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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Perfectly Normal (L/M, humor, romance) - completed - author replies 5/19/08

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Gabri_Jade, Jan 16, 2008.

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  1. LadyPadme

    LadyPadme Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002

    I just loved this post. This really shows a different side of Mara on so many levels. First off, the click-clomp just kills me every time. Just mentally picturing Mara Jade of all people reduced to such grimacing awkwardness cracks me up. It's so rare to see Mara at a disadvantage ever, and it's fun to see her trying to preserve her dignity through all of that.

    The musings on Shada are also another great aspect. It's nice to think of Mara forming other relationships, especially friendships with other women, since it's likely that Mara isn't really used to thinking of other people on that level or forming friends.

    Sits back and waits for the rest of the story...

    Great job as usual, Mei =D=
     
  2. RebelMom

    RebelMom Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2000
    Mara breaks her shoe and their reservations are lost. They certainly are being treated normal. Poor Luke has to bribe the maitre'd to get a table - whatever happened to using his celebrity? :p It's about time Luke and Mara get to be normal. They can actually get to know each other better.
     
  3. Irish_Jedi_Jade

    Irish_Jedi_Jade Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 2007
    OH how stelllar!! What a marvelous new chappie we have!! Plus, I somehow missed the second, so I had two to read in a night!! Loveliness!!!!

    Wonderful job, Gabri!! You're L/M is perfect...so human!! LOL...Luke finally gave in!!! ;) Oh so cute!!!

    Can't wait for more...eagerly *im*patiently awaiting a new installment!!

    [face_good_luck] Irish
     
  4. Leia

    Leia Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 8, 1998
    This always happens--I go away for a while and come back to find stories from my faves! I should start traveling more... :D If only.

    I love this, of course. I love fic that is just L/M hanging out and being themselves, and it's made ten times better by the fact that you're writing it, Gabri. And that's not because I'm biased! :p

    A fabulous story as usual. I look forward to the next installment. :) :*
     
  5. MagnusPrimal

    MagnusPrimal Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 9, 2006
    "All right," Luke said, standing and absently tugging his jacket back in place. "Wish me luck."

    Unable to resist, Mara began, "There is no luck, only the -"

    "Oh, shut up."


    *snicker*

    That's good. Brought a smile to my face, thank you very much!
    I'm really enjoying this story. Great job.
     
  6. Bri_Windstar

    Bri_Windstar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 27, 2002
    Popping in, if belatedly. ;)

    Hee, the comm call. Evil sense of forshadowing, no? [face_clown] Love the innuendo [The Todd]"In your endo" :p [/TheTodd], too. That's almost unavoidable when Han Solo's your brother-in-law. He's not exactly known for being a wet noodle, either. [face_mischief]

    *starts mentally counting off all the things that will go wrong as the evening unfolds* [face_devil]
     
  7. Jedi Trace

    Jedi Trace Former RSA star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 15, 1999
    This is great! I love seeing our powerful Jedi couple dealing with normal, real-life problems. [face_mischief] An evening that starts with lost reservations and a broken shoe can only get better, right? [face_batting]

    [your laugh here]

    :D

     
  8. Knight_Aragorn

    Knight_Aragorn Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 15, 2003
    Another lovely instalment. [:D]

    Luke pulled into a parking slot outside the restaurant just a little too fast to be considered safe, and shut the engine down smoothly. Mara raised an eyebrow at him as she ran a hand over her disheveled hair. He grinned in return, exiting the speeder and circling around to open her door.

    Heh, Luke is such a show-off. Mara totally knows it, too. :p

    "Well, how stupid is that thing to step right in front -" Taking a step forward, Mara stumbled again and looked down to find the lizard's detached tail lying where she'd been standing, along with the heel of one of her shoes. "Oh, shavit." She bent down to pick up the heel, eyeing the still-twitching tail as she did so. "That's really disgusting."

    Ech, lizard tails! You're trying to torture me, aren't you? ;) Poor Mara and her poor shoe. You never realise how wonderful is it is to have stable footwear until you don't.

    I have to say, I'm amused my the mental image of her clomping along, daring anyone to look twice. :p

    "Oh, wrong answer," Mara said, glaring at the maitre'd. "Wrong, wrong answer."

    Don't mess with the woman with the broken shoe. :p Love the way Luke recognises the warning signs and takes over. And love Mara's not-subtle tapping.

    "Wish me luck."

    Unable to resist, Mara began, "There is no luck, only the -"

    "Oh, shut up."


    Fantastic banter. :D

    "I bribed him."

    Oh, Mara would have loved that. *amused*

    Great work, and I can't wait for the next part. :D
     
  9. LadyPadme

    LadyPadme Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002

    It's Wednesday!

    Where's my update? Where's my update?

    We want update!!!

    * bangs on table with chopsticks *

    UPDATE!!UPDATE!!UPDATE!!!!1!!!!!111!!!!

    (I know how you just love the multiple exclamation marks with the '1's' interspersed)
     
  10. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    Rivad: You're fast, all right. :cool: Well, Mara's no doubt heard a few of Luke's favorite lines a number of times. There are some things that I think they just wouldn't be able to keep from teasing each other about. ;) Thanks! :D

    Michele: I don't think the maitre'd is impressed with Luke's status. :p Glad the characterization was right, though. :D I've never yet broken a heel myself, but I have had cats who caught lizards and left the tails still twitching on the front walk. [face_sick]

    And you know, I never did understand why, if Shada was such a quick learner, did it take Mara so long to disengage herself from Karrde's operation. Wasn't she just on a temporary leave during 'Survivor's Quest,' which was 2 years after they married?

    Yes, she was. I honestly can't think of a single good reason, in-universe. In RL, I've heard it was because of publishing dates. The YJK series takes place after VotF, but was being published before VotF, and while Bantam already knew that Luke and Mara were going to be married by then, they couldn't show it without spoiling the surprise. So Mara couldn't be with Luke at the academy, hence the years of "disengaging from Karrde's operation." *shakes head* Just think, some people give a two week notice and they're done. Mara, lucky girl, had to stick around for three-plus years after quitting.

    Emmi: Love you too, babe. :*

    People forget that Luke says stuff like "shut up!" even though he's possibly one of the most verbally explosive characters I've encountered in any fandom. Darling Luke...even at the best of times he has a giant case of speak-before-think.

    Exactly! Luke has certainly matured since the OT, but I have a hard time believing he'd change so completely that he'd be this sedate Jedi Master who never says a word without soberly considering all consequences first. My favorite ever description of Luke comes from the ever-fantastic So a Princess and an Assassin Walk Into a Bar: " the impossibly youthful commander of Rogue Squadron, all boyish innocence, male ego and fiery temper." I like that Luke, and I don't think he'd disappear entirely with age. I think that with family and friends, at least, the snark would remain. And I suspect that Mara in particular would be good at bringing out that side of him. [face_mischief]

    It reminds me of the posting of IP, too. :D I really need to write more multi-post stories. Thank you, darling. [:D] And I'm especially flattered that you'd use my writing to introduce someone to Luke and Mara's relationship. [face_blush] [face_blush] [:D]

    Blue_Milkshake: Mara has a short temper at the best of times, and this is not the best of times. :p And poor Luke is trying very hard to give Mara the night out that she wanted. He's a gentleman, even if the galaxy isn't cooperating very well. :p

    BigFatty: Thank you! :D I agree with you completely - Luke and Mara are private people, and far more likely to keep gestures of affection quiet and subtle. [face_love]

    ginchy: Well, even Luke can be practical when he must. :p You think Luke and Mara won't enjoy their evening out? :eek: Where is such pessimism coming from, I wonder? [face_thinking]

    J_M_Bulldog: Ooh, a Luke and Mara story, by Gabri_Jade. Sweet.

    [face_blush] Thank you; that's kind of you to say. [face_blush] It's good to see you around again, too! Has one of us been less active on the boards recently, or have we just not been frequenting the right threads to see each other? :p I'm glad you like the story. :) Thanks for reading! :D

    Jieh: A broken heel and a lopsided gait don't exactly scream Mara Jade, true. :p I so agree about it being nice to see Mara form other friendships. That's another thing that the EU never showed much of. I know that the narrative has to follow the plot, and that the plot rarely hinges on a particular friendship, but we rarely saw Mara as being friends with anyone but Luke and Karrde - just as we hardly ever sa
     
  11. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    Click-clomping as discreetly as she could manage, Mara followed Luke, who followed the maitre'd. They wound through the restaurant at a dignified pace, passing tables nearly hidden by clever architecture, artfully arranged greenery, and the occasional green-tinted curtain, their existence hinted at mostly by the low murmur of conversation from within - and, of course, the aroma of the food.

    Mara found herself mentally identifying each scent as she caught it: shaak steak with crushed spices, warm bread - that dark crusty kind she particularly liked, with a type of cheese spread on it, she was sure - tangy asper root, the dry scent of Chandrilan green wine. She had skipped lunch earlier, and now despite her irritation over the lost reservation and ensuing wait, Mara decided that she would happily forgive all if dinner tasted as good as it smelled.

    After a longer walk than Mara would have believed possible in the compact-looking restaurant, they reached a table surrounded on three sides by greenery-draped lattices. It wasn't quite as elegantly hidden as many other tables they'd passed, nor as quiet - subdued though the sounds were, she was certain by the occasional clank of metal on metal that they were near the preparation area. Still, the abundance of plants muffled the sound well. Surely it wouldn't be a problem. In all other aspects, the table looked lovely. It was made of a type of glass that sparkled rather than shimmered, the edges were etched with an elaborate scrolled design, and it was sized for two, lending it an air of coziness.

    Luke looked at her with cautious hope in his eyes. "Looks promising."

    "It does," Mara agreed, almost cheerful again. Maybe this night would turn out all right after all. Smoothing her skirt gracefully, she slid into one of the polished blackwood chairs, Luke making a belated attempt to hold it out for her as she did so. Mara shook her head at him, amused. "I'm not that fragile, Luke."

    "I'm trying to be romantic," he pointed out. "You could cooperate a little."

    "I'll cooperate later," Mara said, sending a wave of promise across their bond. "Sit down yourself so we can place our drink orders."

    He did so, but as he turned back toward the maitre'd, they found that he'd already disappeared. Mara frowned. "So far, the service here stinks."

    "It'll get better," Luke said with an air of grim determination better suited to the battlefield than a high end restaurant. He didn't need to say, It had better.

    Mara reached across the table to pat his hand. "It's okay. The company's still good."

    Luke smiled at her, some of the tension in his shoulders bleeding away. "True. Finish telling me about work. What were you saying about Shada and Shirlee?"

    "Oh, right," Mara said, brightening. "Well, several of the ships were in port at one of the outposts, and Aves had this brilliant idea of pitting the men against the women in a sabacc game."

    "Strip sabacc?" Luke interrupted, waggling his eyebrows lecherously. Mara slapped his arm.

    "Get your mind out of the gutter. Even Aves wouldn't be foolhardy enough to suggest that one. And you'd better not be thinking about Shada or Shirlee or anyone else on the losing end of a strip sabacc game."

    "I'm not," Luke protested.

    "Mmm," Mara said suspiciously. "Anyway, what Aves didn't realize was that Shirlee used to make a living as a sabacc hustler. So she and Shada and H'sishi all lost just enough rounds to make Aves and his cohorts drop their guard, then she dropped the heavy end of the hammer on them. Cleaned them out. The men wound up hand-detailing the Starry Ice's hull. Shirlee and Shada and H'sishi are still going around looking smug."

    Luke laughed. "I knew I liked Shirlee Faughn. Aves should know better than that. You'd think all his time working with you would teach him not to underestimate the potential sneakiness of a woman."

    "Flatterer," Mara said with a grin. "What about you? How goes the academy?"

    "Not bad," he said. "Tionne has a new idea for teaching the youngest students . . ."

    L
     
  12. Bri_Windstar

    Bri_Windstar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 27, 2002
    *GLEES and SNAGS* :D

    Edit: Back to biz. [face_cowboy]

    Maybe he could be Luke's assistant at the Lair, y'know?

    So long as he's not serving the sushi. [face_batting]

    Such shocking pessimism in one so young.

    It's me. :p And I know you. :p


    Personally, I'd've beat the snot out of that maitre'd, but I guess you don't become the head of the reestablished Jedi Order by going around and beating the snot out of people at every little nuisance. :p And good grief that restaurant needs an exterminator.

    I do feel bad for Luke. The poor man is trying so hard. Sometimes circumstances are just out of one's control. He can't always be GrandMaster Fixer OM...G. [face_mischief] At least he finally became incensed enough to get up and leave the restaurant. Now it's on to bigger and (not so) better things. [face_mischief]

    My optimism, it runneth over. :p

    [:D] [face_love]

    Oh my GOD, I can't spell. [face_frustrated] :p
     
  13. Jedi-2B

    Jedi-2B Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    Luke says 'Shut up' twice in one evening. Gotta be having a good time. LOL! Loved the reference to his abhorence of crawly bugs.

    So now they're going to click-clomp somewhere else to eat? I think I would just take my shoes off. Though it's probably one of those 'No Shoes, No Service' places. But she kept her shoes on, and they still didn't get any decent service!

    You know, this reminds me of a place we ate while on our trip, though in the opposite direction. PonyTricks says I should make the whole experience into a fic, and I'm tempted. Maybe it can be a spin-off of this one, happening a couple months later. :p
     
  14. J_M_Bulldog

    J_M_Bulldog Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2003
    Thank you; that's kind of you to say. Hmm, you do know Infinite Possibilities was one of the first L/M stories I remember reading? I love it to this day. It's good to see you around again, too! Has one of us been less active on the boards recently, or have we just not been frequenting the right threads to see each other? Eh, probably a little of both. Though I normally don't join in discussions, much. Heh, I can type what a character would say in a given incident but am uncertain of typing my own opinion on things much of the time. ;) :p

    ~~~

    Hehe, I knew the date would not go so well. Poor Luke, he just wanted to have a perfect night for Mara. Too bad life doesn't seem to want to help with that.

    Hmm, me thinks that restaurant is not going to like Luke's review.
     
  15. Leia

    Leia Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 8, 1998
    Ew, tiny arachnids, seriously? [face_sick] You know, we found a tarantula in our shower in Cameroon (aka a garage with water barrels and buckets), and just...no. I would not be reacting so calmly to those things crawling on me.

    I'm sure it's a very frustrating situation, but I'm enjoying Luke a lot here. The sudden (dangerous) calm! And "Shut up," was hilarious. [face_laugh]

    Also, thanks for not boring us with their dinner chatter, lol. The minimal details on Karrde's fleet upgrade were enough for me. I love these characters, but really, I'm not sure I'd find them all that interesting in person, hahaha. :p Is that sacriligious to say? [face_thinking]

    I should be reading Thomas Aquinas's views on witchcraft, so I'll take pride in the fact that I actually pointed out specific details this time and then take my leave. ;) Scrumptious post, Gabri!
     
  16. ginchy

    ginchy Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 25, 2005
    Man, they shoulda gone to Alida's. [face_laugh] [face_laugh]

    Poor Luke and Mara. After all this time, all they want to do is have a date, but it's not going to happen. But maybe they'll realize just being together is the best part, and everything else is just window dressing...

    ... or maybe not. [face_laugh] [face_laugh]

    Fun update! :D
     
  17. Irish_Jedi_Jade

    Irish_Jedi_Jade Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 2007
    Oohh so good!!! I had that same thing happen to me...although the spider was anything but tiny!

    A excellent update, thank you so much!! But whats going to happen to them now? ;) I'm sure they can come up with something...

    Huggles!
    [face_good_luck] Irish
     
  18. Rivad_Bacar2

    Rivad_Bacar2 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    "Remind me to leave my own detailed review of this place on the HoloNet after we get cleaned up."
    [face_laugh]

    You don't have to be Master Yoda to know the future of this establishment looks very grim...

    Great update!
     
  19. LadyPadme

    LadyPadme Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002

    If they'd been in Flo's restaurant in Diner Dash, we'd be seeing the smoke coming up and what my kids call the "scary ugly faces", lol! [face_laugh]

    Great descriptions of the food. Too bad they never got to taste it.

    Arachnids. * shudders *

    Looking forward to more :)
     
  20. RebelMom

    RebelMom Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2000
    I don't blame them for leaving. I'd lose my appetite after seeing the spiders. [face_sick]
    You certainly do a great job with Luke and Mara.
     
  21. Jedi Trace

    Jedi Trace Former RSA star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 15, 1999
    2 credits for Jedi patience. They stayed a lot longer than I would have, LOL.

    Fun chapter! I like the slow build of humorous (for us ;)) disasters. Let's hope the speeder still works when they try to leave. [face_laugh]



     
  22. Knight_Aragorn

    Knight_Aragorn Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 15, 2003
    I love this update. :D

    Maybe I'm easily amused, but I love the image of Mara trying to click-clomp discreetly. :p

    And I absolutely love the detail in your description. [face_love] I swear I can picture the restaurant and smell the food. In fact, now I'm hungry. :p

    I like Luke's attempt to be chivalrous with the pulling out of the chair, and Mara's amusement. And ever practical, she tells him to sit down so they can order already. A certain tolerance for romantic gestures, but practicality wins out. So Mara.

    "It'll get better," Luke said with an air of grim determination better suited to the battlefield than a high end restaurant.

    Best sentence ever. Luke is Not Pleased. ;)

    Mara fingered the leaves behind her, noticing that the stems and lower leaves were beginning to gray. "What do you suppose is wrong with these--what--" Mara yanked her hand back, but the tingling sensation followed. She looked at it more closely, and found several tiny arachnids scrambling madly around on her flesh. She shook her hand violently, shaking the arachnids off, and stood to examine the plants behind her more closely.

    I'm with Luke here. Ew. How realistically shudder-inducing. :p

    And to top it all off, they get drenched with juice. You are evil, you know. ;)

    Poor Luke and Mara. After everything they've been through, they deserve a nice relaxing date. But of course they couldn't manage that. The question is, will they be able to salvage the night? [face_thinking]

    Can't wait for the next instalment. :D
     
  23. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    Bri-chan: Back to biz.

    Giddalong, li'l dawgie. [face_cowboy]

    So long as he's not serving the sushi.

    But someone has to! :eek: It's either him or Corran, you know. [face_mischief]

    It's me. And I know you.

    Valid points, I must admit. [face_thinking]

    I do feel bad for Luke. The poor man is trying so hard. Sometimes circumstances are just out of one's control. He can't always be GrandMaster Fixer OM...G.

    [face_laugh] He tries, though. :p

    I heart your optimism and spelling, babe. [face_love]

    Michele: Luke says 'Shut up' twice in one evening. Gotta be having a good time. LOL! Loved the reference to his abhorence of crawly bugs.

    I tried to change the second "shut up", but it just didn't work. Luke really wanted to say it again. And since it's canon that Mara's the one who handles the crawly bugs in this relationship . . . :p

    So now they're going to click-clomp somewhere else to eat? I think I would just take my shoes off. Though it's probably one of those 'No Shoes, No Service' places. But she kept her shoes on, and they still didn't get any decent service!

    They're going to try to click-clomp somewhere else to eat. [face_mischief] The shoe situation offends Mara's dignity whether they're on or off, I believe. 8-} And yes, if you have inspiration, you should write. Definitely. ;)

    J_M_Bulldog: Hmm, you do know Infinite Possibilities was one of the first L/M stories I remember reading? I love it to this day.

    Aw, I didn't know that. Thank you! [face_blush]

    Heh, I can type what a character would say in a given incident but am uncertain of typing my own opinion on things much of the time.

    [face_laugh] Oh, how I relate. :p And no, the restaurant will not like what Luke has to say. Assuming, of course, that he does not get distracted. [face_mischief]

    Leia: You know, we found a tarantula in our shower in Cameroon (aka a garage with water barrels and buckets), and just...no.

    :eek: I had a friend once who had a scorpion drop into her bathtub. While she was in it. *shudders*

    I'm sure it's a very frustrating situation, but I'm enjoying Luke a lot here. The sudden (dangerous) calm! And "Shut up," was hilarious.

    Hee, exactly. The sudden calm is very dangerous. :D And Luke really wanted to say that "shut up". Like I told Michele, I tried to edit it, because Luke had just said that so recently. But it wouldn't work; nothing else fit. Alas. :p

    Also, thanks for not boring us with their dinner chatter, lol. The minimal details on Karrde's fleet upgrade were enough for me. I love these characters, but really, I'm not sure I'd find them all that interesting in person, hahaha. Is that sacriligious to say?

    Amusing to say, but not sacriligious. ;)

    I should be reading Thomas Aquinas's views on witchcraft, so I'll take pride in the fact that I actually pointed out specific details this time and then take my leave.

    Thanks, darling! [:D] Now I'm curious about Aquinas's views on witchcraft, myself. :p

    ginchy: Yeah, they definitely wouldn't have had those problems at Alida's. :p

    Poor Luke and Mara. After all this time, all they want to do is have a date, but it's not going to happen. But maybe they'll realize just being together is the best part, and everything else is just window dressing...

    Maybe. O:) Thanks for reading! [:D]

    I_J_J: But whats going to happen to them now? I'm sure they can come up with something...

    Oh, yes. But will it work out? That is the question . . . Thanks for reading! :D

    Rivad: You don't have to be Master Yoda to know the future of this establishment looks very grim...

    Yeah, I think it might have some difficulties in the future. :p Thanks! :D

    Jieh: Diner Dash has taken over your soul, hasn't it? Do I owe you for therapy bills? :p Ah, you noticed my additions. See how I listen to you? I'm a good younger sister. [face_batting] Thanks, Jieh. [:D]

    RM: Even Mara wasn't especially interested i
     
  24. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    Outside, Mara was grateful for the lack of a chill in the air. Still, the warm air also served to make her feel even more sticky, and it made her skin crawl more than the arachnids had, while her dress slapped her legs damply with each move, and the broken shoe naturally kept her off-balance anyway. Ordinarily she'd have been fuming at this point, but right now she was far more concerned with Luke's reaction - or more accurately, his lack of one.

    The walk back to the speeder was a silent one, save for the uneven rhythm of her mismatched shoes. They reached the speeder without running into any more lizards and with only a few passersby stopping to stare as they sloshed past, and Luke opened the passenger side door for her, still eerily calm. Mara hesitated.

    "Your upholstery, Luke--"

    "It'll clean," he said. "Besides, I don't happen to have any towels in the storage area."

    Regretfully, Mara seated herself, wincing as juice dripped steadily off of her and onto the speeder's smooth leather seat. Luke closed her door and came around to the driver's side, climbing into the speeder without seeming to notice the rivulets of juice that slid off him.

    "Your apartment, then mine," Luke said as he started the speeder. "Any other ideas for dinner?"

    "Not yet," Mara said, eyeing him as she gathered her hair behind her head so the wet strands wouldn't slap against her face in the wind. "But it'll be your apartment, then mine. Yours is closer."

    Luke looked over at her, a slight crack appearing in his composure. "No," he said. "You shouldn't spend more time in wet clothes than you have to."

    Mara took a breath, suppressing the instinctive urge to snap that she didn't need protecting. "And you should?" she asked, hoping she sounded reasonable. "Besides, I can change out of the wet clothes at your place. You have an extra tunic and pants I could borrow until we get to my place, don't you? Better that than you trying to fit into one of my other dresses if we went to my place first."

    Luke snorted, suddenly looking much more like himself, and Mara took another breath, this time in relief. The calmness that had settled over him in the restaurant was too akin to the tension of a tightly coiled spring; it made her worry about what would happen if it was suddenly released.

    "Okay, my place," Luke relented. He looked over at her again. "I'm sorry, Mara. I really thought that place would be better than that."

    Mara sighed. "You know, it probably is when we're not there." She smiled wryly at Luke. "We don't seem to have very good luck at this being normal thing."

    "We don't, do we?" Luke shook his head and returned his attention to his piloting, smoothly shifting into another lane of traffic to avoid a driver going even faster than him. Mara hoped no traffic officers happened across their path; she doubted that a speeding citation would improve Luke's mood.

    She leaned over to kiss Luke's cheek. "As a wise man once told me, normal is overrated."

    Luke glanced sideways at her and smiled. Mara slid a little closer to him on the seat and rested her head on his shoulder - although she continued to keep an eye out for stray traffic officers, just in case.






    For a wonder, the fifteenth level turbolift was functioning properly tonight. They reached Luke's level without incident, though the cleaning droid would undoubtedly be miffed at the sticky trail they left in the hallway. Luke took her hand as they walked toward his door. "You still have your heart set on dancing? Because I'd be happy to share my shower if you wanted."

    "Aren't you thoughtful," Mara said, amused. Still, the idea had more than a little appeal. This night was hardly going as planned; perhaps it would be best to cut their losses and spend the rest of the evening away from everyone else, normal be damned.

    She opened her mouth to say so just as Luke's apartment door slid open, but her words turned into a strangled yelp. On the other side of the door stood a short, gray-skinned, needle-toothed alien.

    "Barkhimkh," Luke half
     
  25. Bri_Windstar

    Bri_Windstar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 27, 2002
    Miiiine. [face_mischief] So very well timed these days. :p

    Edit: So I'm forgetful and a bad reader and I suck. [face_blush] :p

    I like the way this chapter serves as a bridge, almost. So much stuff has happened already, and you think they miiiiight be getting a break once they reach his apartment, but no. It's merely the eye of the storm. Nice touch with Barkhimkh and a startled Mara. I liked her yelp of surprise and then her chagrin at displaying it outwardly. And the image of her in those clothes and those shoes... [face_laugh] I say they make it a night on the town after all. [face_mischief]

    Luke took her hand as they walked toward his door. "You still have your heart set on dancing? Because I'd be happy to share my shower if you wanted."


    But... water... noodle... LIMP! :eek: :_|

    [face_batting]

    Extra Edit: I forgot to mention, but I really like the description of Luke being tense, the coiled spring idea. I think it's a perfect description of what he's probably feeling. :) If so, good mercy, stay out of his way. :p

     
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