Glory Days (s'Il)

[Tevit Ramastan]

"Left tube, left tube, where's the left tube? Ahh, there you are, now, come here. I said come here!" Tevit growled at the piece of piping that was just out of his reach inside the engine bay of a small spacecraft.

The sign above the outside door read, "Ram and ReBuild" in painted letters that were already showing signs of fading and wear. Whatever paint Anauri had used on it was worth les than the three credits he paid for the can of it, in Tevit's opinion.

The two shipmates had opened their own shop after moving off Tigris, and it had done alright, though not near as well as either of them had hoped. They couldn’t land any of the big jobs, and had been forced to become general labor and grunt mechanics, unable to show their real skill with machinery and power systems. At the moment, Tevit was just trying to replace an engine with one he deemed even worse.

But it paid the bills, and bills they had plenty of; all stacked in an ugly pile on the old cord spool that served as their coffee table in front of a set of bench cockpit seats that formed their work lounge. Sure, things weren’t pretty, but they worked, and that’s all Tevit and Anauri cared about at the moment. Even though the idea of real houses instead of converted storage trailers in the back of their hangar was quite the appealing thought.

Slipping the nut over a threading, Tevit connected the tube to its proper place and cinched it down as much as he could with his oil-stained yellow paws, then wiped one on the back of his ratty “wifebeater” undershirt, then cleaned a bit more of it off on the leg of his well-abused work pants. A proper washing machine was another thing the yellow mongoose missed about working at s’Il’s place.

“Okay, got that, now, let’s clean you out, Mr. Exhaust manifold,” he muttered whole leaning a bit further into the engine bay, standing on his tip-paws to gain a bit more distance. Whenever he worked on an engine, Tevit’s mind was always solely concentrated on his work, and everything else just got tuned out if he could help it. His bushy tail swished behind him, sticking out from his tail-fly beside a mis-colored patch on the seat of his pants as if to mock his concentration, even though it was to help him keep his balance.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

For two minutes she stood outside the shop, staring up at the faded sign that read Ram and ReBuild, letting her eyes travel over the faded letters while wondering how her old friends had been doing. Apparently they'd been surviving, and she couldn't help the small smile that found it's way onto her face. She missed the two mechanics, Tevit and Anauri, and every now and then wished they hadn't left. But, that was how things happened. The galaxy was like that at times, throwing flak grenades at you to see how well you could keep yourself from getting chewed to shreds. She bowed her head then, locks of blonde/brunette hair falling into her face, and took a step forward.

Letting herself in quietly, slowly pushing the door open, the chime that indicated a customer entering dinged... well, sputtered a little before dying altogether, and she stifled another smile at the absurdity of the situation. For some reaason, and she had no idea why, it was both surreal and comforting to step inside Tevit and Anauri's shop, and s'Il let her eyes wander the interior; it was well-used, and she somehow felt welcome within it's confines. Of course she supposed it was because she was in the space of other aliens... if it'd been an Imperial hangar, she supposed she would have felt subdued... looked down upon even. Her time on Omerose had served to somewhat lessen her temper; or at least her instill within her the knowledge that she wasn't up to par with humans. Admiral Piett had made sure she left with the knowledge that she was inferior to him.

And so, being inside the shop was as if she'd been surrounded by a warm blanket of comfortability, and as she stepped forward silently through the inside door leading to the main garage, s'Il couldn't help the broad grin that spread across her face. There was Tevit, buried face first in a speeder engine; talking to it.

Apparently, so engrossed in his one sided conversation was he, that s'Il crossed the distance between them without so much as a scuff of her boot on the floor, and stopping right next to him, she bent over the engine as well peering at his work.

"Do you think it'll talk back,? she asked, her voice even; almost deadpan.

[Tevit Ramastan]

Tevit's head shot up with the surprise of someone standing behind him, and it immediately banged into the engine bay roof, sending him back down into it and losign his footing as his wrench clattered to the floor.

With some struggle, the yellow mongoose extracted himself expediantly from the engine bay and turned to see who it was who had spoken. His red eyes went wide underneath a raised brow, one half of which was nearly black with an oil smudge. His muzzle hung open in shock, and he sputtered, "s'-, si'Il? What, what're you doing here?" His baffled curiosity melted away into a warm smile, and the Nehantite relaxed his stance, not realizing that his zipper was down on his pants.

"Wow, s'Il, it's been a while, what brings you out here? It's good to see you again. Need anything done on the Rascal King?" he asked, his nervous excitability showing plainly on his face and in his body movements.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il let a smile grace her features as she watched Tevit's surprised reaction. She knew she looked different than the last time they'd seen eachother; now she looked drawn, strung out in a sense; her whole body seemed to radiate a permanent tiredness. Even her clothes looked tired; the grey infantry trousers, black longsleeve, and combat boots all exuding an air of fatigue.

To see his smile again was nice; it'd been a while. Her return grin was warm and inviting as well, and she leaned her slight bulk against the speeder carcass beside them, her hands rested gently at her sides on the metal body.

"I'm fine... same as always just about... " at his inquiry of the King though, her face fell a little.

"Well, as far as needing anything done on the King, you'd have to ask Grand Admiral Millard. It's his ship now."

[Tevit Ramastan]

Tevit's eyebrows cocked again, this time quizzically as he shifted his weight to his left hip and hooked a tbumb through a beltloop as he asked, "Millard? Who's he? Oh, wait, that stuffy goy we had dinner with? You sell it to him or something?"

The look he got was enough to tell him not to pursue that line of questioning any more, so he changed tack. "Um, s'Il, you hungry? I was about to take a lunch break, and, well, got time to join me?" he asked, his smile as awkward as ever as he ticked his head toward a wall of sorts that had been made out of metal panels. On the other side was his kitchen.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Food. She hadn't eaten at all that day, and at the word she nodded, her smile still on her face. To her, he'd always been the kid she hired on as a mechanic, but now, seeing him in this environment began to change her perspective, and she started to wonder how he'd been managing since leaving her. And while she'd scowled at his mention of Millard, she couldn't help the subconcious thought that ran through her mind...

.. stuffy guy... that's cute...

But, first things first; the poor boy was walking around with his fly down. She smirked then, sliding off the speeder to head for the wall he'd indicated. As she passed by behind him, s'Il couldn't help it, and reaching out, patted his rear a little before heading off, calling over her shoulder jokingly. "And Tevit, sweety, keep it in your pants until later tonight."

[Tevit Ramastan]

The comment made Tevit jerk in shock, and then he spun around after she patted his hiney and looked down to see that his zipper was down. Embarassed, he quickly remedied the problem and then hurred off to the kitchen to make something for them both.

In the time since he had left s'Il's employment, Tevit had buffed up a little, mainly due to not having enough lifting equipment and having to move many things manually. The slight paunch he used to have from a bit of laziness was now gone, and replaced by a decently muscled abdoment under his fur. He also seemed a little taller, a bit more grown up than he had been back then.

"Hang on, let me wash my paws, here," he announced needlessly as his friend seated herself at the old dining table. Using a liberal amount of grease removing hand cleaner, Tevit scrubbed his paws furiously until they were as clean as they would get, though the fur was still a bit stained from oil and grease. Drying off, he then nudged the old refriderator open and held a bottle out to s'Il. "Nehi? We've got orange, peach, and grape. Also got some beer in here, but I don't like it that much. Even Anauri won't drink it."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Watching as he washed his paws, s'Il sat patiently until he'd finished, and when he offered her a drink, she shook her head. "No, no Nehi for me; no beer either. Water would be nice though... "

s'Il sat back then, watching him as he moved about the kitchen. He had a different air about him now; one that smelled of hard work... yeah, she could smell it on him; hard work and labor... her nose picked a lot of things up, and canting her head to the side, watched quietly.

"You grew up," she said finally.

[Tevit Ramastan]

All Tevit could do was smile and breathe a quick chuckle. He knew life had changed since he no longer worked for her, but, he hadn't thought it to have been that much. Putting the Nehi bottle on the table for himself, he poured a glass of water from a filtering pitcher in the fridge and handed it carefully to s'Ilancy, then popping the top open on the deep freeze and leaning over it to survey the icy contents.

"Well, I'm afraid we don't have much to offer. Neither of us are very good cooks, and fresh food's rather pricey around these parts, so, we have a decent selection of frozen. How does beef tips and gravy with green beans sound?"

He pulled a frozen dinner out of the deep freeze and prushed off the thin layer of frost on it to show s'Il. It wasn't near as good of food as he remembered her being used to, but it was the best he could offer. Sheepishly shrugging, he added, "Next best thing is Chicken Parmigiana."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Tevit, anything is fine with me; my eating habits aren't exactly the best these days as it is... "

She remembered the last time she'd eaten; yesterday morning... it was a local animal that she'd chased down during the early morning, running it into the ground before devouring it. Being a Lupine was always interesting. The planet itself was out of the way; muggy, hot, and humid. It was the perfect place to hide...

She took a sip of her water, eyeing Tevit over the rim of the glass before setting it down once more on the table. "... so whatever you have is fine with me."

She sighed then, settling more into the chair to watch as he started to 'prepare the meal'.

He had certainly grown up, and s'Il was beginning to think that her trip here hadn't been wasted.

[Tevit Ramastan]

"Beef tips it is, then," he smirked, pulling out a second box for himself and then rippign both open before poking a few holes in the plastic coverings before stickign them in the microwave he and Anauri had "supercharged."

Turning around, he leaned against the formica countertop and pursed his lips for a moment, trying to think of what to say. He hadn't seen s'Il in a long time, and had slmost forgotten how good she looked. Well, good looking for a human. Well, sort of human. Well, without fur, a muzzle and tail, that was. He hadn't had too much lock with the local ladies, and, really hadn't been on any form of a date since that one with s'Il almost two years before. What a boy scout he had been back then...

Trying to come up with some conversation, he finally asked, "So, what brings you out here, then? Can't imagine it would be just me. And, I'd get Anauri for you, but, he's away. Not going to be back for about a week. Trying to drum up some business."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Another shake of her head. "It's ok."

Resting a hand around her cup, s'Il gave him a goofy look, canting her head to the other side as she made note of his 'appraising' looks. She gave her own smirk, remembering when she'd caught him so long ago, looking at one of his mags; she'd reccomended he try a little,,, variety, but of course he'd declined the idea, and while she hadn't been talking about herself at all, she had been reccomending him actually get out and find someone. Although now... she grinned at him.

"And I decided to visit for a while... that's ok with you, right?"

[Tevit Ramastan]

Tevit grinned and replied, "Of course that's fine with me. You're always welcome to stay as long as you want, though we can't offer much. If you don't have anyplace you need to be, you can crash here if you like. I'll stay in Anauri's room and you can have mine, if you want."

The turbowave then dinged, and he turned to open it, removing the two steaming dinners from it and then peeling off the plastic. He set one before s'Ilancy, and then set down a fork as well, with a paper towel to serve as a napkin. Then he seated himself and dug in, spearing a forkful of green beans and chomping down on them. He hadn't eaten yet that day either. It was usually Anauri's job to cook breakfast.

Munching and swallowing, he uncapped his Nehi and took a swig, then wiped his mouth with his paper towel and asked, "So, would you want to maybe stay here for a bit?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il chewed thoughtfully, locking eyes with the younger Tevit, and swallowing, she set her fork down. Using the same hand, she reached for her water glass, lifting it o her lips. After setting it on the table with a dull thunk, she kept her gaze on Tevit.

Finally, after a few moments, she spoke.

"I was hoping to stay for as long as I can... "

[Tevit Ramastan]

Not that the answer s'Ilancy gave him was terribly shocking, it just came at particularily the wrong moment: just as he was about to swallow a mouthful of green beans. Tevit choked and sputtered, then coughed hard and swigged down a good portion of his Nehi to clear his throat before looking back at his former employer and asking, "As long as you can? What do you... Well, you're welcome to stay, I mean, I couldn't ever tell you no, y'know."

Setting his fork down as well, Tevit swallowed again to relieve the lump that had swollen in his throat from nearly choking on half-chewed vegetables. "We don't really have an extra room as of yet, but, I'm sure Anauri and I can share a room until we get something worked out. Only thing is..." he paused, a bit embarassed to explain his other hesitancy, "We really only make enough here to scrape by ourselves. I'm not sure we'd be able to afford you for a long period of time."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She smiled at his reaction, her eyes for the first time in a long while, tranquil. Tired, yes. But also calm; no longer restless.

"I... don't really need a bed or room or aanything... I've rather taken to... " she paused, trying to find the best way to explain her nightly romps, "staying out...

"And as far as food or money, I can still get my own food... " just a lot rarer than I usually cook it...

Her hands rested on the table top then, palm down. "Tevit, things have changed a little since we last saw eachother," she began, "I've changed. I'm not exaclty the same anymore... it's a little hard to explain, but let's just say I don't look like this all the time... "

Her eyes once more locked with his, a brief moment passing before she broke her stare to again pluck her fork up, intent on finishing her meal.

[Tevit Ramastan]

Tevit's appetite was quickly dissipating, and though he picked his fork back up as well, it didn't find its way into any food for a short while. Something about s'Il had changed. She wasn't as gung-ho and carefree anymore. Somethign seemed to be scaring her.

"s'Il," the mongoose spoke gently, "You can stay as long as you need, but you're not going to stay outside. It isn't safe after dark around here, even for you. And we'll find a way of making things work out, just,... just don't fight me on that, okay?"

He was genuinely concerned and trying to help as best as he could, even if he didn't know exactly how to do so. Stabbing a slice of beef, he popped it into his mouth and chewed, though speaking through a mouthful. "Man, this stuff is terrible. Cheap, though."

The rest of the meal was eaten in relative silence, Tevit just trying to clean his plate because he knew it would be wasteful for him to do otherwise. s'Il looked tired, and lonely, as well. "s'Il, as long as you're here, is there anything you want or need? Need me to carry your bags in from whatever ship you flew here?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her head tilted a little as she regarded him.

"I have no bags; no luggage."

Half of her food was gone, and once more setting the fork down, she leaned back in her chair. Full, s'Il was content to simply sit and do nothing for a few moments. Finally, she drew in a deep breath, reaching a hand up to brush back an errant strand of hair from her face.

"Is this how you expected it to be," she asked, "... life?"

[Tevit Ramastan]

"Thifh?" Tevit asked around a mouthful, but then paused to swallow and looked arounf at the ramshackle hangar/garage. It certainly what he had wanted, but, it prodivded for his needs.

Scratching the back of his neck, he admitted, "Well, not really, but, it's a living. Actually wanted to be an artist, can you believe that? But I never even got to use oil paints, instead I just get to deal with oil stains." He forced a weak laugh at his even weaker joke.

"Seriously, though, this is what I almost did expect. The big time never comes to guys like me and Anauri. We own our own businesss, and can support ourselves doing something we're both good at, though, so, I suppose I should be happy."

Tevit shrugged and then picked up the plactic tray that his food had been in and tossed it in the trash, then placing his fork in the sink. "And, seeing as you don't have any changes of clothing, you're welcome to my closet until we can get you some. Most of it won't fit, but, it's the best I've got right now."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She smiled in thanks, following Tevit's lead and placing her own tray in the garbage before putting her fork in the sink next to his. "You know," she replied thoughtfully, moving past him; she sat once more, letting her feet extend before her and crossing them at her ankles, "Things don't always turn out how you expect them too... who knows. Someday you'll probably be a famous artist.

"Before you die," she added as an afterthought, a smirk on her features.

"But trust me," she went on, resting an elbow on the table and her head in her hand, "Things always turn out differently."

[Tevit Ramastan]

"Well, maybe I'll be an artist someday. But, for now I'll just be content with what I've got," Tevit shrugged, then leaned back against the counter with his rear.

"Oh, and are you referring to that recent jewel heist of yours?" The mongoose couldn't help but grin, repressing a real set of the giggles. "I hear my cousin really trumped you and Sanis on that one."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il only rolled her eyes. "Yes well, I suppose I can concede my small defeats when the need arises.

"But no, I wasn't really thinking of that; I'd mostly all but forgotten about it. I've had alot of other things on my mind lately... mostly staying away from certain parties being at the forefront. And then I had an extended stay on Omerose which... wasn't something I'd particularly like to repeat... "

She blinked, looking to the far wall before rising to her feet. Grasping her glass, she closed the distance to the sink to refill her water. Her arm reached out, and turning on the faucet, she watched the water level rise. Standing so close to Tevit, she could feel the heat roll from his body; smell him, and even hear the slight rustling of his clothes. So close to him was she that her leg rested against his tail and her arm every so often brushed against his. And yet, she felt more comfortable around him than any other human; after all, being in the company of a non-human such as herself was now much more preferred in her mind.

[Tevit Ramastan]

s'Ilancy was tired, and almost scared, Tevit could tell. As she refilled her water, he looked down at the floor, and at his bare footpaws. In the last few years, s'Il had been one of his few friends, and as much as it felt good to have her back, he didn't know how to handle it.

"Sorry about the water, I know it tastes coppery." he said, just trying to find something to say. Turning around, he leaned over the counter next to her and turned his head to look at her face. "s'Il, are you okay? I mean, you're not the Loklorien s'Ilancy I used to know. Then again, I'm probably not the snot-nosed kid you hired back then, am I? I guess everything changes, whetehr you want it to or not. I hope you're not mad that Anauri and I left."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She turned to look at him, her body twisting gracefully to lean on the counter beside him. She let her shoulders slump, allowing the weight of the past years seemingly rest atop her.

"Mad? Tevit, look. I know times change; I never stopped you and Anauri from leaving; I knew the time would come when you two would go off and do your own thing... " she looked up at him then, her somewhat tired gaze turning soft as she gazed at him. "... I could never be mad at you."

[Tevit Ramastan]

"Oh yeah you could," Tevit grinned. "Remember when Anauri and I saved that memory chip form that one droid of yours, and then you found out. I'd say you could get mad at me."

Tugging at the collar of his undershirt, the yellow mongoose stood back up, swigging down the last of what was in his bottle, then tossing it into a homemade garbage can across the kitchen. "So, anything you want to do as long as you're here? Not much to offer except what you see, though."

[Tevit Ramastan]

There really wasn't much to do, so the conversation just panned out into nothingness, right up until s'Il yawned.

"You look tired, s'Il, c'mon, I'll take you to bed," Tevit said, touching her shoulder.

His face friendly and concerned for her welfare, the yellow mongoose led Lok back to his "room" and switched on the overhead light. It wasn't much to look at; the corrugated metal walls of the old freight container were covered in posters and whatever decoration he could find. The overbearing theme to the posters were girls, mostly Nehantites, though a few other races were portrayed, and most in less than average attire. An old wooden desk stood against one wall with a command center chair in front of it. On a side wall stood a series of metal storage lockers; Tevit's closets, and a low metal table that housed a small stereo and an old holovision set and recorder. The only really interesting thing in the room, though, was his bed.

It was made from many ship parts, cut and welded together in an intricate pattern forming a somewhat gothic headboard, with a footer that matched. Chrome pieces had been used here and there to add life to it, and a deep red satin beadspread embriodered with gold floral patterns covered the queen size mattress. He had built the bedframe himself, and the mattress and bedding were his latest birthday present from J'ktal.

Tevit pulled back the covers to reveal a set of ivory colored sheets with a damask stipe to them, and then stepped back, not wishing to bother his friend by staying around.

"Well, you'll probably only need the sheets, as it does get pretty hot sometimes. We've rigged our rooms with an air conditioning system, so, once I close the door, you can set it to whatever temperature you like. Controls are by the nightstand, and so is the lightswitch. If you need me, I'll either be out here in the hangar or in Anauri's room right next door." Tevit explained, from the doorway, then remembered, "Oh, and if for some reason you need to go outside after it's dark, wake me up so I can turn off the alarm. And, the bathroom's right down that way," he pointed back toward where the kitchen area was. "Well, g'night, s'Il. It's good to see you again. Sleep well."

Shutting the metal door, Tevit leaned back against it from outside and breathed a deep sigh. s'Il had not been the person he would ahve expected to just drop by, and she didn't seem to be like she used to. And now, here she was to stay. A most interesting day indeed.

The sight of the half-finished ship he had been working on jogged the memory of work back into Tevit's mind, and he paced back over to it, going at it once more. After all, he had to make a living somehow. Soon he became so engrossed in his work that he forgot about his guest completely, and it wasn't until the sun was about to set that he remembered that he'd have to sleep in Anauri's room after cleaning up. And clean up he did, using the "tub" he and Anauri had created, and scrubbed out all the oil and engine grime he could from his fur. Normally he'd just lightly wash off, but, seeing as he had a guest, Tevit wanted to make himself look as good as he could. He even went as far as to use conditioner on his fur, which he usually skipped unless he was planning to be out and about in town for a while.

When he had dried off and brushed himself out, Tevit headed back to Anauri's room and made himself as comfortable as he could in his older friend's bed. It was arguably more comfortable, and so he decided to give it to s'Il on the next night. He hadn't been thinking of that before.

---

Night passed without problem, and, as usual, Tevit woke with the sunrise. At first he was disoriented, having woken up in a different room, but quickly gained his bearings and turned on the light and the holovision to the weather channel. Another scorcher, at least fifteen degrees hotter than the day before, the weatherman said. Sometimes it just didn't pay to have fur.

Climbing out of bed and then re-making it, Tevit ventured back to his own room and poked his head in the door to see if s'Il was still asleep or not. Seeing her still in bed, the mongoose snuck over to the proper cabinet and opened it, pulling out a fresh change of underwear which he quickly put on, tossing his dirty clothes into the hamper. He would have to do laundry that night, otherwise he wouldn't have any underwear for the next day since he was down to only three pairs; two pair of white briefs and one pair of faded gray boxers.

Looking back at s'Il, he smiled softly to see her sleep so restfully, then turned back and closed his cabinet door and headed back out of the room. It would be too hot to wear much more than his his skivvies that day, and s'Il had seen him in his underwear before, so, he had little problem with what he sported, even if they were a little old and dingy from going through the wash so often. Besides, he had worked in his briefs many times before on that planet, it was nothing new for him. Picking up a wrench, Tevit started back to work on the shuttle, though trying not to make too much noise.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The lump beneath the blankets of Tevit's bed stirred. But only a little before falling still once more to sit unmoving for another hour. The covers were warm, and s'Il didn't want to move from her spot in the least.

And then slowly, ever so slowly, the heat began to rise. First it was only a little uncomfortable, then it was unbearable, and s'Il pulled off the covers to lay atop them; it did little to help, and sighing, she sat up groggily. Running a hand through her hair, she swung her feet over the side of the bed, and rising to her feet, proceeded to promptly dress down.

She would've preferred to change, but s'Il didn't know how Tevit would take it, and so she refrained for the moment until later in the day. Instead, she busied herself with making his bed. It'd surprised her that he'd let her sleep in his bed, and all through the night her sense of smell had taken in his scent; it wasn't altogether unpleasent, and she found she'd missed him being around.

Running a hand through her hair, she opened the door to his room, and stepping out, made her way to the main garage where most of the noise was coming from. The sight that met her eyes was a surprise, and not an unpleasent one at that.

Striding quietly across the garage floor (although it wasn't too hard; the noise Tevit was making withing the engine was quite enough to drown her footsteps out), she stopped right behind him.

"Nice tail," was all she said, her voice soft as she spoke the words she'd spoken to him long ago, when they'd first met...