[D4LM] Jedi Cop 2: Cold Trail Gets Hot

[Petrus Karath]

In fact, Petrus had always been popular among younger students, although he'd left for the Clone Wars before any of them could start developing crushes on him.

"Hey, c'mon Vaya." Petrus chuckled, giving her a playful punch on the arm. "Wookie grandpas don't run towards artifact sites nearly as fast as you do. But glad my sister and a few others keep help, at least." He made a face. "You think Dove's really that, uh, young? I guess I should be used to that from the clones." Although Petrus had never had to struggle with weird semi-Oedipal feelings towards them.

His eyebrows went up. "How much you talk to her, anyway?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya shrugged uncomfortably. “Not that much. I never thought that lying low left nearly as much room in my life for casual acquaintances as you seem to have.” You’re also much better at making friends than I am. "She’s also kind of… intimidating.” She blinked. “Wait a second, is she actually strand-cast? I was just joking.”

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus grimaced. "Well, until lately, it was pretty much just her and Mia. And you. And Jenna, obviously." He shrugged. "But... things are different now. I'm trying to do more."

"Uh..." Petrus scratched his head, wincing. Whoops. "Hey, don't look at me. You're the one with the degrees. I don't even know what strand-cast means."

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya gave Petrus a penetrating look, but dropped the topic with another smirk. “Definitely trying to do more something, judging by the gender ratio of the viewing party. I thought you Academy types were all celibates.”

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus coughed, one hand coming up to brush across his face, trying to conceal his blush for at least a few moments.

He raised his hands. "Hey, not my fault. I invite you, Dove and Mia, Jenna's already there, that's half the party already. I just happen to, like, live adjacent to a bunch of women." He frowned. "And know a few others. Xanna, Liua, Verse, Qareme..." Huh.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, Sloan is huge. He counts extra. But anyway, it's not like I was arranging single's night or anything." Petrus was clearly a little embarrassed, but at least the other half was amused.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

“If you were, you would have failed miserably, because as far as I could tell everyone went home as alone as they came.” She shook her head. “At least there’s something you Academy types are bad at.”

[Petrus Karath]

"Hey if had wanted..." Petrus reddened. "You know, this probably isn't a direction I want to take this conversation. I'm just glad everyone had a good time, single or otherwise."

"What about you?" Petrus smirked. "You got your eyes on anyone? Who hasn't been dead for hundreds of years?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

She rolled her eyes. "Please. See the previous statement about age. Some of them were cute, but they made me feel like I was old enough to be dead for hundreds of years." Shaking her head, she continued, "The crooks I hang out with aren't exactly winners, either. Even if you grade them on a steep curve for their choice of profession." She held out her hands to her sides, palm up, as if meditating, and half-closed her eyes. "Let's just say I'm focusing on my inner self right now."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus' eyebrows went up. "Actually, you said they all made you feel ancient except Dove. And Sloan." And Jenna, but naturally Petrus wasn't going to tug at that thread.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Sloan seemed very nice, but, reptilian. Not even reptomammal. Dove," she scrunched up her face, "is too much... how do I put it... she makes me keenly aware of every nucleotide out of place in my DNA." She scratched at her arm, as if her genes itched. "She's not only out of my league, she's out of my genus." She shrugged. "Also, she's apparently six years old, and that feels arong, and also, I think she's spoken for, and I don't need that kind of trouble." She held her hands above and below her eyes, like a full-face mask.

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus looked at Vaya curiously, chewing on his lip, for rather a long time.

"Do you ever meditate? Like I showed you?" He asked suddenly.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya held her hands over her face, her joke Inquisitor-miming hiding her discomfort and confusion with the change in topic. She dropped her hands, her face more neutral. "A couple of times... once a week, maybe...." she shrugged defensively. "I'm busy and I'm bad it." She waggled her antennapalps. "Too noisy up here."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus nodded slowly. "We can practice again sometime. Even if you can't... y'know, it's not the same for you as it is for me, it's still worthwhile. Calming yourself. Thinking about your place in the universe, and being okay with it."

"As for Dove..." Petrus pressed his lips together. "She knows what she's doing." Still, a careful observer would notice the tension around Petrus' eyes.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya smiled. "I'd like that. It's not like we have trouble finding each other." The smile became a smirk. "Besides, I guess enlightenment is the whole reason I hang out with you."

[Petrus Karath]

With a faux-shocked expression, Petrus spread his hands. "What, it wasn't because of the humor? I used to make my, uh, primary teacher crack smiles all the time. For him, that was a lot. You're not still counting the time I asked how you open doors on Kashyyyk against me, are you?"