The Woeful Tale of an Unfortunate Mugger, or: Stupid Girl for Fun and Profit

[Fable Merrill]

A little wide-eyed and obviously curious, Fable padded quietly after Fabula with her long hair flowing out behind her. The music was soothing, and there was just something about taking your shoes off that made a place feel more like home. "It's alright, miss. I've never smelled incense before." She explained, sounding almost cheerful. Yeesh, was she always that squeaky? No, right, yelling. This was as bad as the week or two she'd gone through puberty.

Unknowingly attempting to match and mirror Fabula's stride, Fable briefly struggled to catch up with her benefactor. "I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but... do you think I'd ever be able to fight like you?" Fable asked shyly. "You were amazing! What I can remember, anyway."

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabula stopped at the door to her meditation room, as dark and fiberoptic as it was. Complete peace. She would have nothing less than that. She turned to pick out something lovely with cinnamon and apple, setting it into her incense burner, then turned back to Fable with a grin on her face.

"Of course you can," she responded with complete honesty. "If you have even the slightest ability to command the Force, some Matukai training will help you fan that flame into a bonfire." Blushing just a little, Fabula scratched the back of her head. "Besides, I'm afraid I'm not a very disciplined fighter. Most of what I do is just flailing wildly."

And really fast and really hard.

Fabs replaced her hands in her lap and took another bow. "But not now. I'm sorry. My hyperdrive is relatively slow. We can experiment with learning once we disembark. For now I think you need to rest, not test your body even more."

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fabula's hands went down. So did Fable's. They bowed in unison. "I understand, miss." She replied quietly. "Thank you for even considering it. It's more than I deserve."

Peering briefly around the meditation room, Fable let the scent of... delicious, delicious things... fill her nose. That was amazing! Cheeks flushing, Fable clasped her hands together and took another long sniff. "Ohmygosh, incense is the best thing!" Fable decided, elated. "Where do you get it?"

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabula took a nice, long breath and stood back up, looking up and around at nothing in particular, as if she was scanning the air for her little apple-cinnamon thing. "Aaaall over the galaxy. Every time I stop I make a point of finding a gift shop or a recreational spice dealer. Different parts of the galaxy have different scents native to them."

Her voice was almost -sensual- when she continued. Apparently, Fabs was really into smells. "Plants are an important part of that. A lot of scents come from burning plants. You're not going to find Naboo suncatchers on a tundra like Ando, or Tatooine spice bushes on Corellia. I travel a lot, so I have a good chance to sample the galaxy."

As if she'd been struck by inspiration, Fabula smirked and ducked back into her meditation room. She emerged a moment later with two small wooden sticks covered in colored dust, one light blue, one medium orange. "Here. Give these a sniff, please."

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fable delicately accepted the sticks as though they were irreplaceable treasure, carefully, lifting one to her noise. A small whiff, and she was flooded with cloves and spice, the heady aroma of a distant land. Thick and sweet, cloying, it overwhelmed the senses and made her blink rapidly at the power of it. "Wow..."

But as much as she could sample and dissect that scent all day, she had another to try. The second one was softer, gentler. It wasn't unlike the way her clothes sometimes smelled after a good wash, or the time she'd been spoiled in a proper hotel room and had soaked in a bath for hours. It was a smell of clean things, of rare luxury and the delectable warmth of freshly dried trousers.

The young woman nearly melted against the wall, lost in one of the few blissful memories she had. Sighing contentedly, a wavy smile on her face, she closed her eyes an soaked in the feeling.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabula did notice how much her new ward was getting into it, but she didn't really think she should have done anything to interrupt it. "Each one is a piece of the place where I found it. Each one is a mood, a sound, a feeling. Sometimes, a memory."

She smiled a little and leaned against the open door, running her fingers through her hair to fluff it a bit. "I keep several copies of one specific fragrance with me. Kashyyyk evergreens with a hint of ginger. My first night with Lynn, that was what was burning. It's forever linked to her. When I burn it, it reminds me of her."

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fable turned slightly pink, lowering the increase. "Lynn? Is that your... partner?" She asked politely, carefully offering the precious sticks back to their rightful owner. "I'm sorry if the question is too personal. You don't have to answer." Fable added a heartbeat later.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Suddenly, it occurred to Fabula that she had been talking about her love life in front of a complete stranger. Her face went -flush-, and she quickly took back the offered colored sticks to have an excuse to break eye contact while putting them away. "N-no, it's not too personal. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." Shouldn't have what, Fabs?

Unable to come up with a good reason she shouldn't have whatever, she continued. "Yes. My partner, Lynn. I used to be...cripplingly withdrawn. She helped me with that, a bit." Eventually reemerging from her meditation room, Fabs was still blushing rather brightly, but was at least making eye contact again. "She's been the greatest positive force in my life, even if she's almost as odd as I am."

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fabula was embarrassed. Now Fable was embarrassed. Biting the corner of her lip to silence an apology rude enough to interrupt her new friend, Fable listened politely and nodded her understanding.

Hey, rude girl. You should totally change the subject for her comfort. Idiot. "Sorry."
Okay. After that bit.

Next time, don't ask real people questions that make them uncomfortable.

Fable took a couple hesitant steps back towards the kitchenette, glancing briefly over her shoulder as she did so to confirm she was going in the same direction Fabula planned to. Poor, spooky mirror girl. "I don't think you're odd, miss. I think you're... amazing." Fable admitted shyly.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

If Fabula had a single ounce of irony in her body, this would be the point where it went DING DING DING DING WINNER WINNER. Unfortunately she was just about as clueless as ever. She simply didn't draw any connections between how she acted and how Fable was acting. If she had, she might have saved them both some pain.

Instead, she wound up simply following the girl back to the main hold and sat her fine butt down on her couch...a little too demurely for someone who was in her own home. "I'm nothing special," she deflected instinctively, ignoring the fact that she'd just crushed two men's weapons and one man's arm with her bare hands. "Is there anything you want to watch, Fable? I'm sorry, I don't know whether or not you find the untamed wilds of Tython exciting..."

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fable sat down on the other side of the couch, legs folded underneath her, hands on her lap. "Miss, I'm sorry, but you're absolutely incredible!" Fable gushed. "You saved my life and I've never had someone, uhm, just... ride me down from a fit like that. Usually it takes... drugs. And stuff." She trailed off vaguely. "And then you just invite me on your ship like I'm not some... stranger you just met."

Fable realized she'd been talking a bunch and shut her mouth, turning pink and twirling her hair around her fingers. "You're the nicest, prettiest person I've ever met." Fable whispered shyly, reverently.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Of course she helped her calm down. Staring at the ground in a slightly more somber manner, Fabs' voice somehow got even softer than it normally was. "...I know what it's like. To lose control and hurt someone. You're lucky it was someone who deserved it. It's...much worse when you hurt someone you love." There are times that your heart sinks too low to cry. The memory of Lynn's fractured arm threw Fabula into the darkest pits of her own mind, but she didn't so much as shed a tear. That sort of feeling went beyond tears.

She distracted herself by turning to the girl beside her. "There will come a point when you'll be too strong for sedatives, Fable. When they won't be able to put you to sleep when you lose control. You only reach that point once; where you hurt someone, and you know you've hurt someone." She swallowed hard, her eyes finding sharp focus for once in her life. "And then you either calm yourself down or you lose yourself entirely."

Dammit Lynn. Too brave for her own good. Lazy war goddess pissed at her and she still didn't flinch. 'My stupid knight in evergreen armor.' The Matukai master shook her head again. "I'm sorry, this is too intense. I need a few moments to clear my head. This old ship's holonet connection is alright; please enjoy yourself." And with that, she stood and walked towards the front door. "I need some fresh air. I'm sorry." Because those words are a punctuation mark.

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fable peeked unhappily over the back of the couch as Fabula walked off eyes wide and remorseful. She had to go and open her mouth, didn't she? One person in the galaxy who seemed to understand her Temper, who was good and kind and warm, and Fable had driven her out of the lovely home she'd so graciously opened up to her. Good job, Fable, this is why nobody likes clones. Because they constantly fuck up - just ask your sisters.

Was it possible to punch YOURSELF in the soul? Because that felt like it. Fable leaned over, wrapping her arms around herself, and curled up in a little ball. If she was any kind of decent, she'd leave this good woman's house, and stop ruining her life. But the stupid girl was too afraid. Weak, cowardly, AND stupid - maybe she should have been sent to the room with the red door after all.

The ball curled tighter... And just like that, Fable was out cold. One of the more stressful, fatiguing days in memory, so of course she had. Sleep was how she dealt with stress; Fable had learned at a young age that nobody could hurt her there, that she couldn't hurt anybody, and there was only her. It wasn't even a conscious decision: she was warm and safe, if unhappy, so out she went. Worst defense mechanism ever.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Maybe twenty minutes later, Fabula walked back into her ship with one large crate of supplies on either shoulder and called a quiet farewell to the outfitter who had been so understanding with her. She made a left towards her cargo bay, rather than a right towards the main hold, and as she did she called out to the girl she assumed was on her couch. "I'll be in in a moment, Fable. Just need to get these packed away first."

By the time she'd come back into the living room and seen the tiny little ball of neruosis curled up on her couch, apparently asleep, Fabula's heart was just about melted. It was compulsory; she had to sit down next to her. First she grabbed a blanket from her room, then on her couch beside Fable, throwing the blanket over her lap and as much of the girl's body as she could. With one hand, she stroked her hair. Idly. Like mother stroking her sleeping child...

"Who are you?" She asked quietly to no one in particular.

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fable shivered in her sleep the moment she was touched. She woke slightly upon being spoken to/near, her ashen eyes fluttering half open. Voices? Oh. The nice woman was back. And she brought pets. And warm. Lap? Apparently.

"Hmm?" The sleepy young woman asked, foggy and half awake. "I'm sorry... say something?"

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Too much. Too cute. Once again, Fabula's heart -melted- with pure, ecstatic joy. There was no way to be angry at this girl. No way to be cross with her. If she'd opened her eyes wide, there wasn't a thing in the universe Fabula wouldn't do to make them sparkle. If she pouted, Fabula would move moons to get her to smile again.

Feeling warm and nurturing all of a sudden, Fabs reached over and brushed some of the teenager's hair out of her face. "Nothing important. Go back to sleep, Fable," she replied in her quiet, careful voice. "I'll be here when you wake up."

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fable blinked, rubbed some of the sleep from her eyes, then stifled another yawn with the back of her hand. "I'm up..." She mumbled, sitting upright - careful to keep both blanket and arm around her for maximum warm. Whatever else this woman was besides saintlike, beautiful and invincible, just being near her felt... well. Like she wasn't alone.

Curled up to Fabula's side, Fable lay a head on her shoulder and woke up a bit more. "I'm sorry I fell asleep."

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabula still hadn't stopped stroking her. Softly over the cheek, across her neck, towards her hairline...instinctively touching wherever she'd want to be touched, herself. "No, it's completely alright. I'm sorry for waking you," she responded with a little smile on her lips. "You looked so peaceful. It's a crime to interrupt that."

After another moment in silence, watching something about the hidden beauties of Raxus Prime (ew?), Fabs gave a quick squeeze to Fable's shoulders. "So. I've packed away the fuel and food. All I need to do is send a message to the docking authority to let them know we're leaving, and we'll be off into the stars." Raising an eyebrow with a little grin, she turned to her left. "So where are we going?"

 

[Fable Merrill]

Fable smiled sheepishly at the squeeze, completely lulled into a trance by all the little touches and comfort. Fishing around in her pocket, Fable produced a rumpled, folded slip of paper with a planet's coordinates on it. "There." She explained.

Underneath that was scribbled a couple hasty notes - one of which was circled and underlined "Dathomir?", another a picture of, all things, a dog chasing an apple with legs. Fable wasn't an artist, but she did have good penmanship - if a little familiar for a leftie.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Well, that was simply adorable. "You're a better artist than I am," Fabula noted offhandedly before tapping the holonet console with her free hand. Like any sanely designed ship, the Pilgrim was networked. She couldn't fly the ship from the hold, but she could check the computers in the cockpit. After a moment, she raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, Fable, but are the coordinates or the planet name correct? Because...those are not the coordinates for Dathomir."

Shrugging, she input them anyway. Her navicomputer could start making some calculations as she convinced her legs to get up. "I need to get us disembarked. This ship doesn't have an autolanding AI." And yet she wasn't standing up. Instead, she turned back to Fable and smiled warmly. "Do you want to come fly with me? Or stay back here and watch Holonet cartoons?"