Private The Right Hand and the Left

[Eloise Dinn]

"Desire for... what? Power? I fail to see the distinction."

“There’s always someone who wants something,” Byron had replied, slowly twirling his finger. “Desire makes the world go round. For a small fee, I help people fulfill their dreams. I don’t judge the contents of their fantasies.”

His words only tipped the scales further towards violent confrontation, though Thelma put a stop to their standoff before any blood could be shed.

"Well, I guess we owe you our lives. If there's anything we can do to help..."

The little vampiress bowed her head a little, a gesture of respect. “I thank you for the offer. Right now I just need to go home and rest. It was nice seeing you.”

“Call us if you need a favor,” Eloise said. Glaring at Byron, she added, “Tell me where I can find Anton Crowley.”

“No, I don’t think I shall.” Byron smirked, wrapping his Cloak around Thelma again. “I don’t owe you anything.”

Before Eloise could retort, both Byron and Thelma vanished from the room, leaving behind a puff of black smoke which rapidly dissipated in the moments following their departure. Staring at the empty space where they had once stood, Eloise didn’t make a sound, though her fists clenched visibly at her sides. She was angry.

So what else is new?

“Come on,” she said, reaching for Diogo’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.” She was anxious to get back to the ship, where she could use the medbay’s scanners to check for any... internal injuries.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Byron had an exquisitely punchable face. Diogo committed it to memory, grinding his jaw like he was engraving it in his bones. At the bucor's final words, the young Jedi's eyes twitched with rage. But before he could get a word in edgewise, Byron and Thelma vanished, leaving behind a wisp of black smoke and a quiet stillness.

Eloise broke the silence and grabbed Dio's hand, which he eagerly accepted. He was ready to get the hell off this wretched planet. And despite the unspoken distance between them, it felt good to feel her touch again.

Reaching the parking lot, Diogo slid into the speeder. Well, he opened the passenger side door for El first, gentlemanly-like, then he slid into the driver's seat. Throwing his usual caution to the wind, Diogo sped white-knuckled back to the ship, snaking aggressively through the foggy streets of Necropolis.

---

Once on the ship, they split. Dio made his way to the cockpit while Eloise disappeared inside the cramped medbay...

After anxiously running through pre-flight checks and getting the ship in the air, Dio engaged the auto-pilot and finally joined her. He leaned on the doorframe, crossing his arms as his eyes lingered on Eloise for a few drawn out moments. His gaze softened.

Eventually, the medical scanners beeped, abruptly drawing his attention. Monitors began spitting out biometric results. Diogo waited for Eloise to assess the information.

"Everythin' alright?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Being the apprentice of the Chief Healer, the equipment in the medbay was as familiar to Eloise as her lightsaber. She ran through the usual triage before lying back on the bed, her fingers drumming impatiently against the sides as the machine performed a deeper scan of her internal organs.

"Everythin' alright?"

She had seen him leaning in the doorway a few moments ago out of the corner of her eye, but her attention was glued to the results projected on the monitor. Anton had left a visible trail of damage through her nasal passages, which explained the terrible headache throbbing through her sinuses, but it looked like his proboscides never reached her brain. Eloise breathed a sigh of relief and sat up. "Yeah," she answered, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "He didn't get any of me."

She stood and went to the cabinet, rifling through medical supplies until she found what she was looking for. Saline spray stung the inside of her nose, cleaning the wounds before she followed it up with bacta spray. The pain in her nasal passages gradually faded as the medicine did its job. She sniffed and wiggled her nose. "How about you?"

Diogo seemed okay. He certainly hadn't gotten the Anzati treatment like her. Now that she thought about it, he'd almost done to Anton what Anton had tried to do to her. She'd seen his proboscises come out, reaching for the old man…

"That guy was a real prick,” she muttered.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Eloise moved around the medbay and nursed herself like it was second nature. Dio watched as blood coursed back into her pallid face, suffusing a familiar blush to her cheeks. Cheeks he adored. Cheeks that didn't hide terrible things.

As she tended to her wounds, the need to comfort her arose—as it always did—but he stayed cemented in the doorway.

"Yeah," she answered, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "He didn't get any of me."

"Good," Dio answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Uncomfortable silence followed; an empty space usually occupied by some stupid joke and an even stupider grin. There was a lot he wanted to say, but most of the words dissolved bitterly in his mouth.

"How about you?"

"I'm fine," he said curtly. "I heal fast." Because of what I am.

"That guy was a real prick,” she muttered.

Hell of an understatement. "He was a monster," Dio said sharply. Like me. "And I don't think we'll have to worry about finding him. He'll find us. An Anzat like that lives for the hunt. We're as good as marked prey." But he's really after me, Dio yearned to say. You don't have to be part of this.

He sighed, working up the necessary courage. "Maybe it's best if we, uh, split up for a bit..."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"I'm fine. I heal fast."

"I noticed," she remarked with a faint smirk.

Dio claimed that they were marked prey. Eloise could believe it. After all, Anton was living a double life, trying to keep his nature a secret. Anyone who knew what he was—including two would-be victims that narrowly escaped his grasp—was a threat.

"Maybe it's best if we, uh, split up for a bit..."

She blinked in surprise at his suggestion, then shook her head vehemently. "We'll be easier to kill if we split up. We should stick together."

But that wasn't the only reason he wanted them to separate, was it? Eloise wasn't stupid, nor was she going to dance fearfully around the subject.

"Look, I get that I've been a bit distant. And I guess it's finally really hitting me what this whole Anzati thing actually means…"

Her first reaction to his being an Anzat had been naïve. Being told she might get her brain eaten if she got with him just… didn't sink in. Not until it had almost actually happened.

"But you weren't the one who attacked me, Dio," she said, holding his gaze. "You defended me. You stopped Anton in time. If you hadn't, Thelma and Byron would've been too late."

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Her vehement headshake brought a pleasant flutter to his gut. She wanted to stay with him. That's what he wanted, too, wasn't it?

But he also wanted her to be safe. To be able to live her best life. To find happiness. He was pretty sure he'd do just about anything to give that to her. Even if it meant being a martyr.

"True, but he wants me more than anything. If we're separate, maybe he'll come after me and leave you alone..." A weak argument, but only a precursor to what he really wanted to say.

"Just because I haven't attacked you yet doesn't mean I won't in the future. I'm dangerous. I'm a monster."

Dio's gaze flickered away. He thought about Anton's proboscises snaking into Eloise's nostrils. Her terrified screams. He thought about his insatiable urge to utterly annihilate that monster's existence. Then his thoughts cruelly shifted to the memory walk and the pain in his mother's fading eyes.

He shook his head. "My dad's first victim was my mum. She chose to be with him and she paid the price." He summoned the courage to meet her eyes again. "Is that really what you want?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"True, but he wants me more than anything. If we're separate, maybe he'll come after me and leave you alone..."

“What makes you think he wants you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Just what exactly had they talked about behind closed doors?

"Just because I haven't attacked you yet doesn't mean I won't in the future. I'm dangerous. I'm a monster."

“You’re not a monster.” Not yet.

“My dad's first victim was my mum. She chose to be with him and she paid the price." He summoned the courage to meet her eyes again. "Is that really what you want?"

That explained… a lot. Eloise crossed the room and stood in front of him, arms out, wanting to offer comfort. But his question made her cross her arms over her chest as she stared him down.

“Of course I don’t want to end up like your mom! And I know you don’t want to end up like your father either. So don’t. Keep struggling against your urges so that doesn’t happen.” Easier said than done.

It was clear to her now that Dio lacked confidence in his ability to fight the hunger. He didn’t believe in himself. He was scared. Eloise wished she could pour even an ounce of her own courage into him… but perhaps he was smart to fear his nature.

“Maybe I’m just stupid,” she muttered. “Even after all that, I don’t want to leave you. I want to stay. I want to keep fighting for us.” She studied him. “What do you want, Dio?”

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

“What makes you think he wants you?”

"Uh, it's an Anzat thing," he said. "There's something different, something wrong with me that's piqued his interest. I should be too young to have urges. Maybe it's 'cus I'm a hybrid. Maybe somethin' else? I don't know, but its whet his appetite and I don't think he'll give up until he's devoured me."

Eloise stood in front of him, offering comfort. Dio wanted to fall into her arms and forget about everything, but he was afraid to let his guard down again. In any case, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a hard look. His body suddenly felt heavy with fear and guilt and need.

“Of course I don’t want to end up like your mom! And I know you don’t want to end up like your father either. So don’t. Keep struggling against your urges so that doesn’t happen.”

"You know it's not that easy," he replied. "My dad struggled against his urges, yet he still snapped one night. A single moment of weakness is all it takes." Well, he didn't know exactly if that's how things went down, but what else could it have been?

“Maybe I’m just stupid,” she muttered. “Even after all that, I don’t want to leave you. I want to stay. I want to keep fighting for us.”

"You're not stupid," he said sharply. "You're just brave as hell. You put up a tough exterior, but I know you feel deeply, and when things hurt you, they really fethin' hurt you. You've dealt with a lot. This doesn't need to be your burden, too."

Dio's throat felt scratchy and tight. "And you deserve somebody who won't hurt you."

“What do you want, Dio?”

"You," he breathed. It felt good to say that, despite everything. "But I know that's selfish."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

He should be too young to... Oh, joy. Her brow furrowed. It occurred to her that Dio didn't really have anyone in his life who could tell him what was happening to his body, let alone prepare him for adulthood. His dad might've filled that role, but he was gone. Or at least, she assumed he was... "Are both your parents dead?" she asked.

"You know it's not that easy."

"Yeah. It never is," she grumbled. "But it's not impossible. I know it."

Eloise didn't remember the encounter, having been very young, but she'd actually met an Anzat before Dio. An elderly Jedi Master who'd never touched a brain, no less. Had she known what Master Tiland Kortun was, she might've suggested Diogo seek him out. But she was unaware of his nature, and moreover Master Kortun hadn't been seen in the galaxy in quite some time...

An array of emotions flickered across Eloise's face at his words. She grew almost bashful at his compliments, a hint of ruddy color tinting her freckled cheeks, then raised a challenging eyebrow when he implied her toughness was only skin deep, only for her expression to soften once more. "I deserve someone who will put up with my shit," she said. "Someone who can relate to even half of what I've been through. And it looks like that person is you. Although if you don't want this to continue..." She wasn't going to force him.

It would hurt either way, it seemed. Whether the loss came now or years down the line, it was going to suck at some point. Everything turned to dust in the end. But she still had to live, and she wanted to live deep while she lived, burning to the last ash. Nothing less would content her.

"You," he breathed. It felt good to say that, despite everything. "But I know that's selfish."

Eloise loosed an unexpected laugh. "Then I'm selfish too." She drew nearer and took him in her arms, kissing him ardently.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"Are both your parents dead?"

"Mom's alive, but not the same," he said flatly. "Dunno about dad, he disappeared." His voice turned remorseful. "I don't have anyone else. I... actually thought Anton could help me." He'd been so stupid to think that, so stupid to let his guard down. It almost got them both killed.

"But it's not impossible. I know it."

"What do you mean, you know it?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Although if you don't want this to continue..."

Dio got a kick out of Eloise's array of facial expressions. Endearing, the way the lines of her face revealed themselves. Little sketches of the future. A future where, maybe, a pair of fethed up misfits grow old together. Relatively speaking, given the biology gap.

He shook his head. "That's not what I want." The fight in him was evaporating since she'd spoken her mind. Not unreasonably, he'd mistook her distance for rejection. But now that he knew better, he didn't have to be so defensive anymore. He didn't have to fight her.

Eloise loosed an unexpected laugh. "Then I'm selfish too." She drew nearer and took him in her arms, kissing him ardently.

Her unexpected laugh sounded like songbirds on the first mornings of spring. It caught him delightfully off guard, enough for him not to resist when she drew close. He reciprocated her embrace with an ineffable intensity, letting go of his fear as they kissed. His lungs swelled as he breathed in her courage.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Mom's alive, but not the same."

"Dunno about dad, he disappeared."

Eloise was tempted to press the matter, morbid as it was. Mostly because she didn't like the sound of his dad having just disappeared. That meant he was still out there, almost certainly eating brains. Much like Anton was still free to kill and consume as he pleased.

"I don't have anyone else. I... actually thought Anton could help me."

"I figured that," she muttered. "If I knew other Anzati who were better role models, I'd hook you up with 'em. But as far as I know you're the first and only."

"What do you mean, you know it?"

She winked at him. "I'm a Jedi. I know stuff." It was a joke, but there was some truth in it. She didn't know why, only that she had a gut feeling. Could've been wishful thinking, but so could just about everything she'd ever wanted, needed, or felt.

"That's not what I want."

Conversation fell to the wayside as she pulled him into a kiss. Their hopes and fears for the future seemed so far off, but touching him, breathing in his scent, tasting his lips... it was all immediate. She held him close, her hands slipping beneath his shirt to caress bare skin, fingers tracing the dips and rises of athletic muscle along his back. The hem slid up his torso, dragged by her wrist; she finally gripped the cloth in her fist, her intentions obvious as she started to pull it off him.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

There was only one person Diogo wanted to hook up with right now.

Eloise pulled his shirt off—an invitation, and he wanted to be let in. His hands brushed over the terrain of her skin, tracing and caressing her slender curves and wiry muscle. He eagerly peeled her shirt off in kind and drank her in, wanting to count every freckle that dotted the landscape of her body. Then his fingers found new places to explore, and once her breathing grew too quick and shallow for kissing, he lost himself in her completely, hoping to consume her and yet leave her not only whole, but fulfilled.

Eloise Dinn​