rebuilder: (Default)
𝙲𝙰𝙻 "not approved trash" π™Ίπ™΄πš‚πšƒπ™Έπš‚. ([personal profile] rebuilder) wrote2023-10-27 02:53 pm

what doesn't kill me makes me want you more | dathomirs.

The ground was moving. 

Cal was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to move, like the deck of a ship or a boat (not that Cal had ever been on a boat, but he'd seen it in holos). His hands are clinging to Merrin's arm, who he thinks is not much steadier than he is but she seems a little less ready to face-plant into the mud than he does. 

"Whoops-" he nearly trips over his own feet and laughs. 

He's not sure how much they'd had to drink, he lost track after two? Two drinks of the strongest drink that he'd ever had in his life, and that included the Bracca moonshine that Prauf had gifted him for his guild anniversary when he'd been fifteen years old (he'd meant well, he hadn't known that Cal had had never had anything nearly as strong -- he'd supervised him and then left him on his sofa the next morning -- guilty as he spent the night curled over a fresher).

Whatever it was, and however many it was - it had been fun to drop the Jedi decorum and have some fun, Merrin was about his age, and the two of them were typically running from one mission to another, not much time to stop and simply enjoy themselves. 

BD-1, running ahead of them, stopped and looked back at the Jedi and Nightsister, waiting for them to catch up and making sure that neither one of these dumb organics passed out on him -- he'd warned them when simple scans showed blood alcohol had risen past sobriety and into "organics behaving badly" territory. They'd ignored him, of course. Merrin challenged Cal to "drink him under the table", and he of course wasn't going to turn that opportunity down. Now here they were. He pulled up the map to the mantis again, shook his head, gears whirring, and continued on. 

Seemingly after a very long walk, a Jedi and Nightsister, clinging to one another to stay upright, clambered on board in a tangle of limbs. 
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (4))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-10-28 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
Merrin isn't big on consuming alcohol for its own sake, but she was also not one to turn down the very rare opportunity to simply have fun. It's not something she's accustomed to, but she'd taken to the parts of the galaxy that were bright and loud and raucous with equal enthusiasm as the parts that were quiet and near-untouched, serene points of beauty that she could simply bask in without feeling the need for more. This was most decidedly more, particularly when she and Cal had gotten into a hypothetical discussion of whose tolerance was better that turned not-so-hypothetical after all.

She's laughing as they collapse into a heap on the sofa, Cal clinging to her hard enough to affect her balance nearly as much as the drinks had. She'd asked for something suited to Dathomirian tastes and the bartender had done his best with limited familiarity, digging out a small bottle of something that smelled of some familiar fruits and herbs that paired reasonably well with whatever more common liquor it had been mixed with. The resultant beverage packed a punch that even she felt, though not, she thinks, nearly as much as her human friend.

"So? Did I win? What do you think, BD?"

The droid whirs disapprovingly at them both and beeps something that Merrin thinks might be advice on proper hydration rather than offering any particular judgment. Cere is nowhere to be found, already sleeping perhaps, but Greez calls a hello from the cockpit along with some warning about drunken shenanigans in the common areas.

"I am not drunk," she calls back with mild indignance. She nudges Cal playfully. "Cal, are you drunk?"
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (9))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-10-29 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
Merrin follows Cal's gaze dreamily, actually snorting when he tries to touch the burn mark that one of them had most definitely put there. Perhaps it was a joint effort? Merrin can't quite remember either, only that there had been some chaos that left Greez chasing them out and ordering them both onto cleaning duty some time back.

"You are a ridiculous creature, did you know that?"

It's not quite a non-sequitur, as she had given up looking at the ceiling after about three seconds and found herself admiring the slight flush to Cal's cheeks that either the liquor or the effort of getting back here has left.

"I am not certain, but it tasted like an herbal tonic we used to give to those with fevers to help their sleep. Do you feel sleepy, Cal?"
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (53))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-10-30 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Merrin reaches out to steady him as he lands even as she lets out an uncharacteristically bright peal of laughter in response to Cal's unearned overconfidence. She ruffles his hair with one hand and springs to her feet, finding herself much more capable of balancing than her Jedi friend.

"I do not feel sleepy, either. Perhaps I have it wrong, or perhaps it works differently when combined with other things. I do not know what humans get drunk upon, but my balance is fine."

She twirls in a circle, arms extended like wings, and very nearly manages to avoid stumbling to a stop as she almost trips over Cal's legs with a small yelp that falls off into more laughter.

"All right," she concedes as she catches herself just shy of falling into Cal's lap. "Maybe the Empire ought to wait for morning."
dathomirs: (Default)

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-11 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Let me see."

Merrin takes one of his hands in hers and examines it for signs of injury or evidence of having touched something mildly toxic. She runs her thumb over a scattering of tiny scars she hadn't noticed before; certainly earned on Bracca. She lingers over them a moment, her brows knitting in mild concern for how frequently Cal must still simply press through every hurt that is too small to outright stop him.

"You are not careful, Jedi, but there is nothing wrong with your hands that cannot be explained by intoxication."
dathomirs: (strangers look on)

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-15 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"You may tell me whatever you like, Cal. If you were a careful person, I never would have left my home with you."

A careful Jedi would not have returned to Dathomir the way he had. Would not have faced danger after danger to stand against Taron Malicos and then return in the face of failure to retrieve an artifact that held only a glimmer of hope. She only dislikes that so much of his path causes him pain.

His fresh declaration earns another smile and she releases his hand so that she can go fetch them both some water. BD would start nagging them again about hydration and Cal was far more likely to suffer worse effects than she would if the advice went ignored.

"It does have the effect of brightening things somewhat, but I like it. We ought to have stayed out looking at the night sky a while longer."
Edited 2023-11-15 20:30 (UTC)
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (26))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-15 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"Of course. BD deserves to recharge without interruption for a change."

She's fairly certain the little droid is over them both for the next twelve hours or so, and she'll be glad not to be scanned or beeped at while she's trying to relax.

Merrin appears in a flash of green on the ship's roof a few moments later, water canteen in hand -- which she politely offers to Cal first upon sitting. She stretches her legs out in front of her and takes in the twinkling vastness of sky above them. She's not quite as affected as Cal by the beverages they'd consumed, but everything does shine just a little more brightly, and she feels pleasantly fizzy in a way she can't remember having done in quite some time.

"Thank you for coming out with me tonight. I know you would've been just as happy tinkering with some project and blasting nearly unlistenable music into your ears, but I enjoy your company."
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (10))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-16 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
"You are very focused," she corrects him with a shrug, taking a drink of the water for herself before leaning back on her arms. She looks down at him fondly, without real critique in her tone. She doesn't want him to think she truly disapproves.

"It isn't a bad thing. But you can be very... intense, when you have decided something needs doing. Not everything is so urgent, even in this battle we are fighting. We must take time to live, as well."

dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (29))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-16 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"We will be ready. You have me now, and I am always ready."

Merrin was nothing if not adaptable, and she prided herself on it. There was very little that could truly shake her confidence, even here, away from the relative safety of Dathomir -- for her, anyway. Greez might actually implode if he could hear her think of Dathomir as safe.

She gazes up at the sky and picks out a particularly bright cluster of stars to point out.

"Look there, are they as bright to you as they are for me? I do not know this constellation; we are far from Dathomir, but it is pretty."
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (9))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-17 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Merrin cannot tell how red his face is, but there's something about the way he speaks that makes her turn to look at him more intently. She rarely sees him this relaxed while awake, and it pleases her to see him simply enjoying himself. Gone is the frequent furrow between his brows when he's thinking too hard about a problem that's arisen that he hasn't personally found a solution to, whether or not it's his responsibility or even possible for one person.

Traces of amusement play at the corners of her lips as she regards him thoughtfully for a moment.

"I like you this way, Cal Kestis. What would it take to get you out here with me on more quiet nights? I do not think Cere would approve of me getting you drunk very often."
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (28))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-21 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
Merrin shrugs. She isn't accustomed to truly pleasant quiet, not since she was a child.

"Back on Dathomir the quiet became too empty to bear at times, even with the spirits of my sisters near. I suppose I haven't had much time to simply appreciate a calm evening in the presence of someone I enjoy being near."

Perhaps it's the slightly giddy sensation that the liquor has instilled in her that makes her slightly more daring than usual. For whatever reason, she leans down to impulsively press a kiss to Cal's cheek before pulling back with a mischievous grin.
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (50))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-22 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
Merrin's grin widens and she gives another little shrug, her cheeks also slightly flushed now that she's followed the impulse that had been tempting her all evening.

"It wasn't for anything. I just wanted to."

His surprise is truly adorable, she thinks, but once the initial thrill of having acted starts to wear off a touch she looks at him with a slight hesitance, uncertain if she's offended or broken some Jedi rule.

"Was it all right?"
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (50))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-11-28 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
Merrin might've been offended by his reaction if he weren't so adorably flustered. She wonders if he's ever been truly kissed -- she doesn't know all the intricacies of the Jedi code, but she doubts he's had a lot of time to indulge his curiosity in such things. She hasn't either, not really. But she's more inclined to follow her own curious impulses when given the chance.

His question brings a puzzled expression to her face.

"Of course we are friends, you ridiculous Jedi. Have I done something to make you doubt that?"

She cannot see how, but Cal is very strange sometimes, and prone to leaps in logic that she would not necessarily make on her own.
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (27))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2023-12-26 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"I am glad as well. You are the first friend I have had in a very long time."

Greez and Cere are her friends now, as well, she supposes -- more like family, in truth, as is Cal. But Cal is the one she chooses to spend extra time with whenever she can, like this, and the one she'd like to kiss again if he didn't seem so awfully confused by the entire concept.

She loops her arms through one of his and rests her head against his shoulder as she follows his gaze to the constellation in question and squints at it skeptically.

"Only if you cross your eyes a bit. You are very drunk, aren't you, Jedi?"
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (49))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2024-01-06 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
Merrin's I told you so goes unsaid, as does her speculation that the Bracca special is probably engine degreaser, as it becomes clear that Cal needs to be off the roof and quickly. She can't teleport another person through walls without an extra bit of magick that she doesn't have on her person, but she can at least get him down to the ground.

She moves fast, draping one of his arms over her shoulder and hauling him up to his feet in as fluid a motion as she can given her own still-tipsy state.

"Close your eyes and hold on. I'll get you down."

It's all the warning he'll get before they're on the ground in a blur of green, but Merrin at least does the courtesy of teleporting them next to some bushes, since she's not sure how fast she can drag him into the refresher.
dathomirs: (Default)

[personal profile] dathomirs 2024-01-07 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
Merrin might've gently teased him if he didn't seem so truly miserable. Instead, concern for him takes over and she finds herself murmuring something soothing in Dathomirian while patting his back reassuringly until it seems he's finished.

"I am sorry, my Jedi. I did not consider whether the ingredients from my homeworld might be bad for humans."

Truthfully, it's probably just the alcohol, but Cal had been kind to her the time she'd accidentally eaten a fruit that had similarly disagreed and deserves the benefit of the doubt for having been a good sport this time.

Once he's had a moment to catch his breath, Merrin glances back at the ship's ramp, grateful that BD is charging and therefore won't be coming out to scold the two of them.

"Let's get you back inside. You need to rest."

She'll let him lean on her the rest of the way to his bunk or the fresher, whichever his preference is by the time they get that far.
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (21))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2024-01-30 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"I am sure you will, but I do not think you should be left alone on the refresher floor until you pass out here and are rudely awakened by the exclamations of whoever gets here first."

It's why she won't even suggest sending BD-1 in her place; she cannot imagine Cal's present condition feeling very improved by shrill beeps and binary scoldings. Still, she does exit the room momentarily, only to return with the softest, fluffiest blanket she could find -- from her own room, naturally -- and a glass of water that she sets down next to Cal before draping the blanket over his shoulders.

"The floor is cold," she offers in explanation before dropping to sit beside him.

"I will stay until you are ready to attempt sleep."
dathomirs: (inkonic michelle merrin (8))

[personal profile] dathomirs 2024-03-15 04:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Merrin rubs his back soothingly until this latest round is over, then offers him the glass of water.

"Rinse your mouth out and take slow breaths. You are an absolute menace, Jedi, do you know that?"

It's said with affection as she hops up from her seat to run a washcloth under cool water. Merrin hadn't been much of a caretaker before meeting Cal -- at least, not since her childhood. Being friends with a Jedi -- or perhaps just this particular Jedi -- seemed to test every last skill she had in this area.

She sits back down and starts wiping the sweat from Cal's flushed face with surprising gentleness. She cannot, however, resist teasing him just a little bit.

"If this experience is not enough to deter you on its own, I do not know that violence will improve matters. But I will certainly oblige if you insist."
dathomirs: (and the days go by)

[personal profile] dathomirs 2024-04-26 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Merrin hums an acknowledgement, setting the washcloth aside and running her fingers through his hair, instead. She might've gotten Cere if she thought Cal needed anything more than some water and rest. The other two would be useless at offering either comfort or useful assistance in this particular situation, in her opinion. But she also knows Cal doesn't like to be fussed over by the adults, especially, so she doesn't make a big deal of his sudden show of emotion.

"Do not thank me yet. You're taking my chores as soon as you can handle being upright for that long."

Judging by his current state, she imagines it won't be tomorrow. Then again, Jedi do seem to have remarkable healing capacity. She pulls Cal's blanket up over him and stifles a yawn of her own.

"I would let you rest your head in my lap, but if you are going to fall asleep on me I'd prefer it were somewhere less dismal."

The engine room isn't the most comfortable space to sleep, but at least they wouldn't wake up cramped and freezing at whatever hour the first person to wish to use the room awakened.
dathomirs: (when will they learn)

[personal profile] dathomirs 2024-04-30 08:16 pm (UTC)(link)
She helps him sit up slowly first, giving him a minute or two to be certain the motion isn't going to make him sick again before helping him the rest of the way up. His room isn't far, and if it weren't likely to disorient him further she'd teleport them both again. Instead she steadies him for the short journey back to his room and deposits him on his bunk with a stern look.

"Stay sitting for a minute. You need to actually drink some of that water; I'll be right back."

This time she does teleport, and is back in a few moments with the glass of water and her borrowed blanket, the former of which she hands to Cal.

"You'll feel worse in the morning if you don't."