[D9 LM] Escaping the Rain (closed)

[Deonis Harik]

Renting a speeder was pretty easy with his new found credits. Having money was something Deonis was going to have to get used to for sure. He had messaged Dhel asking if she wanted to go out to the badlands this morning and talk. Yesterday had been a bit a bit of a whirlwind introduction but he certainly didn't mind.

Deonis for once was unarmored wearing a tight black tank top exposing thickly muscled crimson arms and an ample collection of lighter colored scar tissue running up and down them most thin or old and faded smooth but a couple more recent.

Deonis looked to his passenger and gave her a smile with pointed teeth "Good morning. How is your day so far?" he asked Dhel as they began to pull away from the spaceport.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Given how suboptimal the rain poncho had been on a speeder the other day, Dhel's left it behind. Short sleeves and a short skirt in stormy shades of gray will dry quickly enough once out of the drizzle. She's wrapped her arms comfortably around Deonis as she settles in behind him after a quick kiss to his cheek.

"So far? I slept in after that party. So it's been refresher, omelette, and run. Pretty good, I think. How about you?" Her hair is tied back with a small ribbon in a concession to the realities of wind on a speeder.

[Deonis Harik]

He turns to give her a proper kiss as she settles in behind him before turning back forward "been alright. Woke up early. ate breakfast. Got my ass kicked by Raven. Taking this gorgeous girl I know out to the badlands. All in all a good day so far." He said grinning to her over his shoulder before he sped off.

Luckily for Dhel his massive frame worked in her favor as he blocked basically all of the incoming drizzle as they headed out of the city. The rain stopped a little after they left the city limits. Deonis moved through the canyons until he found a spot high up that gave a good view of the surrounding area the river nearby meant below had more vegetation than normal and the different colored hills made for a pretty great view actually.

Deonis parked the speeder and swung a leg over turning to Dhel "do you come out here often?"

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

That is an advantage of being smallish. Dhel rests her ear between his shoulder blades as they ride, letting the sound of his breath and heart blend with the wind and rain in a meditative calm at odds with speeding through the city and the the Badlands.

When they stop, she stretches a bit after the long stillness before swinging her own leg over and answering. "Not often, no. I don't drive, and it's kind of far and dangerous on foot. But, a few times with friends. A few more with hmm...let's say dates...some with better motives than others." It's that reminder that kicks her heartbeat up a notch; reminds her hindbrain of that feeling of menace that's so constant that you can just get used to it once you've convinced yourself to ignore it; makes her doubt her judgement for a moment.

It's just a split-second stutter of motion as she hops off the speeder. "It's so..wide open that it's almost intimidating. I'm used to city rising all around."

[Deonis Harik]

Deonis nods sitting and the bike and crossing his thick arms over his equally thick chest "Makes sense. Not the safest place in the world. Beasts probably some bandits." he noted some of her hesitance mixed with her wording and frowned a little not liking the idea of what she was talking about "Safer with friends." he said to hopefully calm her a bit.

it wasn't a heavy rain but when youre speeding through it it still tends to soak you. He stripped off his shirt and wrung it out a bit trying to help it dry a little faster. Unfortunately the heat was a wet one due to the nearby storm so it would take a little bit. His bare torso was nothing new to her all muscles and scars over his crimson skin "It is a pretty place sometimes. You're right thopugh. wide open spaces can feel....exposing. Still strange for so much space and so few people." he said folding his arms again while he waited for his shirt to dry.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

"Hmm, yeah, safer with friends, for sure." Dhel turns back to him, noting the way his folded arms close him off. Her own heart's slowing after the odd moment of memory crossing current stimulus. Reaching to rest a hand on his arm in unspoken request to be let in, she adds, 'Safer with you, yeah?"

"Let me know if Raven left bruises I should watch out for. I don't want to add to the ache when you're running around without that armor."

[Deonis Harik]

when her hand went to his arm he unfolded them, it hadn't been a conscious effort to keep her out he likely reflexively seeks to protect himself when he feels exposed. he puts one hand on her hip hesitating slightly before making the contact but the smile on his lips, while small, was earnest "Of course. I would let no harm come to you." he said quietly the words carrying easily in the near silent surroundings.

at the talk of bruises he chuckled "I'll be alright. A little pain never killed me. Raven's a damn good fighter. Learned a solid lesson." he shook his head with an amused smile before looking to her with those ethereal yellow eyes of his "Didn't come out here to talk about Raven though."

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

There's no such hesitation on her part as she steps into that space, arms encircling his waist as she rests her head against his sternum, heedless of any damp. She's silent for the space of a few long breaths. "No, no we're not. We're here to talk about you." She learns back a bit, so look up at him with a smile."So I guess I'll learn something today too."

"Probably more comfortable sitting though. I can't imagine you wanted to come out here to tell it if it's a short story."

[Deonis Harik]

Deonis was....getting used to this but it was still very odd for him. This unabashed, readily available physical affection Dhel was prone too. He didn't mean to be hesitant nor did it signify a lack of wanting but rather unfamiliarity. As she settled into him he paused before slowly embracing her and smiling back down.

When she mentioned sitting he nodded and gently moved her aside so he could reach the back of the speeder which contained a large folded blanket and some soft pillows "thought it would be more comfortable." He said as he moved to lay it down. They were nothing fancy, not the softest in the world, or smoothest but they were durable and did the job. He settled down and looked to Dhel "so you wanted to know about my past yes?"

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel scoots aside as easily as she moved into his space. When she sees what he's about, she helps, grabbing two corners of the blanket to help settle it, laughing to see pillows. "OK, these are a level of fancy I didn't expect." She sits, then lays back, head on a pillow, with one knee bent up and the opposite foot resting across it. Looking up at him and the clouds way up over him she grins.

"I guess I do, yeah. Not that it's usually polite to ask about that kind of thing directly." She rolls back up to a seat, reaching to trace one of the pale lines on his arm. "But..that was before I saw all the marks. An hour in my bed doesn't give me any claim to make you tell anything you'd rather not, you know?"

[Deonis Harik]

"They are not so fancy." He says with a chuckle "I didnt think you'd want to sit on the bare ground." He shrugged.

When she she touches one of hos scars he shivers a little his large red hand comes in and covers her small hand and he leans down planting a soft kiss on the top of her head "I know." Was all he said for a minute "I usually keep it secret for protection. Same reason why I covered my face all the time. The people that are hunting me know where I am, hiding is no good anymore so I decided to...come out of my shell. So to speak." He smiles down at her and gives her hand a small squeeze.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

"Pillows at all are fancy out here!" Dhel laughs. "But yes, they're appreciated."

"I'd sort of think that the armor would still be helpful if they've found you? But maybe they're not hunting quite like that?" She leaves her hand caught in his, squeezing back as her other rests on his knee and she rises onto her knees to kiss him. "I'm glad you came out though."

"And I'll hear as much as you want to tell me," she adds, settling back on her heels.

[Deonis Harik]

He chuckles a little "maybe you're right." He says before returning her kiss with a quiet passion. Despite his quiet nature Dhel would know all too well he housed a wealth of powerful emotions beneath his stoney exterior.

He leans back from her but a small smile still touches his lips "It is. I still wear it most of the time. It's less portable now because of some modifications or I'd have it with me. But I felt like being here with you. Without the armor. Vulnerable in a sense. Trusting you. As you've trusted me."

He took a deep breath "The short of it is I was taken from my home planet by the Empire. I was raised by the Emperor and trained to be an inquisitor. Many of the scars you see are a result of that training."

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

To someone growing up far from seats of Imperial power, Inquisitors are a strange and garbled fairy tale of one more dark thing the Empire has to keep its people in line. By itself though...the admittance of Imperial training, and in something so darkly secret moments after talk of such trust...after these weeks working within the dangerous circlesof Rebellion... freezes her, even her breath catches and stills in confusion. At the very least, he'd feel it where her hand lay beneath his; like a rabbit hearing hawks.

In contrast, her thoughts race, pinging between one thing and the next. There are too many possible questions available, so only the simplest makes it into the wild. In a voice that pretends to be calm. "You're...an Inquisitor?"

[Deonis Harik]

He smiles apologetically "I was an inquisitor. Kind of. I never really finished my training. I should have been clearer. he gave her a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder and kissed the top of her head gently "sorry for scaring you. No the Emperor kidnapped me and kept me as a curiosity."

he took a breath again "A clone helped me escape. One of my attendants. It was just a fancy name for guard. Together we left Courscant and travelled together for sometime. He was....the closest thing I had to a father. He died a couple years back I hunted his killer for a bit. Trail went cold on Bellionas. That was a little over a year and a half ago. Been here ever since."

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

She rubs her cheek against the arm that's reached for her shoulder, not sure which of them that's meant to comfort. "Not even sure what an Inquisitor is, except that it's scary, and secret, and Imperial. But you've been..." Her hands lift, as if trying to shape what she knew, what she felt into words, dropping them to her lap, as she failed. "Not those things..ok, maybe a bit intimidating at first. I was very confused for a minute there."

"But all of this," she runs a hand down his arm. "That training looks dangerous, or at least very painful. I'm glad you could escape it." She's silent a moment, letting her fingers continue their path to trace across his palm and interlace with his fingers gently. "Have you talked to Tenzing? He's local. Good at finding people."

[Deonis Harik]

"Inquisitors hunt jedi. And other force sensitives. Mostly Jedi though. Most are ex Jedi who were corrupted or....forcefully turned." he said wanting to spar her the images of torture they had to endure. "The training was....strict. But yes over now."

he smiles to her again as she holds his hand and squeezes hers in return "It is why I am not very good with people. Or with, this." he says looking down to their hands "It was never something I was taught. Or saw really." socialization and especially romance was never part of the Inquisitor curriculum. "Also that is what I am running from. The Emperor and his dogs."

"I saw Tenzig at a meeting and meant to talk to him. Never got around to it. I've, mostly, let revenge go. Killing his killer won't bring him back."

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

"I admit, I'm only just learning a little about Jedi that's, well, different from what I learned all my life. Do you have to be like them to hunt them? Is that why you say most are ex-Jedi?" Dhel considers the one that she knows, and how hidden she'd been. "And if they've seen you? That means they're on Bellionas?"

With a small shiver, she eases into his lap, craving the contact. "You're just fine with this," she says with a little amusement creeping into her voice. "And I'm not so great with romance, honestly. Flirting? Yes. All the physical dance of bodies? Very much. But yearning, commitment, figuring out what to get for an anniversary or something? hmmmm."

[Deonis Harik]

Deonis did not stop the closeness, letting her come into his lap and wrapping his thick well muscled arms around her as she did. He held her in that embrace his voice softer as he needn't speak loudly with their closeness "Inquisitors are all force sensitive yes. Jedi, had their problems but they aren't the traitors they were made out to be. They generally believe in the common good. There are at least two Inquisitors here. and another former inquisitor. I only know the identity of the one that visited me in my home a few weeks ago." he explained.

he listened as she spoke about relationships and commitment he was slightly puzzled by all of it "Ann-i-versary?" he muttered before shaking his head ruefully "There is much I do not know." he looked down at her his eyes gaining a touch of luminescence as they did when he felt strong emotions "All I know is i, like being around you. I like this." he squeezed her gently "We may have only known each other a short time but.....I hope I get the chance to get to know you more Dhelih."

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel curls up comfortably, arms wrapped around the expanse of ribs, listening to his voice rumble through his chest as she rests against him. "I've met...one. Jedit, that is. Not an Inquisitor. I should warn them, I'd imagine, if...I can find them again." Sholua hid all that time, Dhel doesn't feel she should casually give her away, even here. There's something of alarm in her tone as she asks, "and you're still living in the home they visited?" It seems terrifyingly reckless.

As Deonis speaks, Dhel only starts to realize the depth of assumptions she just can't have here. There are whole categories of shared definitions that don't exist. First..."Anniversaries are for almost anything really, it's marking the years since an event, like a wedding, but also wars, and the founding of things."

She meets his eyes, the warm brown reflecting a hint of the warm glow of his. "I'd like that, Deonis, knowing you better. But..." her cheeks puff with her huff, "I'm not good at staying, and you're so new to this. I don't want to lead you into hurting. I guess I'm saying, hold me as tight as you like here," She tightens her own hold, squeezing him heedless of those bruises mentioned earlier. "I feel safe, comfortable with you, like this."

"But keep your heart light? If you hold me too tight there.." she shakes her head. "I can't meet you in that, if that makes sense?" She looks a bit bemused for a moment, "Um...that might not make a lot of sense if you're one of those species without a heart though? I mean..it's a...um symbolic heart?" Still, she listens where her ear rests against his chest.