The Other Side

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Anticipation | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "The reasons I can't have you."
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It's that sick dread that builds up in your throat.

The kind that burns in your sternum.

The kind that makes your gut feels like a hundred pounds and turns your lungs to dust.

Lyn stared at the numbing, plain roof of their shared apartment and counted breathes. One two, one two. In out, in out. It was a little quicker than it should have been for deep breathing, but, it didn't matter. In the end this body wasn't exactly very real, so the reactions to stress and worry weren't very real either. That dark thought kept her mind anchored as she waited. It hadn't been explicitly said, but, well, he was coming home today. Maybe. She hoped. Something twitched in her chest at the idea it'd be another night of longing.

So wait she did, because she did it anyways, because she missed her partner. The solitary excursions to Bastion had been boring since they were solitary, dinner was often a mess, the apartment felt empty. Maybe they needed a pet.

Or maybe they didn't. No, they really didn't. One creature to babysit was enough. A cat might be nice.

The HRD rolled onto her side and sighed, nose pressing into the material of the couch. It brought on a slightly claustrophobic sensation, one she welcomed to replace the anxiety in her head. Once he was back it'd go away, she knew. It was the dread of him never returning through that door that made her feel as sick as she felt. Lovesick. Sort of pathetic, for a girl who was once a Zeltron. God, was this excruciating.

They really needed a cat. Or maybe a dog. Birds were nice, too, but chatty sometimes. Those idle musings distracted her more so as she waited for the inevitable; an ear trained on the entrance to their apartment, to hear those footsteps in the hall that she could recognize just from gait, to hear the sliding mechanism of their front door.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Returning | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "All that is done, summer's over."
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How long had it been? Kole knew, he counted the days. They might have turned to nothing but a blur of action to some, but he kept a firm recollection of each day spent away from Bastion. There was never an exact date in which he could return, and that bothered him more than anything else; they all had a task to complete, some more than one. It was simply how things were. Nespis VIII had certainly been dangerous, rife with death and destruction, but Kole always was some kind of survivor. He had more luck than one could poke a stick at. Still, perhaps the most painful thing of this experience was that Kole had to tell Lyn he was deploying to Dromund Kaas soon, and later Dac. It can wait, so he thought.

Kole let loose a disappointed sigh and that very emotive response was clearly explained across his features. His eyes, visibly tired, had closed in that moment. Turbolift was out of order, and so the Droid cast a glance over his shoulder at the flight of stairs that never seemed to end. His ascension began and each step seemed to further drive the life out of him.

It was then, however, that those footsteps outside their door began to become a reality. They came closer, and closer, and closer, but they kept on going. It wasn't Kole, but instead a neighbour. That same one that offered Kole a greeting with nothing more than a simple nod of the head as he almost leant against the doorway. Lyn may have some idea he was arriving home if she kept a keen fixation upon the news, but knowing her? Well, maybe. Things change.

There was that familiar sound of their door sliding open, disappearing into the doorframe only to reappear and seemingly seal them within as it closed back behind him. Kole couldn't see her as part of their couch concealed Lyn, but he hadn't truthfully been looking. There was something awfully blissful about just being home.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Anticipation | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "Are so easy to fix."
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The softest of breathes left her when those footsteps stopped, now, the mechanisms in the door sliding back. She laid prone, most certainly hidden by the cushions of their couch, waiting to see if her suspicions were correct. Or maybe it was an intruder, who knew? Her paranoia had been out of sorts lately. Prepared for her hopes to be crushed, another tentative exhale was released when her head lifted from the couch, the honey hair a mess, and those synthetic eyes narrowed down on the familiar form of Kole Harper. And she would have sworn then that lightning had struck her droid body.

He's alive.

That's a start.

Due to the juxtaposed positions of her and the couch it made navigation a trick, and she nearly tripped over a corner of the damn thing to reach him, wordless, bare feet slapping against tied floor as without a second thought those vice-like arms encircled his torso and pulled him close. A bit too close, a bit too hard, a bit too fast. She was definitely hugging him a little too strongly, if they wanted to avoid injury-- Still keenly unaware of her HRD strength --but it was important that she did. The way her chin rested on his sternum was important, it was important to make sure he was home and here and definitely not about to vanish like some hallucination. A few simple words were offered then in blunt greeting despite her obvious delight and relief to see him home, "You made it." As if she doubted him for a second.

Only a few minutes. Hours at night. It gnawed.

"--Not hurt, right?" Ah, there it was. That nervous twitch that seemed to dominate some of her 'old' self, only really coming out since her second life began. Perhaps it had always been there, even as a Zeltron, buried under the stresses that life had brought; brought out now that she was, figuratively, 'free' from that shell. Her question was followed by a significant loosing of her embarrassingly tight hold on him, a half-step back to bring some space back between them. She seemed a little drowsy, as if she'd been asleep moments earlier when that wasn't farther from the truth, and certainly was a far cry from her groomed self. It was clear his return had caught her on an off hour, unaware, but still that radiant beauty that they had restored near-flawlessly. No matter his answer the corner of her mouth had turned upwards erratically, unable to really contain how happy she was. It had been hard enough to send him off to fething war, after all. That, had definitely not been expected, not something she'd ever emotionally worked through, and doing it alone was harder. Illuminating as to what might be happening with him, though, but Lyn only had a few pieces in the puzzle of what had happened in the past weeks-nearing-months, she couldn't quite put the picture together yet to understand why this was all necessary.

How ironic that the portrait was likely of her, for she was the reason this madness had all begun. A hand creeped to twine with his, clearly eager for the touch, and eager to begin hearing his winded explanations.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Home | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "My head is coming back."
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Kole couldn't resist allowing a smirk to crease across his features at the mere sight of Lyn. It was in the way in which her head had risen up from part of the couch with her hair a mess and her 'face' not exactly 'on' that he found a bit too comical. It was a mixture of that and his genuine happiness to see her. Kole never really knew whether or not he was going to be able to come home, or if they immediately shifted him off elsewhere. This Droid didn't get a say in any of that, he was nothing but a pawn in a larger game, but it was too convoluted for him to understand. Might be a part of the reason as to why he was never really clued in on it all. Sith plots were of no concern to himself, except, well, they should be.

His movements were rather sluggish, but as Lyn made her way directly towards he seemed of braced himself. There'd been many a time where that newly-made HRD had performed nothing short of crash tackles. Unknowing, of course; in this moment of excitement, however, he could only assume that she wasn't really minding how much strength she was applying. His arms raised upwards, narrowly avoiding that vice-like grip and being constrained to his torso. "Ooft." Kole let out a breathy grunt as she collided with him, yet maintained his stance. There was a hint of discomfort across his face as he felt those artificial bones being crushed, or so he thought in jest.

"Yep." He said through the slight pain, evident his airways were restricted to some degree. To think that he might die in his own home immediately after returning from a battlefield. That'd be a bad way to go, awfully unlucky, especially considering the circumstances. It were moments like these, though, that made explanations all the more difficult. She seemed so happy, and he knew that was a bubble he had to burst. Then again, with time.

​Had he been hurt? There was the time he was electrocuted, but only a little bit. A zap of the fingers, momentarily burning artificial flesh. It was fixed easily, though. Could hardly if at all notice it now. There had been others that found themselves far more unlucky than himself. They were dead, Kole was not. He could come home, they could not. It didn't seem to bother him much, but he was both used to it and rather great at hiding what it was that he felt. "I'm fine, I'm fine." He explained with a hint of a laugh, bowing his head slightly to plant those lips of his on the corner of hers for the briefest of moments. "How about you, are you alright?" Kole questioned, making an attempt to step further into the apartment.

He didn't intend on standing by the door. His legs were killing him.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Relief | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "I didn't really plan to."
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Kole wasn't getting off that easy.

"Better now." She hummed thoughtfully but was quick to reciprocate with her own quick embrace, pushing to the tips of her toes to rather wobbly meet his mouth again, for a bit longer this time. But all that euphoric short laughter and grins were sure to break it off in time for him to move on, likely towards the couch to rest his no-doubt circulation-less appendages, "Bastion's been quiet," She explained, that beaming smile still present as her arm wove around his back and around his torso so they'd be forced to walk together, her head ducked against his chest, "New governor, apparently."

Lyn really hadn't been watching the news, but, well, on a Sith's world? Some news you have to know. Standard procedure, and all.

He likely wouldn't mind her subtle guiding to the seating, quick to pull herself back down into the divot she'd made whilst resting earlier, lying in wait. Her voice was strained with the motion of settling back down, but clear to him, "And I've been feeling... Good." Not a lie, inherently. She'd felt awful since he'd been gone, time managing to numb those first few days away into a soft nothing that was the furthest from her mind now, but there had been marginal improvements. Things seemed more in sync, now. She didn't stare at her own hand and wonder how it moved or even wondered if it was her hand. She was simply more in tune with her body now, as she had been told would happen over time. The memories of her old life in a different fleshbag to this one tended to cross some wires and confuse the brain, after all.

The apartment seemed clean, which was a definite bonus. Clean, but in the way Lyn seemed penchant to clean which meant minimum effort for maximum pay off, and there did appear to be a few new pieces of, say, decoration, lying around. A small painting depicting a beach. New drapes. They seemed to line up more with her concept of a 'home' than what had previously been there before, and the obvious implication was that she'd done some shopping. Online? Maybe. Or those nights spent out wandering the streets and rooftops in search of peace just led to furniture stores.

"Miss me?" Now that was the old Lynnori, that grin a few more upticks away from being devious as she looked to him, already knowing his answer.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Settling Back In | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "And I feel good, I feel so good."
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There were some rather obvious changes. It hadn't been the same apartment that Kole left, and he could easily tell that by the colour palette change. He never really seemed to mind the more dull, boring colours, but that's mainly because his time hadn't been spent in there alone; he had a distraction, someone to keep his eyes away from the furniture and onto her. Although, when Kole left for all those hours in a day, all those days within a week, and all those weeks within a month? It made sense that someone ought to have some free reign to do whatever they like with it. If Kole had been less sympathetic, maybe he'd become slightly agitated knowing that his money had been spent on something as frivolous as that. Yet, as his eyes shifted back and forth throughout the apartment-- unable to place what specifically has changed --he knew that it didn't matter.

He didn't really ease into the couch as much as he dropped himself into it, but not before removing that so often worn coat and lazily draping it over some seat nearby with a light toss. It was with a satisfied grown that Kole sunk further into the divot her form had previously created. His head slowly leaned backwards, resting against the backboard of the couch- if it could even be called that. Kole had closed his eyes with a deep exhale. It'd been a while since he felt this comfort, and not just the physical, but the familiarity. "That's great." He breathed, unmoving in his brief respite.

Kole shifted his hand across to find her own, a certain tenseness to his grip as if he was ensuring that he hadn't been suffering from similar delusions Lynnori had previously become suspicious of. His head had slowly rolled over, his eyes opening to interlock with her own, seemingly amused with himself as a huff of air departed his nose and a smirk widened with the simple word of: "No." But, alas, he corrected himself. He shook his head from left to right in an attempt to dismiss his previous answer from reality. "Always." Kole had then stated rather factually.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
What A Day | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "But I'mma do it for this."
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A harsh exhale of air through the nose as she scrutinized his smug reply. It was that look of playful 'are you kidding me?' before it broke out into a smile at his correction. Easy to please, a soft, "Me too." to reciprocate, and her cheek fell on his shoulder unceremoniously like she couldn't keep it up any longer. It was easy to tell how tired Kole was, but from what, she couldn't tell. That was certainly what prompted her to say, "Been a long day, huh." It hid the silent question, the gentle prompt beneath those plain, soft-spoken, chit-chat words. Asking of what happened out there, though, was surely not going to end well. Even if he did tell her. Which he likely wouldn't.

Mysteries abound.

Nonetheless, Lyn was grateful for the moment. It had quelled her nervosity sufficiently to no longer feel like she was being choked by her own organs, that new unnatural heart no longer beating in a vice grip. Resting against him was easy, fingers creeping around his as if to ensure that part of him was whole, still, "Hungry?" She asked without much time between her last remark for him to reply fully, head lifted from him now and tipped in thought, "Or thirsty?"

Those smiles of hers never boded well, "...Or something?" That was where it trailed of. Or something, or something, or something. It was always 'something' with her. Her weight returned at his side as she leaned on him, clearly waiting for his rebuttal.

No rest for the weary, or the wicked, or the wanton -- That much was clear.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Browsing | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "Pore over me, comb each hair upon my head."
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Kole had been tired from all those hours he spent awake, all those strenuous activities he had to engage in, and the mere thought of coming home prevented such rest. He had known that Lynnori was going to be on the other side, simply waiting, but that irked Kole. Not because he doubted it, no, but simply due to the fact it was taking so long. He hadn't been as eager to fight and die for an Empire; they all held such beliefs in high regard, and Kole held them as something of an obligation. Selfish? Possibly. It didn't matter, not to him. It's her that did. And he wouldn't be doing her any favours by dying on some foreign planet. HIs gaze remained fixated on those orbs she had for eyes with a subtle smile evident across his face.

​It diverted to the area ahead of him as she placed her head against his shoulder. Kole seemed to of cocked his head to the side, a little inquisitive with his expression. He found himself staring at a beach, but he didn't know which one, or if he had ever seen it before. Had it been something new? Had Lyn left to go purchase it? Suppose he couldn't blame her. It had been a while, and whilst he knew that there was no fuss in it he couldn't help shift ever-so-slightly with discomfort. A soft clearing of his throat accompanying it.

"Been a long day." He softly repeated in response. Kole could tell she was probing, but she'd get nothing out of him. There was no reason to talk about it. That sweet, soft, innocent (seemingly) Zeltron turned HRD didn't need to know about an intergalactic war. He could handle that.

He raised an arm to encircle Lyn, it moved around her shoulders and held her as close as she held him. It was a mutual thing, really. Kole panned his vision to have it rest back upon Lynnori, listening, watching, observing, identifying. Oh. "Depends." He muttered, allowing that simple word to stir in the minimal amount of air dwelling between them. "What's that mystery option?" Brows flexing upwards.

Kole knew; he always did.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
A Perusal | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "Baby, if you let me."
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"Oh, you know." She knew he knew.

"The usual."

A tactful pause, "Or just a quiet night at home." More often than not these days she offered that alternative. Forceful nature diminished, not gone, but weakened in its new state. There was affection there, after all; she wasn't going to pounce on him if he was tired from his trip back to Bastion. Well. Maybe-- No, she wouldn't. Curious eyes befell him in response as her own brow rose, funny half-smile plastered across her still-good looks, "Or, uh," Lyn started, shifting upwards, pressing an issue as her hand gripped his shoulder firmly, "You could tell me about it. What you did."

Rock, meet hard place.

The odds were slim but she could try. It was what had plagued her nights more often than not, the wonderings of what he was doing at that moment as she laid alone in their too-large bed. Killing strangers? Dark dealing with Sith? Maybe this time he was the murderer after the holo-star. Dark theories, to be sure, but there was nothing else to think of, damn him. What else could it be if he didn't tell her? He told her everything but this, she thought bitterly, even though he didn't know all there was to know about her, either.

Cards were on the table, either way. Whether he took the easy, yet fun way out, or the more difficult path of sorting emotional hogwash, was up to Kole now.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Welcome Surprises | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "And curb my wild desired eyes."
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The HRD wasn't quite capable of comprehending the other's curiosity, much in the same vein as to how he wasn't able to sate it, or, rather, unwilling to do so. It hadn't been a thing Lyn needed to know, nor did he want her to. Kole wasn't the heroic soldier that charged the frontlines, it was merely a fantasy; he, instead, operated in shadows as a murderer. If that had been a fear, well, then, it had been the right decision to remain silent. It wasn't as if the options she presented were entirely equal in regards to the outcome. There had been the preferred, the peaceful, and the difficult. She should of known his response the instant it had been asked of him.

Kole had been a fan of 'the usual'. Anyone in their right mind would be, too.

"You made this really difficult, you know?" His delivery rich with sarcasm and a growing grin. "But, if I have to choose... I'll take the usual, ma'am." It had extended into his furthered dialogue. He wouldn't necessarily mind it if she pounced on him, but if he went down there wasn't a chance of him getting back up.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Interrogation | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "I won't hesitate."
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It seemed to happen fast, but maybe that was due to her new enhanced reflexes. Lyn just shifted and she was atop him, arms extended either side of his head to prop herself up on the couch backing. Hazel eyes locked with Kole's, briefly unblinking as the admittedly short HRD now loomed over him as she had many times before, "Okay." A hint of a smile, but it did seem a little disappointed. Somewhat bitter. Sure, activities were fun. But she had been hoping to learn something.

Death really had changed her, hm?

Only a little disappointed.

They say sometimes you can see the light flash in someone's eyes when they get ideas. Whether that was the same for droids was difficult to say, but there was a definite glimmer in those lovely windows to the soul that had definitely not been there earlier, as her nose bumped against his in that admittedly cute way they often did, "Okay," She repeated, low, definitely-nearly-almost a whisper, "But you'll have to tell me at least something about it first." Still mining that particular vein, it seemed. But she had to know. Mischievous, at least, was a good look on her, and one of the hands used to keep her near-laying on top moved to his face, both a tender gesture and a means of physically insisting. Her thumb ran from his chin to his bottom lip, slow like sand in an hourglass, "You can't scare me off now, after all." Locked for life, they were, whether they wanted to really face that reality. No matter what Kole really had done, she could forgive him. He'd done worse for her, after all, that much she was sure of.

"I just need something, Kole."

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Bleugh | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "When I am dead."
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Seriously?

This certainly wasn't ideal. It hadn't been 'the usual', either. Kole breathed an agitated exhale, his eyes briefly rolling upwards before closing had expressed as much, too. It might have been some kind of interrogation tactic where he seemed to have some kind of reward for indulging her, but Kole didn't need this. He knew that, and so it was why he held his stance on the issue.

"No." He claimed, his head shifting from left-to-right with the smallest of movements. There was a seriousness clearly evident across his features, from the lack of curvature in his lips, the coldness in his eyes, and general disposition. "Not happening." He further added. This wasn't a favourable predicament, especially considering where he's currently positioned.

He only didn't want to worry her, but it seemed as if he would be doing so either way.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Not The Cop | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "All I know."
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"Kole." It nearly sounded like a plea. Lyn's forehead tipped against his briefly, a sigh to leave her so it might brush across his face and neck in a hot puff, a reminder of the intimacy, "You can't just not tell me forever."

This was slowly becoming difficult to manage. The struggle to be let outside was hard enough, but now she was asking to be let in and it seemed a hundred times harder. There was anticipation for what was to come but even more for this one perfectly emotional moment, as she tried oh-so-desperately to just get him to tell the truth. Or tell her anything, for that matter. But he stayed silent like what would have been (or was) her grave, and it dimmed the glint in her eye just slightly as she began to lose her own fight even within.

"You can't." She reaffirmed in an attempt to bolster her side of the field, not looking to tempt his argument or protest though it was sure to be plentiful. He would. Simple as that. Maybe not tonight, but he was going to tell her where he went those nights that were now slowly beginning to turn to months. Would they be years soon enough? No, no, it would stop before it got to that because she would make him stop, or they would get out, get off this sithspit rock and find̶ ̀a f̴a͏rm͡ s͏o͡m̴ewhere--

It was with another short exhale that she let her other hand briefly curl into his scalp and hairline as she was wont to do when bored or in certain throes, "--Can you even promise that I'll know soon?" It was hard to hide the slightly bitter tinge to her tone, but she still clung.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Pressured | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "Sit calm and do not stop, gonna."
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​There was a deep inhale brought through his nose, his chest rising as a result, and an elongated exhale departed the same feature of his face. His expression didn't seem to change in the slightest, stoic on the exterior but internally fighting himself on more than one battlefield. "I-..." He trailed off as his head turned away from Lyn, unable to look at her as his artificial heart began beating faster than it needed to. Although, Kole had panned his head back towards her as her hand met his forehead. "I can't." The Droid almost shrugged in a defeated manner, "I'm not allowed to." He furthered with the truth, oddly enough. Saaraish Intelligence, as it were, was rather secretive by it's nature. There was all this black ink and blank spaces that comprised his file and their operation reviews.

His hands rest easy against her outer-thighs, idly shifting up and down in his own moment of hesitation and uneasiness. Kole enabled one last blowout of air, beginning to talk as if he had started all over. "Lynnori... It's nothing you need to be concerned about. It's just paper work, shrapnel and blood." By his standards, she won.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Satisfaction Guaranteed | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "All I know is this."
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It was grim.

But it was enough.

And a part of her irked at how much she really did enjoy her name in his mouth.

One final exhale and she nodded, skin still pressed to skin, "I trust you." No lies, either. She did trust him, so much, sometimes so much it felt surreal to perceive. Trust had not exactly been a constant in her life, after all. The only people she'd designed to trust after her family had been, well, a second family, and they were gone too, they were gone--

In an effort to distract, Lyn's lips met Kole's rather suddenly, the hand nearly-around his head used for the sudden connection that served to melt her mind into her chest. Come to think of it, Kole might be the singular person she'd been able to rely on for the longest. The thought struck her clearly when the embrace broke off, something of a smile on her face now despite the implications he'd been voicing just minutes earlier. Blood, shrapnel, classified information? It worried her, sure, but she'd been worrying anyways. At least now she could worry with context.

"The usual, right?" All business, but there was a genuine relief to her now. She had just wanted to know even that. A finger ran down his cheek slightly and she smirked, waiting for his reply with their heads still touching.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Relief | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "You are always."
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Things had been grim for some time, now.

It had been that way ever since he witnessed those vibrant colours splatter outwards and stain the snow; as her body collided with the ground beneath them both. It had always been something that plagued his mind, but maybe these intergalactic conflicts aided in the soothing of his artificial soul. They were distractions that took away such feelings of guilt, replacing them with fearful adrenaline that coursed through his synthetic frame. Lyn had made such a simple yet meaningful comment, one that rest it's foundations on trust. She shouldn't trust him- she couldn't. Kole let her down, he let her die, and his only attempt at preventing a repeat was to divulge into his anger and lie. That very thing took him out from beneath her weight, back into the snow; it was cold, freezing, but her voice reeled him in.

His eyes seemed vacant as she kissed him. Kole wandered an internal plane as his physical presence acted on muscle memory. As their lips ceased to make contact he arrived in full with a blink. "Right." He softly replied, angling his own head upwards to resume such contact. It had been a while, by their standards, at least.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Afterthoughts | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "All I know, all I know, all I know, all I know is this."
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All she knew was that she didn't like the cold.

And that there had been an accident.

Death was a trauma and the mind was devious and selfish when it wished to be. Of course, it'd suppress memories like that, even if any tampering hadn't occurred to protect that part of her psyche. Who, in the galaxy, would want to recall their death in stark clarity? The feeling of life snapped away in an instant, remembered as clearly as she could cite all the times he had said Lyn's name in that particular way he did, the way to get her chest light and her head spinning. No. No doubt, Lyn was likely incredibly grateful she couldn't remember a thing about her untimely demise.

She could, however, still sense something wasn't right. Call it a woman's intuition. Call it her near-keen memorization of his mannerisms. Call it what you like; she knew, plain and simple, she knew and didn't really know how to fix it besides the obvious. She was, after all, lacking most of the important parts in the puzzle of what had really changed Kole Harper but it seemed natural that she fit into that equation. A sigh escaped the HRD once more, the tip of her nose pressed on his cheek, "I know I, uh, redecorated just a bit--" It was minor, yes, but noticeable enough to add her own style, "--But I didn't change our room." Obvious transition.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Rain | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "You are always on my mind."
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That had all faded into obscurity; those thoughts, memories, flashes- dissipating into nothingness the instant it had began. It took him elsewhere. Kole seemed to of missed 'the usual' more than he remembered, or thought to remember, or cared to admit, even. It might have been a smidge embarrassing to do so but considering his past weeks and months? It had proven to be a necessary release. It had been filled with deception and death, and the slightest of relief was mistakable for an act from the heavens above. It allowed him to sleep. But not yet.

Kole rest himself lazily against the backboard of the bed frame, mostly concealed by the bed sheets he previously tossed and turned within. His bare torso on display. He panned his gaze throughout their bedroom, cementing it after meeting the window to his left-- furthest from the door --with those synthetic blues of his. It was raining, and Kole enjoyed the rain. There was something about it that calmed him, both the sound and the sight. The feeling, however, not so much.

He didn't speak, he didn't have to, nor want to. Had those thoughts circled back around into his mind? Possibly. It was impossible to tell; Kole was quite the daydreamer, even at night.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Tears | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ All I Know ~ "I know there's been stigma around me."
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Ah, rain.

Lyn casually lounged nearby on their bed, head turned to watch the weather with that mindless stupor such an act often did. Her fingers were still laced through his, lightly, to keep their physical connection alive. For the moment she was simply lost in thought. Where would they go from here, anyway? Well-- Not literally, as she still had a few musings on where that could go, but the thought had been meant a little more emotionally. Had they stagnated? Would his constant vanishing drive them apart? She shifted across the sheets to his side once more, an arm crooked to stretch across his midsection and her chin falling to his shoulder in a fluid, smooth motion that had happened many times prior, "Hey." Lyn greeted again shortly, the muteness gone.

And then, her mind seemed to grind to a bit of a halt. Those thoughts from earlier she'd been so eager to block out starting to claw their way back into the limelight, annoyingly. Hazel eyes befell him once more and she seemed slightly hesitant, trepidation in her face like she was on the precipice of a choice. It was all too easy to fall, but would he be the one to push her? Did she want that?

Did she really want her last few secrets to be secrets no longer?

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Bastion, Kole & Lyn's Apartment, Early Evening
Lost | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Frank ~ "Don't want no moments."
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He couldn't say the same. He might not ever be able to. It didn't matter how deeply Kole had fallen in love with Lynnori, he was never able to admit such things. They were always going to be his secrets, and it might just be better off that way, too. They hadn't been entirely relevant anymore, anyways. Crime had seemed to depart Kole's life; it was the occasional late-night call or message that he received, the kind that shined a bright or alerted with a buzz, only to be quickly snuffed out in an attempt to ensure the sleeping angel beside him remained in such a state. There had been the issue of her death, too, and that was the real torment. An insistent and nagging thought had been provoked many times, but ultimately silenced.

The HRD had idly held her hand, their fingers interlocked with one another in yet another moment of skin-to-skin contact. His head had panned over to his right as the slightest of shuffling had become apparent to him, and his synthetic, blue eyes observed her form instinctively. There had been a certain distracted blandness to his expression, but nothing more than a faint smile that accompanied it. His eyes had then met hers, slinking around her side with an arm to maintain her current position upon him.

Kole witnessed such trepidation, and his own smile had been replaced by a suspicious expression. He had always been curious, but even more so when it came to Lyn. She had always been a mystery to him, something more than another woman, and rightfully so- they wouldn't be here now if that was the case. "You okay?" Kole softly questioned with such sincerity to his tone.