Culling Flowers

[Dread]

Outside the house, just a few feet from the porch, Silas saw a girl culling flowers. She carried a pretty little wicker basket, half filled with sunnydew and funnel flowers. On her head was a large, brown sun hat that shaded her face, but could not hide the large willful tendrils of golden hair that blew across her sweet face.

She was humming softly to herself, and did not hear Silas' footsteps in the gravel until he stood so near her he might of touched her shoulder. He did not speak to her; he was content to gaze upon the young woman.

As though his presence spoke to her, she turned around and looked at him. Her face lit up into a bright smile. She extended her hand to him, but he did not do her the same favor.

"You're Mr.Maylor? My names Idoya."

Silas stood and after a minute he realized what he was seeing in front of him; she was not real. She was a ghost of his past, a byproduct of the many mind altering substances he was on. He wondered how much of what he saw around was real.

"You look Ill - Is the sun bothering you, Mr.Maylor?" she asked with a confused look painted across her face. She did not understand why he didn't answer.

"No, Idoya, the sun does not effect me."

It didn't effect him because it too was not real. He didn't feel the warmth it normally brought.

"Then am I bothering you?"

Silas shook his head, offering Idoya a smile. He leaned down and propped himself up on one knee, drawing his finger around a locket she wore.

"That's a pretty locket you have there," he remarked, feeling that he needed to take it from her and look inside it.

"Yes; it posses great power," she replied hesitantly.

Silas raised an eyebrow, amused by her words.

"Can I see whats inside?" he asked.

She nodded. Her cheeks grew warm and her hands trembled while she unclasped the tiny chain from her neck and handed it to him.

He opened it, and looked upon a picture of Idoya's corpse. Her eyes were clear and lifeless. Her lips as white as the folded arms above her chest. Silas ran a finger over the picture and smiled.

A warmth took over his body and then nothing.

It was half past midnight when he woke up. His eyes burned and his limbs shook under his own weight. He staggered up only to fall back onto a bed. Silas stared at the ceiling, hearing Idoya's humming in his mind. He began to hum the same tune. That's when the coldness of the room began nip at his toes, and when he realized he was wearing nothing but the poka dotted short shorts from his collection of exotic clothing.

Silas laughed at himself.

 

[Sreeya]

It had been a mere day since the adventure on Tanaab, which was a massive victory for Sith. Andraste still ached slightly from the injury she had received during the battle. The Sith sighed in exhaustion, quietly making her way back to her quarters. At the moment, she did not wish to see anyone. Her thoughts were far away, back on Tanaab. She pondered over her choices, her decisions and how the Dark Side of the Force spoke through her. She felt like a snake, a vessel through which the darkness could preach its unholy gospel. She had turned a Jedi, tainted her and draped over her a cloak of shadowy darkness that would tinge the purity she was conditioned to build and nurture.

Andraste hummed to herself, twirling a flower between her fingers. It had been quite a while since she had taken the time to pick flowers. She peered into the red petals, bringing the flower up to inhale the scent. Andraste smiled, as if the sweet fragrance invoked a memory. It was a memory of a certain someone, someone her mind should not have pondered on. Andraste quelled the thoughts, tucking them into an isolated corner of her psyche. She could not afford to even think about him. Sith all around ventured into the minds of others at any given instance, probing without ever being detected. Andraste was back to letting her guard up, her countenance impassive.

She walked into her room, keeping her eyes on the flower. She knew where her bed was, and she was completely lost within her thoughts. Andraste felt as if she had two personalities now, both existing in a strict dichotomy. There was one side that was favored by Sith, and another that was tucked away and reserved only for one person. She hoped to keep it that way lest it bring danger to him. Her concerns surprised her, as they were unfamiliar thoughts that made her somewhat uncomfortable.

Without looking, Andraste turned around and plopped down onto her bed. Instead of the soft blankets, she felt an awkward mass underneath her. Andraste toppled backwards, completely off balance and letting out a healthy stream of profanity. It took her a moment to realize that she had sat down upon the lap of someone laying on her bed. Andraste jumped to her feet, prepared to blast lightning into the face of the culprit before realizing that it was a Sith Lord. Her jaw hung open as her eyes trailed down to his state of clothing, coming to rest upon his frighteningly disturbing choice of underwear. Andraste took a few steps back, bewildered.

"If this is supposed to be part of Sith Trials, I think I'll stay a Crusader forever.."

 

[Dread]

Silas sensed the young woman long before she entered the bedroom, but didn't move or say anything even when he realized that he wasn't laying in his bed. When she sat on him a quick, sharp pain shot through his sore body. He fought against his grimace and laughed, shrugging off the pain. He enjoyed the fact that a young woman sat on his lap, as short a time as it was. She was quite stunning with dark wavy hair and eyes that mirrored the darkness that steeped the building around them.

"If this is supposed to be part of Sith Trials, I think I'll stay a Crusader forever.." she said.

"Oh, dear, oh, dear...that hurts my pride," he replied, raising his arm dramatically. His emerald eyes rolled to one side above his pouting lip.

"You like younger men -- that's it, isn't it?" He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and rubbed his head, ruffling his blond hair instead of trying to smooth the wild locks framing his face. A face so pale that it defied logic. One could only wonder how he stayed so pale on Korriban.

"Well that's alright. If you can't get in the mood tonight we can just talk," he said gaily. "Oh, where have my manners gone? I haven't even introduced myself; my name is Silas, Lord Silas, spoiled brat, who the **** are you or Darth Animus, take your pick," his voice died away into a happy murmur.

Silas rolled onto his side.

"Come sit down. Make yourself at home."

He patted the bed for her to sit down close to him. He didn't care if she actually sat or not. He was playing around, going with the flow like he always did. Although he couldn't ignore the strange aura she had. It perked his interest, but he didn't allow his expression to betray his thoughts. He kept his aloof demeanor, projecting only his amusement for her senses to pick up.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste simply stared at him, her initial surprise fading away to be replaced by a blank look. She listened to his words, mentally debating whether or not this was some type of illusion or trickery. Was he truly in her room for no apparent reason, sitting on her bed and inviting her to sit down as well? Andraste hesitated for a long moment, attempting to look past him. His eyes were windows, but the blinds were shut and she could see nothing beyond the surface. It was then that she was sold on the fact that this was actually the Sith Lord. As if delayed, all of the words hit her all at once, causing a grin to play upon her lips.

"Make myself at home..? I see you already have.."

She walked over and sat down on the bed next to him, deciding that she was simply too exhausted to waste energy on exploring why there was a Sith Lord dressed in terribly tacky shorts sitting in her room. Andraste twirled the flower between her fingers once again, mesmerized by the display of spiraling red. It was almost like a bloody vortex, beautiful and gruesome all at once. It privately reminded her of herself. Andraste did not take her eyes off the flower as she spoke.

"Why is it that most of the Sith Lords are blondes? Is there some sort of genetic purging going on here?"

She had to grin at the words, finally looking over at Silas.

"I'll call you Silas, I think. I am called Andraste. Please don't call me Crusader. Boring title, if you ask me. And if you must know, yes I do prefer younger men though I've been known to make exceptions.."

Andraste's sentence trailed off, as did her thoughts. Her mind ventured over to Exodeus, and the thoughts were accompanied with a sudden pang of anger. She coughed and cleared her mind, returning to the present situation at hand.

 

[Dread]

Silas blinked a few times, and looked up at Andraste then around the room.

"Actually, yes we are, and it all begins with you," he laugh snorted. "It's a perfectly logical explanation for my presence."

He sat up on the bed, slowly, dreading the journey ahead of him. What he'd do for some hardcore pain killers and a glass of something potent. Silas' thoughts started to trail off, but they didn't wander long. Andraste's voice snapped his thoughts back to the present.

"Us old guys can be just as fun as the young bucks," Silas answered with a smile and a wink.

He began to slide off the bed, but instead of the cold marble floor on his toes he felt something much softer. He looked down. His cloak was folded perfectly just below him. It looked like it had been washed and dried. It was a strange sight indeed. How he had manged to both clean and fold his cloak flawlessly, yet still get lost trying to find his way to his bedroom was a mystery to even him. Silas shook his head and let it go. He had learned long ago not to focus too much on the odd things he did.

"My dear, I have a task for you." As he spoke he leaned over, snatching up his cloak and sliding it over his body. "You will accompany me to hunt down down the rest of my belongings! I seem to of misplaced some of them...Mm...I mean they were stolen. Of course, this will earn you much prestige."

Silas chuckled.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste stared at him dully as he spoke.

"I truly do hope you're not trying to flirt with me. I think that counts as sexual harassment at the office. I'd have to report you to the boss and that'd be a bad day all around."

The delivery was flawless, her face completely serious. She had to quell the urge to laugh, quickly looking away. However, Silas surprised her even more by coming up with a ridiculous quest for them to go on. Andraste sighed and hopped off her bed.

"If it'll get you out of my room, I'll be happy to accompany you, my lord."

She rolled her eyes and followed him out.

"After looking at those shorts, I must admit I'm a little concerned about what the rest of your belongings look like.."

Andraste coughed, having blurted out before thinking. She quickly looked down at the ground, as if she hadn't said anything.

 

[Dread]

Silas allowed a wicked grin to play across his lips.

"Go on then my dear, report me, although I have a..." He paused to tap his finger on his chin twice. "sneaking suspicion that he'd give someone as beautiful as you the same treatment."

He got up from the bed and began to walk towards the hall.

"Haven't you heard? All us men are alike," he said, barely able to contain his laughter.

He slowed down to walk beside Andraste then drew back his hand and went to slap her rear.

"Well, if you want to see my wardrobe we can make our first stop my room. It seems...fitting," he murmured the last bit of his words. "Besides, I might of unwittingly left somethings behind. I swear thats where I started off last night..."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste rolled her eyes at he spoke about her getting similar treatment from the Dark Lord.

"Somehow, I don't doubt that.."

She trailed off, quelling the thoughts that suddenly popped into her mind. She continued walking, not noticing that he had fallen into steps behind her. Andraste listened to him absentmindedly, only paying attention half the time. That was when she felt an abrupt slap to her rear. She jerked forward and stopped in her tracks. Andraste slowly turned around to look at him, her face devoid of emotion. Without a word, she gathered the Force abruptly to her hand and flicked her wrist casually. The Force would curl around Silas and bodily lift him and send him flying right through a window.

Andraste had no concern for the repercussions of her actions. After she was satisfied, she sighed, a smile coming to her face. She walked over to the window, peering out casually.

"Stop eating dirt and hurry up already! Isn't your room just around the corner?"

Without waiting for an answer, she withdrew from the window and began to whistle to herself as if nothing happened. Andraste continued down the hall, walking towards his quarters.

 

[Dread]

Silas watched Andraste turn around and met her blank stare with a guilty smile.

All he heard was a rush of air while he was tossed by Andraste. He knew he could of fought against it, but instead he choose to go along with it. It gave him a rush of excitement. The window was open, so it wasn't like he was being tossed through glass. His land wasn't graceful; he fell flat on the ground in the dirt, his robes open at his sides, allowing full exposure of his mostly nude body and fancy short shorts. He grimaced from a flash of pain and then let a muffled exclamation escape his lips. The word was unintelligible, but he uttered it with a sense of wonder that made it seem a tribute to Andraste.

As if he was unaffected, Silas stood up with a smile and made his way behind Andraste.

Once he caught up with her, his hand flashed forward with the aid of the force and he grabbed her wrist. He twisted her arm, forcing her to bend to the side. He stared at Andraste with a burning interest. Still twisting her wrist tightly behind her, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Be careful, I consider that flirting."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste gasped as he abruptly grasped her arm and twisted it, forcing her to cave in the direction he turned her. She was immobilized for a moment, surprised that he was able to sneak up on her so easily. Andraste was frozen in spot as he leaned in to whisper into her ear. She felt his hot breath on her skin, though it trickled like an ice cube down the side of her neck. Andraste's heart began to pound against her chest, but she quickly slowed her breathing. He had caught her completely off guard, his words like honeyed poison that teasingly wove into her mind. As Andraste got a hold of herself, she smiled, raising her arm and elegantly twirling out from underneath him, as if they were dancing. She tilted her head, facing him.

"Do you treat all women like this?"

It was then that she took the moment to truly examine him, past the strange choice of clothing. She looked into his eyes, the emerald green orbs that glowed with vibrant life, though there was decay all around. They were a stark contrast to her dark ones, making her ponder on which of them was the bigger slave to the dark side. Andraste looked away after a moment, continuing down the path she had started on.

 

[Dread]

...Andraste.​

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Can you see...

beneath...?​

ANDRASTE?

Silas indulged himself in the feelings he sensed from Andraste. He moistened his lips with his tongue. He could almost taste her emotions. When she broke free from his grip and inquired about how he treated women, he choose to stay quiet. He'd allow her to figure that one out on her own. Then she paused and stared, right straight into his eyes and held her gaze. For a moment he wondered if she could see through him into the true darkness hidden fitfully beneath his skin. The monster that slept, waiting, hungering for it's glory days when it got to surface from it's prison and take over. Silas caught his breath and held it, until he felt her body move away.

For the walk to his room he stayed quiet. Content to just watch Andraste from behind. Once at the doorway, he slid a card through a scanner which illicited two short, high pitched beeps before the door shot open.

Scattered around Silas' large main room were several sturdy workbenches. The nearest workbench was cluttered with small boxes, tubes and pouches, all of which looked like they had been violently shoved to one side in a fit of rage, causing many of them to fall off the workbench onto the floor. Many had broken, littering the floor with powders, dusts, sands, earths and stones of many odd colors and varieties, creating a kaleidoscopic mess of vibrant colors and pungent smells. Amidst the clutter were two large round glowing glass globes that pulsated with dark side power.

The rest of the workbenches were pushed together, making one large, uneven makeshift table. It, too, was cluttered with all manner of unimaginable oddities, all of which were scattered like debris in the wake of a giant funnel cloud that hung over the whole room.

There were fresh stains, wet alchemical substances, and clinging powders on the ceiling and walls, some still oozing down into the chaotic mess on the floor.

Shelves and racks hung on every free space the walls provided, filled with unevenly pilled books and datapads. Some piles looked like they had gotten so high that they had tumbled over, scattering books about the floor, adding yet another touch of madness to the already insanely messy room.

On the far side of the room behind a desk was a small fireplace with a roaring fire crackling. A large pot sat in the fireplace, precariously balanced on a sputtering log, steam rising from the golden fluids boiling within. The side of the pot was smashed in as if it had been hit by a mad wookiee. Many of the logs in the fireplace were wet and steaming from the heat. Some of the pot's contents had spilled out onto the floor, forming wet trails into the colorful mess of other alchemical substances.

Silas scratched his head then strolled into his room, stepping in a colorful puddle that nearly made him slip and fall. He caught himself and turned back to look at Andraste, smiled widely and brought his arms up into the air as he proudly exclaimed, "Welcome to my humble abode, my dear, aheh heh..."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste's nose crinkled at the smell that hit her like a tangible force. The pungent odor assaulted her nostrils, almost making her eyes water. She coughed a few times, stepping into the room. Oddly enough, the smell was familiar. She saw the state of his room and had to laugh.

"You...must be a moody individual. Remind me not to cross you."

She turned to him and grinned then, a hint of almost playful fire in her eyes. Andraste had felt his eyes on her, the way his line of sight lowered or raised. It felt as if a cloak were silkily dropping from her body. She ignored the feeling, turning back to the gooey ooze marking the remnants of alchemy. Andraste stepped closer, walking towards the pot that was still boiling the contents within.

"Alchemy, eh? Weren't you taught not to leave these things unattended?"

She turned to him, watching curiously as a lethal looking substance began to ooze towards his foot on the floor. Andraste would watch it begin to wear through his shoe if he allowed it.

 

[Dread]

"Moody? Not at all!"

He lied. He had triggers. The wrong words mixed with the wrong actions sent him into a fit of rage. Some people called them psychotic breaks while Silas never bothered to give them a name. To him, they never existed.

With a slight hobble to avoid the contents of alchemy on the floor, he moved as close as he could to Andraste. Silas danced his eyes on her, they racked her body, stripping her naked in his mind. He grinned and enjoyed a few moments of his silent perversion.

"Sometimes I forget things...my room clearly lacks a womans touch," he said, figuring that Andraste could figure the double meaning to his words.

He chuckled to himself then walked past her to the fire and poised his hand over the pot. The pot clinked, levitated, then rested upon a stand near the fire.

"This is...something I've been working on for some time...the first step in creating the right container to cultivate a virus in." He paused and tapped a finger on his lip as his thoughts wandered off.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste felt his eyes on her, and the knowledge made her grin. She did not have to look at him to understand that he was venturing into territory beyond what he could see superficially. Hints of his thoughts pooled into her mind. It was as if he had no care to even hide his thoughts, which in a way she found amusing. The young Sith remained silent, watching as he walked past her to regard the pot.

"A virus?"

He had piqued her curiosity now. She stepped forth, looking into the pot. The odor was offensive to her senses, but she ignored it.

"It looks... harmless as of now."

Andraste smiled down at the pot.

"Perhaps it could use a woman's touch."

 

[Dread]

When Andraste walked to the pot, she had placed herself in front of him with her back facing him. Dirty ideas of all sorts flooded into his mind. Some of them couldn't be put into words, one needed to preform the act in order to understand.

Licking his lips he crept up behind her and slipped his arms around her, just beneath her full breasts. He leaned closer, and his lips brushed against her ear almost reverentially, then slowly, he ran his fingers over her neck, in a both a playful and threatening manner.

"Mm. Perhaps you can help me with my project in more than one way...it's always nice to relax before I begin any project," he said with a nearly inaudible chuckle.

 

[Sreeya]

She felt like a lamb, with a wolf sniffing her before devouring her. Her blood coursed furiously through her veins, and her Force energy betrayed her heightened tension. She had experienced intimacy, but this was dark, a perversion of what she had gone through before. Yet she did not draw away from it, like a deer in the headlights. He was chilling, his words vaguely reminding her of the poison that flowed on the floor all around them. Andraste did not pull away from him, but she slowly turned around to face him. Her face was mere inches away from his, the flames from the fire behind her lighting up his features while darkening the contours of his visage. She spoke, but her voice was barely above a whisper. It was difficult to decipher whether or not she spoke through the Force or with her own voice.

"Tell me, Silas, when did you abandon your humanity? When did you watch it retract from you? Did you smile at it? Did you try to chase after it?"

Andraste leaned in even further, her lips lightly tracing along his jawline.

"This charade you have going..do you really think you're fooling anyone? The most twisted of monsters are the most beautiful, and they sweep in with unbridled fury, ruthlessly..mercilessly.."

Her words trailed off. He would be able to feel it now, the twisted abyss of her mind. It was a spiraling vortex, a cacophony of the chords of anguish, accumulated from the deaths she had seen and thrived in. It was a sample, a taste of the kind of monster she was.

"You crave me because I am the epitome of that darkness you so wish to indulge yourself in. All the drugs, all this fog never compares.. does it?"

 

[Dread]

Silas listened to each word, even though his mind was having a hard time focusing on anything but certain other things. Now he was seeing her for who she really was, and now he felt even closer to her than before.

A devious grin played across his lips, which slowly changed into a smirk. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, then brushed his lips across, up to her ear. He suck on it a little then whispered, "Ah...my dear...I don't wish to just simply indulge myself. I want to drowned myself; suffocate myself until I am past darkness into oblivion where I belong."

He grabbed the sides of her hips roughly, digging his fingers into her. Not to stop her from moving, but to hurt a little on purpose...maybe she'd understand why, maybe not.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste felt his hot breath graze her skin as he worked his way up to her ear. His lips closed around it, sending chills down her spine. Despite what he was doing to her physically, his words were what truly got to her. She had to smile, the pigmentation of her irises lightening slightly as they often did when she tapped into the Force. Andraste felt him grab her hips, his fingernails digging into her skin. It was pain, superficial, and it was exquisite. It dispersed from her hips throughout the rest of her body. Andraste looked into his eyes, her own shadow cast above his features.

"You're hiding so many things, Silas. And quite frankly I don't give a damn. You're so complex and so superficial all at once. It's disgustingly wonderful."

She reached into his pocket and took out a packet of granulated deathstick. Andraste grinned as she turned to roll it into a paper, setting the end on fire. She turned back to him and drew heavily from the deathstick, letting the intoxicating smoke fill her lungs. Andraste spoke to him telepathically.

"Fly with me."

With that, she used her left hand to pull his face into hers. She tilted her face and opened her mouth, colliding her lips with his. She released the excess smoke into his mouth, sharing the drug. At the same time, she morphed the transfer into a kiss. Her fingers curled into his hair, the deathstick lazily hanging between the fingers of her other hand.

 

[Dread]

"Mmm...We aren't so different…You and I."

Silas breathed in the smoke with eager lust and held it, letting it's poison take his mind. Then his lips retreated from hers, touched again and retreated. With a catch of breath he pressed his lips one more time and kept them there. He'd wanted that -- that quick flash of need.

Silas didn't want to think anymore. No, he didn't want her to think anymore. He only wanted her to feel what they could bring to each other. Here and now.

His fingers tangled in her hair, then his hands balled into fists there, drawing her head back so that he could plunder her mouth with his tongue. So that he could, for a moment, release the fitful creature that prowled inside of him. He felt as if he could devour her in one reckless bite. But that was too fast, that was too easy. Instead he let the heat rage and torment them both.

Her body was the purest of pleasures to him. Not just the shape and texture, but it's eagerness for joy, it's openness to adventure.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste felt her head yanked back as he exerted his control over her, invading her mouth with his tongue. The taste of spiced deathstick exploded in her mouth and she could almost taste the darkness that exuded from him. It was raw energy, something concealed deep within him. He was a different man now, much more primal. He lured the monster out of her, drawing it out like a predator drawn by the scent of a kill. He had willingly dwelt into her lair and he would pay the price. Andraste did not draw away from him, the high from the deathstick only amplifying everything. Her senses were blurred and he was transforming before her eyes.

Her hand slid down from his hair, down to his shoulder. Her fingers curled into his flesh, the fingernails raking hard enough to break skin. She tugged at the robe he wore, the material easily slipping off to reveal his pallid torso. Andraste knew then that she needed to feel him, taste him, leave her marks all over him. She was a predator now, her eyes betraying her. Without a word, the Force accumulated within her and burst outwards. The energy had narrowed to a focal point, slamming into Silas' body to send him flying backwards violently across the room. It would toss him back onto his bed. Andraste simply grinned and raised the deathstick to her lips, taking another long drag. After that, she tossed it aside, grinding it to bits under her foot as she slowly approached him. She moved with the grace of a cat, the flames from the fire accenting her features. Andraste grinned, mocking him on his earlier comment.

"Do you consider this flirting?"

She said nothing more, closing the distance between them.