3 years ago
“Crazy sister! What the hell did you do to your hair!?"
Rain grinned at Gaius's outburst and self-consciously tugged on a lock of hair, "Ugly brother, I'm surprised at you. Of all people, I thought you'd be the one to like my new look." Gaius was still staring at her, "Why did you have to dye it? It looked nice black."
Rain wrinkled her nose at him, "It's my hair. Anyway, I was bored and I wanted to try it out. It’s not like its permanent." Gaius shook his head, "I guess it looks ok, but why blue? I mean, why didn't you dye it blonde or something?" She shrugged, "Natural colors are boring and I like the color blue. What more of a reason do I need?"
He frowned, "Wait, so if you liked rainbows you'd of dyed your hair like one?" Rain grinned wickedly, "That's an interesting suggestion ugly brother. Maybe next time." Gaius groaned and buried his face into his hands. Rain giggled before Gaius lowered his hands saying, "Knowing you, you came by for much more than just to show off your new look. Why don't you come in?" Gaius opened the door wider to allow his sister to enter the small apartment.
Rain looked around as he closed the door softly behind her. The main room was about the size of her own room with three doors that leading to a tiny kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a sliding glass door that led to a balcony that over looked the ocean. The bedroom door was slightly open and she could see a messy bed with clothes strewn every which way.
There was a table strewn with (what she hoped were) car magazines along with various machine parts. There were two mismatched dining chairs, one with a faded green seat cushion the other had a stack of mail and other loose papers. A small TV rested next to his computer in the far corner of the room with a couch pulled up close to it.
“Sorry I didn’t end up making your graduation from flight school.” Gaius said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. Rain shrugged, turning her blue eyes from the apartment onto her brother “It wasn’t much of a graduation,” she said, “Besides, I finished a whole year early. Istavaan wasn’t there either. I wasn’t here about that though” She stretched, “I wanted to tell you I got a job. Only a few days out of school and I’m hired. Crazy isn’t it?”
She turned away from him, staring out the glass door and at the ocean view it offered. “I’m a back up pilot for a transport ship.” She saw Gaius’s reflection grin, “That’s great crazy sister!” he said, “When do you start?” “I leave tomorrow, they were rather desperate because their pilot is really sick and they can’t delay their schedule too much. I’ll be flying until he gets out of the bacta tank. I’ll get an official posting if I do a good job. Well, that’s what they’re saying but I figure it’ll be easy enough to find another piloting job when we get to Coruscant if that’s a load of bull s**t.”
“If you get this shipping job, when do you think you’ll be back?” “That’s the thing Gaius, I don’t know.” “What?” Rain turned around again to face him, her voice quiet, “I won’t get my assignment until we land a Coruscant. That’ll be in several weeks on its own, assuming we don’t stop at any of the other planets along the way. It could take two months just to get to Coruscant. I have no idea if the ship I’m assigned to will come by here all that often… Ilsig isn’t exactly the most central of planets.” Gaius frowned, “What about vacation time and such?” he asked, “You’ll come home for vacation right?”
Rain shrugged, “I’ll try. For all I know, I’ll be assigned to the other end of the galaxy and it would take months to fly here then back.” Gaius looked confused, “Space is huge Gaius, and transport ships aren’t exactly the fastest thing in the ‘Verse.” “But, you’re gonna come back… right?” The grin was gone and replaced by an expression Rain couldn’t read. Rain rolled her eyes and tapped him on the nose, “You’re being stupid ugly brother.” She said, “I’ll come back, I just don’t know when.”
Gaius wrinkled his nose in mild annoyance, “Did you tell mom and dad?” Rain rubbed the back of her neck, “Yeah… dad’s not too happy about it, but he respects that flying is what I want to do.” She smiled ruefully and added, “I think he’s still hoping I’ll change my mind or something.” “What are you doing today?” she asked suddenly, catching her brother by surprise. “What?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “It’s your day off neh? What are you planning on doing today?”
He shrugged, “I was probably gonna hangout most likely. Why?” “Let’s go do something. Like, I dunno, go to the arcade or the beach or something. I’m really gonna miss you so I wanna hang out while we still can.” Gaius snorted in laughter. “Yeah, alright. I haven’t gone to the arcade in ages. Ahh—” The last part of his sentence was added when Rain grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the door. “Geeze crazy sister, just pull my arm off why don’t you?
Three hours went by and found them still in the arcade. Rain hesitated by one of the claw machines filled with random stuffed animals, “That bear is taunting me.” She declared, pointing at a brown bear. Gaius rubbed his forehead wearily, “Rain, it’s doing nothing of the sort.” “It is too! I’m going to show it by getting it.” He rolled his eyes, “You’re not going to get it.” He said as she inserted a coin into the slot. “Just watch me.”
Gaius watched with a bemused smile for a good five minutes as Rain tried again and again, without success, to snag the bear in question. Finally he said, “Here, let me get it.” “I refuse.” “Rain…” “Ok, this is the last time. If I don’t get it then you can try, but let me try one last time.” Gaius shrugged, “Suit yourself.” Rain narrowed her eyes in concentration as she carefully navigated the claw over the stuffed animal. “A little to your left.” Gaius said. She glared at his reflection in the glass but nudged a little bit the claw in the direction he’d indicated.
The claw dropped and slowly embraced the bear. Rain held her breath as it slowly rose and navigated over to the drop slot and depositing the toy into the opening. “I actually got it.” Rain said staring at the claw machine. A huge smile split her face and she spun to face her older brother, “Ha! Now what ugly brother? I got it!” “Congrats crazy sister.” Gaius said with a smile of his own, “Are you going to grab it or are you going to leave it there?” Rain stuck her tongue out at him but retrieved bear. “And it only cost you how many credits?” “Shut it Gaius. You didn’t even think I’d get it.” Gaius shrugged, “No I didn’t, ” he admitted, “But then again, you didn’t think you would either.” Rain glared at him before poking him in the shoulder and staying quiet.
----
Rain suddenly frowned as she remembered what had happened to that bear. Of at the things that stupid droid had ripped apart, the sight of the cheap stuffed animal in pieces was by far the worst. She bit her lip before shaking her head. What was done was done.
She stretched before examining her handiwork. The extension couplet was securely in place and would not actually need to be replaced like she’d feared originally. She closed the small hatch, hearing a clicking sound as the magnetic strip she’d attached to one end glued itself to the metal. Rain patted the ship affectionately before gathering her tools and noticing for the first time how much grease and oil she’d gotten on herself. “Ugh. I really need a shower” she said quietly, thinking aloud.
Her boots were loud on the metal floor of the ship as she trudged through the passage ways of her ship, dumping her tools in the engine room before turning and heading to her room. Rigel was nowhere to be seen, which was a little odd. Rain shook her head, “Shower first.” She muttered to herself as she pulled her hair free of the hair tie.
This is a continuation of the story on the entry before this one.
“Crazy sister! What the hell did you do to your hair!?"
Rain grinned at Gaius's outburst and self-consciously tugged on a lock of hair, "Ugly brother, I'm surprised at you. Of all people, I thought you'd be the one to like my new look." Gaius was still staring at her, "Why did you have to dye it? It looked nice black."
Rain wrinkled her nose at him, "It's my hair. Anyway, I was bored and I wanted to try it out. It’s not like its permanent." Gaius shook his head, "I guess it looks ok, but why blue? I mean, why didn't you dye it blonde or something?" She shrugged, "Natural colors are boring and I like the color blue. What more of a reason do I need?"
He frowned, "Wait, so if you liked rainbows you'd of dyed your hair like one?" Rain grinned wickedly, "That's an interesting suggestion ugly brother. Maybe next time." Gaius groaned and buried his face into his hands. Rain giggled before Gaius lowered his hands saying, "Knowing you, you came by for much more than just to show off your new look. Why don't you come in?" Gaius opened the door wider to allow his sister to enter the small apartment.
Rain looked around as he closed the door softly behind her. The main room was about the size of her own room with three doors that leading to a tiny kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a sliding glass door that led to a balcony that over looked the ocean. The bedroom door was slightly open and she could see a messy bed with clothes strewn every which way.
There was a table strewn with (what she hoped were) car magazines along with various machine parts. There were two mismatched dining chairs, one with a faded green seat cushion the other had a stack of mail and other loose papers. A small TV rested next to his computer in the far corner of the room with a couch pulled up close to it.
“Sorry I didn’t end up making your graduation from flight school.” Gaius said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. Rain shrugged, turning her blue eyes from the apartment onto her brother “It wasn’t much of a graduation,” she said, “Besides, I finished a whole year early. Istavaan wasn’t there either. I wasn’t here about that though” She stretched, “I wanted to tell you I got a job. Only a few days out of school and I’m hired. Crazy isn’t it?”
She turned away from him, staring out the glass door and at the ocean view it offered. “I’m a back up pilot for a transport ship.” She saw Gaius’s reflection grin, “That’s great crazy sister!” he said, “When do you start?” “I leave tomorrow, they were rather desperate because their pilot is really sick and they can’t delay their schedule too much. I’ll be flying until he gets out of the bacta tank. I’ll get an official posting if I do a good job. Well, that’s what they’re saying but I figure it’ll be easy enough to find another piloting job when we get to Coruscant if that’s a load of bull s**t.”
“If you get this shipping job, when do you think you’ll be back?” “That’s the thing Gaius, I don’t know.” “What?” Rain turned around again to face him, her voice quiet, “I won’t get my assignment until we land a Coruscant. That’ll be in several weeks on its own, assuming we don’t stop at any of the other planets along the way. It could take two months just to get to Coruscant. I have no idea if the ship I’m assigned to will come by here all that often… Ilsig isn’t exactly the most central of planets.” Gaius frowned, “What about vacation time and such?” he asked, “You’ll come home for vacation right?”
Rain shrugged, “I’ll try. For all I know, I’ll be assigned to the other end of the galaxy and it would take months to fly here then back.” Gaius looked confused, “Space is huge Gaius, and transport ships aren’t exactly the fastest thing in the ‘Verse.” “But, you’re gonna come back… right?” The grin was gone and replaced by an expression Rain couldn’t read. Rain rolled her eyes and tapped him on the nose, “You’re being stupid ugly brother.” She said, “I’ll come back, I just don’t know when.”
Gaius wrinkled his nose in mild annoyance, “Did you tell mom and dad?” Rain rubbed the back of her neck, “Yeah… dad’s not too happy about it, but he respects that flying is what I want to do.” She smiled ruefully and added, “I think he’s still hoping I’ll change my mind or something.” “What are you doing today?” she asked suddenly, catching her brother by surprise. “What?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “It’s your day off neh? What are you planning on doing today?”
He shrugged, “I was probably gonna hangout most likely. Why?” “Let’s go do something. Like, I dunno, go to the arcade or the beach or something. I’m really gonna miss you so I wanna hang out while we still can.” Gaius snorted in laughter. “Yeah, alright. I haven’t gone to the arcade in ages. Ahh—” The last part of his sentence was added when Rain grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the door. “Geeze crazy sister, just pull my arm off why don’t you?
Three hours went by and found them still in the arcade. Rain hesitated by one of the claw machines filled with random stuffed animals, “That bear is taunting me.” She declared, pointing at a brown bear. Gaius rubbed his forehead wearily, “Rain, it’s doing nothing of the sort.” “It is too! I’m going to show it by getting it.” He rolled his eyes, “You’re not going to get it.” He said as she inserted a coin into the slot. “Just watch me.”
Gaius watched with a bemused smile for a good five minutes as Rain tried again and again, without success, to snag the bear in question. Finally he said, “Here, let me get it.” “I refuse.” “Rain…” “Ok, this is the last time. If I don’t get it then you can try, but let me try one last time.” Gaius shrugged, “Suit yourself.” Rain narrowed her eyes in concentration as she carefully navigated the claw over the stuffed animal. “A little to your left.” Gaius said. She glared at his reflection in the glass but nudged a little bit the claw in the direction he’d indicated.
The claw dropped and slowly embraced the bear. Rain held her breath as it slowly rose and navigated over to the drop slot and depositing the toy into the opening. “I actually got it.” Rain said staring at the claw machine. A huge smile split her face and she spun to face her older brother, “Ha! Now what ugly brother? I got it!” “Congrats crazy sister.” Gaius said with a smile of his own, “Are you going to grab it or are you going to leave it there?” Rain stuck her tongue out at him but retrieved bear. “And it only cost you how many credits?” “Shut it Gaius. You didn’t even think I’d get it.” Gaius shrugged, “No I didn’t, ” he admitted, “But then again, you didn’t think you would either.” Rain glared at him before poking him in the shoulder and staying quiet.
----
Rain suddenly frowned as she remembered what had happened to that bear. Of at the things that stupid droid had ripped apart, the sight of the cheap stuffed animal in pieces was by far the worst. She bit her lip before shaking her head. What was done was done.
She stretched before examining her handiwork. The extension couplet was securely in place and would not actually need to be replaced like she’d feared originally. She closed the small hatch, hearing a clicking sound as the magnetic strip she’d attached to one end glued itself to the metal. Rain patted the ship affectionately before gathering her tools and noticing for the first time how much grease and oil she’d gotten on herself. “Ugh. I really need a shower” she said quietly, thinking aloud.
Her boots were loud on the metal floor of the ship as she trudged through the passage ways of her ship, dumping her tools in the engine room before turning and heading to her room. Rigel was nowhere to be seen, which was a little odd. Rain shook her head, “Shower first.” She muttered to herself as she pulled her hair free of the hair tie.
This is a continuation of the story on the entry before this one.
