Distractions
"And where are you off to this early in the morning?"
Amara jumped as her hand touched the handle to the front door. She turned and saw Kare standing under the archway that lead into the kitchen. She was dressed in a tank top and a pair of loose lounge shorts. She was drinking out of a glass that had a dark green liquid inside. Her eyebrow raised in question as she eyed Amara.
"I didn't scare you did I?"
Amara cursed. She thought that she was leaving early enough so that no one would notice her departure. Before sunrise was usually a good bet as no one in their right mind was up before dawn on purpose. She lowered her hand from the door and held onto the strap of her satchel protectively, turning to face Kare. "I was going to take off. I didn't want to wake anyone. Do you always lurk in the shadows waiting to scare people?"
Kare smiled before taking a long sip of her drink. Even from this distance Amara could see that the liquid was thick and chunky. It reminded her of the numerous protein shakes she was fed at the academy. Those vile shakes were given to her every morning before her morning field training. She shuddered as she saw Kare's throat work at swallowing the viscous liquid. It took a really strong woman to wolf that down without flinching. Kare pulled the glass from her lips and tilted her head towards Amara. "So what… you were planning on leaving without saying goodbye?"
"I thought it would be easier," Amara said casually. Disappearing was better when there was no one awake to stop you.
Kare smirked. "Easier for who? Is there someone that is going to miss you if you leave?"
A picture of Poe looking down at her, his eyes searing into hers with heated interest, flashed into Amara's mind. Her skin felt warm instantly and unfortunately it was too early to blame the sudden heat spike on the climate (at least not yet). She shook her head quickly. "I meant it's easier for me. I'm just trying to avoid another round of twenty questions from your team."
"Fair enough," Kare said thoughtfully. "Do you at least know where you are going?"
Amara stopped, and for the first time she actually thought about her plan. What was her plan exactly? "I guess I figured that I would head to the nearest village and see about possibly getting work."
Kare raised an eyebrow. "Do you know where the nearest village is?" she asked slowly.
"I'll be able to find my way," Amara said with certainty. I always do, she thought to herself. She had no other option.
"You know," Kare began, "that it would be better if you scouted first, right? Or better yet, just wait for the rest of the group to wake up and just ask for directions?"
Amara cursed again. She knew that Kare was right. While her survival skills were honed, she had no idea which direction to start. She could take her chances wandering around the jungles, hoping she was going in the right direction, but deep down she knew that her chances were better if she actually waited and got guidance. She was not beneath admitting she was acting irrationally.
"Don't let your emotions get the best of you!"
Sloane's voice echoed in her head and Amara closed her eyes at the memory.
"Why are you being so weak? Don't let him cloud your judgement!"
"Maybe you're right," she said softly as she put her bag on the ground. She was being ridiculous. This was not who she was. Why was she letting this man get under her skin? Why was she letting another man influence her decisions?
"Let's go," said Kare.
Amara's eyes met with Kare's. Did she really mean to go with her? "Go where," she asked curiously.
"I'm going for a run. Come with me."
"And what makes you think I want to take a run with you?"
"What makes you think I was asking?" she said, her face serious. "I could use the company. Plus, you look like you need to take your mind off of whatever it is that was causing you to brood over there."
"I was not brooding."
Kare clicked her tongue. "Oh please… you looked like a mopey vornskr at a zoo." She lifted the glass to her mouth and chugged the green liquid until the glass was empty. Kare wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, stifling a gag. "Stars that shit is nasty. I don't know how people can drink that shit." She walked through the doorway into the kitchen. Amara heard the sound of the glass being set on the table before Kare returned through the doorway carrying a pair of shoes.
"Then... why do you drink it?" she asked as she set her satchel down on the floor against the wall.
Kare shrugged as she walked over to the wooden chair by the door. She sat down as she began to put the shoes onto her feet. "Honestly, I am not sure. Snap told me about this recipe. He said that it was good to have a protein shake before a workout. Although after having that garbage I think he just wants me to suffer."
"Well he isn't wrong," Amara began. "Having a protein shake before a workout helps maintain muscle mass during training and reduce markers of muscle damage, therefore aiding in recovery." She took off her jacket and folded it neatly, placing it on top of her satchel. "Or so I heard."
"Do they have to taste like banta shit though?" Kare asked as she finished lacing up her shoes.
Amara smiled as she brought her ankle up, inverting the foot towards the knee and then to her waist. She could feel the stretch in her glute and lateral quad area. It had been a while since she ran, and with all the sitting she had been doing lately she could feel that her muscles were already tight. "There are some things that you can add to make them taste better."
Kare stood. She moved the chair away from the wall so that she could hold onto the back of the chair. She began to swing her leg forward and backwards. "You didn't taste that drink. Nothing could have made it better." After about 15 to 20 seconds she switched to the other leg.
"You'd be surprised at how many of those types of drinks I've had to put away. I would always keep a large supply of sugar cubes in my pocket that I could grind up and slip into my drink when no one was looking."
Kare raised an eyebrow in question. "Isn't sugar bad for you though?"
Amara shook her head. She brought her arms above her head and began to slowly lean to the right, making sure to keep her abdominals tight. "If you're drinking only a protein shake prior to your workout then you actually need all the calories you can get." She moved so that she was leaning to the left, stretching her other side. "If you're worried about it you can always use honey."
"Huh…" Kare said thoughtfully. "I'll have to think about it in more detail then." Kare moved the chair back so that it was against the wall. "Alright… let's get going before the sun comes up and it starts getting hot as Bantha balls."
Kare opened the door and headed outside. Amara followed after her, closing the door to the house softly behind her so as to not disturb the rest of the house. Once they were standing side by side outside Kare nodded to Amara before she slowly began to run.
Amara jogged so that she was right beside her, making sure to match her speed. They ran side by side in silence for a few minutes. Even Though it had been a while since Amara went for a run, her breathing still came easy to her. She could easily go faster, but she wanted to stay with Kare and go at her pace. She was the one who wanted to do this run in the first place. As they ran, Amara couldn't help but hear that voice inside her speaking to her once more.
"You are faster than this. Show the others how much better you are. Show them who they should strive to be!"
"How about Ice Cream?" Kare said casually, interrupting Amara's thoughts.
Amara shook her head in confusion. "Ice cream?"
"Yeah, Ice Cream," she said breathily. Amara could tell that she wasn't used to talking while running. "I imagine that Ice Cream would make anything better, even something as nasty as that shake."
Amara shrugged as she continued to keep a steady pace. "Haven't tried it but I imagine it would give it more of a milkshake consistency."
"It seems like we have a lot of brainstorming to do, you and I," Kare said with the barest hint of a smile. "Besides sugar… what else have you tried?"
Poe walked into the kitchen, his limbs feeling heavy and his head groggy from sleep. It had been a long time since he had a full eight hours of sleep and his body didn't know how to handle the change. His body ached and he didn't feel as alert as he normally did in the mornings. BB usually was there to make sure that his day started without a hitch but when Poe awoke he saw that his little droid was nowhere to be seen. He always made it a point to be the first person to rise and get the team up and moving, so when he entered the room and saw Snap, the member of black squadron who consistently woke up last, leaning against the counter with a coffee mug in his hand he knew that he had overslept by quite a lot. Poe grunted as he walked towards him. Seeing him approach, Snap poured a cup and handed it to him.
"Here you go," he said gruffly. "Kare was nice enough to brew a pot before she took off this morning for her run." After handing off the cup, Snap walked towards the dining table and took a seat. Poe continued to stand by the coffee maker, as he cupped the mug tenderly in his palms and raised it to his nose.
Poe sniffed the earthy aroma and sighed. God how he missed the coffee beans that grew on Yavin. Coffee from Yavin was a pricey export and as a result only people in the upper 1% usually had access to the glorious beans. Now that he was back home he could indulge in as much coffee as his kidneys could take. "Stars I sure missed this." He closed his eyes as he let the aroma overtake him.
Snap smirked as he walked towards the dining table and took a seat. "Enjoying yourself there black leader?"
"Shhh… I'm having a moment. Snap, you're ruining my moment."
Snap chuckled and stayed silent, allowing Poe to have his time. Instead he turned his gaze out the large window that faced the large open courtyard. He continued to sip his coffee, taking his own moment to savor the flavor as well as the beauty of the planet outside.
Poe thought of the first time he ordered a cup of coffee outside of Yavin. He took one sip and almost spat it out the moment it touched his lips. It wasn't coffee but instead boiled water with dirt. It was a poor excuse for coffee and frankly it should have been put in a rocket and blasted to the sun in order for it to be destroyed along with the rest of the toxic garbage. That was nothing compared to the sweet nectar currently in his hand. Coffee on Yavin tasted like summer in a cup. It reminded him of mornings sitting in the courtyard enjoying a cup with his mentor and close family friend L'ulo L'ampar. It reminded him of warm summer evenings sitting with his father in the courtyard after dinner, enjoying a cup while leisurely smoking a cigar. No other drink brought this type of emotion out of him. "Man… coffee doesn't taste as good as this," Poe said wistfully.
"Well you should show yourself around here more often," a deep voice spoke from behind him.
Poe didn't have to turn around. He knew that voice anywhere. "Well… you know how life in the resistance works pops. You know just as well as most that the vacation package benefits are shit."
Kes Dameron huffed before walking into the kitchen. Poe went to grab a coffee mug off out of the cupboard but Kes held up his hand and instead walked towards the fridge. "No coffee for me. Leona has me drinking these teas instead." Kes opened the fridge and pulled out a tin canister. He closed the door behind him and walked towards the table to sit beside Snap.
"Tea?" Poe shook his head. "Since when have you been drinking tea?"
"For about a couple months now. Doctor says I should cut back on my caffeine intake." Kes unscrewed the cap and took a long swig of the drink.
Poe's ears pricked at the mention of the doctor. "Doctor? Are you alright?" Poe looked at his father with concern, his eyes scanning him intently. Was he thinner? His father was wearing multiple layers so he couldn't tell if he had lost any weight. Was his skin always that color? Why did he go to the doctor in the first place? What symptoms was he having? Why didn't he know any of this? Why didn't anyone reach out to him?
Oh, that's right… he was too busy being a complete and utter asshole.
"Just some high blood pressure and other stuff." Kes shrugged as he picked up a piece of fruit that was sitting in a bowl on the table. The fruit was dark brown in color and covered with prickly spines. He began to peel the rind slowly, being careful to not get pricked.
"Other stuff? What kind of things? What did the doctor say? Besides tea what else is he having you do? Did the doctor have you scanned by a med droid? BB has some basic med programming that I loaded into him a few months ago. I can have him scan you-"
"By the stars Poe calm down! I'm fine! Just gettin' old. No need to get your shorts stuck in a turbine. I'm not dying if that's what you're worried about."
Poe rolled his eyes. "Well of course I'm worried Dad! Can you blame me?" Poe could feel his anger starting to rise. This was not going well. He needed to breathe. He needed to remain grounded. He needed to relax. "Look Dad, I care about you alright. You should tell me these things."
Kes scoffed and peeled the last of the rind, revealing the bring yellow pulp of the fruit. He pushed it aside as he took a bite of the fruit. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Care. Hmph… funny way of showing' that you care," he mumbled.
"Annnnnd that's my cue I think," Snap said as he stood.
Poe ignored Snap, shaking his head as he stared at his father in disbelief. "Of course I care. How can you even say that I don't?"
Kes finished the fruit in two more bites before he turned to face his son, his eyes narrowing in anger. "How can I say that? Let's make a list, Poe, of why I know you don't care about your family," he snapped as he pointed his finger accusingly at his son.
"Yep…. definitely time for me to leave!" Snap grabbed his empty mug from the table and quickly walked to the sink. He expertly moved around Poe, who was still rooted in place as he stared down his father, and carefully but quickly placed the mug in the sink with the other dirty dishes. Neither Poe nor Kes acknowledged Snap's departure.
As Snap rounded the corner he almost ran directly into Jess and BB-8.
"Woah! Snap where are you-" Jess said startled.
"No time. Need to leave," he said quickly as he grabbed her arm and began leading her away from the kitchen. BB-8 quickly reversed and swiveled his head so that he was now following them away from the room.
"But I wanted to grab a quick bite in the kitchen," she said, confused as she pointed towards the kitchen.
"This is a jungle Jess… we can find you something outside." He looked sideways at her. "Trust me… you don't not want to be in there right now."
It did not take long for the temperature and humidity to spike once the sun finally rose over the trees. Amara and Kare tried to make sure that they stayed protected under the shade of the jungle canopy, but even the shade could not protect them from the humidity. While Amara focused on her breathing, blocking out the burning in her lungs, Kare joined the Jungle animals in their orchestral song.
"FUCK…. FUCK THIS…. FUCK ME…. GOD DAMMIT… I… WANT… TO… DIE."
The warm humidity of the jungle Amara made her feel sticky and suffocated. Her clothes and hair, slick with perspiration clung to her skin. She could feel her heart pounding inside her chest as her lungs constricted for air.
"It's...it's not so bad," Amara said with difficulty. She was out of shape and at that moment she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Kare or herself.
Kare spit on the ground as she slowed. "Stars this is horrible. I can't go any further… This was a mistake."
Amara jogged closer to Kare and placed her arm on the woman's back. "Look… let's just get to the end of that cropping of trees." She nodded ahead. "Once we get there we can take a break."
Even though her agony was apparent, Kare eventually nodded and her pace quickened. Together they ran and once they tagged the tree at the end of the outcropping both Kare and Amara collapsed onto the ground.
Amara extended her arms out towards her sides and blew out a long and slow breath. She was aching all over. Her feet were sore, her legs felt like rubber, and her heart was beating a mile a minute. Her body was crying, its tears were her sweat. Her eyes drifted upwards towards the jungle canopy. She watched the lights as they danced through the leaves, taking note every time a brightly colored bird flew past. The humidity dampened the ground so when she laid down upon the mossy surface she could feel the cool earth enveloping her in a cool hug.
"Listen…" Kare's voice whispered hoarsely beside her. Amara turned her head and saw that Kare was lying there with her eyes closed. "Can you hear that?" Kare whispered again.
Amara quieted as she listened to the sounds around her. She could hear the birds cawing in the distance. She could hear the wind swaying the large palm fronds. After a few moments of sorting through the various sounds when she finally heard it. "Is that water?"
Kare sat up slowly, wincing as she did so. "It sounds like it. It doesn't sound very far and sounds like it's coming from over there?" She pointed ahead of them in the distance. She turned her head to Amara and raised an eyebrow. "Want to punish ourselves more and go check it out?"
"If you want we can race?" Amara said, hoping to sound enticing.
Kare laughed. "And what do I get when I win?"
Amara joined her in her laughter. "IF you win, I'll have to do something for you." Amara thought before adding, "within reason."
Kare shook her head. "Yeah but you said it yourself, you're leaving."
Amara shrugged. "True… so it'll have to be something quick then. But… it won't matter because I'm going to win." She pushed herself up off the ground and stood. "I'm going to enjoy having you do my laundry after this run," she taunted.
Kare pushed herself up off of the ground as well and placed her hands on her hip. "You expect me to clean your sweaty underwear?" Kare said disgusted.
Amara shrugged. "Only if you lose."
Kare bit her bottom lip as she raised her eyebrow at Amara. She seemed to be weighing the odds before her. Amara held out her hand to Kare. "We got a deal?"
Kare took her hand and shook it. "Deal. On the count of one."
"Two," Amara said.
Kare bolted down the path like a champion at the sound of the starting gun. "THREE!" she screamed behind her.
"HEY YOU CHEATER!" Amara screamed as she ran after her.
Kare's laughter filled the jungle as she continued to run at breakneck speed. Amara quicked her pace and could feel herself gaining on her. The sound of water was getting louder and Amara knew that she wasn't going to catch her.
Amara's legs moved swiftly beneath her. Sweat rolled down her skin in thick, salty beads. She could feel her heart throbbing inside her chest. Her skin felt like it was roasting. And she had the biggest smile she ever had. Running had never been this fun for her. This was not life or death. This wasn't win or be punished. This was a fun game between two people who were enjoying each other's company. This was what being with a friend felt like.
Eventually the women reached the end of the path, Kare barely reaching the end first. Kare whooped loudly before jumping up and down. "Ha!"
Amara wheezed, unable to hide her smile. "You cheated!"
"Winning is winning baby," Kare smirked.
Amara was going to retort but was rendered speechless once she looked ahead. In the distance, amid the green of the jungle was a waterfall. From a distance the waterfall had been like a silent white stream cascading over the rocky outcrops. Drawn to its sheer beauty the two women slowly migrated towards the water.
As they had drawn closer the noise had increased steadily until they were only a few hundred metres away. Closer still they drew until they were in the plume of water vapour that hung over the plunge pool.
It was breathtaking. Amara had never seen anything like it her entire life. This was a force of nature, both beautiful and brutal. Tranquil from a distance but deafening up close. It was as if the cascades of water conjured cascades of equally powerful emotions in her brain and it literally took her breath away.
She looked to Kare who was standing beside her. They could no longer even shout to one another over the deafening roar of the water. They looked at each other, their eyes communicating what their voices could not. They smiled as they reached for each other's hand. Together they ran and jumped into the shimmering water. They gasped as the cool water permeated their skin but the coldness was welcome.