something new for you if you'd prefer."

Why the hell did he think buying her a gun would help with this?

He could use it later to shoot himself, at this point it would be preferable over this embarrassment.

"... Vara?" He began, taking a long drag of his smoke. "... I..." The words caught in his throat. How was he supposed to do this? "... What's goin' on between us?" He finally managed to voice, quietly enough not to draw attention. "We've been playin' this game for a few weeks now. What... what are we doing?" His eyes were soft, almost remorseful. His stomach turned and his ears were flat on his head.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

"I hope for your sake the cameras didn't see you." He continued with a chuckle and another sip of caf.

The harpy couldn’t help but blink.

…Did this fleabag know who he was talking to?

“What, you thinkin’ on turnin’ me in?” Vara met him with a quip of his own as she poked his shin with a nudge of her boot. “..-Think you’d find me at the back of a cop cruiser in cuffs if I were that sloppy, yeah?” The young Foundling chuckled.

"Kark, that smells good, though." He admitted. It fit her as well, though he couldn't say that aloud.

The harpy’s brows quirked up at the compliment. He didn’t have a lot of those for her. A playful glimmer shone from her eyes as her lips curled to a warm smile. “Thanks.” Vara acknowledged his flattery hadn’t gone unnoticed, or underappreciated. The girl idly reached for her new mug of caf in the same breath the waitress droid brought the caffeinated goodness.

"Thought we could just grab something here." He suggested gently, sparing a glance at a specials board before looking back to Vara.

The girl would have nodded along at his suggestion, setting down the mug after a sip. She could already smell it in the air, a block over from the mall, distinct over the other plethora of smells, even that of the strong caf.

Another soft sniff, and her mouth watered at the tantalizing scent in the air.

A steakhouse.

Her findings concluded the matter of their next meal in her mind. The woman brought her attention back on the man’s visage, as he leaned to the side to grab one of the cases and brought it up on the table. Vara’s head quizzically tilted to the side as he began.

"Oh yeah, got ya something." He perked up with bright eyes, sliding the plastoid case over for her to take a look. He waited for her to open it first before continuing.

Urged to open the case, the harpy’s curious eyes were met with one hell of a piece. The shistavanen woman blinked, taking in its sleek, ergonomic angular shape. She reached for the clearly empty gun, and began to inspect it in her hands as Yuri went on to talk about it.

"Ain't Mandalorian... but it's still a damn good pistol." He elaborated with a grin. "Something new for you if you'd prefer."

“..Wow, I-..” The girl stammered for a moment.

Vara couldn’t help but feel like a total piece of chit now, in front of this kind, heartfelt gesture. She could have gone and bought something he’d enjoy, too! WHY DIDN'T SHE THINK OF THAT! Her jaw clenched as her brows knit for a moment. The girl took a sharp breath as she brought her snout low. KAAAAAAAARK! she reprimanded herself in her thoughts.

This was too nice..!

She wasn’t used to this.

“..-It’s amazing,” she finally managed to say after what felt like an eternity. She looked up, her smile shone from her eyes in this moment of vulnerability. Less than a handful ever saw her like this. The woman slid the beautiful handgun back into its slot in its case, and closed it. She tugged it aside on the table, and leaned forward in the coming silence.

She brought her cigarette to her lips, toking at it as Yuri began, and chose this moment to have that talk. The girl remained silent throughout, allowing him to speak out his mind without any deterrence from her. Vara could see the struggle in his eyes.

"... Vara?" He began, taking a long drag of his smoke. "... I..." The words caught in his throat. How was he supposed to do this? "... What's goin' on between us?" He finally managed to voice, quietly enough not to draw attention. "We've been playin' this game for a few weeks now. What... what are we doing?" His eyes were soft, almost remorseful. His stomach turned and his ears were flat on his head.

The silence in the finality of his words stretched on. The woman calmly toked at the smoke between her lips. She leaned forward on her elbows, dragging the cigarette away from her lips, trapped between her first two knuckles as she went onto shake the ash onto the ground. “Mm.. What are we doing,” She finally spoke, her words an echo of the meathead’s. “..I’ve been waiting for your courage,” The girl spoke matter-of-factly. There wasn’t a hint of ridicule in her voice, as she locked eyes with Yuri’s.

“..And you’ve been beating around the bush.”

This was it.

He had finally met her in the middle.

“...Took your sweet time,” The woman shook her head, raising a hand to swat away the smoke before her eyes. “I’ve had made up my mind since Tatooine,” The Foundling smiled, a warm spark danced in her eyes. The harpy told him straight, knowing it would be best to tell him as it were, hoping he wasn’t entirely a meathead even despite this.

The woman leaned in closer, her head gently tilted to the side. “...I like you, a lot, if it wasn’t painfully obvious already.” Her eyes were softer than her tone as she confessed. “All, of you.” she strongly clarified, in case he still had any lingering doubts; the woman was willing to accept him as he was. “You can take a joke, and dish it out all the same. Your cooking’s as good as your shooting. You can hold your liquor. And you’re one tough mutt,” Vara finished, the corner of her lips wrinkled in the warmth of her smile. “..And I know this-.. Sentiment is mutual,” the girl murmured after a brief draw of breath. “Yet you hold back. Why?” The harpy asked him, dead on.

“..Are you afraid I’d-... reject you?”​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Vara's shock and raw gratitude brought a smile to Yuri's lips. For any other normal person in the galaxy, a gift like this was nothing short of outrageous, but for Mandalorians and especially for the two mutts, a literal pistol was likely just as good as a bouquet of flowers. It simply made Yuri's next topic all the more difficult to approach.

The Hound's confidence, what remained of it, sank to the bottom of the table in an instant. The proud warrior, the Wardog, the Hound from the Underground, was nowhere to be seen. His shoulders sank and his posture slumped as initial teasing turned into genuinely warm words. Her sincerity made his heart glow, he never would have thought to meet someone that cared for him this deeply... and for him to care about them in the same capacity.

“All, of you.”

His eyes refused to face hers, instead he subconsciously looked down at his cybernetic arm and brought a hand up to massage his shoulder. The pain crept up again, that damned pain that plagued him, reminded him of the entire collective of mistakes he made over the years. She nailed it on the head, he kept holding back even when it was obvious that he felt the same way about her.

He kept holding back.

He was a coward. A pathetic excuse who always made the wrong decisions.

This was why...

The pain was getting worse. "It's not that." He finally answered, massaging a shoulder that was no longer there. "It's... Vara, I..." A long sigh escaped him. He finally gained the courage to look into her eyes. "Why?" He practically whimpered. "You love a shadow. A karkin' coward. A bloody murderer, for Manda's sake." His voice went from a mutter to a muted declaration. "You... I care about you, Vara. I really do. But we'll never work. You need... you need someone good in your life. Someone who can..." He fell quiet. The massaging turned to scratching.

"Someone who will make your soul smile again. That ain't me. Do you want to wake up every day next to a karkin' failure?" The words finally left his mouth. They were finally beyond the point of no return. It didn't matter what his heart said, what he felt in this moment. "We can't work, Vara. Because I can't expect to raise you up when I'm still... when..." He clenched his eyes shut, shame overtaking him as a hurricane of thoughts swirled in his head. "How can you care about a shell?" He murmured, head hung low as he tried to avoid her.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

This got serious by the second.

The Mandalorian’s body language had no hope of escaping the Harpy’s sharp perception. Her words, her questions disarmed him. His shoulders gave way, and posture sank at this strange guilt that gripped mercilessly at his heart like a thornful vine. His ears swept back on his head long before when he raised the question.

The sight alone pulled at her heartstrings.

Like a pup lost in the rain.

Yuri’s eyes sought refuge from Vara’s puzzled gaze, even when her crimson glint was bereft of judgement’s sharp blade. But before long, the girl would witness a modicum of courage return to him, as he forced his gaze back upon Vara’s visage after his clarification, and a brief stammer that followed.

"It's not that." He finally answered, massaging a shoulder that was no longer there. "It's... Vara, I..." A long sigh escaped him. He finally gained the courage to look into her eyes.

The girl dared not interrupt him when he began. Leant forward at the table, the Harpy listened with Yuri her sole focus of her attention. The girl nodded along at his words, reaching for the mug of caf to take a sip on a few occasions, but the warmth of her eyes never once left the pained golden eyes before her, even when her features sharpened whenever Yuri went to partake in an unhealthy dose of self-degradation.

"How can you care about a shell?" He murmured, head hung low as he tried to avoid her.

His rhetorical question hung in the air amidst their shared silence. The Harpy set the mug of caf in her grasp on its saucer.

“Neither of us are without our imperfections,” she began. Her warmth was heavy in her tone, but so was the sharpness of her words. “Look at me," Her invitation a gentle whisper. "Do you think me a perfect girl, Yuri?” The Harpy continued in the same breath. “Like I’m worthy of some-... Some excellence, like a princess,” the woman shook her head, answering her own question. “I might be in love with a murderer, Yuri. But so are you. I’m a killer. A thief. A junkie” Her words briefly punctuated amidst the desire for a pull of smoke.

“A failure, in her own right, hmm?” Her lips split to a wry smile. “Everyone falls. Regardless if there’s someone there to catch them or not. But you know what’s important?” The Harpy leaned closer. In the same breath the girl crossed her arms, the thin streak of smoke from the cigarette tucked in her knuckles trailed her motion. “People like you and me, we get back up.” The woman let her words reach his soul.

“I much rather wake up right next to a failure, still getting out of bed every damn day, than a “success” that’s ready to say farewell when the path gets dark and rocky.” With a brief sigh, the Harpy idly stroked the length of her biceps, gently swaying from one side to the other, before she continued. “I don’t need to find someone that can make my soul “smile” again, while I already have the karker,” The crimsons of her gaze reduced to a bright glint in her big smile. “Sitting right in front of me, the dumbass.” Chuckling, the girl brought up a hand, and shot a finger at the sad mutt before her in the same breath of her words.

The woman offered her hand to him, palm open, to try and stop him from breaking his skin the way he kept nervously scratching away at himself. “What you’re bearing… You won’t have to bear it alone anymore. We’re going to rise. Together.”

Her offer was clear. Your issues are mine. But so was her gripes in the choice of his words.

Raise you up. Yuri's words had rung sharp in her head. The Mandalorian had made it sound like it was a one way road. But that was not what it was supposed to be.

Ever.

The Harpy’s head tilted to the side as she looked to him, the glint of a wordless question emerged from the warmth of her eyes.

So what’s it gonna be, Yuri?​

 

[Yuri Maji]

The mutt's words were kind and gentle, but it did little to ease Yuri's mind. He struggled to look into her eyes when she beckoned him, but he eventually managed to raise his head and face her. Her words rang true, they were both "failures" as he put it, but in his mind there was still a chance for her even when she insisted that they could somehow make this work.

His eyes moved down to the hand outstretched to him for a second or two before he, hesitantly, let go of his shoulder to instead grasp her hand. His eyes were clenched shut, her words swirling in his head. Everything told him that he was being stupid about this, but that thought was still stuck in his head. He squeezed her hand, his head shaking lightly as he fought with himself. "I... I can't..." His eyes peeled open to look at her, a mixture of admiration and guilt. "I can't be strong for you, when I'm not even strong enough for myself, Vara." He muttered, his hand letting go of hers as he rose from his seat.

He lingered by the table, golden eyes taking in her crimson gaze, the gentleness in her smile, the warmth he felt in her kind and reassuring words. He took a step closer and leaned down to press his forehead against hers as a sigh shakily rolled from his maw.

"I'll be at the ship. Speeder's outside." He muttered, leaving her alone once again in a cantina. But this time not for her to make a choice. Not to decide on a future or something bright. This time for himself to make space, to make her realize that he could never give her the happiness she deserved. She was the better one between them.

He wandered out of the café and walked along the sidewalk next to the speeder lanes, his head hung low. The pain wasn't fading, not even a little bit.

He needed a drink...

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

The Harpy held on to his hand like vice.

A small sound escaped her, a worried whimper under her breath as she watched him wage this silent war inside of him. She saw him battle the emotions and thoughts in his mind, the intensity of which was unseen, yet perceivable. Vara’s core tightened as the apprehension in her stomach manifested into a distressed glance.

Then he said it.

Words she never expected to reach her sharp ears.

"I... I can't..." His eyes peeled open to look at her, a mixture of admiration and guilt.

She held on tightly, even as he let go of her hand and moved to get up. The woman felt her eyes burn with a sting of heartbreak. Her snout lowered, and drew a gentle sniffle. Eventually, the trap of her digits slowly sprung open to allow Yuri his leave. Vara’s emotions brewed inside of her core as she leaned forward, her glare reflecting back at her off the glass table as Yuri’s words tore her heart from her core.

"I can't be strong for you, when I'm not even strong enough for myself, Vara." He muttered, his hand letting go of hers as he rose from his seat.

A lie.

Caught in a whirlwind of her own thoughts, the Harpy shook her head at the words ringing sharp in her mind. She felt the blood drain from her digits as she balled her hands into fists in her attempt at anchoring herself.

Untrue. Simply untrue. The woman refused to believe any of his words for even a second.

He was the toughest karkin’ mutt she knew other than herself. He was capable of everything he said she deserved in her life. And he demonstrated as such since they met, and even today! Her flight lesson with him. The shooting practice they’ve had at the cargo hold. The sheer amount of freedom he introduced to her.

All of it meant the absolute world to her. The whole damned galaxy!

Then why? Why did he think so little of himself? Why, in all hells, was he so hell bent on this pointless crusade of blind self-abuse and hatred! What did he HOPE to achieve!

…Was he scared to have something good happen to him, for a change?

A pained whimper, quieter than the wind, escaped her throat at the thought of it.

Her core burned, caught in the invisible flames of simmering anger and affection. At that moment, the woman desired for nothing more than to be locked in a room with every single soul responsible for making him think so little of himself, when he was already so much more than every. single. one of them.

Her tear-damped eyes shot up, in a frantic search of his familiar silhouette. The Harpy’s snout worked back and forth in the same breath, sampling the air for his scent. It took her but a moment to pick him out amongst the pedestrians and their scents, going about their day, carefree.

Vara’s crimson glare burned with purpose.

She knew. She knew he had what it took. For everything he said he didn’t have the strength for. Even when he himself turned a blind eye to that fact.

And she wasn’t the type to live with a “what if” nagging at her mind for the rest of her life. The Harpy concluded the matter in her mind.

If this too found no success in binding their hearts and scents together, then…

Then she’d at least know for sure.

The woman shot up from her table, and broke into a sprint to catch up with him. “YURI!” Her footfalls drew nearer with every racing beat of her heart. The woman skidded to a halt. “Yuri,” a plea, heavy in her tone. The woman closed what little distance there was between them, when the young man turned to look.

As her hands shot forth, the Harpy reached out for him; her calloused yet affectionately warm touch graced his cheeks. Holding him carefully so as to not break his skin under the sharp touch of her claws. The woman’s lips parted, as if to say something, as her eyes grew wide as saucers. Her breath caught and hitched at her throat amidst her failed attempt at search for words.

But she had none.

Her eyes a window into the cascade of her own emotions within her, the woman held his eyes for a heartbeat to peer into his own. The Harpy held no hesitation in the damp glint of her crimson gaze, as she took the leap of faith.

Yuri found himself chest to chest as Vara pulled him. The Harpy’s eyes dimmed, her snout flared gently in a steady pull of his scent. In the same breath, her lips met and she kissed him hard; strong and grounding, filled with heat she didn’t bother to hide. A hand slipped to hold him from the back of his head, locking him in place, claiming him on the spot.

“I karkin’ love you, you stupid, bleedin' idiot,” Earnest and unguarded, the Harpy confessed her feelings in between another firm kiss.

At least, no matter what came after, she would now know for sure.​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri walked on autopilot down the road, eyes glossed over as he fought with his mind and his heart... both of them telling him that he was being stupid about it. The pain in Vara's eyes were stuck with him, even though he knew that it was going to hurt. He wouldn't be able to just stay friends with her, not with how he felt.

He couldn't bear to have someone close to him again, just to hurt them later on.

It was for the best...

“YURI!”

“Yuri,”

Her voice brought the Hound to a halt, surprise and confusion spread along his face as he turned to see her practically come to a screeching halt right by him. Before he could even get a word in, she had his face in her hands with crimson eyes focused on him. It was impossible to look away... and he couldn't find the willpower to turn away from her. Her lips parted to say something, but no words came out. "Vara..." He began, but she stole any words from him when she closed in.

His eyes fluttered shut in surrender to the kiss, he didn't fight as she pulled him in and his own hands moved to hold her close. The rest of the world melted away, zooming speeders and confused onlookers became little more than a blur around them for what felt like an eternity. "I love you too..." He muttered, barely loud enough to even hear himself. His heart raced and his mind went blank, the pain subsided in an instant as the two broken souls confessed their hearts' intent.

And yet...

His eyes split open and his hands shifted from her hip and head to instead grasp her shoulders. He turned his head and pressed her back. "I can't... I won't..." His eyes clenched shut, his face contorting to a grimace for a second as he took hold of her hand. "I won't hurt someone again." He spoke gently, almost pleading. He let go of her and turned again, leaving to walk away with his ship's access control left in the palm of her hand. He fought every instinct to turn back to her...

---

"You're a karking idiot, it sounds more like."

The bartender's words drew Yuri's attention back to reality. The world was spinning around him, a vague blur with a cacophony of noises bombarding his ears. He knocked the shot in front of him over as he turned to look at the Besalisk behind the bar. He didn't even realize that he was unpacking all of his sorrows onto the poor man in his drunken state. "Sums my life up pretty accurately." He remarked, wiping at his eyes and the streaks along his cheeks. He waved the empty glass at the Besalisk, who begrudgingly refilled his drink.

Free of charge, at least. A miracle considering the crystalline beauty of the bar.

He was a mess, sitting alone with only his self pity and regrets to keep him company. Why the hell did he do it? She was right there! He thought to himself. "And you still karked it up! You kiss the broad, then leave her high and dry? For what? Because you hate yourself?" Yuri looked on in confusion at the bartender's scolding. Did he say it aloud? "Listen, the karkin' mirror is doin' a good enough job of reminding me. Just help me forget today." He flicked a handful of credits at the man, who grumbled away but complied nonetheless.

His golden eyes eventually took note of his surroundings. It was quieter now. How long had he been here?

A glance at his datapad quickly made him realize. He was supposed to have been back at the ship hours ago. Another blunder on his part. "Remind me to shoot myself once I'm done here." He grumbled, knocking the shot back. His face contorted in surprise at what little he could taste. "Is this Tihaar? Why'd you give me Tihaar?" He asked the man, practically laying flat on the counter. "You told me you're a Mandalorian. Ain't that what you kriffers drink?" The bartender retorted. Yuri sighed in defeat at the embarrassment and instead looked down the counter at a bunch of soldiers.

Heavy armour, hexagon with a flaming skull. Laughing at him. "Hey, don't talk smack if you can't even fight." He growled at the men, forcing himself up to face them. Their joking stopped as they glared at him. "The kark you say, mutt?" One of them spoke up. His buddy gripped his shoulder and shook his head, but Yuri continued with his provocation. "I've seen womp-rats fight better than you guys." He staggered to his feet, readying himself for a fight.

"Okay, you're done, buddy." The man tried to simmer the situation down, but a durasteel fist was all he received as Yuri hurled himself at the group of soldiers.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

…Now she knew.

Her thoughts swirled in the whirlwind of her silent outrage. The Harpy tossed and turned at the hard mattress of her quarters in the freighter; her room a bigger mess after her return, as if a raging hurricane had barged in and swept everything aside in blind fury.

In a way, it did.

She tried everything to bring calm to her heart; howling out the pain in her heart. Drowning it in alcohol. Smoking the heartache away, getting high as a mutt could get under the starry spectacle of Christophsis. But every time she felt close to a modicum of peace, the memory of the moment haunted her again.

How could he?

How could he, even when he had matched her desire, her love. It was allreal! Tactable! Heartfelt!

And yet he chose this.

His words proved sharper than she thought. She could not dislodge them, neither from her heart, nor her mind. He claimed he sought not to hurt someone again, but that’s what he did. The woman’s intentions were true. Heartfelt. Scalding in her warmth and heat, and yet…

The Harpy tucked her knees closer to her core as she lay on her side. The woman’s eyes closed shut. After that moment, it was hard to imagine him as a simple friend. Their chemistry was… undeniable. The girl sought out his scent when he was not within eyesight. She sought his company, when she found herself alone. She sought his stupid, ugly-... Kissable mug.

Even now.

Her breath hitched as droplets, ivory white, slowly trailed from her cheek. A quiet whimper left her core, embracing herself tighter.

…It was not her first time dealing with rejection or heartache.

But it did mark a first. A new wound upon her hide; never before had she approached someone with her heart unbarred and unguarded. She had subconsciously held everyone to a certain degree of suspicion, but Yuri?

It felt right.

She knew she could trust him, with her life. And she had! In a moment when she hadn’t had a say how her story would continue, or whether it would end.

A pained, enraged mumble snapped free from her lips. ”Way outta my league,” Her wry chuckle rang sharp in her ear. Vara tossed around to the edge of her mattress, and shot up to her feet in one smooth motion.

Sorrow began to leave her throne to spite.

Her boot heavy steps carried her across the room, stalking like a caged animal. The corners of her lips wrinkled to a snarl. A growl rolled from her throat as she simmered in her anger. As much as the Harpy felt ready to set a world alight, her rage was reigned in only by the feelings she still harbored for him. The intimacy they shared, before the heartbreak that followed after…

The memory of his scent alone was enough to bring her to a halt.

Her back met the cold durasteel wall after she turned around. The weight of her emotions dragged her down, and the floor caught her. Her tear-damp eyes shifted from one corner to the other with the absence of focus, as her mind took a trip to the clouds for a moment.

Say… Where was the man responsible for how she felt?

The girl surged forward, and crawled to her datapad resting on the mattress to check for the hour.

It was karkin’ midnight.

He was supposed to come back hours ago!

The crimson glint of her eyes burned alight. ”Don’t tell me-...” The girl’s words never reached punctuation, as she shot up. Her pillow caught the datapad after a toss.

Even when she had mentally prepared to bury the feelings she harbored for him once and for all, she couldn’t bring herself to stop worrying about him.

The door to her room slid open upon sensing her approaching silhouette, an unwilling determination in her step. Pausing not for a second, she walked down the galley, grabbed her leather jacket off the chair as she walked towards the ramp.

The cool air of the night welcomed her.

The freighter’s ramp rose with a mechanical thrum and shut at the push of a button. The Harpy hopped on the speederbike, key fished out from a pocket. The powerful engine roared to life at a twist of its ignition. A twist of the throttle was all it took for her to shoot out of the hangar. Expertly, the Harpy steered the speeder towards the hangar’s vehicle access, and took to the streets.

In search of him.

Speeding past landspeeders and bikes alike, the woman’s snout sampled the air in a back and forth drags of breath. Her ability to track came naturally; a faint trace was all she needed.

—​

The speederbike came to a sharp halt. The trail of his scent had brought her before a bar. The quality of which not to be confused with the usual dumps she spent a large portion of her life in. Clearly maintained with care, the establishment gave her the impression the owners valued quality and comfort over attention.

She could see a scuffle through warm-lit windows as she went to twist the key in the ignition. The engine winded down as she stood up from the seat. The Harpy lowered her muzzle as her brows furrowed in the same breath she plunged her fists into her jacket’s pockets. With measured steps she walked to the doors to the bar.

A hand shot forth to push it open; a glint shone off the golden brass of her spiked knuckledusters, embracing her digits, iron firm. Unhurried, even as the fight snowballed into something nastier with each thrown fist, the woman snatched a bottle of liquor, whose owner long passed out by the table. A brief swig, she pulled it away from her lips. A sudden halt.

The girl coiled back, her arm drawn all the way, and she hurled the bottle at the nearest jarhead with every bit of strength she could muster.

Glass shattered as the bottle met with the back of his skull. The man disengaged for a moment with a pained, surprised yelp. The rest took a moment’s pause, and turned to meet her. In the same breath, the woman rushed to her comrade’s help. A roar tore free from her throat as she leaped to strike for the nearest Hex Mercenary with a lunge.

His molars tore free from his jaw in streaks of red as a shout ripped from his core. Relentless, the Harpy found an outlet for her rage.

And she was dead set on making the most of this.​

 

[Yuri Maji]

By the time Vara finally managed to find the Hound's drinking hole, he was in a precarious situation with the locals. His maw dripped with blood, his lips split open along with a brow and a cheek. His ribs screamed in protest to the slightest movements, not that the provoked locals had any argument against his injuries. He was battered and bruised, but his drunken mind was more than happy with the beating he received.

Another punch busted his nose open, but a follow-up never came after a bottle shattered against one of the attackers. His golden eyes dragged up from the ground to rest on the blurred visage of another mutt.

It couldn't be her. He burned that bridge, it simply couldn't be her.

And yet, the roar and ferocity, the blur of black, crimson and grey, everything told him that it was her. The soldiers and other customers joining in on the beatdown were just as stunned as him, but something within him rattled him wide awake in that moment. The blur disappeared, all of his gripes and sorrows snapped away in the wake of one singular motivation.

"She's here..." He grunted, yanking one arm free to deck a Nautolan to the floor before he immediately brought a Hellion's face down to collide with his knee. Time slowed down as the Wardog charged for another soldier trying to jump his mutt from behind. A snarl split the air as he crashed into him and pinned him to the ground. Durasteel and split knuckles pummeled the man until he stopped moving, allowing the sobered Hound to move onto his next target.

He went on the offensive, the scourge of Kestri following every punch, kick, scratch and bite as he met duraplast and cloth. Red clouded his vision, his only concern was keeping her safe until he finally snapped out of it.

One arm held her back while the other brandished Peace at the remaining locals, most of them already trying to break the fight up. The poison returned and his vision spun once more. He finally stumbled toward Vara with a drunken urgency to reach the door. "Leave, we gotta leave." He mumbled in between coughs of blood and nausea. He placed his trust fully in her, unable to keep track of anything. One moment there was crystal beneath him, the next moment he had his arms around her. At one point he was in front of a fridge, trying to open a bottle of beer with negligible success. Memory and vision finally stabilized when he found himself hunched over a refresher and collapsing onto his side in a whimpering grunt.

"Vara..." He muttered, vision spinning and stomach turning. He was hunched over the refresher once more as his body fought through the pain to purge the unhealthy amount of alcohol from his body. "Where are you?" He mumbled with desperation. A durasteel wall stood before him, letting him know that he was on the floor. At least it looked familiar. "I'm... kark, I'm so drunk right now..." Giggles followed with coughs, and finally sobs. He was nothing more than dead weight on the floor, yet still he tried to force himself up. "I karked up. I... I karked up. I did it again." He grunted, collapsing onto the couch by the galley's table in a harsh yelp. Nothing around him made sense, all he knew was that he felt safe.

"I karked up again. I lost her." He continued in his drunken ramblings, simply trying to sink into the couch and disappear from reality.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

She moved like a knife.

The opening jab had cracked the mercenary’s jaw and stole his balance. Vara was already within his space. The knuckledusters came up hard under his chin, bone snapping as his head whipped back, his blood misted the air. He hit the laminated floor, unmoving.

The Harpy’s vicious glare snapped to the next man after she knocked out the first. Instinct took over. She caught the incoming jab on her forearm. And she was already moving. A hand locked on his elbow, and the other gripped him by the collar. The Harpy wrenched the soldierboy across the table. A torque ripped through his arm. His shoulder gave away with a wet pop as his scream tore into the room, drowning out the rest of the fight.

With a tug, she hauled him off the table and pivoted hard. The Harpy squared up to the rest of the soldierboy’s pack. The woman kicked him forward, her boot snapping right into his ass, throwing their comrade into their arms.

”..AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A MAN!?” Her below split the room. A challenge. She wanted this. She wanted their attention placed off her comrade. Off of Yuri.

And they fulfilled her desire. A dozen faces snapped to meet her glare. They backed off on instinct, eyes wide at the sheer brutality she showed without hesitation. A snarl peeled back her lips as her mane bristled high. She feigned a lunge with a sharp yelp. They flinched, boots and shoes scraping away as she took more ground from them.

The Harpy laughed, sharp and feral at the sight of their cowardice. ”What haaaappeeeeeened! You were all so brave just a second ago!” Another taunt. The shistavanen prowled around the circle. They gave her a wide berth and shrunk. Vara’s arms shot at her flanks in her mockery of them all.

She was more than ready to throw down till the sun rose, if it weren’t for Yuri.

He anchored her rage with a restraining hand, pushing at her navel as he stepped up with his pistol brought to bear on the locals. A growl tore free from her throat at the pack of men as they began to back off from them.

"Leave, we gotta leave." He mumbled in between coughs of blood and nausea.

The girl raised no objections. Sensing him falter, the woman threw his arm over her shoulder, and went to draw her own pistol. The Harpy faced them all down. The barrel snapped at the closest man, daring him to try her. The door behind them slammed open as the broad threw a kick with the heel of her boot

Not one of them had the balls to come after them.

“Lean your weight on me,” Yuri moved with a drunken stumble, dazed from the beating. She helped her up the speederbike before settling on the saddle herself. “Hang tight,” Vara growled, and felt his arms hug her from the back as she seated the key in the ignition. Her leather holster creaked as she holstered her gun.

The speederbike tore into the night.

Street lights became a blur as the open roads invited her to speed up to her heart’s content. Urgency guided her steering. The karkers had done a number on him. The scent of his blood filled her snout with each sharp breath.

The hangars to the spaceport emerged. The woman expertly steered towards the vehicle access, and drove to their hangar. The speeder came to a shuddering halt before the freighter, as the engine whined down at the twist of its keys in the ignition.

“C’mon..” The woman got off the bike’s seat and slipped under his arm. Gently the woman went to haul him off the bike. The frigate’s ramp lowered at the press of a button, extending before them by the time she tucked the remote fob back into her jacket’s pocket. ”That’s it, we’re almost home,” She spoke with a friendly warmth, as she helped him up the ramp.

The Harpy slipped under his arm when Yuri made it clear he could try and stand on his own feet. “Don’t go anywhere,” the girl spat as she walked past him as Yuri went to lean over the fridge, and reach for a bottle. The girl disappeared into her room for a moment. Boxes and packages rustled, before she emerged with a medpack in her hand.

Vara immediately plucked the opened bottle of ne’tra gal from his hand. “You’ve had enough.” her words left no room for argument. She tossed the medpack on the galley table, and threw his arm over her shoulders once more. An arm wrapped around his waist, as a hand steadied his chest as she took him to the refresher.

He was going to want to get some of the excess alcohol.

"Where are you?" He mumbled with desperation.

He was rattled. ”I’m here, Yuri.” her words dry, yet her tone bore a semblance of reassurance as she took him to the refresher. The broad remained at his side throughout as his core tightened to purge. A hurl followed another, a total mess. ”Theeere you go… That’s it.” Her hand stroked his back, encouraging him as he evacuated his stomach. “Let it aaallll out…”

"I'm... kark, I'm so drunk right now..." Giggles followed with coughs, and finally sobs. He was nothing more than dead weight on the floor, yet still he tried to force himself up.

The Harpy leaned down, helping him back up his feet as his core shook in sobs. “C’mon… Not the time to dwell on that chit..” The warmth in her voice grew more and more at the broken sight of him. She helped him get cleaned up, and helped him to the couch. The springs squeaked under their combined weight.

She reached out for the medpack in front of her to start nurturing his wounds.

"I karked up. I... I karked up. I did it again." He grunted, collapsing onto the couch by the galley's table in a harsh yelp

"I karked up again. I lost her." He continued in his drunken ramblings, simply trying to sink into the couch and disappear from reality.

Vara blinked. Her glare softened as she turned to look at him. Remorse weighed heavily in his barely coherent rambling. She felt a lump growing at her throat at the sight of him. Thoughts and emotions that tore her heart apart began to re-emerge, reigned only by the completely broken sight of her fellow kin.

The medpack’s seal tore and opened with a clatter. She dipped a gauze in hydrogen peroxide, and grabbed another bandage to start cleaning his wounds first. The Harpy wet the dry first, soaking up and cleaning the blood amidst his rambling. Her touch soothed, warmer than the pulsating beats of scrapes and bruises. ”Sssssshhhhh-...” Vara anchored him, helping him find solace in her company. ”It’s okay… You didn’t lose me, Yuri.” A quiet, uneasy whine rolled from her snout. “I’m still here. I’m not goin’ anywhere. Y'hear me?" Harpy assured him again. A hand on his thigh, she squeezed gently in her wordless affection.

She still cared, even when he chose not to bind their scents together.​

 

[Yuri Maji]

In a mixture of drunken mumbling, sobbing and yelping, Yuri moved however he was gestured to move. Once the cleaning and medication started, all thoughts disappeared in the wake of the sheer pain shooting throughout his body. It even managed to sober him up for a few seconds as he grabbed Vara's hand in protest. "Karkin' hell, can you not!" He protested with perfect clarity, only to fall into a drunken heap once more.

Once the pain began to lighten up, he could finally try to speak again. Cross-eyed, golden eyes shifted to look at Vara, though it was abundantly clear that nobody was home upstairs. Yuri was certifiably wasted in his attempt at holding onto the woman's shoulders. He wasn't sure who she was, but she felt soft and her visage was beautiful. "You remind me of her..." He grumbled, slumping against her with his face in the crook of her neck. "She's one of the few good things that's happened. I don't, I don't... kark me..." With disturbing precision he found himself in front of the refresher once more, only this time he surrendered to the floor and stayed slumped against the wall.

"I ain't gettin' her back... I love her, I... I, I... she makes me happy... Cuy ogir'olar, ner mirsh solus, I blew it." He finally got up to his feet and wandered back to the galley's couch and laid down, hands lazily flailing about to look for something or someone to use as a pillow. "Just shoot me already..." He grumbled, eyes eventually fluttering shut in an attempt to escape reality...

---

The following day, a loud and pained cry rattled the ship, followed by a series of profanities and complaints as the mutt attempted to sit upright to no avail. "Where the hell... kark, that hurts. What the hell did I do?" He groaned, trying once more to sit up and immediately giving up. He was going nowhere, he hurt from head to toe. Hell, he even hurt from the inside out. He couldn't even get his eyes to stay open without the slightest semblance of light exacerbating the splitting headache.

"Kill the karkin' lights, karkin' hell." He whined, trying to roll over and hide from the world.

Bits and pieces of the previous day began to take shape, but none of it made sense for even a little bit. All he remembered was... hurting her. "Kaaaaaaaaark..." He groaned in disappointment. The whole idea was to forget that blunder. "Vara, you there?" He called out, trying once again to open his eyes.

Vara Rasha

 

[Vara Rasha]

Tags: Yuri Maji
​

"Karkin' hell, can you not!" He protested with perfect clarity, only to fall into a drunken heap once more.

Vara blinked.

Oh… Right!

He was hurting all over!

The woman sharply took her hand away from the bruise of his thigh immediately. The adrenaline long left his bloodstream, it seemed.

She could only imagine the world of pain he was going to wake up to the next morning. The thought of it stole a mischievous snicker from the Harpy. She shook her head, focusing her efforts back onto nurturing the wounds splitting his fur.

Her efforts saw fruition. Blood and gunk cleaned up from open gashes and cuts alike, and his bleeding slowed. Vara then brought the hydrogen peroxide dampened bandage to his open injuries. ”This’ll sting. Stand still, dumbass.” The girl warned with a chuckle as her lips peeled to a smirk.

Yuri would feel the chemical skald him each time the cloth brushed against his wounds. But this time, no amount of his drunken protests persuaded her to stop. ”Yeah yeah, cry me a river big boy,” The broad scolded him as if he were a pup.

Satisfied, she set the disinfectant stained cloth aside and reached for bacta-laced bandages from the medpack. She got to work immediately. Deft hands wrapping his bruised knuckles, sealing the gash at his brow and covering the cut on his nose under a bacta-laced bandaid. Efficient, she wasted nothing.

His cross-eyed gaze did not elude her as she pushed the medpack away on the table with the back of her hand. Just how much he drank became apparent to her when she found him clinging onto her shoulders, sliding down.

"You remind me of her..." He grumbled, slumping against her with his face in the crook of her neck. "She's one of the few good things that's happened. I don't, I don't... kark me..."

The Harpy froze, dazed by his words and the flurry of emotions locked in a conflict within her. She couldn’t bring herself to move as she felt his muzzle tucked in the crook of her neck. A part of her wanted to reciprocate and hug him back. But another part of her exclaimed to her that he was wasted to hell and back. Ramblings of a drunk. Although she was ready to set aside her suspicions, there would be no way of knowing if he even spoke of the truth.

She just couldn’t be sure.

The woman shot up after him. Immediately her hands wrapped around his arms, and tugged him back down to the couch. “Sit your ass still,” she snarled. The woman herself moved to get up in the same breath. “I’ll go get you a karkin’ bucket. Just wait.” She wasn’t about to let him wander around and potentially hurt himself more amidst his drunken stupor.

She set the metal bucket down beside the couch with a dull clank. The springs of the couch groaned sharply as she sat down at the edge, giving him some space amidst his rambling.

"I ain't gettin' her back... I love her, I... I, I... she makes me happy... Cuy ogir'olar, ner mirsh solus, I blew it." He finally got up to his feet and wandered back to the galley's couch and laid down, hands lazily flailing about to look for something or someone to use as a pillow. "Just shoot me already..."

Vara said not a word as she listened. The Harpy etched everything he spilled out to her memory, even the Mando'a that was still foreign to her. The broad's mind raced as she turned his words over and over in her head. Maybe… Maybe this really was how he felt about her under that rough exterior. Regret.

For leaving her high and dry.

Seeing him desperately toss and turn for comfort, Vara slipped out of her leather jacket after emptying her pockets. A pack of cigs, her zippo and the blood soaked knuckledusters set aside atop the galley table, she bundled up her jacket, and slipped it under his head to find him immediate comfort. She’d get him his pillow eventually.

The woman slowly rose to her feet, and went to pull up a chair. With a faint clink she set down the folding chair close to Yuri. The girl studied the mutt as he fell fast asleep. His snore rumbled with every drag of breath. Warmth stirred from the cold glare of her crimson eyes as her gaze lingered for a moment, making sure he slept like the dead before she got up from her chair.

She had to take care of a few things before she too got some sleep…

—

Her arms lazily crossed over her navel. Her back sunk into what little comfort the metal backrest of her chair offered. She had lost the battle for pulling an all-nighter hours ago, falling asleep only when she was sure Yuri slept soundly -with his pillow under his head and her jacket draped over him, and in no other position other than on his side facing the bucket.

He wasn’t going to choke on his vomit and die under her care.

The girl stirred, drowsily her head leaned back and her jaw slackened as the broad slept as soundly as one could under the circumstances.

Until a booming yelp tore her from her hard-earned respite.

“Wuh-... HUH!?” Vara jolted awake, her heart slamming against her ribs. The woman’s core rose and fell sharply with labored breath as her eyes darted to see Yuri stirring from his stupor. ”UUUUuuuuurrrrgh… For kark’s sake..” the girl pinched the bridge of her nose as she leaned forward, elbows digging into her thighs. A sigh rolled from her lips as she took a moment to calm her heart, caring not for the Mandalorian’s whines and groans.

The girl slowly rose from her chair. Her maw ripped apart in a yawn as she stretched her back. “Morning to you too dumbass,” she greeted him sharply as she made her way to the kitchen. The girl came back with a big glass of water before long.

He was going to be absolutely parched after yesterday night.

A mischievous glint emerged from the crimson of her gaze as she stood there in a brief moment’s contemplation. She made up her mind on the spot, seeking revenge for being woken up so abruptly. Without hesitation, she reached for the remote fob in her pocket. Her arm outstretched towards the freighter’s ramp with the device in hand, and with the press of the button, she invited the bright sunrays of the morning into the interior.

"Kaaaaaaaaark..."

"Vara, you there?" He called out, trying once again to open his eyes.

A chuckle slipped out of her. Breathy and sharp. “Where else would I be?” The Harpy set aside the remote and sat herself down on the edge of the galley table, less than an arms length between them. She offered him the glass of water, when he finally mustered his strength to turn.

The woman draped arms over her thighs as she leaned forward. ”You got your ASS handed to ya,” Vara cackled as she joked, but her words were not that far from the truth. ”Beaten to a pulp by a midget,” She brought her own spin to the facts, obviouslytaking the piss with him. ”It was impressive, really.” The girl reached for a bacta auto injector and toyed with it in her hands as she looked him over.

”You toughin’ this out or cryin’ for mama?” The girl introduced her own pain scale to him as she swayed from side to side, waiting for his answer.