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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Sept 18, 2012 23:30:00 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Sept 18, 2012 23:30:00 GMT -5
Levin nodded at Aoife's single respond. Cruel... He could see why she would think and say so. The throws of addiction were nothing but cruel, and instead of seeing the gift he had given her, she took it as him mocking her with what she once was. The healer watched as her body trembled, the repercussions of her addiction taking hold once more. A slight frown tugged at Levin's lips, and without permission, and without resistance, reached out into the Force to push a subtle amount of comfort into the woman. Nowhere near the power of Empathy, but enough that she would feel slightly better, maybe even unsure that it really was Levin doing this. As a healer, subtlety could be a great ally.
"That life can still be yours. You are meant for greater things than this world, Aoife Caaso. If you should accept it, I can help you reach that peak once more. It is the job of a Healer to help. You can break free of these chains, and I can help."
He once more took his stance of placing his hands behind his back and his feet set at shoulder width. Lev did not move as her boot skidded to a stop at his feet, his eyes merely peered at the Theelin woman patiently. She then proceeded to sass him. Levin raised his eyebrows slightly at her comment. The part about his sexual prowess sailed right past him, instead, he focused on what she said about the technique. He tilted his head back a fraction.
"That was no hug. A Healer's Embrace isn't done lightly."
Levin didn't realize that he probably had just set himself up for another wise comment from the Theelin- the man wasn't known in the Order for his sense of humor. He took two slow steps closer to the woman, looking down at her with a patient expression. She looked so small, not just because she was shorter than him by several inches, but her physical self looked nearly wasted, and her presence in the Force was so smothered in emotion and self loathing. Yes, Levin pitied her, but even more so, he wanted her to once again be able to hold her head high, and be proud and happy with who she was. Levin spoke once more:
"I have helped others overcome spice before. I can help you banish it from your existence. Are you brave enough to hear this? Are you brave enough to discover yourself once more, Aoife Caaso?"
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Sept 19, 2012 0:21:24 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Sept 19, 2012 0:21:24 GMT -5
If she hadn’t been so focused on the lack of spice in her system, Aoife might have noticed the subtle push of Force that bolstered her flagging energy reserves. As it stood, she was concentrating too hard on the words the healer was offering her, a silver platter filled with everything she’d lost if only she’d just trust him, but Aoife had been trained as an investigator and she’d long ago learned never to trust silver platters. The contents were usually poisoned. It was a hard offer to refuse though. She’d dreamed once that she could go back, be welcomed into the Jedi once more. Maybe she would change professions entirely and just settle into a role as a teacher somewhere. She almost laughed aloud at the idea of her ever having a padawan. She doubted anyone would let her within a mile of a youngling now.
Levin’s next words caught her off guard though. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that response to her snarky comment. Insults, maybe. An equally snarky reply, sure. Maybe even the healer turning around and storming out, but instead he simply looked at her with those big earnest eyes and replied with the most deadpan and confused comment as if he were more insulted by her lack of understanding about his healing methods than he was about her offer to pimp him out.
"That was no hug. A Healer's Embrace isn't done lightly."
Aoife actually did laugh then, a slow chuckle of disbelief that started somewhere in her gut. This guy couldn’t be real. No one was that completely naïve. “Trust me, baby, I’d charge people plenty for it,” she whispered around another quiet laugh. Aoife glanced over at him and found a fond smile curling up the corner of her mouth. He really was something else. She’d never encountered another Jedi quite so powerful and yet utterly innocent in so many ways. She eyed him as he took two more steps closer to her. She knew now he wasn’t going to hurt her, at least not unless she stepped over that all important line of his, and she resisted the urge to lean into him if for no other reason than to be just a little closer to something that pure.
"I have helped others overcome spice before. I can help you banish it from your existence. Are you brave enough to hear this? Are you brave enough to discover yourself once more, Aoife Caaso?"
Aoife peered up at him through long lashes, a look of jaded disbelief on her face. Oh she was plenty brave enough, she told herself, she’d faced and overcome things that would give others nightmares. She’d fought her way through an addiction that would have killed lesser people by now and she’d managed to make a life, however pathetic it was, carved out of the meaner sections of two worlds. It was no small feat for a beautiful woman to survive on her own and even hold some respect among the lower class criminals that ruled these parts of the galaxy. It wasn’t lack of bravery that had her sneering unpleasantly at the healer. It was mistrust. No one gave for no reason, even Jedi had agendas.
“And what happens if I do?” she said quietly, her tone as cold as ice, “Have you thought about that, oh shining knight?” The title didn’t sound exactly complimentary. “Where am I supposed to go once you get me all clean? Where am I supposed to hide when the nightmares come? You gonna take me back to the Jedi and promise me I’ll still have a place there? Do you really think they still want me?” Her voice went bitter and hollow. “Trust me, big guy, if they’d wanted me back, they’d have found me by now. I thought for a while that they’d sent you after me, I’ve been expecting someone to show up, but you weren’t here for me either, were you? I’ve been written off. So tell me, where am I supposed to go once you’ve assuaged your guilt or fed whatever weird need it is that you have for picking up strays? Trust me, pal, you’re better off going back out on the street and collecting abandoned kittens. At least they might be easy to find a home for.”
Aoife put a finger in the center of Levin’s chest and pushed him back away from her. She needed some distance from Mr. Charisma before he did something stupid like convince her he was right.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
372 likes
King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Sept 19, 2012 1:26:45 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Sept 19, 2012 1:26:45 GMT -5
Levin did not quite understand the reason for the Theelin's laughter. He hadn't said a joke, nor faltered in his spoken delivery. Her laughter was different than others he had heard in his life. He had only met one or two other Theelin in his time, and neither of them laughed in those situations. Medical trauma rarely brought laughter. Aoife's laugh was lyrical in a way, almost as if even a sound as simple of laughter was sung through the woman. He didn't quite understand the expression she gave him though, a soft smile of something unfamiliar to him.
Naturally, his next phrase, meant to bolster the woman... didn't go over as well. Levin had always been less than a people person. He loved everyone, and always tried his best by them, but he didn't choose his personality. Lev patiently listened to her words, and took a step back when she feebly pushed him away. He would have easily stood his ground, but she needed to feel empowered. Exactly what he wanted.
"What happens is entirely up to you, Aoife Caaso. If the Jedi won't turn away a fallen one upon arrival for redemption, why would they turn away a most missed sister? This may ring hollow upon your ears, but had I known a fellow Jedi was in earnest. I would have come sooner. I am here now though."
In their little dance of conversation, Levin stepped back once more to let Aoife have more breathing space, but as he did he gestured to her apartment on Metellos. He didn't say a word at first, instead, he let her eyes gaze to where he gestured all around him. Levin knew that this moment would be pivotal. This was the crest of the wave that had carried these two to this point. Aoife had a decision to make, and she knew it, and Levin knew it. Only question was: Would she make the right one? He turned his gaze back to her and let his arm fall to his side.
"This is no place for a woman of your caliber. You are meant for more than this. The Force has brought us together for a reason. Don't forget: There is no chaos, there is harmony..."
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
1,557 posts
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Sept 20, 2012 0:08:14 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Sept 20, 2012 0:08:14 GMT -5
He was saying all the right words and Aoife felt her heart cringe. It would be so much easier to just curl back into her shell of medicinal bliss and faceless targets. Truth be told, she was terrified of what awaited her if she took the path he was offering. She had fallen so far down this hole that climbing back out seemed an impossible task. It would be easier by far to keep falling and eventually hit bottom than to try and claw her way back into a light she wasn’t sure would even want her anymore. The road would be hard, of that she was certain, and Aoife knew enough about medicine through her meager first aid training during her padawan years to have an idea of the damage she’d put her system through.
Levin would be able to keep her alive, he was a powerful healer, but it wouldn’t be an instant fix. Her malnourished body would need to be slowly worked back into being able to keep down food and she knew her stomach had probably shrunk considerably given how seldom it found anything in it. He would be hard pressed in the beginning just to keep her body from shutting down as it lost the spice that had been keeping it going for so long. With the last of the pixie out of her system, her energy reserves would run out and the long put off pains would start. Still, Levin’s words reached deep past the tough, jaded exterior she held up to the world and spoke directly to the good woman still underneath. At her heart, Aoife was still a Jedi and she longed more than she wanted to admit for there to still be a chance for her to return to the fold.
She glanced over halfheartedly, a dour look of misery on her face as Levin gestured silently around her room. He didn’t need to say anything though, Aoife was already well aware of how pathetic her situation had become. The musty remnants of what had once been graciously called a mattress, now shoved against the corner, its cover faded and stained. The peeling floor laminate. The brown water stains along the celling where bugs with hundreds of legs scurried in and out of rotted holes in the corners. Her tiny bathroom with it’s sad little sink, the hot water knob long since lost before she’d even gotten there. Her piles of clothes, most stolen, that lay in bunched messes around the floor. Aoife felt thoroughly shamed. How HAD she come to this?
"This is no place for a woman of your caliber. You are meant for more than this. The Force has brought us together for a reason. Don't forget: There is no chaos, there is harmony..."
Aoife let her eyes fall back to the healer to find him watching her carefully. He was waiting on an answer. She could either tell him to get the hell out, insist she could take care of herself, or she could take his offer and begin the arduous climb back to the world above all of this. It was like teetering on the edge of a precipice and she was tempted to just let go and fall back into the darkness. Instead she sighed in obvious irritation, more with herself than with Levin, and turned her eyes away from his attentive gaze. She didn’t really want to look at him right then nor did she want to see the triumph on his stupid, attractive, smug face. She held out her hand and frowned heavily.
“Give me the damn breakfast bar,” she grumbled.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Sept 20, 2012 0:33:34 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Sept 20, 2012 0:33:34 GMT -5
Levin nodded once as she finally accepted his offer. He knew it. He knew she would choose the right thing. He knew, Aoife Caaso was a good person. With a light tug of the Force Levin pulled out the food item he had offered earlier. A few steps later and he placed the bar in her hand gently. It didn't bother him that she wouldn't look him in the eye as she admitted that she needed help. The humble didn't need to be further humbled, and Levin would not dare provoke such a positive decision.
"This, is a good thing, Aoife Caaso. I swear, by my charge of Jedi Healer, I will help rid you of this poison."
He said in a steady, affirming tone. If she were to see his gaze, she'd see that look of firm yet comfort he held often. Levin knew the Force based side of the process. Which was both the way to begin, carry, and end the treatment. The rest would be up to Aoife to stay clean, eat well, hydrate, and exercise. The Healer had a feeling, that as long as she had someone local to aid her in this struggle, that she would succeed, just as he knew she would someday. He wasn't entirely sure how he knew this without a shadow of a doubt, but Levin had long attributed these feelings to the Force pointing him in the right way.
The Jedi looked around the apartment one more time. Healing would need to be done in a neutral zone. Too much emotion and negativity held in the atmosphere in it. They would need to relocate- possibly to the nicer district of the city. He took a couple steps towards the exit, and peered at Aoife.
"We will leave this place for good. Grab what you must from this place, and we will go find somewhere to start."
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Sept 20, 2012 1:34:08 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Sept 20, 2012 1:34:08 GMT -5
Aoife snatched the food from Levin and stuffed it in her mouth angrily. Stupid good Jedi with his stupid caring and crap. She forced herself to chew on the dry bar, ignoring the queasy feeling she had just trying to eat. She didn’t want food, she wanted a high, but she obligatorily swallowed down the hunk she’d bitten off. It wasn’t bad tasting per say, sweet fruit paste surrounded in a thick sheath of crushed oats, and under any other circumstance she would have been happy to have it but the bar would do nothing to calm the pain in her legs and the headache she could feel growing behind one eye.
"This, is a good thing, Aoife Caaso. I swear, by my charge of Jedi Healer, I will help rid you of this poison."
“Bite me,” she growled angrily, stuffing another chunk into her mouth. Aoife wasn’t really mad at the guy so much as she was frustrated. She hated being coddled and she was still struggling with her decision to walk away from the life she’d built for herself. It might have been horrible but it was at least reliable. Kill someone, get paid, get high. Wash, rinse, repeat. Now she would have to start figuring out where to go from here. She’d have to trust in a Jedi she’d just met and hope he had what it took to keep her from dying.
Aoife watched Levin take a few strides toward the door, her cheeks puffed out and full of breakfast bar like an enraged chipmunk. She was determined to finish the damn food even though she didn’t want it and she sighed through her nose as he announced they were leaving. It was probably for the best anyway. There was nothing left in that room worth saving and most of the clothing she owned was bloodstained or filthy. Aoife swallowed a little more of the breakfast bar as she snatched a black bag out of one corner. She’d stolen it off of a target some time ago after she’d vaporized his head and it had proven fairly useful. It had pockets seemingly everywhere and it was into all of these that she stuffed bras, socks, and a small array of makeup.
Aoife poked around the floor, lifting various clothes items to her nose until she found two outfits that she felt were salvageable. They would need to be washed of course but she felt fairly certain that they would be more comfortable than the small tight shorts and half jacket she was still wearing. The clothing was shoved unceremoniously into the main section of the pack and Aoife slowly rose to her feet, her legs wobbling slightly as she managed to stand. She trudged over to her discarded boots and snagged them up from the floor before walking up to Levin, shooting him a surly look, and then wandering out into the hallway barefoot. By the time she got to the elevator, the soles of her feet were grimy and sticky but putting on the boots just didn’t seem worth it at the moment. She was too sore and irritated for that.
Aoife didn’t say another word to Levin until after they got back outside. “Ok, which way, my knight in shining trenchcoat?”
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Sept 20, 2012 22:55:40 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Sept 20, 2012 22:55:40 GMT -5
“Ok, which way, my knight in shining trenchcoat?”
Levin paused at this statement, and looked down at himself. His coat wasn't shiny at all. Why had she said that? Must be something he just plain didn't get. His eyes scanned the streets and the skyline, watching for the tell tale signs of a fancier district. Also known as less smog, newer looking buildings, and nicer speeders in the area. He raised his arm to point in a direction that simply looked less slummy that was probably a mile or two away. Lev turned his gaze to Aoife and her bare feet.
"Aoife Caaso, we will begin right now. You may want your boots on, we walk to our next destination."
He said calmly before turning fluidly onto the street to stride at a normal pace in the direction of their destination. One of the first things they needed to do, was get Aoife as physically exhausted as possible. It was nearly impossible to crave chems when you were tired from exercising. As they walked Levin kept his eyes on the various citizens that riffled through the streets, people of all colors, shapes and sizes moved up and down the crowded walkways, and the Healer made sure Aoife was at his side the whole time.
"We need to try and tire your physical self, which will help me begin the most important part of your treatment. Applying the Force in this aspect is difficult, and having your mind and body tired will allow me to work with less strain to your own mind."
Lev explained as they walked. Whenever he felt Aoife begin to get tired, he would push out a wave of bolstering energy towards her. It would feel like nothing more than a slight boost to her general wellness, but even that subtle of a feeling can keep one on their feet. Levin just hoped the woman had it in her enough to arrive at their new destination, an accomplishment was always a positive boost, and he knew that would be a better course of action than to carry the Theelin there himself.
Even if something deep, deep within him wanted to.
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
1,557 posts
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Sept 21, 2012 0:31:21 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Sept 21, 2012 0:31:21 GMT -5
Aoife swallowed the last of the breakfast bar down, her tongue scraping it from the roof of her mouth where it had become a thick paste. She was dehydrated badly and it left her unable to produce enough saliva to keep the food from becoming rather unpleasant. She could already feel it sticking in her throat and she swallowed a few times to get it all the way down. When she glanced over it was to find Levin eyeing her bare feet with what appeared to be a pensive look.
"Aoife Caaso, we will begin right now. You may want your boots on, we walk to our next destination."
The Theelin just stared at him for a moment. Was this guy serious? Why were they walking when there were perfectly good taxis going by them a breakneck speed? It had been a long night already and the concept of walking all the way to their next hotel seemed like an extra punishment. If this guy was trying to convince her she’d made the right decision, he was failing miserably. Aoife turned and eyed the tall, decrepit building behind her with its occasional busted out window and peeling façade. In the end she supposed it was worth it to just follow along with the healer’s plan after all. Now that she’d made the decision to drag herself out of the mire, it was all the harder to imagine going back inside and laying down on her damaged mattress. She was hurting, tired, surly, and wanted to punch something badly, but she was also a good person and was clinging for dear life to the tiny sliver of hope that Levin might be right. She couldn’t back out now.
Aoife looked down at her own filthy feet and decided against putting the boots back on anyway. She didn’t figure her feet could possibly get any dirtier anyway and she’d rather avoid that horrible gritty feeling that accompanied putting one’s shoes back on when their feet weren’t clean. It would just drive her nuts all the way to their destination. Levin had already headed off in the direction he wanted to go with the single-minded determination of a man with a mission. She supposed he really did have one, he seemed like the sort who always knew where he was headed to some extent, and she envied him that sense of purpose. It had been a long time since she’d really felt like she had a direction to move in other than down.
Aoife jogged a few paces to pull up beside Levin, her own eyes scanning the crowds as they walked. She was working up the snarkiest way possible to ask the healer why they were walking when he inadvertently answered her question first.
"We need to try and tire your physical self, which will help me begin the most important part of your treatment. Applying the Force in this aspect is difficult, and having your mind and body tired will allow me to work with less strain to your own mind."
Aoife snorted a laugh. If only he knew just how tired she already was. He was right at least to some extent though, while her body was long since worn down and ready for rest, her brain was chugging through thoughts at a mile a minute. Where were they going? How long would this healing process take? Would Levin take her off world with him when it was all done? Would he speak on her behalf and get her back into the Jedi? Did she even want to go back to them? Was her old master still around? How would she face him?
There was simply too much to consider now that her future was going to consist of more than just running jobs and courting the pixie until she wound up on the wrong side of someone’s blaster. The walk turned out to be a blessing in the long run. It allowed her mind a chance to work through some of those answers and to file away the ones she couldn’t face yet but even those weren’t stuffed in the back of her mind to be ignored as they once were. She knew now that answers would have to come for all of them, even if she was scared of what those answers might mean. The denizens of Metallos blurred into a sea of faces as they walked and Aoife reached out for the Force in ways she hadn’t done in a long time. It was tentative at first, like a scolded child seeking forgiveness from a parent, and while the response wasn’t very strong at first, it slowly grew to her touch.
Aoife had used the Force only in a few distinct ways since her fall, mostly as an outward thing to control those around her or to make targets easier to kill. She’d used it to push her body beyond its limits and to line up blaster shots but it had been some time since she’d meditated. Aoife had never been that good at meditation to start with, her boisterous nature keeping her from being able to sit still for long, but while she wasn’t seeking any enlightenment now, she at least needed to feel some measure of reassurance. She tugged gently at the Force, wrapping it around her in a thin protective cocoon and though she was out of practice, she found the feeling warm and comforting. She tugged it a little closer, allowing it to cloud her Force signature until she had all but disappeared from the proverbial radar. It was good to practice the old techniques. It lent her a feeling of the familiar now that her world was turning on its head.
Aoife could feel the occasional lift in her form in those trembling moments when she simply didn’t think her tired body could carry her anymore. She figured it must be the healer since it only seemed to come when she was in most need of it and she latched onto those moments to push herself onward until her legs ached. The pain in her head had risen to an astronomical level, starting behind her right eye and piercing straight through out of the back of her skull. The lights seemed far too bright, the noises way too loud, and by the time they finally reached the nicer section of town, or at least what Metallos could boast as a nicer section, Aoife was barely able to think of anything at all other than curling up and making the pain stop. The defiant saunter that had defined the beginning of the trip had given way to an exhausted shuffle and her head hung from her shoulders as she tried to avoid looking at anything bright.
She was grateful for the sheath of hair that hung in her face to shield her from what looks any passersby might have given her but during the entire walk up out of the darker part of town, she had not uttered a single word of protest. Partly it was gratitude that the healer was being kind enough to keep up with her slower pace but mostly it was because she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her whine about the trip. Maybe, just maybe, if she was honest with herself, it was also because she didn’t want to risk that he might think her too weak of spirit to be worth saving still.
As the finally shuffled up to the door of a moderately nice hotel set back from the main street by a small courtyard, Aoife felt her stomach roil angrily. Her eyes widened as she felt the cold rush that started from her spine and worked its way up the back of her neck. The pack fell from her shoulders and her boots clattered to the ground as she rushed in a stumbling line for the narrow alleyway between the hotel and its neighboring building. She’d barely cleared the gap before the meager contents of her stomach came back in a rush. Her fingernails dug into the brick wall, cracking slightly along the edges as she held on for dear life. She’d known this would happen, it always did when she missed her scheduled hit, but she was at least grateful for the fact that this time she’d had something on her stomach. The only thing worse than throwing up was dry heaving.
Aoife leaned against the wall, pressing her flushed skin against the cool brickwork, and took a few long laboring breaths.
“Can we get upstairs now?” she croaked, “I’d like to die in a nice room, please.”
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
372 likes
King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Sept 21, 2012 2:08:50 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Sept 21, 2012 2:08:50 GMT -5
As the duo walked, Levin could feel Aoife's presence and emotions. It seemed that his theory was correct. Aoife had begin to think, something she needed badly. Act on reflection and introspection, not on brash physicality. A good sign in his mind, for Aoife to reflect on everything. It was a sign that she was a lot less lost than she thought. Last Force sensitive he had helped get over an addiction was a Balosar padawan. That child was nearly catatonic when Levin had discovered him OD'd at a random spice house. Yet that boy was now about to be knighted.
He was quite impressed by her use of Concleament. A difficult practice to begin with, but judging by how quickly Aoife had applied it, even addled by spice and emotion, she still had quite the talent for the technique. It wasn't long before even with him standing directly next to her, her presence was barely discernible. Simply amazing. Levin had long accepted that stealth was not his thing. Even when he wasn't channeling the Force, it felt as if he could barely control the howling winds of it as it guided him along. His presence was always one that was felt, he literally was unable to hide it.
Levin could feel Aoife's mind and body begin to falter more and more as they neared a nicer hotel. By the end of the walk, he could feel through the Force that she was calmed- through sheer exhaustion. He felt her wave of nausea roil off her form right as it forced her to expel the food she just scarfed. Lev took up her bag and boots, slinging the back onto his shoulder and tucking the boots into the free strap of it. He moved towards her as she tossed the contents of her stomach. The Healer wasn't worried, it was a common symptom of spice withdrawals.
But she could no longer continue.
The Jedi moved up close to her and nodded. He sent a wave of approval through the Force towards Aoife. She needed to know how important what she had just accomplished was. Now, through her efforts, they could begin the real healing process.
"Well done, Aoife Caaso. Let us get inside."
With a quick wave of apologetic thoughts through the Force, Levin moved and in one fluid motion set his arms around Aoife and had her lifted within them bridal style. Her skin was slightly hot to the touch from being exhausted, and she felt far too light in his arms. He turned and moved into the hotel with a calm but steady stride. A Twi'lek at the counter was about to speak when Lev turned his gaze to look the Twi'lek directly in the eyes. Lev sent a wave of telepathic energies into the man before he spoke.
"You will give us the key to a top floor room. After that, the top floor is off limits for construction purposes. Also, you want to get back together with that girl at the pawn shop. She was good for you."
The Twi'lek nodded in agreement and handed Lev a couple passes into a room, and scrabbled a sign that said "No top floor rentals, construction." Lev nodded back and released his mental hold on the man before he moved to the hotel elevator. Which was much nicer than the lift they had taken down earlier. Minutes later Lev had gotten them to the room and had sat Aoife down in a big, stuffed loveseat for her to curl up in.
He would let her rest a moment more before they began.
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
1,557 posts
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Sept 21, 2012 2:50:54 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Sept 21, 2012 2:50:54 GMT -5
Aoife felt the wave of encouragement and support as it washed over her. Despite her trembling legs and the thin line of spit hanging from her bottom lip, she still managed to throw him a quirked eyebrow.
"Well done, Aoife Caaso. Let us get inside."
Seriously? That was well and truly the only time in Aoife Caaso’s whole life that she had been congratulated for vomiting. It wasn’t exactly a prize-winning activity. “Um…thanks,” she drawled, her voice heavily laden with sarcasm. She’d just finished wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve when a strong arm wrapped around her back while the other caught her right at the bend of her knees. She didn’t have the strength to resist and her legs buckled, toppling her directly into Levin’s arms. She barely registered the apologetic wave sent her direction before she found herself draped in the healer’s embrace like a child. Aoife moved to struggle at first, hell bent on standing on her own two feet instead of being carted as if she were too weak to stand, but after a vain push at Levin’s chest she realized she really was too weak to make it up on her own and she went limp. A scowl tugged at the corners of her mouth. She felt humiliated at having to be carried, barefoot and dirty, into a nice hotel.
Aoife watched impassively as Levin manipulated the mind of the Twi’lek at the counter. Apparently even the galaxy’s most honorable do-gooder had room in his principles for getting a good room and some privacy when it was needed. She’d half expected him to say ‘pretty please’ and compliment the man on his lekku. He honestly was so supportive and sweet that it bordered on disturbing. Aoife couldn’t help the disbelieving chuckle at the healer’s comment on the love affair gone wrong. Even when he was stealing a room for the night, Levin just couldn’t help but try to make someone’s life better somehow and Aoife told herself that she didn’t admire that at all. Not one bit. Nope. And she totally wasn’t curling her fingers into the lapels of his jacket or smiling into his shirt because it was nice to be around someone who actually gave a damn again.
It also helped that she was being carted around by a strong and incredibly attractive guy. It wasn’t exactly the way she’d planned on getting into Levin’s arms when she’d first seen him at the club but she wasn’t too picky at the moment and the churning in her gut told her she wasn’t up to doing anything more physically active than laying in a ball and trying not to vomit again. Her headache hadn’t abated in the least and throwing up had only made it stronger. She didn’t take much notice of the lift or the hallway they walked down as Levin made his way to their room. Her whole world focused down to little more than the buttons on his shirt and the way the overhead lights caught on them. She groaned lightly as Levin lowered her onto the loveseat, even the smallest of movements jarring her head and spiking pain through her whole body again.
The worst part was that Aoife knew this was only the beginning. She’d managed to get through this long without a hit before but only in the most dire of circumstances but she feared what was to follow. She backed up into the junction of the arm of the loveseat and pressed her face against the fabric of the backrest. It smelled clean and for a moment, Aoife considered taking a shower just so the smell of fresh linen and furniture polish wouldn’t be marred by her own vomit but she discarded the thought after trying to figure out how she was going to make it to the fresher and back. “Water,” she rasped as she curled herself tighter into the corner. She was so tired, right down to the core of her very being, and she just wanted to fall asleep. She knew she needed at least a little hydration though and that she’d be paying for it later if she didn’t.
Aoife’s fingers dug into her jacket to stop the tremble forming in her arms and she crossed them protectively over her stomach as if it would ward off the cramps there. “We should…we should ease me off of this, right?” she found herself saying without thought, “maybe just a small hit, you know? A lesser spice to take some of the edge off and you can heal up the rest?”
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
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King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Sept 21, 2012 3:48:18 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Sept 21, 2012 3:48:18 GMT -5
Levin nodded at her request for a drink. With the Force he pulled a cup to his hand and strode to the sink in the little kitchenette that was at the far end of the hotel room. They had gotten a nice enough place, had two bedrooms, a sitting area where Aoife now curled up, and a bathroom connected to the sitting area. He filled the cup with lukewarm water- too hot or too cold could shock her already fragile physical well being. He'd seen it before. He handed her the glass and immediately began to rummage around the room. Without making eye contact with her, while still searching for something he responded again:
"There are preparations to be made, and you are not quite ready for the process to begin."
He finally found what he was looking for: a metal basin of some sort with two handles. Levin immediately moved into the bathroom and started up the water in the tub, trying to get the water warm, but not hot. After the tub had filled a bit over halfway, he hugged a bunch of towels to his side with an arm and carried the tub right out to Aoife, setting it on the caf table in front of her. The Jedi set the towels down next to the bin and stood up.
"I must gather energies for this, while I do that, you should clean yourself a bit. Cleanliness of body aids cleanliness of mind."
Levin said, quoting one of his Master's phrases that he had adopted. He gestured to the warm water and towels before he moved to a spot across the room, and turned his back to Aoife before he sat cross legged on the floor. His eyes fluttered shut and he let the Force enter his form without resisting it. Most of his mind cleared as the pure cosmic energy flowed through him, he did leave himself partially aware, mainly on making sure Aoife was alright. He made sure he couldn't physically see her, as that wouldn't be very Jedi of him to watch. His aura glowed subtlety as he meditated, collecting and storing large amounts of the Force into his being.
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
1,557 posts
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Sept 22, 2012 4:03:03 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Sept 22, 2012 4:03:03 GMT -5
It did not escape Aoife's notice that Levin hadn't bothered to answer or even acknowledge her question, instead offering some cryptic reply that had nothing to do with what she'd asked. A small angry part of her, the junkie who just wanted needed that blissful high that would steal away the pain, took exception to this and she scowled at him as he handed her the glass. She wanted to throw it at him but instead she took a few trembling sips. If she drank too quickly, her roiling stomach would just push it all back up again and she needed the water more than the drugs right then. Aoife watched the healer's every move with a morbid curiosity, her mind not so far gone yet as to not appreciate the view any time he bent over or kneeled to search through the contents of the room. If she was going to be miserable then at least the view was nice.
She raised an eyebrow when Levin disappeared into the fresher and she could hear water running. Was he planning on showering in there with the door open? She wasn't about to complain really but instead he reemerged a few moments later with a bin filled with water. He set it down in front of her and Aoife stared at it a moment before looking back up at him in disbelief. Sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed when he set down an armload of towels next to the basin.
"I must gather energies for this, while I do that, you should clean yourself a bit. Cleanliness of body aids cleanliness of mind."
With that, Levin turned his back on her and plopped down in the floor across the room. She'd certainly wanted him to ask her to take her clothes off but this wasn't exactly what she'd imagined. The healer crouched piously out of her reach and she could feel the swell in the Force that said he was meditating. Aoife rolled her eyes in irritation and worked up the strength to ease herself out of the ball she'd curled in. Just moving proved more difficult than expected as her limbs shook violently. Her mouth felt dry no matter how often she sipped at the water and she wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep. Instead she tugged the jacket from her shoulders and dropped it onto the couch beside her. Her sweaty palms skidded across the glass tabletop in front of her, squeaking as she maneuvered into position above the basin.
As she looked down into the clean water, she caught sight of her own reflection. What she saw was horrifying. Her hair was a bit of a mess but it was the palor of her skin, pale and stretched over bone, that was the most disturbing. Her freckles stood out in sharp relief, lurid purple against a sickly gray backdrop, and her eyes were fever bright. She closed her eyes in disgust. Some Jedi she made. Aoife dipped her hands into the warm water and cupped some to splash on her face but her shaking had become so violent that by the time she'd brought them up, her hands were all but empty. She sighed in frustration.
"F*ck it," she grumbled before simply dunking her whole head down into the basin. The shock of cool liquid against her skin brought to light just how high her temperature had gotten. The water had been warm on her hands but it felt chilly against her cheeks. Aoife blew a few bubbles out of her nose and lifted her head just enough to clear the water. Rivulets slid down her cheeks and her hair clung to the sides of her face where it had fallen in. So this is what healing looks like, she thought to herself. She couldn't bear to look at her own reflection again so she kept her eyes shut and threaded her fingers into her hair, sweeping it down to soak in the water.
Slowly Aoife began to wash herself. First her face, then her hair, then she took one of the towels and shakily dipped it in the water before scrubbing at her skin. From the moment the towel touched her left arm, she could swear she could feel her skin actually crawling. The nerves tingled unpleasantly in what must have been yet another side effect. Aoife pressed on, scrubbing at herself until she realized she was rubbing bright red patches into her shoulders and chest. She just couldn't get clean enough, couldn't scratch the itchiness under the surface enough to be comfortable. She started on her legs next, washing the grime from them as best she could but each sweep of her trembling arms splashed more water on the table than seemed to get anywhere near her body.
Aoife wished she could just take a bath in the fresher but she figured she'd probably just drown and Levin must have known that too. The frustration in her built as her body responded less and less to the commands she was giving it. She was shaking too hard to do much good and she hated that feeling of helplessness. If he'd just give her one more hit, just something small, she could do this bathing thing a lot easier and then she'd be in much better headspace to actually start his healing process. After the umpteenth time of dropping the towel, Aoife had finally had enough. She tossed the wet cloth onto the floor and shoved the table away from her, sending water splashing up and over the sides of the bucket until it formed a ring of saturated carpet at her feet.
She feebly tossed her clothing off of the couch and curled back up into her corner, her back to Levin as she tugged a small throw from the backrest. She managed to half-heartedly drape it over herself before closing her eyes and willing herself to just sleep. To hell with the healer and his stupid rituals. She just wanted to rest now.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
372 likes
King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
Master
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Sept 25, 2012 19:10:38 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Sept 25, 2012 19:10:38 GMT -5
Levin had not noticed what Aoife was doing as she cleansed herself. Naturally he had her marked within the Force in case he needed to fully snap out of his meditations. It would end with being unnecessary, and as Levin sat and drew more and more energy into his mind, Aoife finally fell asleep from exhaustion. Just as he had planned. Once he was certain she was sleeping by the soft sound of her breath, he fully delved into a deeper meditative state, which would quadruple the amount of the Force he could draw in, shortening the time needed to prepare himself for the technique.
Only a half hour later, the Jedi's bright eyes would flutter open, and in one fluid motion would stand up and turn around. His stride carried him over to where Aoife lay, mostly nude except for a sad excuse for a blanket she had pulled over her self. He blinked once, trying to keep his eyes averted from anything less than saintly to look upon. Levin turned and moved into one of the bedrooms, his arms, quickly gathering up the thick, feather comforter from it. Arms full of blanket he returned. His hands gently pulled the shawl off Aoife and tossed it on a nearby chair. With the gentle, practiced motions of a man who has dealt with many a sleeping patient, Levin guided Aoife out of her little ball to lay on her back, letting it lay a bit more naturally. The loveseat was far from long enough for Levin to lay upon, but it was perfect for the shorter frame of Aoife.
He gently lifted her head with one hand and slid a pillow under her purple locks. Once her head rested easy, he folded the huge comforter in half and lay it over Aoife, taking care not to tuck it in or anything. Last thing Aoife and Lev needed was for Aoife to come out of a withdrawal fueled nightmare, and panic by not being able to move. Instead, Levin just made sure her slight frame was completely, and loosely covered by the thick blanket. It definitely seemed like his plan had work, nary a peep had come from Aoife the entire time he positioned her, she was sound asleep. Probably hadn't slept that deeply in many years.
It was now a perfect time for him to begin the procedure. It had no real name, as it was a technique developed only within the past fifty years by his own master. Master Alvita had called it 'Partition', which was fitting enough. A technique developed for this exact situation: A Jedi that had fallen under the influence of a chemical drug. Best done when the patient is unconscious or asleep. Like Aoife was doing now. Using the Force to enter someone's mind was already difficult as was, but when in a subconscious state, Lev would be able to work more efficiently to help ease the condition.
Levin moved to kneel on the ground behind Aoife's head. His hands moved up to gently rest on it, but even before he lay his hands down, he could feel her fever was getting desperately high. He inhaled and reached his mind out into Aoife's slipping through into her presence with ease. Her mind offered barely any resistance, she had become so weak from the withdrawals already. That weakness though, would allow her to become strong again. Levin's eyes fluttered closed as he delved deeper, sparing her of looking at any memories- a Jedi craved not selfish things.
Instead he used the Force to flow into her, using it to lower her temperature. Like a throbbing red heat signature, he could see it in the Force, and in his mind's eye, he could see gentle waves of pure, clean Force energies wash back and forth over the inflamed part of her mind. It only took a few minutes, but after them, the heat within Aoife had been lowered to slightly above normal, enough to help her burn and sweat out more of the chemicals. Once he was sure her body and mind were stable enough with a quick scan through the Force, he would begin.
In his mind, he could see the lay out of Aoife's mind. Much emotion echoed within that place. Like her very soul was laid out on a table, his mind wandered gently through her presence. Anytime a memory would rise, he would dismiss it with a calm wave of his hand. Anytime a painful emotion or sensation would arise, he would end it with yet another wave of his hand. He searched and searched until he could feel a presence within Aoife. His mind turned to it, and finally, he had found what he was looking for. A ball of tightly woven, tightly bound darkness, like a fetid seed of yarn that sat within Aoife.
Levin moved right over to it, and reached a hand out to rest on the blackened energy. It felt almost as if it hissed at the Healer's touch, like a parasite flinching from the cure. This was the source. The addiction incarnate within Lev's mind. It was by far one of the worst he had ever seen. Rarely did this manifestation show itself at such a size, and at such a tightly woven state. It would be difficult for him to Partition it. That wouldn't stop him though.
For hours Levin worked, his mind slowly layering the Force energies he had previously gathered around the darkness. He moved with the practiced mental efforts of a trained Healer, rhythmic and gentle, he would wrap more and more positive Force energies onto the negative energies. If done right, this would severely cut down on the physical tolls of the withdrawals. The want would be something Levin couldn't fully control, but by making it easier on Aoife's body to heal, it would become easier for her mind and spirit to heal.
Nearly six hours later, Levin opened his eyes and exhaled with control. Sweat had soaked his chest and face from exertion, molding that much of the Force would take its toll on anyone, even one as practiced at using it as Lev. He blinked a few times before he stood and looked down at the still sleeping Aoife. The color of her skin was notably more flushed and healthy looking, and even the dark circles of her eyes had reduced significantly. A rare smile touched Levin's lips, seeing one's positive work bear fruit was always a simple joy of his. He knew, just by seeing how well she had taken the first session, that one day, Aoife Caaso would be herself again.
He moved to the kitchen area, removed a pot and filled it with water to be boiled. As it boiled, he ordered some food from room service, most of it uncooked materials. Levin was about to start one of the most important tasks of the night: He was going to make soup.
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
1,557 posts
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Oct 1, 2012 1:02:38 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Oct 1, 2012 1:02:38 GMT -5
The Jedi Temple was a beautiful place. Its gleaming floors were so polished that one could see their face in them and long hallways stretched on forever, crowned with delicately pierced arches high above. Niches were adorned with smooth alabaster busts of Jedi long gone by, their faces so well-crafted that it appeared at any moment they might move and offer some wisdom from long ago. Even more than the elegant trappings, the very air of the Temple was permeated with a sense of good will and hope from the countless Jedi who roamed the halls. The Force wove in and out around them, whispering to anyone who wanted to stop and listen, and each being radiated this energy into those they passed.
Aoife could not enjoy her surroundings though. Her attention was caught solely on a single large window in front of her. Beyond it, transports and speeders rushed by. Senators, businessmen, tourists. Yet there was something out there, something Aoife needed, something she had to find desperately, but she couldn’t put a name to it. There was peace all around her and it soaked into her very core but at the heart of it all, curled like a yawn she couldn’t quite achieve, there was something pressing her to seek it out. Aoife moved to the window and stared out into the rush of traffic. What was it she was looking for? What was calling her name in a language she couldn’t quite understand?
Large aqua eyes stared out at her from her reflection in the glass in front of her and she reached up to lovingly stroke the long purple braid just behind her ear. Her padawan braid. It was her mark of honor, a symbol of her chosen path, but it felt wrong for some reason. A young girl of no more than 16 was watching her from that reflection but it felt foreign, as if the person staring back at her wasn’t Aoife at all. The Temple around her turned cold and Aoife watched with widening eyes as the girl in the reflection held up a single small, pink pill. A craving rose up with ferocity in her that she had never known before that moment and her world narrowed down to that bright small dot of lurid color hovering just out of reach.
The girl in the reflection smiled. Words were falling from her lips but Aoife couldn’t make them out. She wanted to turn around, seek out her master and ask what this all meant, but the siren in front of her wouldn’t release its hold. The pill hung tantalizingly just on the other side of the glass and despite herself, Aoife reached for it. Her fingers bumped against the window. She tremblingly brushed over the glass, looking for some small sign of how to get through, but the barrier remained solid. Her efforts increased as she pawed at it hungrily and her frustration mounted. She knew now that the pill was what she needed but it was being kept just out of reach. She wasn’t sure what it did but she knew it would help her somehow.
The pawing turned to a frantic search for a way through, her fingernails scraping uselessly against the glass, and she pounded on it till her hands felt bruised. The girl that was and wasn’t her on the other side kept talking and Aoife pressed her face to the window. Through the fog of her breath, she could read the words formed by her own lips. They don’t need you. They don’t want you. You’re lost to them already. No one’s coming for you now. You need a door out, a way to get to a better world. Aoife shook her head frantically in denial and she wanted to pull away, to turn back to the Jedi, but behind her the Temple had gone cold and silent. A shadow descended all around her, the sun outside set far too quickly, throwing the city into darkness, and Aoife shivered. There were monsters in the dark and somehow she knew if she turned around, they would devour her.
She needed to get out.
Aoife slammed herself again and again against the glass, desperate to get to the other side and the magic pill that would save her from the dark. Her nose bloodied against the window, her shoulder bruised, her finger broke, and still she hurled herself against it. Finally a crack formed and the Aoife that was not Aoife took a preparatory step back, salvation still hanging out in front of her in all its pink glory. Aoife threw herself against the glass one more time, her fingers reaching for the pill, and the window shattered. She felt the sudden drop and moment of weightlessness as she toppled out into open air. A thousand shards of glass flashed the faces of a thousand laughing Aoifes, their pills all extended out in a mockery. She was falling, tumbling through the cold rush of air as her body hurtled downward toward the pavilion in front of the Jedi Temple.
Below her, scores of Jedi stood in a semi-circle, their eyes upturned to watch her descent, but they had left a clearing in their midst for Aoife’s landing. Pavement rocketed up at a dizzying pace and she tried to press away from it, from the disapproving stares directed at her, but the ground was as merciless as the Jedi who were judging her. Her world narrowed to a small cold space of pavement and she felt the impact as she struck the ground.
Aoife bolted upright, a scream torn from her throat. She found herself staring at a muted yellow wall in a strange room and her brow furrowed in confusion. She looked down at the soft comforter pooled at her waist and her chest heaved with the exertion of each breath she gulped down. Tremors tore up her arms as she took in her surroundings and she finally craned her head around to take in the man whose attention she’d obviously gained with her scream.
Levin. That was Levin, the Jedi healer. The world began to slowly make sense again as the events of the last 24 hours finally came into focus. The air was filled with a rather lovely scent, something warm and homey that had her mouth watering. “Smells great,” she groaned. With that, Aoife wrapped herself in the blanket, staggered to her feet and shuffled toward the fresher, utterly ignoring Levin for the moment. She had something more pressing to be concerned with. It did not escape her that her body seemed to be reacting much more willingly than it had before she’d fallen asleep and she nodded to herself. Levin must have done something. She’d have to thank him when she was done.
Aoife dropped to her knees in the fresher and promptly emptied the contents of her stomach into the small toilet. The nausea had been more from the fear and shock of the nightmare than from withdrawals and once it was out of her system, she felt strangely better. She wiped her mouth clean and struggled once more to her feet. Her stomach happily announced her arrival back into the main room as it noisily greeted whatever Levin was cooking. She smiled lopsidedly at him. “Not sure if it’s you or the food that smells so damn good but whatever it is, I’m eating it. Might just have the other one for dessert.” She chuckled at her own joke but doubted very much that she was the picture of sexiness right at that moment considering her breath smelled of vomit, her teeth felt furrier than a wookie, her hair was a series of tangled knots from her thrashing in her sleep, and she was pretty sure she had bugs under her eyes.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
372 likes
King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
Master
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Oct 9, 2012 18:04:09 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Oct 9, 2012 18:04:09 GMT -5
As Levin went about the kitchen, he could feel the Force around Aoife whirl and roar. She was in a deep slumber, and with that, usually came the most vivid of dreams. He wouldn’t intrude though, the Healer knew that her body needed the rest more than her mind did at that moment. A slight frown would touch his lips, he could feel her emotions from her dreaming through the Force, she was unable to hold them back. Pain, shame, desire… agony… this poor soul was beyond tormented. As were many in the throes of a chemical addiction.
He felt her reach the climax of her nightmare through the Force, her presence screaming long before she suddenly bolted upwards and verbally screamed. His green eyes would glance at her direction at first but quickly looked away as he saw she was still topless. She didn’t need some celibate monk looking at her while bare. He felt her eyes upon him, but continued to stir the pot of food in front of him. Levin nodded at her comment about the smell of the soup.
“My master taught me the recipe when I was young. A classic Nautolan recipe… she called it ‘Seas of Flavor’… I just call it vegetable soup…”
Levin said flatly as he stirred more. He wouldn’t share it, but before he had learned to remove any sort of illness that permeated his body, he had fallen quite ill in his late teens, and Master Alvita had literally nursed him back to health the entire time. With the very recipe he was about to feed Aoife. It was gentle on the stomach, and full of important nutrients she probably hadn’t received in a long time.
The Jedi said nothing as Aoife entered the fresher and threw up. Bodily functions could not disturb the Jedi, not after so many years working as a Healer. He waited patiently for her to finish, the food was nearly done. Lev hoped she still had somewhat of an appetite, and her stomach confirmed this wish as she walked back into the main area of the room. He turned his eyes to her in confusion with lifted eyebrows as she spoke. How could he possibly smell appetizing at all? It was only after she finished talking that Levin’s posture would shift uncomfortably for a brief second. There was few things the Healer wasn’t equipped to handle. Sexual harassment was one of them. He coughed uncomfortably and idly stirred the soup before he snapped to.
He moved to a cabinet and opened it to see a few bowls within it, and nodded. Levin was glad he had decided to pay a little extra for the room they were in. Simple and wooden, he brought one down and dipped it into the broth of the steaming soup. The warm steam of it wafted into his nose and brought up fond memories of his Master… and a reminder of how there were other ways besides the Force to heal others. Levin moved to the couch and table Aoife had previously been at, and set down the bowl. His eyes found hers and he nodded once as he gestured for her to sit.
“Please, Aoife Caaso. Sit, eat something.”
Levin moved back to the kitchen area and turned down the heat to keep the soup warm but not boiling anymore. He had made a large batch, for he knew that Aoife wouldn’t likely keep everything down easily at first. Luckily, the soup was easy and simple, and he could continue making it as needed. Lev then opened the cooler and found a bottle of water within it and grabbed it. He stepped back to where Aoife was now and opened the bottle before placing it next to the bowl.
“Be careful, it will be hot.”
The healer advised before he stepped back a bit and placed his arms behind his back, his hands clasped together and his feet at shoulder width- a typical stance that Jedi were often seen in. He awaited Aoife’s reaction to being fed, and hoped his earlier application to her body would aid in her ability to keep something down.
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
1,557 posts
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Dec 16, 2012 20:59:13 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Dec 16, 2012 20:59:13 GMT -5
Despite the present state of her appearance, Aoife’s words seemed to have an effect on the Jedi Healer and she reveled in a slow smile as he shifted uncomfortably. It was a testament both to her libido and Levin’s attractiveness that she could even think about sex while in the middle of heavy drug withdrawals. She was beginning to fear for the sanctity of the Jedi’s clothing when she was actually feeling well enough to chase him.
The cold acid gurgle of her stomach brought Aoife back to reality, however, and she let the smile drop just as fast as Levin seemed to regain his bearing. It was probably for the best. She wasn’t exactly a hot catch right then and seeing as standing was a feat of true endurance for her at that moment, Levin’s chastity would have to remain intact for a while longer. She leaned against the doorframe of the fresher, ignoring the blunt press of the metal against her shoulder, and watched as a bowl of soup was lowered to the table she’d been at earlier.
A small surly part of her grumbled about the fact that he was making her walk across the room again when all she wanted was to sink to the floor and stay there till her next birthday. Instead, she pushed off with a sigh and only had to pause for a few seconds to stop the room from dancing before shuffling across the room to where Levin was beckoning her. The carpet around the base of the table was still sodden from her failed attempt at a bath but Aoife dutifully made her way across it and plopped ungracefully onto the couch. Her toes sank into the carpet and she wiggled them a little just to hear the odd squelching sound it made.
She leaned forward and peered down into the bowl, closing her eyes as the steam wafted up and ghosted like warm breath across her cheeks. It brought with it the rich, earthen smell of vegetables, broth, something slightly salty with hints of spices thrown in. Aoife breathed it in all the way to the bottom of her lungs. She needed this, all of it. She needed the sensations around her to keep her grounded.
So many of days over the past few years had been spent in a detached haze which dulled everything that was real and brought all of the illusions of spice into sharp clarity. She’d seen the arm hairs of the neutron pixie as if she’d been staring through a microscope and she could tell you the exact color that the light outside her window made when it reflected off those tiny fairy wings but she couldn’t recall how many pairs of socks she’d even owned or how long ago it had been since she’d washed them.
After Levin’s healing though, the world had been snapped into sharp focus and Aoife clung to it like a life raft. Maybe she was lost, maybe the Jedi DIDN’T want her anymore and she was just going back to the real world to face heartache and rejection, but in that moment, sitting in that little hotel room all she needed to concentrate on was the moment. The cold of the wet carpet between her toes, the warmth of the steam rolling up to her face, the smells of the first home-cooked meal that she’d had in…well…she couldn’t honestly recall the last meal she’d eaten that hadn’t been cooked by a suspiciously unclean looking line cook in some skeevy café.
Aoife plucked up her spoon and ignored the light tremble still present in her hands. She ladled up a small amount of the clear liquid, capturing a few chopped veggies along the way and was about to take a sip when Levin warned her it would likely be hot. Aoife paused and thought about it a moment; she could try to wait and just make small talk till it had cooled. She glanced up at where the healer stood with his arms behind his back, his spine so ram-rod straight she could have used it as a level to hang photos on the wall, and decided that perhaps small talk wasn’t Levin’s strongest talent.
Having decided that burning the roof of her mouth would be far less trouble than trying to coax an actual conversation out of the stoic healer, Aoife sipped tentatively at the stew. It was hot, enough to scald her tongue a bit, but the flavor was so refreshingly comforting that she braved the burn and swallowed the whole spoonful anyway. It was heaven. She sighed appreciatively through her nose and lifted another spoonful to her lips but paused when she realized she could still see Levin standing there out of the corner of her eye.
Aoife glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow. The silence between them lingered and yet Levin hadn’t moved. Was he really going to stand there the whole time and watch her eat? There couldn’t possibly be anything that interesting about watching a junkie taking in stew. She waited a few more minutes, hoping he would get the hint but it didn’t appear that simple social norms were within Levin’s understanding.
“For the love of the Force, sit down. You’re making me nervous.”
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
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King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Dec 19, 2012 22:12:27 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Dec 19, 2012 22:12:27 GMT -5
Levin's eyes would never leave Aoife as she made her way to the table and began to enjoy the soup. He pushed down a small wave of satisfaction at her obvious pleasure at the meal. It wasn't Jedi like to show emotion like that, but it was always hard for him to stifle it whenever it applied to helping other Jedi. They were his brothers and sisters of the Light, and he loved all of them, even those that strayed. Especially those that strayed, and wanted to return home. His eyes would look the younger woman over, she was already looking much better than when he first laid eyes on her. The woman was still underweight, but her skin color looked much healthier, and her aqua eyes now shone like brilliant gemstones. Still a tad glassier than he'd like to see, but at least they weren't the clouded and bleary eyes he first met.
Once her hair had been cleaned, Levin couldn't help but appreciate the vibrant hue of purple it was. Before it had looked almost grayed out, but now it had a lovely sheen and fell down onto her shoulders and down her front... He blinked once and shook his head slightly before he straightened his posture even more and looked away for a moment. Levin cleared his throat once and looked down at her, only to be looked back at in return. His head would tilt slightly to the left and those ever green eyes would not leave her ocean-colored iris' the entire time she looked at him, never blinking once. After she spoke he looked down at his feet and at the chair to his left.
"If that is what you wish."
He rumbled before he took a single step to the chair and sat down, hands on his knees and his posture still perfect. His eyes would dip down to the soup and back to Aoife with a lift of his eyebrows.
"Is that satisfying your hunger, Aoife Caaso?"
Levin asked, his voice deep but spoken like a man raised within the Core of the galaxy, clean and crisp. After a moment he reached into his coat and retrieved a datapad, held in his left hand while his right began to swipe and key in commands.
"Now, I have left our visit here open for now. You will need 54 hours of rest in order to be fit for space travel once more. We can take more, but that would be unadvised considering your history with Metellos. I will be more able to treat you within the Halls of Healing on Coruscant..."
He continued, his eyes now looked at Aoife, ready to see what she had to say.
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Otterling
Still Dutch's Minion
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"Like a monkey on the sun, it was just to hot to live."
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last online Dec 25, 2012 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Dec 20, 2012 22:30:05 GMT -5
Post by Otterling on Dec 20, 2012 22:30:05 GMT -5
Aoife couldn’t help it when a snort of amusement tore itself out of her. Levin had complied with her request for him to sit down but he was so stiff that he looked more like he was going in for a job interview than having a meal with someone he’d just met. He was so stiff that it looked like someone had shoved a metal rod up his butt. It also hadn’t escaped Aoife’s notice that she was the only one eating. If someone had asked her yesterday what she’d be doing today, she’d never have guessed this scenario, and yet here she was, eating stew cooked by a fellow…by a Jedi, while trying to get clean off the drugs she’d built her world around for years.
When coupled with the fact that Levin had a strange habit of staring at her as if she had the secrets of the galaxy tattooed on her forehead, it made for a rather disquieting meal. Aoife tore her gaze away from where Levin sat bolt upright and turned her attention back to the lovely stew before her. The breakfast bar she’d eaten upon first meeting Levin had been thrown up promptly upon their arrival at the hotel and after he most recent trip to the fresher, even the meager amount of water she’d managed to drink earlier had just been lost to her a few minutes ago. While it was obvious that Levin had already done wonders with her healing, her too thin body was still protesting the lack of nourishment it was getting. Her mouth would have watered if she’d had any saliva left at that point. It was a testament to how dehydrated she was.
Aoife took a few more spoonfuls of the stew before pausing again and peering up at Levin from the corner of her eye. The spoon went down to the bowl. Levin’s eyes followed. The spoon came up to her lips. Levin’s eyes followed. Ok, this was officially kind of creepy.
"Is that satisfying your hunger, Aoife Caaso?"
Why in the Force did he keep using her full name? It wasn’t like she didn’t know it already and had to be reminded. Aoife sighed. “Yes, Levin Caellum, Jedi Healer. It’s very tasty.” If he wanted to use full titles the whole time, she could play that game. Maybe he’d get the hint and drop the surname already. Her affirmation that the food was good appeared to be enough to wave off his attention and it dawned on her then that he’d been watching because he’d made the stew himself and wanted to know if she liked it. How adorable was that? Aoife tucked her head and hid the fond smile that tugged at her lips. Admittedly, the whole staring thing was a little off-putting. She would have to see if she could break him of that if they were going to be around one another for any length of time. She didn’t need to spend her whole healing process being scrutinized like a bug under a microscope.
"Now, I have left our visit here open for now. You will need 54 hours of rest in order to be fit for space travel once more. We can take more, but that would be unadvised considering your history with Metellos. I will be more able to treat you within the Halls of Healing on Coruscant..."
Aoife nodded quietly, taking in another spoonful as Levin informed her of how long she’d need to rest before travel but as he mentioned the Halls of Healing on Coruscant, she all but choked on the soup in her mouth. She sputtered into her hands as her nose burned from the soup that had shot into it from her throat. After a few minutes of coughing, she managed to find her voice.
“Coruscant?” she squeaked around another cough, “I can’t go back there yet! I’m still…I mean…” Aoife gestured at her withered frame. “Look at me. I can’t waltz into the Jedi Temple like this! I..”
Her lips snapped shut as she swallowed down the real reason she was so afraid to go home. She’d fled Coruscant a few years ago because of the blood on her hands, innocent blood, and she wasn’t sure if the Jedi knew yet what she’d done. Had the murder of those two guards gone unnoticed? Had they pieced it together? An image formed in her mind of her arrival in the Temple only to be arrested. It was bad enough to return to the Jedi as a reforming junkie but she wasn’t sure she could bear the humiliation of being arrested in front of everyone too. Then an even more sickening thought came unbidden to her mind.
Levin would find out.
This good person who was taking such pains to save her had no idea what she’d done. She’d seen first hand the drive he had when chasing down an adversary and he’d only spared her life because he’d seen her killing criminals, not innocents. If he knew what he was saving, would he even bother? Aoife couldn’t bear to look back up into those big green eyes and the spoon fell back into the bowl with a loud clatter. She could bear being arrested, could live with it happening in front of the Jedi if she had no other choice, but in that moment she couldn’t bear the thought of Levin Caellum looking at her with disdain, anger, disgust, or worse…disappointment.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
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King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Jan 14, 2013 15:44:53 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Jan 14, 2013 15:44:53 GMT -5
Levin watched as Aoife it, sure to keep any pride he felt down. He truly did love his roll in the galaxy, it gave him purpose, gave him a reason to exist. In his mind, the roll of a Healer was something special, as they had to use their very being to heal others, and that always left an imprint, both on the patient and on the Healer. Levin could picture every face of every person he'd ever healed. It required great empathy to fulfill such a task, but also, great humility. His reverie would be pulled back from Aoife's sudden stutters. She seemed fine, just seemed shocked by the prospect of returning home.
"...there would be no dancing required of you Aoife Caaso. You would be brought in discretely."
He responded bluntly at her words. Literal Lev struck again. Her presence in the Force began to muddle, emotions bound up around her mind. Levin would never admit the caliber of his telepathic abilities, every Healer needed to have some skill in it. Aoife was able to keep the subject of her thoughts to herself, but the emotions themselves, were too easily discernible due to her current frailness. It wasn't all surprising she was so hesitant, it was rare, but Jedi did often return to the Order. Lev might be able to guess why she had left, Investigators often did lose their way in undercover workings. Some would be gone as long as ten years on a single assignment, only to return a whole new person.
With barely a sound Levin stood to his feet and stowed his datapad. He stepped next to Aoife and knelt down next to her. One of his hands would reach out to gently rest on the woman's tiny shoulder. A gentle squeeze of affirmation was given, his eyes full of concern. The Force wasn't the only way to comfort others.
"Do not despair. This is a good thing."
His voice a gentle rumble as he offered another squeeze. If there was one thing Jedi should always be, it was supportive of their fellow Jedi. Levin could tell Aoife was not evil, nor harbored the seeds of it within her. Like so many, she was simply sullied, broken.
One day though, Lev knew that Aoife would once more be a proud, dutiful member of the Order.
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