AU: Bar Crawl

[last_kallig]

After the events at the Foundry, Ibani felt that both she and Ben desperately needed some R+R. There was much research and questioning of her various contacts, smugglers, pirates, spies, and other such folk for good places to drink and eat on Nar Shaddaa.

She has a list! Although her first plan is to ask Ben where HIS favorite places on Nar Shaddaa were and see if any of them exist in her when, because you never know.

In the interests of blending in, Ibani has gone for the smuggler/pirate look in brown and bright emerald synthleather with a vibroblade strapped on one hip. (She has her lightsabers too, of course, but those are more hidden.)

Comments

[acertainpov]

He's there as she learns, moving with her occasional missteps rather than fighting them, leading her sometimes when needed, but always there, hands on hers at the right time for the dance, involved in the starmeg arm parts of the dance when that's necessarily, andd occasionally flattened on his hat to keep it from falling off. His eyes lock on hers and his smile grows wide when she laughs.

It's couldn't be more different than their waltz under the sea, this loud and fast and energetic reel in the middle of a crowded city moon.

[last_kallig]

Very different from their waltz under the sea, yes, but just as enjoyable in Ibani's opinion! (Especially since they can't run short of air this time!)

His widening smile when she laughs only encourages her to laugh more, increases her joy. Warmth curls up her spine and her heart flutters as they dance. Her eyes are locked on his as they dance and everything else falls away, the weights she has chosen to carry and the ones forced upon her dissipate for a time.

The universe has narrowed down to Ben, herself, and the movements of this dance and how they connect with one another.

[acertainpov]

He can't say the same, in this moment, but it's okay. Her world narrows and his expands, takes in the whole dance, the music, the joy of everyone. In the centre she burns like a sun, but the beauty of the world comes as much from everything orbiting around her.

He guides her through the other dancers, without needing to look away from her eyes locked with his, finds their space in the reel, and lets his focus widen out, just drinking in the life that surrounds them.

[last_kallig]

There is so very much life to drink in, here, in its own way more potent than any alcohol ever could be.

The reel changes and it's effortless this time to switch steps, switch movement as if she's done this all her life.

Eventually, the music stops and she's leaning against him, laughing still, but nearly breathless. Her heart pounds like a drum, and there is a sweet joy in that feeling being from something born of happiness rather than bloodshed, for once.

[acertainpov]

He holds her against him for a second, letting her laughter and her joy flow through him as he pants, almost laughing himself as he waits for his breath to return to him.

"I knew you'd be a fast learner," he says when he can. "More fun than the other kind of dance, I find."

[last_kallig]

When Ben holds her against him, she has to squelch the terrible curiosity about what it would be like to kiss him that arises in her mind. That's a dangerous line of thought, and not just because she's never kissed anyone before!

"Thank you for teaching me," she says when she gets her own breath back. "I think I agree with you about it being more fun, although I may need to do more testing of both with you to be sure," she teases.

She's actually thirsty now. "Time to finish off that bottle, perhaps?"

[acertainpov]

"As you wish."

He releases her long enough to turn towards the bottle, for however much is left, if it hasn't been stolen.

As they head over, he lets his hand trail up into her silver hair, lacing his fingers through and running them to the ends as he follows her.

He could do with a drink now himself.

[last_kallig]

Oh, oh that feels good when he runs his fingers through her hair like that! She manages not to shiver at the feeling, but only just.

She returns the favor, running her fingers through his hair, hoping it feels as good to him as it did to her.

Somehow he bottle is still there,possibly because there is plenty of alcohol to go around. Ibani pokes it with the Force to ensure nothing has been added to it in their absence, then pours a glass for herself and for Ben, emptying the bottle.

[acertainpov]

Ben adjusts his hat slightly to give her better access to her hair, then replaces it at a suitably rakish angle, taking a long draught of the drink and throwing his hand around her shoulders as he scans around them.

"Feel like somewhere we can sit down? Take the load of our old aching feet?"

[last_kallig]

Ibani takes full advantage of the better access.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Ibani replies, smiling.

An enterprising vendor has taken advantage of the block party to set up some tables and chairs next to a series of rotisserie with something avian looking turning on them.

Whatever they are, they smell good!

"How about over there?"

[acertainpov]

"Perfect."

As they draw close, he checks out the drinks available and grabs a couple of juices native to Nal Hutta to have alongside the meats.

"I have no idea what animal that is."

[last_kallig]

"Me neither," Ibani replies. She pokes the juices and the bird thing with the Force. "Safe for human consumption though, and they look good." Ibani spent the first eleven years of her life too close to starvation to balk at eating much of anything.

The bird thing is the right size for two people to split, so Ibani gets one and pays the four armed proprietor for the food and drink. She eases into a chair, reluctantly having to stop touching Ben's hair for a moment. "It is nice to sit for a bit," she admits.

[acertainpov]

Ben stretches out, his feet reaching in front of him as he arches his back into the chair to get as much length into his old-feeling bones once he's sat and has his drink in his hand.

"Now you've told me that I feel like some of the excitement has been taken away," he jokes.

[last_kallig]

Ibani surreptitiously hooks a foot around one of Ben's ankles.

"If you wanted to play toxin roulette, you should have let me know ahead of time," Ibani quips back, her grin wicked and mischievous. "Haven't played that since I was thirteen on Korriban."

She's not kidding about that being a thing, well, a training exercise/practice tool with fellow acolytes! Fun for the whole dormitory!

[acertainpov]

Ben presses his ankle against her foot, then bends his knee, drawing both feet back towards them, between their chairs and under the table, where he can rest his booted ankle against hers, remind hiself she's there with the occasional twist of pressure.

"For a lot of my life everything's been some sort of roulette," he answers. "Maybe I just miss the danger."

[last_kallig]

Reminding herself he's there is one of Ibani's motives in touching him so often, given his frustrating habit of hiding himself from the Force, her primary sense. She's glad to have his ankle rest against hers.

"That's entirely possible," Ibani replies, smiling wryly. "I'm sure I'll be able to find danger enough for both of us, circumstances being what they are." Ibani's plan to take the throne, reform the Empire, find a middle ground between Sith and Jedi, is going to be very dangerous indeed!

"If you're willing to be dragged along?" She starts cutting up the avian roast.

[acertainpov]

He reaches out as soon as the first piece is cut off, and grabs it deftly for himself.

"I hate to think what state your armour would get into if I wasn't around to protect you," he says.

[last_kallig]

Ibani grins at him when he grabs the first piece for himself.

She rolls her eyes at his comment about her armor, although she is amused. "It might languish in the repair shop for a while, certainly," she teases. "Might even get a few of my old scars back."

"I'm sure Ashaa would appreciate your efforts in keeping her work unmarred," she adds, winking. Even if he's only ever seen part of the 'work'.

[acertainpov]

The second piece, Ben offers to her between his fingers, leaning forward along the table. He raises an eyebrow as he does so.

"Now that's a name I don't think you've explained to me," he says.

[last_kallig]

Ibani takes the offered piece, her fingers brushing against his as she does so.

"Haven't I? Must be getting forgetful in my old age," Ibani replies. Or it happened during that long period where she didn't see him, when Obi-Wan Kenobi became Ben.

"I know I mentioned my ability to bind force ghosts, briefly, that I had to to take on Darth Thanaton." She smiles ruefully. " I found out that while binding one force ghost is safe, binding more than that is decidedly not. I'd bound four when it began tearing my mind and my body apart."

"Ashaa is the entity that rebuilt my body and altered my genetic pattern to allow it to take the strain. She was made by the same race that built the Foundry, an artificial intelligence, but as alive in the Force as you or I."

[acertainpov]

Another quirk of that eyebrow. He's heard of the possibility of AIs and droids that are alive in the Force, but they usually require an organic component obtained from elsewhere. That has never sat well with him.

But neither has the prospect of binding Force Ghosts, given his work on trying to revive the ability to become one himself.

And of course there's nothing to sense, just another smirk. "Then I suppose the galaxy owes her a great debt."

[last_kallig]

Ibani doesn't THINK Ashaa has organic components, but it seemed rather rude to ask.

"I expect that would depend on your point of view," Ibani replies, smiling wryly. "I am a monster, after all." Said casually, with the easy air of truth. Because as far as Ibani is concerned, it IS true.

[acertainpov]

"So is the Dathomiran Rancor, to many people," Ben returns, just as casual, spoken half into his drink as he takes a sip.

"They're some of the sweetest, most intelligent animals in the Galaxy."

He is not the slightest bit apologetic about the unflattering nature of that comparison.

[last_kallig]

"Are they?" Ibani asks, surprised. "I've never run into one. I'm guessing that you have?"

Ibani doesn't consider the comparison all that unflattering, really.

[acertainpov]

"I've seen a lot of the Galaxy," Ben says, which is absolutely true. "There's one on the same planet as me at the moment, but I haven't seen it. He misses his home, but loves his current companion, a dilemma I think many people can relate to."