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Coruscant's Underworld


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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 6:23 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

She almost jumped out of her skin when he dropped in through the window.

├óÔé¼┼ôAre doors too ordinary for you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra sat up in the bed, pulling the worn sheet around her. She paused. ├óÔé¼┼ô├óÔé¼┬ªcould you teach me how to do that?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, eyes wide with wondering. Her dark curls, heavy with water, hung limply over her shoulders. ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean, like, climb buildings and vault walls├óÔé¼┬ªand steal, and..kill people n├óÔé¼Ôäó stuff├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø She trailed off, crawling across the mattress in her blanket cocoon to the pile of clothing Lex had dumped on the covers. It took some maneuvering to keep the sheets around her and sort through the clothes at the same time, but she managed.

A few quiet moments passed. Lishra pulled a pair of obnoxiously colorful pants from the clothing mound.
├óÔé¼┼ôI didn├óÔé¼Ôäót think you├óÔé¼Ôäód come back,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly, folding the pants over and placing them neatly on the side. The young woman laughed nervously, remembering her earlier anxiety. She├óÔé¼Ôäód slunk out of the shower and burrowed under the sheets to wait. And wait, and wait, and wait for what seemed like far longer than just an hour, twisting her hair fretfully and counting the minutes. She was completely dependent on Lex, and they both knew it. She suspected he disliked it as much as she did. Even in the skyscrapers, she'd never depended on anyone else. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know you don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to be here, and├óÔé¼┬ªI don├óÔé¼Ôäót really know why you came back, but you did. So.├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra met his eyes, one corner of her lips turning up in a shy smile. Her eyes shown with honest appreciation. ├óÔé¼┼ô├óÔé¼┬ªThanks.├óÔé¼┬Ø Her eyes lingered on his face a few moments too long, tracing his strong jawline, the perfect curve of his upper lip.

Clearing her throat, Lishra ruffled through the clothes again, smoothing wrinkles and folding everything, placing them in stacks. Old habits die hard. She finally chose a pair of dark rugged pants and a green, long-sleeved top made of some sort of clingy mesh material. Putting them on under the sheets was a challenge, but she did it. Rolling out of the bed, Lishra donned a and fastened a belt around her hips. ├óÔé¼┼ôOk.├óÔé¼┬Ø She stood, barefoot but clothed, and looked at Lex expectantly. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow do I look..and smell?├óÔé¼┬Ø
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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 6:55 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

[quote="Lishra Elaric":1ryguhv4][color=#FF80FF:1ryguhv4]├óÔé¼┼ôI didn├óÔé¼Ôäót think you├óÔé¼Ôäód come back,├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:1ryguhv4][/quote:1ryguhv4]
[color=#BFBFFF:1ryguhv4]"Neither did I. To be honest, I'm not sure why I did."[/color:1ryguhv4] [action:1ryguhv4]He stood in silence when she spoke, and then again when she didn't. He could see the anxious tension leaving her from the moment he dropped through the window, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, he could empathize with that. Only in his case, the protector never came back.[/action:1ryguhv4] [narration:1ryguhv4]It's been so long since I've let myself feel anything. What happens if I start now?[/narration:1ryguhv4] [action:1ryguhv4]There was a sadness in his eyes as he nodded to acknowledge her thanks, then it was gone, never spreading to the rest of his features. He watched her fumble around under the sheets for what had to be almost ten minutes before she finally came up for air wearing the dark pants and green top. When she stood and asked how she looked, he stepped forward and leaned in close.[/action:1ryguhv4] [narration:1ryguhv4]Clean and warm with traces of a metallic scent, probably from the metals in the water. There was also something under those scents, something that had been buried too far beneath all the perfume to be noticed before. It was the scent of [b:1ryguhv4]her[/b:1ryguhv4].[/narration:1ryguhv4]

[color=#BFBFFF:1ryguhv4]"Good."[/color:1ryguhv4] [action:1ryguhv4]The word was almost a whisper, given their proximity, and he almost didn't want to step away again.[/action:1ryguhv4] [narration:1ryguhv4]Get a grip Lex. She's just another topsider girl.[/narration:1ryguhv4] [action:1ryguhv4]Almost reluctantly, he took a step back.[/action:1ryguhv4] [narration:1ryguhv4]But is she? She's proven time and again that she's not like the others. What if she really isn't going to go running back to the surface?[/narration:1ryguhv4] [action:1ryguhv4]He sat down again and started pulling his boots off.[/action:1ryguhv4] [narration:1ryguhv4]Thoughts for another time. Right now, I need sleep.[/narration:1ryguhv4] [color=#BFBFFF:1ryguhv4]"Now take it off. I've been awake for seventeen hours and just climbed fourteen floors. I'm wiped out and unless you don't plan on sleeping tonight, now's the time to do it."[/color:1ryguhv4]
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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:47 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

├óÔé¼┼ôTake off├óÔé¼┬ªwhat, all of it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra peeled the jacket off and set it on the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼Ôäóre not that nice,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, smirking a little. She was far too wired to sleep, or so she thought, but it wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót hurt to lie down for a little while. She did wiggle out of her pants before slipping under the covers again. He├óÔé¼Ôäód already seen most of her legs anyway.

Ordinarily, going anywhere near a bed with any guy would never happen. But this wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót an ordinary situation, and she wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót in the high rise skyscrapers anymore, she mused. Things were done differently in the Underworld. Privacy was a luxury.
There were four pillows on the bed, and the bed itself wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót incredibly roomy. But Lishra took the fluffiest one and jammed it between Lex and herself.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she said as he looked at her weird. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós a barrier. For your own safety. I roll a lot.├óÔé¼┬Ø She turned on her back and tried to get comfortable, her brown curls spread across her pillow and around her head like an auburn crown, and stared at the ceiling, replaying the past few minutes in her head. How do I look? she├óÔé¼Ôäód asked, and Lex had drawn close to her, something unreadable in his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat again. Lishra swallowed and fussed with her sheets. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, wake me up if you get up before me,├óÔé¼┬Ø she told him. ├óÔé¼┼ô├óÔé¼┬ªhopefully no one else knows our door has a fail lock,├óÔé¼┬Ø she mumbled.
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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:17 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

*After pulling off his shirt and pants, he'd climbed into the bed next to her and settled down no his back.**Seriously? A pillow? I've taken a hit from an ogre. I don't think I need a pillow to fend you off.* *Nevertheless, he left the pillow where it was.* *If she needs something to give an illusion of protection, so be it, but only for tonight. I'll educate her in the morning.* *Closing his eyes, he emptied his mind of thoughts and... well, he tried to anyway. There was one thought that he couldn't quite force out as he drifted off to sleep.* *I wonder how the opera ended...*

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Wake up!" *He shook her gently but urgently awake, squatting so that his head was on the same level as hers. When her eyes opened, he stood, revealing blood splatter across his chest and left arm, as well as the punch-dagger in his left hand.* "Get up. We need to get moving if you still want to stay down here." *I really should have checked for holocams. Downright stupid not to.* *Stepping into the refresher, he pulled the curtain closed and his undergarments off then turned the water on, not bothering to wait for it to reach a reasonable temperature before stepping in.* "If you don't, just wait here and you should have a ride back within the hour." *When the look she gave him very nearly screamed "what's going on?", he took a breath and backpedaled.* "There were cops going from door to door with holos of us both. They recognized me when I opened the door, and I killed them." *Once all the blood was rinsed off, he shut off the shower and stood there behind the curtain.* *Wonderful. Not a towel in sight.* "Wanna toss me one of those shirts you're not going to wear?"
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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:47 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

Lishra sat bolt upright, wide awake.

├óÔé¼┼ôPolice?├óÔé¼┬Ø She was a flurry of color. Throwing the covers off and scrambling through the pile of clothes, she tossed Lex a ratty, oversized yellow t-shirt and pulled her pants on. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed them?├óÔé¼┬Ø There was admiration in her voice. A heady, twisted sense of excitement rose in the pit of her chest as she jammed her feet into the thin tracking boots he├óÔé¼Ôäód provided for her. Swiping the pocket knife from the table, she tucked it into a pocket and pulled on the jacket├óÔé¼ÔÇØHER jacket now, and wheeled around to look at Lex, her mind running top speed.

They├óÔé¼Ôäód found the bodies in the alley. They├óÔé¼Ôäód found the pools of blood and her purse with all her things.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's about the alley, isn't it? Wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót they just assume I was dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra raked a hand through her brown locks and twisted them into a bun at the back of her neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo one saw anything, and most of the Upper World police are lazy and unconcerned├óÔé¼┬ªI guess my father would want his bargaining chip back. He must have paid them tons├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø Lex├óÔé¼Ôäós earlier statement now came back to her. Wait and get a ride back? She furrowed her brow at him. He still thought she├óÔé¼Ôäód run.

Well. He├óÔé¼Ôäód be sorely disappointed.


├óÔé¼┼ôLex,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI would lick the streets clean before I let them or anyone else take me back topside. So.├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra raised her chin. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow do we do this?├óÔé¼┬Ø
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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:09 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

*He caught the shirt and used it to wipe himself dry, then began pulling on his clothes.* "They have holos of both of us. Your father might have given them yours, but the only way they could have one of me is if they caught us on a cam." *Rookie mistake Lex. Pull yourself together.* *Once his pants and shirt were on, he moved on to his boots.* "Obviously I missed one on our way down." *His pistols and knives followed, then his jacket.* *Force, but I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do this again so soon. Especially with her in tow. If she knew more about how to survive, maybe, but now?* *He looked at her, standing there with excitement plastered all over her face.* *This is not going to be easy.* "We do what I always do when they come after me. We go deeper."

*He moved to the door, pulling it open to reveal the bodies of three coruscant security officers, two with slit throats and the other a stab wound to the left side of his chest.* "Come on. You'll have to learn as we go." *And you'd better learn fast, or we're both dead. I still can't believe I'm doing this.* *Stepping over the bodies, he set off toward the stairs at a brisk walk.*
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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:23 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

Deeper?

├óÔé¼┼ôWe can go deeper?├óÔé¼┬Ø she wondered openly as Lex set off down the hall. She├óÔé¼Ôäód heard about the Underlevels, the layers of ruins, the canyon bottom. She├óÔé¼Ôäód heard about the supposed creatures in the Lower Levels. But how far down could they go? How far down WOULD they go?

Lishra bent, eyes narrowed, studying the slashed necks and chest wounds on the police bodies. The ripped flesh was red and jelly-like. She felt like she should be nauseated or conflicted, but she wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót. Instead, she reached out and swiped one of the hold out blaster, grabbed the knife and sheath from a boot, pulled off the necktie of the stabbed cop, and took off after the Umbaran.

He was ahead of her again. Lishra sped down the stairs and burst through the side door into the smoggy Upper Underworld. Lex was there, already on the move, and she beat feet to catch up with him, dodging puddles of steaming unknown substances. The streets looked just like yesterday, dim and full of sordid crowds, throbbing with club music. Out of habit, Lishra looked up at the sky only to find it wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót there. It didn├óÔé¼Ôäót bother her as much as it probably should have. Neither did the eyes that followed them. Yesterday, they saw an out of place, rich Coruscanti girl. Today, all they├óÔé¼Ôäód see were a pair of beings in slum clothing, in a hurry to get somewhere.


├óÔé¼┼ôWhen you say deeper├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra was at his left arm, half-walking, half-skipping backwards to look at his face. She├óÔé¼Ôäód jammed the pistol in her belt and made a kind of wrist wrap with the cop├óÔé¼Ôäós thick tie. It might come in handy if she scratched up her hands or something. The knife she├óÔé¼Ôäód stuffed down her boot. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoes deeper mean ogre country? What else is down there? I├óÔé¼Ôäóve heard horrible stories, but I assumed most of it was lies├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø
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Post Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:45 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

*She's handling this a lot better than I thought she'd be. The dead bodies in the alley on the surface were one thing, those were men she hated, but these cops? She hadn't shown any more remorse looting their bodies than I did killing them. Strange girl...* *She walked along backwards next to him, presumably so she could see him while she talked, and he almost sighed out loud. He also neglected to mention the pothole she was backing into.* "Lesson number one." *He pointed at the pothole just as she stepped into it, then reached out and caught her before her full weight could land at an awkward angle and twist or break an ankle.* "Use your eyes. The thing you don't see is usually what kills you. Ears and nose are just as important, and never focus on any one thing." *He set her down on the street next to him.* "Lesson two is similar. Never relax. That thing you did with the pillow last night? Don't ever do it again. All it does is create false security and lower your guard, and that'll get you killed just as fast as not paying attention." *He started walking again, weaving through a crowd of assorted aliens in front of some sort of mission.* "If you can remember that, you'll stand a chance. Those two rules will keep you alive longer than any fight training or blaster pistol."
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Post Fri Jan 18, 2013 8:14 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

Lishra was a sponge. A dry, eager sponge and she thirstily soaked up Lex├óÔé¼Ôäós words. She├óÔé¼Ôäód always been good at learning, understanding, and applying to the situation, but that was back in the glimmering skyscrapers, in relative safety and comfort, where the most danger she had to worry about was an accidental misstep off the side of a taxi platform and a long fall to the bottom.

And arrogant pigs like Erik Faust. And power-hungry fathers willing to do anything to get to the top. And fake friends who smile at you while plotting your death├óÔé¼┬ª Alright, so maybe she hadn├óÔé¼Ôäót really been safe, per say. She definitely preferred the honest killing of the under levels. Still. Could she learn and apply here, in the gloomy, danger-riddled Underworld as well as she had up top?

Lishra glanced sideways at Lex. Yeah, she could.

Immediately, she put his words to use, opening her senses fully to the grubby stimuli around them, mind alert. It was difficult to maintain, that level of awareness, focusing on everything but not focusing on anything, and the harder she tried, the harder it got until she lost it altogether.
I├óÔé¼Ôäóm trying way too hard, she thought. It├óÔé¼Ôäós not something you learn overnight. But after a few more minutes of experimentation, she found that if she wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót actively looking, she could see and hear everything around her clearer. It was a start.

├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, trying to look like she belonged here. ├óÔé¼┼ôBe observant, don├óÔé¼Ôäót relax├óÔé¼┬ª and no pillow barriers in bed.├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra dodged a group of cackling aliens and another pothole, sweeping the area with her eyes. She attempted to look nonchalant as she watched for signs of recognition from those around them. It seemed to work. No one gave her a second glance if she caught their eye. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I should never lower my guard, even around you├óÔé¼ÔÇØOoof!!├óÔé¼┬Ø A heavily armored elbow caught her hard in the shoulder, spinning her around as it past. It belonged to a burly man in what appeared to be customized Mandalorian armor, and when she saw just how burly he was, the comment she├óÔé¼Ôäód prepared to yell died on her lips. Lishra shook it off, rubbing at her shoulder, and was preparing to turn back around and catch up to Lex when she saw them.

Two men in non-assuming Underworld garb, about twenty feet back in the crowd. They both looked out of place and far too healthy to be down here. One was talking discreetly into a handheld comms device. The other was looking right at her.

Her heart skipped a beat. Lishra looked away, yawning widely, and with a casually bored look on her face, sauntered as fast as an unconcerned saunter could go towards Lex. When she neared him, she placed her small, soft hand on his.
├óÔé¼┼ôLex. There are men,├óÔé¼┬Ø she whispered urgently, and peeked over her shoulder. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey├óÔé¼Ôäóre watching us. And following.├óÔé¼┬Ø
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Post Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:00 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

[quote="Lishra Elaric":11275eea][color=#FF80BF:11275eea]├óÔé¼┼ôSo I should never lower my guard, even around you├óÔé¼ÔÇØOoof!!├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:11275eea][/quote:11275eea]
[color=#BFBFFF:11275eea]"Especially around me."[/color:11275eea] [action:11275eea]He watched her eyeing the muscled giant for a moment then turned back forward, sweeping his eyes across the street as he did.[/action:11275eea] [color=#BFBFFF:11275eea]"I didn't survive down here by being warm and cuddly.[/color:11275eea] [narration:11275eea]At least she knows enough to keep her mouth shut. By the looks of him, that guy could break me in half. If he could get close, that is.[/narration:11275eea]

[action:11275eea]He inhaled sharply when she touched his hand, burying the urge to draw a knife.[/action:11275eea] [narration:11275eea]What's wrong with you Lex? She's already making you doubt your instincts, and now you're burying them completely? She's gonna get you killed.[/narration:11275eea] [action:11275eea]He buried those thoughts too.[/action:11275eea]

[quote="Lishra Elaric":11275eea][color=#FF80BF:11275eea]├óÔé¼┼ôLex. There are men,├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:11275eea][i:11275eea][color=#BF40FF:11275eea] she whispered urgently, and peeked over her shoulder.[/color:11275eea][/i:11275eea] [color=#FF80BF:11275eea]├óÔé¼┼ôThey├óÔé¼Ôäóre watching us. And following.├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:11275eea][/quote:11275eea]
[color=#BFBFFF:11275eea]"Yes, and now they know we're onto them."[/color:11275eea] [narration:11275eea]She's not exactly subtle, is she? She may have changed her clothes and washed the stink out, but she's still a topsider at her core, and anyone with eyes can see it.[/narration:11275eea] [action:11275eea]He knew the men weren't down here on a routine outing, cops never came down here unless they had to, even the undercover ones.[/action:11275eea] [narration:11275eea]I'd expected them to come after us, just not like that.[/narration:11275eea] [color=#BFBFFF:11275eea]"Remember that topsider stink I made you wash off?"[/color:11275eea] [action:11275eea]He stopped in front of a chute about two feet wide and gestured to it with a smirk.[/action:11275eea] [color=#BFBFFF:11275eea]"Well, now you get to experience an underworld stink."[/color:11275eea] [action:11275eea]And then he took two running steps and jumped in feet first.[/action:11275eea]
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Post Sat Jan 19, 2013 5:17 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

No way. He wouldn't. He wouldn't just jump willingly into a--├óÔé¼┬ª

He did.

For a moment, panic held Lishra in place as she watched Lex disappear down a garbage chute, face wrinkled in disgusted disbelief. A Hutt├óÔé¼Ôäós backside was perfume compared to the air drifting from the sticky opening, and she slapped a hand over her nose as she stuck her head closer to inspect. For the first time since arriving in the dangerous Undercity, the young brunette was nervous, her stomach wriggling squeamishly. Slashed throats and dead, bloody bodies? No problem. Smelly trash and dumpster diving? Another matter entirely. Dread filled her features as she looked over her shoulder for their pursuers. She knew she had to follow him. It was dive or be dragged back to the surface, stuffed into slinky gowns and offered on a silver platter to the highest bidder.

She didn├óÔé¼Ôäót really need to think about it. The choice was obvious. But the smell├óÔé¼┬ª


├óÔé¼┼ôStop stalling,├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. And so, before she lost her nerve entirely, Lishra took a deep breath and dove headfirst into the garbage chute.

It was a long, silent slide. A minute later, she tumbled out of the shaft, eyes squeezed shut, breath held, and arrived with a horrible splat on a bed of wet, squishy debris. She sat there for a moment, still as a stone, not thinking about whatever it was she├óÔé¼Ôäód just landed on, afraid to take another breath. But her head began to swim, and since she knew Lex wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót carry her out if she fainted, Lishra blew out her breath and tentatively drew another.
She gagged.
Suddenly, the scream that should have been unleashed on the way down the chute erupted, piercing the fetid air. Lishra shot up and scrambled atop a half floating piece of plasteel faster than she├óÔé¼Ôäód ever moved in her life, rabidly brushing bits of clinging grossness from her pants. Only after making sure none of her was touching the three or so feet of stagnant, rank water pooled around the pit did she look around, eyes wide as saucers.

She could see almost nothing.

The foul darkness pressed around her, and Lishra strained to make out any shapes.
├óÔé¼┼ô├óÔé¼┬ªLex?├óÔé¼┬Ø she ventured, her voice echoing through the trash. Trying to breathe normally, she sat huddled on the floating piece of wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't see a thing, where are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra gnawed on her lower lip, fighting back bile as her eyes adjusted to near complete darkness.
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Post Sat Jan 19, 2013 5:39 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

"And I can't hear a thing. Thanks for that." *Gods, she's got a pair of lungs on her. Don't think I've ever heard anyone scream that loud unless they were getting eaten.* *He was standing four feet to her left, watching her frantically attempting to maintain some semblance of cleanliness, and for the first time in what felt like months, he didn't have a headache from the glare of neon signs and streetlights. It was liberating.* *Maybe I should have come back sooner.* "Look on the bright side, I can personally guarantee that you've never smelled less like a topsider." *He looked around the garbage dump, which was really just a giant river of refuse that was slowly being pushed toward some massive incinerator miles away, and located the nearest maintenance access panel. It was a mere fifty meters distant.* *I just hope this isn't one that only opens from the outside.* Come on. There's a door about fifty meters along. We can probably get out there." *He glanced back at Lishra.* "I imagine you'll want another shower after that." *He began sloshing toward the door.* Unfortunately for you, we're past the point of civilized plumbing." *There was just a hint of humor in his voice.* *You know, if she's this squeamish about the rest of it, I might actually start to enjoy myself.*
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Post Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:25 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

It might have only been a hint, but even in her garbage induced panic, she heard it.

Lishra scowled at Lex├óÔé¼Ôäós silvery form. Her eyes were adjusting slowly, and his pale skin was the easiest thing to focus on in the gloom.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼Ôäóre enjoying this, aren├óÔé¼Ôäót you,├óÔé¼┬Ø she growled, trying to work up the nerve to step off her floating platform into the dark, filthy water. ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet we could have outrun those men without going dumpster diving, but nooo. We had to take the scenic route.├óÔé¼┬Ø She sighed, flailing her hands in revulsion as she gingerly stuck a boot in the water. ├óÔé¼┼ôUgh, so gross!!!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra squealed. Lex was already halfway to the door, moving naturally through the garbage like he did this every day. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you do this often?├óÔé¼┬Ø She held her breath and jumped in, shuddering and wading as quickly as she could in his direction. ├óÔé¼┼ôOr only when annoying topsiders follow you home├óÔé¼ÔÇØaaagghhk!!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Her rapid charge through the water stirred up the inches of rotting slime on the bottom, and she grabbed Lex├óÔé¼Ôäós shoulder to keep from slipping under. A colorful string of swears fell from her lips, and Lishra tried to control her breathing as she waddled penguin-like through the rest of the stinking liquid, careful of her footing. ├óÔé¼┼ôGarbage chute, what a wonderful idea,├óÔé¼┬Ø she grumbled as she finally reached the maintenance door. Lishra slapped at it in the dark, running her hands around the wall to find a latch. The brunette huffed in annoyance after a minute or two of searching blindly. ├óÔé¼┼ôGee, I wish I had a street-smart, see-in-the-dark Umbaran friend to help me out here, wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót that be nice,├óÔé¼┬Ø she groused loudly over her shoulder.
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Post Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:59 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

"Don't worry. This was a special occasion." *After all, she did say she wanted to really experience the underworld.* "Normally I'd have killed them and taken the long way down." *He stepped up next to her, breathing through his mouth despite the foul taste of the air.* *Better a bad taste than no sense of smell for the next two hours.* "I have baggage now though. I've gotta be more careful about what fights I pick." *There would be no doubt that "baggage" meant her. Reaching to the release lever...* *Thankfully there was one.* *...he was about crank the door open when he caught a flicker of motion out of the corner of his eye.* *Oh no... no time to crank the door open.* "Lishra? Hold your breath." *Her eyes grew huge when she realized why.* "DO IT!" *He was already moving as he shouted the last command, grabbing her as he dove beneath the rancid liquid just in time to avoid the shrieking beaks of a flock of four hawk-bats. He held them under for a count of twenty, then let her go and burst out of the water, cranking the door open as fast as he could and all but throwing her through before following himself and slamming the hatch shut, cranking it closed just before a resounding thud impacted the other side.* *I seriously hate those things. At least I can fight an ogre without making enough noise to attract two dozen more. I really wish I hadn't lost those silencers.* "Well that was fun." *So much for not ruining my sense of smell.*
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Post Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:36 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

It took every single shred of willpower not to double over and hurl.

Lishra├óÔé¼Ôäós lips where white from being clamped so firmly together under the water. She lay sprawled on the dry duracrete, streaming with foul water, soaked in trash.
├óÔé¼┼ô..Fun?├óÔé¼┬Ø She peeled back the heavy curtain of hair pasted to her face and sat up, her caramel eyes wild. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUN?! I├óÔé¼ÔäóM COVERED IN TRASH AND SOAKED IN THE WASTE OF HALF THE UNDERWORLD!!!!! I├óÔé¼ÔäóLL PROBABLY CONTRACT SOME ALIEN DISEASE AND DIE A HORRIBLE, STINKY DEATH TWENTY-FOUR HOURS FROM NOW!!! AND THEN, THEN YOU CAN GO BACK TO SKULKING IN THE DARK AND-AND-AND STEALING THINGS AND LIVING WITHOUT YOUR ├óÔé¼╦£BAGGAGE├óÔé¼Ôäó BECAUSE YOU├óÔé¼ÔäóRE RUDE AND NASTY AND NO ONE EXCEPT ME HAS PROBABLY EVER LIKED YOU BEFORE, AND ├óÔé¼┬ªAND YOU DON├óÔé¼ÔäóT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!├óÔé¼┬Ø she blustered, slapping the floor for emphasis as she leapt up. Something hit the other side of the door with a fleshy thump.

Lishra paced rapidly, her boots squishing.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to go back to her plush apartment and take every medication in the ├óÔé¼╦£fresher cabinet and sit in a sanitation bath for the next week and a half. She wanted to go back in there and skin every one of those bat-creature-thingys alive, and then cook them and eat them because despite the nauseating smell, she was hungry and thirsty, and she wanted to thank Lex for saving her from the bat-thingys but she wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót, ohh, no, she wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót, because he was probably enjoying watching her flip out over some smelly water. And she wanted a tissue because she├óÔé¼Ôäód inhaled far too much smelly water and now her nostrils burned.

And she wanted to know how people lived like this every day, running, hiding in garbage, dealing with hunger, bodily weakness, fighting off unknown creatures, having no comforts, nothing to call their own. Scratching a living in the dirt, never knowing what was next, always looking over their shoulder.


You wanted this, she told herself. Lishra met Lex├óÔé¼Ôäós eyes. They gleamed in the shadows.
Yeah. She really did want it.


Her breathing slowed, and just as suddenly as it had swelled up inside her, the panic drained, and Lishra sighed heavily. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø she grumbled, lips plumped in a pout. The soaked brunette pulled off her jacket and shook it out, tossing it and her stolen weapons to the ground, and peeled off her long-sleeved top. ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't mean.... I just..don├óÔé¼Ôäót like being wet.├óÔé¼┬Ø Wringing her top out, Lishra kicked off her boots and set about squeezing the excess sludge from her hair. She scanned her surroundings again, ears alert for sounds, and tried breathing through her mouth to ease the stinging in her nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôWet, and I'm slimy and greasy, AND I smell like a troll├óÔé¼Ôäós unmentionables. Looks like you've successfully erased everything appealing about me.├óÔé¼┬Ø Lishra gave him a wry, semi apologetic half-smile.
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Post Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:07 am

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

"No, not everything." *His eyes met hers, lingering a few moments longer than necessary. There could be little doubt as to what he was referring, given her current state of undress, despite the fact that his eyes never strayed. Then his face broke into a smirk.* "That temper tantrum was really quite fetching." *She's right though. When was the last time you had anyone other than yourself? You've been alone for so long that you're afraid you won't be able to let anyone in.* *He pulled his jacket off and emulated her actions, squeezing the disgusting water out of the item then pulling off his shirt and boots to do the same.* "This is what we deal with every day down here. If you can't cut it I need to know now. I won't die for you. If it comes down to me or you, I'll pick survival every time." *If I drive her away as fast and as far as I can, it'll be safer for us both.* "And don't worry about infection. Unless you have open wounds or swallowed it, you'll be fine." *He stopped in the middle of wringing out his shirt.* "You didn't swallow it, did you?"
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Post Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:55 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

Pink blushed her cheeks as she became aware of her shirtless condition. It sounded silly after taking so much care to preserve her privacy last night, but Lishra had been so preoccupied with their situation and so uncomfortable in the soggy material that decency had momentarily taken a back seat. Besides, she was quickly learning that there WAS no such thing as privacy or personal space down in the Underlevels. So, much like she had with the garbage chute, why not dive in with both feet?

But then Lex took HIS shirt off, and even in the near darkness, she could see the form of his torso and the lines of his muscles under that pale-silver skin├óÔé¼┬ª

Lishra rolled her eyes.
├óÔé¼┼ôOf course I didn├óÔé¼Ôäót swallow it,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, quickly pulling her shirt back on. It felt icky against her skin. She figured she├óÔé¼Ôäód better get used to it. Tugging her boots on, the dripping brunette stuffed her stolen weapons back in their places, slid her arms into her jacket, and stared into the shadows. The sewer tunnel was lined every fifty feet or so with dim yellow lights, and it seemed to go on forever.
Her eyes found Lex again. Lishra almost smiled. He really wanted to get rid of her, didn├óÔé¼Ôäót he? She couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót blame him. Down here, she was a liability, and she knew their situation would only get worse from here on. At least he was honest about it from the start. It was survival of the fittest here, and right now, she ranked abominably low on the fit scale. But she├óÔé¼Ôäód show him.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think I got all my freaking out over with, so├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø She shrugged, swung her arms by her sides and she turned around to face the tunnel before them, and took a few steps forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn├óÔé¼Ôäót follow you down here just to quit in a garbage pit, mini meltdown or not. So it looks like you├óÔé¼Ôäóre still stuck with me. Sucks for you!├óÔé¼┬Ø she chirped. "And don't worry, I'm not expecting you to perform any heroics if we get into a bad situation. You look out for you. Self preservation. I get it." Lishra frowned at one of the yellow lights. "That's the only way down here, isn't it?"
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Post Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:13 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

*Mini? Mini!?! I've seen ogre's respond better to having their right arm lobbed off. Heh... that was a fun day.* "It is the only way. I don't make the rules, but if you don't live by them, you die. Period." *He pulled his own shirt back on along with his guns and jacket, then walked up beside her.* "What are you looking at? Lesson one, remember?" *And yeah, it most definitely does suck for me.* *His gaze shifted down the tunnel but he couldn't see anything more than Lishra had, mostly because there was nothing more to see.* "We'll need to start hunting now if you want anything to eat tonight. I have a survival pack stashed about two hours from here." *He looked back at her, his eyes catching what little light there was.* "It has rations, but they're only meant to last me a day at most." *And since she hasn't eaten in probably twelve hours or more, my guess is they'll last about an hour. She's probably never had to ration anything in her life. Heck, she probably thinks "ration" just means food.* *He started making his way down the tunnel.* "Come on. Those rats won't trap themselves."
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Post Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:29 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

├óÔé¼┼ô├óÔé¼┬ªrats?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lishra stopped herself from pausing in shock and tried to keep her voice neutral. She knew Lex was waiting for another grossed-out quip, and she wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót going to give him one more reason to smirk. ├óÔé¼┼ôRats,├óÔé¼┬Ø she echoed, tasting the word. You mean those filthy, disease-riddled rodents that feast on toxic trash and dead flesh in sewers? Her stomach roiled nauseatingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôCool,├óÔé¼┬Ø she shrugged, careful to hide behind her curtain of dark hair as she made a disgusted face. ├óÔé¼┼ôRats sound great. What├óÔé¼Ôäós for dessert? Ogre brains?├óÔé¼┬Ø She hopped over a crack that would have tripped her flat on her face had she not been looking. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd how do we trap rats? Cheese? Contraptions? Do we lie very still and pounce at them when they come by?├óÔé¼┬Ø Her questions were serious (aside from the ogre brains, which she hoped weren't actually a thing down here), though her bright, colorful voice made everything sound spunky and fun. She just hoped they didn't have to go swimming around in that trash again...
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Post Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:48 pm

Re: Coruscant's Underworld

*Dessert? She really doesn't get the concept of a limited food supply, does she?* "We find a well used trail and we set a snare on it, and once that snare catches a rat, we snap its neck. If you want, I can let you do the honors. *He glanced at her over his shoulder as they walked.* "It's only fair to let you kill your first meal down here." *That's gonna be fun. Especially if she can't kill it on her first try.* So what was your boyfriend's deal anyway? The pretty one, not the greasy one. Ordinarily I wouldn't give a frak, but since I can't seem to get rid of you I figure I might as well know who it was I killed to save your pretty little choobies."
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