Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri sat in the lounge area of the Whisper, a light soft music fillingbthe air as he poured over a data pad in one hand while the other held a glass with a clear amber liquid inside. He lightly swirled the glass as he read pausing to drink every now and again.

[Riss]

An alert would signal that someone was at his door.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri pressed a button unlocking the door and admitting whoever was there. There was a short list of people that would call on him at this hour. He stowed the data pad and turned toward the entrance

[Riss]

Riss arrives with two slim datapad, the flimsy ones used for copies, in hand. Walking into the space she leans her shoulder against the door frame, "Hope I'm not interrupting any super important work, am I?"

[Omandri Rist]

He shook his head sitting back "never too busy for you Riss." a smile that was a little tired but none the less warm.

"What's up? Want a drink? I found a bottle of corellian that didn't shatter in the crash." He offered.

[Riss]

"Nah," she says, coming into the room even more. Finding a seat across from him, "I just came from a thing with.. well, the girls. Was fun. Pacing myself," she says uncertainly. Placing the datapads down in between them on an available counter space she leans back, sighing.

"Don't hate that you're my last stop of the day too much, mm? But.. you have a right to this information as much as any of us do, and I'm definitely not going to keep it from you."

[Omandri Rist]

He rose an eyebrow "Well now I know this is serious if you're pacing yourself at a party." He says sitting forward looking at the data pad.

"I'll try not to be too hurt, I haven't exactly been your first stop for many things lately." He says partially distracted by reading, there are threads of jovality to it but also truth in the way he says it.

[Riss]

"Wasn't," she comments idly. Though it's the next comment that gets her gaze to shift away, elsewhere in the room.

On the following documents he would see reports about the war as it continues on in Republic space. How this unknown faction once suspected to be the Empire has swept aside most of the Republic forces. Republic planets are offered the chance to submit or forced to do so to the Throne of Zakuul.

Currently, the Republic forces are falling back toward Alderaan to gather one last offensive against the enemy.

[Omandri Rist]

He frowned reading the document his brows furrowed in concentration. After a while he set the pad down and took a deep breath "Well that makes things a bit more complicated." He said breaking the silence.

He looked up to her "I assume others are working on a plan?"

[Riss]

"We keep dealing with the problem as it stands in front of us. White Maw seems to be siding up to the Eternal Empire," she shrugs, "and it's the smart move in their shoes. Why wouldn't you? Best way for them to try and get ahead."

"Might just be time to look into doing what you can to protect what matters Omandri," she says, looking around the room for some distraction or another.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri nodded "so mostly for us it's business as usual. Complete the mission, deal with the pirates hope it weakens this new threat a little Go from there."

He noticed her distracted behavior and sighed "so are we at the point you can't look at me?"

[Riss]

"Are we at the point where you casually make me feel bad for having a hard time?" she snaps back almost casually. Placing her hands down against her thighs, sliding down near the knee but not quite. Letting her words sink in a little in the space of time, but alleviating it a bit with the casual comment, "You know, I just realized how little time I've spent in here."

[Omandri Rist]

He held up his hands in a 'you got me' gesture "sorry that was shitty of me. It's just, you're not the only one having a hard time and" He rested his elbows on his knees breathing out and running a hand through his hair before settling again "it's been harder without you."

"But that doesn't make my reaction less shitty so I am sorry about that. I just miss you Riss."

[Riss]

Riss' foot starts tapping, harder, and harder, and- she stands fully putting a hand to her chest. "I'm just having a hard time too? It's harder without you? You miss me? What the KRIFF am I supposed to do with that Omandri? Do you think I don't? Do you think I don't wish I could just forget and go back to how things used to be? I do every time I think about you- and it's kinda often, you're one of my closest.." she brings her hands up to her temples and then screams through closed lips.

"It's not like I don't know!" she says, shouting again. "I just don't have any better options- I don't know what else to do!"

[Omandri Rist]

He rises to meet her gaze "we work through it together! We solve it together! Like we have so many times before Riss. What's the long term plan here? You don't speak to me anymore? We continue to do this fake little dance forever until we drift apart completely?" His voice was tinged with hurt more than anger.

"You already admit you still think about me a lot even while you're trying to push me away and that's obviously not helping. Have things gotten any better than they were almost a month ago?"

[Riss]

"It's been a MONTH Omandri, he died in my arms and your SISTER was responsible for it-- I'm sorry I don't figure out how I'm feeling fast enough for you," she says, raising her hand with a single finger directed at him like an authoritative mother.

Softening, taking a step back, "I don't give up on people like that. Fade away into nothing," she says, voice shaking a little bit. Turning away from him her arms wrap around herself. "I thought you knew me better than that."

[Omandri Rist]

He sees the turn away and steps toward her "Riss thats not what i meant.....I know you don't give up on people. It...it's one of the things I love about you but" He fumbles for words, a position he finds himself in around her more than anyone else

"I'm just, I'm scared ok? I'm terrified of that, of losing you."

[Riss]

"Yea, well.." she sighs, rubs her arms, and walks away. "Yea well, who's pushing who away now?" she says, the hurt in her tone creeping through despite her best intention. Feeling that step toward her she takes another step away.

"I need time, Omandri. I need.. I need more time, I-I don't know, I don't know how this works. I don't know how I want it to work. I don't know what I'm doing, okay? I'm.. I'm trying my best," her voice is shakier as she speaks but she just goes quiet after that. Lowering her head a little away even further.

[Omandri Rist]

"I'm not trying to push you away Riss." He said halting his progress toward her as she retreated "I'm just....I'm just like you trying to figure this all out."

He took a breath "I know you're just doing your best, I'm sorry. Do you know if there's anything I can do to help? Thats all I want Riss is to be there for you. If you need time I can give you that."

He paused slipping hands into pockets "You say we need to protect what matters." He motions between them "this, this is what matters to me Riss."

"I don't have the answers. I just want you to be ok."

[Riss]

"Well I'm not," she says, a touch sharply. "Okay? You get to know that. It's.. not kriffing easy for me to admit that okay? But I get it, and I couldn't just go about acting normal without you knowing. But you do, so maybe when we get together you can try to not poke me with that kriffing sharp stick for a start, huh?"

She breathes, deep and slow, shoulders tense up around her to create a little cage as she talks over her shoulder without looking, "I haven't exactly been your first stop lately? What the hell were you thinking Omandri?"

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri sighed "I know, I know I'm a kriffing idiot alright? I'm really sorry for that. I just, it was a mistake, I wasn't thinking. I can't take it back, I wish I could but I can't." weariness, and pain and a hundred other emotions laced the words.

"I'm not perfect but I do care about you Riss. I promise I'll put the stick down, I'll break it over my knee and burn the kriffing thing. But can you talk to me? I want to understand because neither of us knows what we're doing but we haven't met a problem we couldn't overcome together Riss."

[Riss]

Riss sighs, deep and painted, "I'm not asking you to be perfect Omandri. I'm asking you to stop making this harder on me," she rolls her shoulders a little. Tapping twice against her forearm.

"I'm trying so hard to show you I'm still here, that we can be somewhat normal despite this. But it's not enough," she sighs, walking forward, away from Omandri, just enough so that she can lean her head on a nearby wall. It's cool to the touch, and soothes her just a little. Tired, a little bit defeated, "I do care about you Omandri, but I can't help you through this. I wish I could take the association away, I really do- but every time I see you I risk winding up right back there."

"It's not your fault.. it's not fair. This isn't a problem we can solve Omandri. You can't help me, and I can't be there for you. I.. just need to figure this out," she rolls her head against the wall a little, more soothing coolness.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri sits on the arm of a chair his elbows back on his knees and his hands through his hair. He sat and he thought, but what was there left to say she had already said it it wasnt fair, he didnt do anything but be born in the wrong family he hadnt asked for this but here it was and now, now he is probably going to lose her.

"So that it? There's just nothing that can be done but wait and hope it works out?" His voice is carefully neutral the pain and frustration pent up inside for now.

[Riss]

Riss wasn't a woman who showed pain in the most conventional ways. Riss got angry, not sad, not dejected, and certainly not like a kicked puppy. That was all that was left for her in this moment.

"Good night, Omandri," she says, and yet the words sound a little foreign to her. Still, she leans herself off of the wall and walks herself to and out the exit if uninterrupted.

[Omandri Rist]

"Riss wait I....." He stood and reached out as she moved to leave the words were more pleading than he wanted them to be, more longing than he wanted her to hear.

He stopped himself from running and grabbing her wanting to hold her and, well that didn't matter now. he took a deep breath "I know you need time, I won't push you on that but, but know that door is always open. I'm always here for you, when you're ready."