Private The Pink and the Disingenuous

[Lossa Aureus]

THE PIT​

Given she had little else to do besides offer advice, and remain aloof of the operations around Naboo, the zeltron decided to focus her attention elsewhere.

Remembering the need to have a conversation with a particular Corellian that had swooped in at all the seemingly correct times to make his appearance. Especially when it pertained to those near and dear to her like Briana Sal-Soren in particular. Truthfully it was the only reason she was calling him out. His lingering presence around Bri being given special attention whenever she sensed him nearby. Staring. Glaring. Generally making it clear she was giving him her undivided attention despite doing nothing more than simply existing.

But it was existing around Briana that made her glower.

Who already had enough on her plate without the man peacocking around. All of which she certainly wasn't blowing out of proportion since she had nothing else to tackle at the moment with being told to cool her heels. It wasn't like she had all the time in the galaxy to sit and pick apart the why or ruminate on the small gestures he shared with Briana.

She'd already ruled out being jealous of the attention. Entirely nothing to do with that. In any way.

At all.

"RIK! HURRY THE FETH UP!" Despite the excessive amount of padding around the room, her voice made the paneling beneath reverberate.

The only place she felt she could earnestly let herself go even just a little. Granted she didn't need to bench press a ceiling off of her this time, which didn't really give her any sort of precedent for how much she could actually let loose given she just wanted to knock some sense into the man. Arms crossing back and forth as she seethed. Like a puffed up cat, she glared at the doorway. Training clothes already doubly prepared for what was no doubt going to a scene.

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

THE PIT
SHIRAYA'S SANCTUARY
NABOO

The brief, tersely worded summons came out of the blue, broadsiding Rik in the midst of what passed for lesson planning for his padawan, a thing that wasn’t too strictly planned given the nature of his involvement with the Foundation, and more building off of prior trainings they’d done together, and observed needs during fieldwork. A sort of organic, rather than structured, progression.

It wasn’t being called out that pulled him from those thoughts - wasn’t the first instance of anyone seeking to commandeer his time like this, but he didn’t know what this was about. He wasn’t aware there was even a problem. Until he linked up with the Foundation and ended up on Naboo more frequently, his path had hardly intersected with Lossa’s since the night they met… there was too little for him to come to a reasonable conclusion.

And what little he did know about the pink, toned woman wasn’t enough to draw unreasonable ones, either. The only telling thing was the location - the Pit.

He had to expect to get smacked around… or do the smacking around, but he’d take his time winding his way to the reinforced training arena, from the temple quarters he stayed in, when on-world. Combat was part of the job description, for him, but he didn’t relish it. Didn’t crave the next conflict, but today, it sought him out.

"RIK! HURRY THE FETH UP!"

Rik felt the simmering subtext just before he heard it and felt the reverberations subtly ripple the air on his approach to the Pit, causing him to pause in his steps, however briefly, before arriving at the door, keying in his access code to the large room, and letting himself in. Letting his inscrutable gaze fall on the pacing Zeltron.

"What's this about, Lossa?"

A plain, level tone as he walked in. No hello. Just straight to the point.

Lossa Aureus​

 

[Lossa Aureus]

THE PIT​

He didn't even bother with pleasantries.

Not that she would have shared them either but she was already in a mood. And even that passed as a slight in her mind as she bristled at his tone.

What was this about!?

Her eyes wide now as she fumed at the audacity. However endearing at times, right now it incensed her as she pointed at him and scowled.

"Don't play stupid." Voice a whip crack as her hand settled back on her hip. "It doesn't suit you."

Standing squarely in the middle of the room. Waiting for him to come closer as she bubbled with poorly aimed intentions.

"You gonna tell me the real reason you are here? Or do I need to pry it out of you?" She wasn't going to play his little game. Wasn't going to let him keep shmoozing up to Briana after everything that had been going on just to add more to the chaotic mess they were dealing with.

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

THE PIT
SHIRAYA'S SANCTUARY
NABOO

[ Don't play stupid?! ]

Rik took a step towards her, confusion bringing his brows together, arms unfolding.

“I don't…”

"You gonna tell me the real reason you are here? Or do I need to pry it out of you?"

He stopped in his tracks, and his mouth resolved to a line. This wasn't making any sense; why the interrogation? He was missing something.

"My padawan's part of this Order - that's a matter of record," he said slowly as his eyes narrowed, peering at her as if something, anything would be revealed by doing so, "I'm not seeing the issue here."

What in the hells had her so riled up?

"Not keen to play whatever game this is," he said flatly, "you gonna tell me what's going on, or you expecting me to read your mind?"

He wasn't that good with the latter, Force or otherwise.

Lossa Aureus​

 

[Lossa Aureus]

THE PIT​

Her lips curled into a scowl as he spoke. She had literally just told him not to play dumb. And there he was. Doing exactly that. Falling back to the padawan excuse as her arms tensed.

"Your padawan. Isn't. The issue." Eyes closing as she kept herself on track. Opening them again as he poked at her reason for calling him here.

"A game? This isn't a game, Rik." Hands arcing high in the air with exasperation as her emotions became a flood of everything all at once.

Overwhelming and uncertain as words came pouring out.

"You don't need to make excuses. We already have enough going on. Bri doesn't need that kind of attention just coming off of a relationship." Arms crossing as she cocked a hip and scowled again, waving her hand wildly. The motion helping her stay focused.

"Especially with everything going on as it is.You could at least wait a little while. But nooooo. Nope. Can't do that. Gotta strike while the ions are hot. That's low dude, like come on." Head cocked sideways as she finished and expectantly looking at him.

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

THE PIT
SHIRAYA'S SANCTUARY
NABOO

“What is it, then?” Rik jabbed in return, his mouth twitching to an uncertain frown while her hands took to an exasperated arc, as the stew of her emotions flooded the padded chamber, and she made to speak again.

Still needling him for excuses he wasn’t making, until the truth started to come out, truth he was already well aware of, which was just as confusing.

“What do you…” His mouth closed around the end of that sentence as she barreled forth with more to say that began to paint the picture of her perceptions, as much as he could figure. “Wait a little?!”

Indignation spiked. His frown deepened as she continued on, accusing him of such… such… dishonourable opportunism. Somewhere in there, his hands ended up on his hips. He swallowed, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. Where would he have even had the time? What kind of guy did she think he was? Where did he even start with this?

“By the old gods…” He spat in disbelief. The hand dropped back to hook on his side, his words coming in on the sharp side of insulted, “where’d you get that idea, huh?”

He stared at her, still a mite confused about where this was even coming from. His only business with Briana these days was Jedi business, and simply getting to know a friend better. That was it. That was all.

“What kind of guy do you take me for?” He turned and walked a step or two, then returned right back to where he was, jabbing a finger at her, then back at himself as he continued. “You think I don’t know?!” The hand perched back on his hip. “Fuck, I heard about everything from my folks, Lossa. Military community on Corellia’s pretty damn connected all around, but you wouldn’t know that, would you?”

Rik sighed frustration out his nose.

“There’s a damn lot you don’t know. That there’s things you don’t do with a grieving woman, that her ex is my brother’s friend, that I wasn’t raised with a lack of principles,” the words came out with increasing tempo, “I would never, and I have no intent to otherwise, but there’s no way you’d know that, is there?”

Most of the time he found Lossa pretty, to put it mildly, but in the now she was pretty infuriating.

“So what is it? Where’d this all come from, Lossa? This really about Briana?”

If it was just concern, he’d like to believe he wouldn’t have been made to come down here. His eyes narrowed as an unlikely thought occurred to him - there was no way after all this time, but it was the only other thing that made a single lick of sense.

“Or are you just jealous?”

Lossa Aureus​

 

[Lossa Aureus]

THE PIT​

She hadn't meant to rush headlong with her words. But it kept tumbling out. Her mouth running away from her brain well before it could catch it and put a lid on it.

It wasn't until he snapped back that her mouth finally was leashed.

Flinching as she listened. Her mouth agape as if to answer the question about who he was. Blinking as he continued and jabbed a finger at her but didn't touch her. Her face drawn tight as she tried to maintain the scowl despite the unraveling of her accusations.

Each word tugging harder on that string and making her sink further into guilt. For assuming his reason for being here. For being close to Briana.

Guilt for jumping to a conclusion without asking questions gnawed at her as she tried to be civil rather than try to ignite that ember in her stomach again.

Feeling like a padawan again as she deflated and lifted her chin to meet his eyes.

"N-no. I wouldn't know that." A frown replacing the scowl finally as she chewed on her lip. Beginning to think of how to make amends until her eyes widened at his question. Brain scrambling now as the backpedaling began.

"Of course it's about Briana! I woul-"

His words shorting out the sensible part of her brain as the ember caught. The frantic air shifting back to indignation as the frown shifted.

"Jealous!?" Eyes held wide as she glanced away as if chasing a thought. "That's a ridiculous-"

She couldn't sit still now with all the energy the accusation had dredged up. Agitated and pacing while glaring at him.

"What would I be jealous of?" Finally stopping her pacing as her hand waved to accentuate her point. "Yes. You have some. Good qualities. I guess. But. No. No. I'm not jealous!"

Her voice gaining and losing volume as she tried to divert attention away from the topic.

She wasn't jealous.

She wasn't. Why would she be jealous? She didn't have a reason to be jealous. Not about the attention Briana was getting from him. Or the little ways that he showed he was there for her. She wasn't jealous of those little affections. Had only been watching him closely for her cousins sake.

Nothing else. She wasn't. Was not.

Jealous.

"Why would I be jealous?"

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

THE PIT
SHIRAYA'S SANCTUARY
NABOO

She had backed down for a whisper of a moment, and he completely missed it, barrelling onward through his indignation - riled up as he was, being so deeply misread and accused.

When she started to backpedal, his eyes relaxed to a cool stare, tracking her back and forth, and settling as she settled to continue to fumble her words, and deny his own accusation.

“Then why am I…” Words that came out low, then he stopped himself. “...no, let’s say you’re not jealous.”

He didn’t believe that one lick after just now… but he did agree: why would she be jealous?

“Let’s say this is all,” words drawn out and mildly scathing, a hand waving out the size of the plot, “an elaborate ruse to make me come down here… for what? To goad me into a fight to let off some steam?”

Maybe that made more sense.

“You could’ve asked.” Speaking in a low, even tone as before. “About this. About her. Straight up. Anywhere else.”

And he’d have given an honest answer. He’d have let the punches fly, willingly. More things she didn’t know: one boozy evening didn’t say much.

“But I’m here,” nonetheless, “and you’re not jealous,” he still didn’t believe it after that little performance, “just... boiling over with concern.”

A skeptical beat.

"About Jedi business, and about my concern for a friend." His eyes narrowed at her again. "Might be that concern's misplaced."

Lossa Aureus​

 

[Lossa Aureus]

THE PIT​

Her temper had cooled enough to listen despite the slight twitch of her brow when he mentioned her not being jealous. Despite her protests and denials, she couldn't hide the physical reaction.

Crossing her arms as he maintained the accusation despite saying otherwise with tone alone.

Taking a different route now that ended with something she could latch onto without feeling like a liar. She had intended to fight him. To vent frustration in one of the more reliable ways she knew. Granted if the rest of the council learned she was even leaning back into her tendency, they might have further words for her.

Even admitting that much felt like she was slipping back into the shadows of a life she had tried so hard to escape.

But being angry was so much easier.

"I could have." Her words spat as she cocked her hip and slipped on a familiar mask. "But I know our track record with boys."

Goading. Grating. Difficult.

Lossa.

Just as she had been. As she had always heard about whispered behind her back through the emotional current when she heard her name uttered when they knew she would hear them.

It was easier to know people hated you than hope that even a single one of them liked you.

Her finger pointed at him now and wagged as her lips curled into a sneer.

"I guess it was misplaced. I just know that-" She hated herself for every second she did this. It didn't make her feel better in the end. Didn't make anyone feel better. "White knights like to appear when a lady needs help."

But stars it was so much easier than trying to be honest.

Easier than admitting she hurt and wanted to lean on someone.

Rik Perris​