Do You Love Me Now?

[Kalanda Tishire]

Location: Korriban, Darth Kados' Chambers.

It was all coming to plan, just as she had arranged it. Getting access to Kados' room wasn't easy, but when you asserted being the apprentice of said Sith Lord, well...that tended to get the message across. Kalanda hardly recognized herself anymore, as she gazed at the red skinned woman staring back at her. Well, it looked like red skin, in actuality it was a lot of red paint and hours of patience of standing in the cold.

Still, all things considered she felt she could pass as a pureblood, that was what Mid had said right? She wasn't the right shade for him? Well that shouldn't be an issue now. Surely that would keep his attention on her. It all made sense, she was doing everything right after all. She hardly wore anything that could be considered clothing, other than the robe she had draped across his shoulders. Some might call it being...obsessive, but she called it staying on top. She took her place on the bed, then pondered if it would be better to surprise him by the door. No, that'd probably just get her stabbed. The bed was safer, for both their sakes. She could sense Mid-Darth Kados- was coming closer, the moment of truth was here. Her lightsaber was left back in her quarters, and she was here unarmed and bare before him. If he waned to rid himself of her, this would be the time and place, but she didn't think it would come to that...no, he'd have to accept her now.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid felt good being back on Korriban. In fact, he felt bloody amazing. Walking through the hallways again, reading the old tomes, smelling the dry desert air...he was home. Well and truly. He didn't have the words to express how good it felt. Though it was clear from the smile on his face.

His smile faded, though, when he felt a familiar presence in his chambers. He never summoned her. And he never gave her access to his chambers. He slowed and reached for his lightsaber. He was still in full armour and fully geared. If she were here to assassinate him, she was doing a terrible job.

Using the force he slid the door open and ignited his lightsaber as he entered. His golden eyes formed into a scowl as he scanned the room.What he saw left him completely baffled. There was Kalanda, stark naked on his bed...painted crimson from head to toe. His mouth was literally hanging open as he stared at her for a good few seconds. He dropped his blade down, but still kept it ignited in his hand. "Kalanda...what the hell are you doing?" he asked her with a voice of pure confusion. He honestly had trouble comprehending what he was seeing. Of course laying naked on a man's bed gave a good indication of what they wanted, but why the paint? Was she...trying to catch his eye? Imitate a Pureblood? He was baffled.

He shook his head and extinguished his lightsaber, closing the door behind him before looking her in the eye. "Kalanda...what are you doing?" he asked her much more gently and kindly this time, finally comprehending what was going on.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda felt as if her heart was going to explode, as the door opened and weapons were already drawn. Kados seemed taken aback, as he questioned why she was there, surely her advances had caught him off guard. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." She started, sitting up as what little of her robe fell off her. She smiled at him, probably showing him one of the few genuine smiles she had given off in...maybe ever. "I remember back on Ziost you said I wasn't your...color but now...well..." She glanced down, then back to Kados. "Is this your sort of color? It took a while, but I'd say it was worth it."

She was on her feet by now, but didn't move towards Kados until his saber was off and they were alone. She steeped towards him slowly, her legs shaking just a tad, as 1. it was really cold now that she left the robe behind, and 2. she wasn't exactly as cool as a cucumber here. "So, you don't need to look for someone else to take as an apprentice, see? Isn't this everything you've wanted?" She asked, feeling her heart beat harder, to the point where it was starting to hurt. She left her arms open, only a mere arms length away from her if Kados was to permit it. Little by little that fear that had taken hold, that he would outright reject her was starting to fade, as she felt that her plan was working as intended.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid carefully watched as she came closer. He was sure she was going to have a heart attack, judging from tje fact that he could practically hear her heartbeat.

He listened to her speak, his lightsaber still in hand. This whole situation still felt off to him. When she finally finished speaking, standing in front of him with open arms in all her painted glory, he realized what this was about.

His shock changed into amusement as he started to chuckle and finally laugh. He placed a hand on her bare shoulder. "Kalanda...when I said that, I meant it as a joke." he explained to her. His golden eyes were gentle and amused as he looked into her eyes. "And I can't remember ever stating "sexual favours" as a requirement to be my apprentice." he continued. He clipped his lightsaber to his belt and took his black robes draped over his armour to wrap it around Kalanda. "My dear...there aren't many I'd consider for an apprentice, and even in those few you are quite ahead of the others." he reassured her, cupping her cheek after pulling the black robe around her.

When he pulled his hand back, some of the paint stuck to his palm and flaked off. "Now, how about we draw you a bath and wash off this paint, huh? he asked her before leading her to the bathroom. In the bathroom he removed his armour pieces on his arms and torso before starting to draw her a bath.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda's expression sunk, as Kados began to laugh. She looked completely and utterly destroyed from the outside, as Kados put a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't mad, which kinda made it worse in a way. Was this all a joke to him? She died a little inside right then and there. Frankly, she was disappointed and confused by his response, though she did appreciate being given the robe as it fended off the cold As Kados went to draw her a bath, she could only stand in place, her mind racked with confusion. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. She looked down at her palms, as her breathing quickened, her hands began to tremble. Did she do something wrong? What did he mean by that? She was ahead of others but...what did that even mean? The paint around her eyes began to flake off, as tears began to form in her eyes. She still hadn't moved, as Kados would probably start to realize that something was wrong.

Kalanda was full on trembling now, as her mind was wracked around on single thought, she was being rejected and eventually Kados would forget all about her. She was going to be a nobody again, just like she had been in the orphanage. Just like she had been as a all those years ago when she was 'normal'. There wasn't anything she could do about it. Not knowing what else to do, she slowly sat on the ground, using the robe as a blanket as she wrapped herself in the fabric and began to sob. She couldn't even form words right now, part of her didn't even understand why she was upset, but deep inside she was hurting.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid felt the distress coming from her. The emotion building up. She was taking this terribly. Soon enough she was sitting on the ground, crying her eyes out over all of this. Mid closed the taps of the bath and slowly turned to look at her. "Kalanda?" he asked her softly, though she didn't respond.

He walked over to her and crouched down beside her with concerned eyes. He raised his hands and, like a loving father, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "Kalanda, tell me what this is about." he said softly to her as he held her tightly against his chest. She was broken and he had no idea why. He could feel a fear in there. A deep-seated fear though he had no clue as to what it was about. "Tell me what you are afraid of." he said gently to her, wanting to figure out what was wrong with her.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda wasn't exactly in the tooking mood, as Mid's attempt to pry at the girl's inner turmoil wouldn't garner much more than her sobbing. What did get a response was the hug he gave her, as she practically collapsed against him, feeling the first actual embrace she had in literally years. She just wanted his approval, his recognition. Was that so hard to ask? Was she asking for too much? The grief turned into anger, then collapsed into full on sadness, as her nails briefly dug into Mid's shoulders before stopping herself. He asked her what was wrong, but the truth was that she wasn't entirely sure herself. This wasn't some rejection of love or some nonsense, no, this was just raw emotional pain. She didn't have a way to describe it, other than feeling like someone had carved her chest open and slammed a power hammer into it. She felt like herself and the world was collapsing in on itself.

What was she afraid of? That's what he had asked her. She was afraid of being mundane, of not being good enough, of always being on the bottom of the pack and never being notice destined to just be little miserable Kalanda that was better off joining her family in that big ash cloud in the sky five years ago. She wanted someone to challange her, to give her that drive to get better and stride for more. Just like Mid had done for her, yes, that was exactly what she wanted. And to him it wasn't anything of significance, he had laughed her off, dismissing her display as if it were a badly told joke. Weither he intended it that way, she didn't have the mental faculties to process or understand that, all she could understand was that it hurt. It took several moments for her to muster up any meaningful words, but after a decent amount of letting that pain slowly drain out, and knowing Mid wasn't in the process of wringing her neck out, she finally managed a few sparce words. "I just want your approval. That's all I want....what do I need to do for that..." She pleaded with him, clinging to the much larger frame of the darth before her. Was she asking too much? Did Mid even understand what she wanted? Those were things she wouldn't t know for the time being.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

For a good while she said nothing. She merely clung to him like a child and dried her eyes out. There wasn't much he could do other than to caress her back and hold her close. She finally opened up and told him what was bothering her. It took him by surprise, to be honest. She wanted his approval. He understood that it reached that much further, but really it all amounted to one thing: She wanted to be accepted.

He smiled softly and planted a gentle kiss on top of her head. "Kalanda...you already have it." he said simply. "Why do you think I kept asking you to assist me?" he asked her. "I'm keeping you around to take you on as my apprentice one of these days." he explained to her, looking down at her. "You've become something of a daughter to me. You already have my approval. I just don't...fancy you in such a way to sleep with you." he spoke with a gentle and caring voice.

He helped her to her feet and pulled her free from the robes before leading her into the warm bath. "I'll be honest...you don't make a bad Pureblood at all." he joked with her.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda was dumbfounded by what Mid said, as much of the tension in her body ceased, the young acolyte relaxed in the arms of the pureblood. She wasn't exactly relived, in a sense she was, but she was more struck by what was said to her. She already had his approval?

Slowly, it started to make sense in her head. She had never desired him as a sexual partner, there had never been that pull for such a thing, but she did want his attention on her. Kalanda's expression, despite the red face, showed she was genuinely puzzled. The one thing that stumped her most was that word, 'daughter'. She had a degree of feelings for Mid, but she had struggled with what the nature of that relationship was. Now it was all starting to fall in line for the young woman, as she was helped to her feet and lead into the bath, though she still hardly said a word. Most of the paint along her eyes had been distorted by her water works, as the faint color of her natural skin peeked through only slightly. Despite the silence, Mid would sense that she was fairing a great deal better now, and Kalanda herself could feel the horrid pain in her chest starting to dissipate. Mid even managed to pull a smile out of her with his comment, as she gave him the slightest of snorts.

She couldn't fathom what to say next, as she stood there for a moment as the water was starting to fill the tub once more. She turned to face Mid, not knowing what she was going to say initially, but the words came to her. "Thank you." She half mumbled, before submerging herself in the water, which soon was turned crimson from Kalanda's masterful paintjob. She tried to submerged herself in the red waters, but given that the tub wasn't even halfway there, it didn't go her way. The embarrassment hadn't registered with her yet, but it was going to, once the emotional wear and tear had calmed down.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

She seemed to calm down considerably. What he told her seemed to have gotten through to her. The longer she sat in the tub, the more she was starting to calm down. Mid stayed by her with a slight smile, helping her wash her back. She went all-out with the paint. It became clear to him how much this meant to her.

Finally she managed to speak, thanking him before trying to submerge herself. He waited for her to come back up before helping her wash off all the paint that the water couldn't get to. He worked gently, carefully scrubbing the red paint. All the while he was astonished over the amount of effort she put into this, while not thinking over the situation once. His hand came to a halt on her shoulder where he gave her a light shake. "Hey. I'm not like other Sith. I care about others." he reassured her. He left her to wash her face while he started to work on her neck and chest, though he made sure to not invade her privacy in that area. He couldn't deny that she was attractive, but that's not how he saw their relationship.

He kept quiet for the most part of the bath. When she was done, he helped to dry her off and gave her back his robes. Only now she looked like a human again. It was a pity, though. He would have loved to have a Pureblood for an apprentice.

He led her back to the lobby area where he stood in front of her. "Now what to do with you?" he said jokingly. He cupped her cheek as he looked down at her. "Are you going to be okay?"

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Washing off the paint proved to be a challenge. Kalanda thought she was going to be allowed to remedy this herself. Surprised was one of the words she would use to describe her condition, as Mid decided he wanted to get in on this too. She gave him a look of 'bro wtf' but let it slide after she found she was having difficulty in removing the paint. Maybe she'd need his help after all. At least he knew his boundries, though frankly she wouldn't have minded so long as she knew it was coming. It took several minutes of scrubbing, but the pureblood look she had gone for faded, as her human features shined through. The bathtub looked like a murder had occured though, Mid would need to get cleaning droids to remove the colored stains out.

Now freshly cleaned, and not suffering from emotional trama, Kalanda accepted Mid's robes as the pureblood lead her back to the lobby. He asked what to do with her, clearly joking, but frankly she didn't know. That was entirely up to him. "My fate is in your hands my lord. I'll accept whatever you decree be done with me." She said rather meekly, perhaps starting to realize how utterly stupid her actions today had been. "I'll be just fine my lord. I apologize for disturbing you." Kalanda said, giving Mid a small bow. They were being watched by fellow Sith after all, not showing respect to a lord made both of them look bad. Kalanda stood attentive, awaiting to see what else Mid wishes to say to her. She'd still have to come to terms with how she felt about him, but this...definently had given her some clarity.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid chuckled softly at her comment. The formal attitude completely lost in this current setting. He pulled the robes more around her to make sure she was covered up then looked at her. "Go to your chambers. Rest and gather your thoughts." he instructed her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you have questions, you know where to find me." he said to her then walked past her towards his bed, starting to take the rest of his armour off.

"Oh and apprentice." he said over his shoulder, turning to look at her again. "Let's keep this little encounter to ourselves. What say you?" he asked her with a smile, though his eyes told her clearly enough that he was serious. His generous and kind nature was already being seen as a weakness by the other Sith. This little mess certainly wouldn't be helping his reputation at all. Not that it bothered him. He could snap enough necks easily enough to make up for it. But that was unnecessary. No, simply keeping her mouth shut would do fine.

"Good day." he greeted her and turned around to continue undressing.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda stood there awkwardly as Mid readjusted the robe the ensure she was nice and snug. It vaguely reminded her of being a child, having her mother help her get dressed in the morning. Mid issued her a suggestion, telling her to go to her chambers and reflect on herself, to which she nodded. She glanced down to his hand as it made contact with her shoulder, then moved her eyes to stare up at him. There was a lingering bit of confusion in those eyes, but she was certainly faring better than she had only a few moments ago; nothing a little rest couldn't fix. She had alot of questions still, though it was certainly wiser to rest before asking them; not like she didn't know where Mid was after all. Mid then turned back, going to finish removing his armor, but the acolyte was rather slow in leaving; she had alot to ponder after all.

Before she left, she heard Mid call to her, to which she turned back towards him, curious what he needed to say. A nervous smile streaked across her face, before it was swiftly reigned in, though the small blush that came to her face confirmed she was of the same mind. "Yes my lord. I can agree with that." She lingered for only a second more, before stepping out of the Sith Lords quarters and leaving Mid to do this thing. It hadn't hit her until she was outside his quarters that it donned on her. He said apprentice. He called her apprentice. Kalanda looked back to the door, a genuine smile breaking out across her face, as much of the emotional baggage she had weighting down on her was gone. She nearly took a step back towards Mids room, wanting to speak with him further, but stopped herself. She had been given an order, she wouldn't start her time with Darth Kados disobeying him. She gave one more glance towards the door, still smiling, before she noticed it and banished the expression into the abyss. Still, Mid would sense the young woman was exuberant over the revelation.

Taking this in stride, Kalanda did go back to her quarters with her head held high. She was officially an apprentice. She'd have to tell Eithni, though that could wait. She could only handle one crisis at a time after all.

@KinkyPrawn