Culling Flowers

[Dread]

She dug her nails into his shoulder and he flexed into them. She scratched him with a long, drawn-out dig that left red marks on his skin. By the heart-wrenching moans that came from deep in his chest, he was turned on by it. She was a wild beast beneath him, and he wanted her so badly. Before he could say or do anything in return he felt her force power gather and strengthen. It was done so quickly, so passionately, it became almost palpable miasma to him. He fed off of it, and drowned in it. It was lulling and terrifying all at once, and he had never before felt anything like it.

Then her power struck him, sending him back into his bed. Those dark eyes of her hovered over him mockingly. She spoke again and he met her words with a snicker. He almost wanted to lay back and surrender to that perfect darkness.

~Fade Out AKA Silas Scored~​

He was cut, bruised, battered and happy as can be.

Silas spent an extra ten minutes in his closet, picking what he wanted to wear. In the end, he settled on one of his favorite shorts: cheesy black-and-white skull printed ones.

He strolled into the kitchen just as the sun broke over the horizon and casted a warm, orange glow throughout the temple. Silas smiled, closed his eyes, and basked in the rays. He almost fell asleep, but a sharp, noisy alarm forced him to snap his eyes open. For a second he was dazed and confused, then he remembered that it was just his coffee maker going off. Silas set it every day. Of course, he never put coffee grinds in it. All he wanted from it was hot water.

Humming happily, he grabbed his pink apron and tied it around his hips with a double-knot. Now he was ready for the morning. He took the tea tray out of the cupboard and set a cracked porcelain pot, two tea cups, earl grey tea bags, and store bought sugar cookies on it. Then, without the use of the force, he filled the pot with the hot water, picked up the tray and brought it to the bedroom.

"Do you like tea in the morning, me' dear? Huh-oh-huh? Because I do...very much so."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste lazily stirred in bed, awakened by the coffee maker going off. The window let in streams of sunlight and she groaned in annoyance. She had always been the type to sleep in, and it was barely the crack of dawn. Andraste rubbed her eyes, looking down to realize she was still unclothed, countless cuts and bite marks dotting her pale skin. For a moment, she stared at the fireplace, the last flames having died off during the night. She was about to fall back asleep when Silas arrived holding a tea tray. Andraste simply gawked at him, first at the tea set, then the apron he wore. Without a word, she plopped back down on the bed, putting the pillow over her head.

"It's too early to think right now! What's wrong with you..."

Her voice was muffled against the bedding. However, she knew he wouldn't leave and possibly make even more strange comments. With a sigh, Andraste removed the pillow and sat up. She felt unconcerned by the fact that she was still nude. Andraste quickly checked to make sure her lightsaber hilt was still with her. She yawned, looking at the tea tray. Her eyes lit up when she spotted that he also had cookies on the tray.

"Okay fine, I'd like a cup of sugar with some tea in it."

She looked down at his attire, raising an eyebrow at the apron.

"I don't recall going to bed with a housewife last night.."

 

[Dread]

"Whats wrong with me? Whats your with you!? Wasting away in bed during the day is insane. Heh Ehhh heh heh Heeeeee..."

His attention was diverted to Andraste's body as she sat up. He craved her as much as he had last night. He licked his lips and grinned with a glint of that darkness in his eyes. There were sudden vivid flashes of memories; Silas could smell and taste Andraste still, which only added to them.

Her voice brought him back to reality. He blinked confused for some seconds. Why would she think he was a house wife? Then his eyes, every so slowly, wandered down to his apron. The reason hit him like a ton of bricks. He shook his head and chuckled, then replied, "Why, don't you know? You cannot make tea without an apron on, otherwise it tastes horrible."

Silas sat down on the bed and put the tray on a bed stand. The pot was hot to the touch. Silas snorted when he burned his hand picking it up. Although he continued to fill the cups with water. Then he put a tea bag in each cup and glanced over his shoulder at Andraste.

"You're a wonderful girl...you know."

The comment was out of the blue, but Silas was sure Andraste wouldn't mind.

Snapping a cookie up in one hand, and a tea cup in the other, he spun around and wriggled himself up close to Andraste. He grinned and moved to place a kiss on her neck before offering her the goodies.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste said nothing to counter his logic dictating that satisfactory tea was impossible without a pink apron. This was mainly because even she wasn't insane enough to pursue the topic. She didn't miss the sudden flash of lust flicker through his eyes, which shamelessly scanned her body. Andraste said nothing of it, watching as he came down to sit next to her. She absentmindedly played with her hair, tying it up into a loose ponytail. His words caught her attention. She looked at him, confusion etched across her features.

"..Uh.."

She was mercifully spared the task of providing a response when he leaned in to kiss her neck. The action was almost playful, and oddly made her feel warm. She felt him scoot up close to her, handing her the tea and cookie. Andraste quietly nibbled on the cookie before taking a sip of tea. After a few moments, she grinned.

"I hope you're not getting attached to me, my lord. Do you know who my master is?"

She took another bite of cookie, meeting his gaze. There was no doubt that this incident would enrage Exodeus. Andraste did not voice her concerns for Silas, as she tended to be more private with her thoughts. She leaned back against the window, crossing one leg over the other. Part of her simply wanted to go back to sleep. The strange alchemy concoctions he had made the room warm and toasty, just enough to be comfortable enough to doze off in.

 

[Dread]

Silas caught a glance of her confused look. It was a look he saw many a times throughout the day, from multiple people. He had long ago learned to shrug it off.

Before he sat up he ran a finger over Andraste's lower lip and chuckled. Against the wall, he flexed his arms over his head and yawned. His yawn was as healthy and as uninhibited as a monster. His back cracked and released some stress from his battered body. Silas acted young, but he wasn't fresh out of the womb.

Afterwards he smiled and turned around to pick up his tea cup. Silas took a big, obnoxious gulp of the tea. The tea was delicious, and perfect for the day: an astringent, fresh-tasting green. He sighed, content, and made a little pleased mumbling sound.

When Andraste spoke again Silas cocked an eyebrow at her. It was a bit strange that she brought up her master. It perked his curiosity. He tipped his head to the side and tapped a finger on his lip.

"Mm. I get attached to any woman in my bed," he joked, winked, then continued, "and no, I don't recall you telling me who he or she is...why would it matter?"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste couldn't help but chuckle at his words. She decided to continue drinking her tea, finishing up the cookie. When he inquired about her master, she remained silent. She hadn't expected him not to know, but then it dawned on her that her relationship to Exodeus had more or less been a secret. The bond had lasted since she was eight, and she found it difficult to believe that it had been under wraps for so long. Andraste shrugged.

"Never mind that."

She shifted closer to him, trailing a lone finger up his spine. Andraste tilted her head, surveying him.

"What's your story, Silas? You must have done something to impress the Dark Lord to become a Darth. I don't think your apron convinced him.."

Andraste laughed at the notion, suppressing thoughts of Exodeus. She couldn't help but gaze at Silas for longer than she intended. His light hair, his pallid features..they reminded her so much of.. Andraste shook her head, withdrawing from Silas and looking away slightly.

 

[Dread]

Silas shivered as her finger traveled up his spine. He rested the tea cup on the table then looked back at her. He might of told her something about himself or kissed her playfully again, but she avoided a question he asked. One that carried a lot of interest for him. That didn't sit very well with him.

"My dear, my dear...you cannot start such an interesting conversation then cut me off. No, no, no...no. It just wont due, I'm afraid."

He turned to face her, and gaze upon her. That passion of his burned in every fiber of his being, maybe more than it had before. He wanted to dominate her, even though he knew she'd just fight back. They had some sort of power struggle going on between them, and Silas was aiming for the win.

"Tell me," he demanded.

A low and deep, barely audible, growl escaped his lips. With his left hand, he cupped her chin and forcefully tilted it up so he could claim her lips. Tasting them roughly with his tongue. His free hand slipped around the small of her back to squeeze her buttock while he pulled her close. Silas was taller than her, so he loomed over her like she was his pray.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste gasped as he abruptly kissed her, using his other hand to pull her closer. She felt his hand against her warm skin, the blankets covering her lower body brushed aside. Andraste had to smile against his lips, dipping into the kiss. She pulled back and playfully sucked on his bottom lip before withdrawing.

"How can I answer you when you keep distracting me?"

She brushed the hair away from his eyes, planting a quick kiss on his lips before laying back down on the bed, her pale body stretched out before him. She rested her legs casually on his lap, staring up at the ceiling while her head rested on his pillow.

"I was raised by Exodeus since I was eight. He's..er... possessive of me. I usually run away for long periods of time to get away from it."

Andraste looked away, raising her wrist up to look at all the old self inflicted injuries.

"I suppose I'm also bound to him because I keep believing he'll take me back to a place I'll never see again. A place from my past."

 

[Dread]

A groan rumbled from deep inside his throat when she sucked on his lip. Her breath was so hot, her mouth so moist. It reminded him of how her body felt just hours ago, which distracted him from being able to process some of what she said to him. Her playful kiss of hers egged Silas on even more, but he could not ignore the name she brought up: Exodeus. Silas felt a bit of fear creep into the back of his mind, but he covered it up the best he could. He would not allow this little...inconvenience get in the way of...this.

Shaking his head and shrugging, he replied, "I see. Well, it wont be an issue, will it? Mm. Since...he doesn't have to know anything about you and I."

Her next words brought on some more concern, but Silas wanted to leave that subject untouched for now. Right now he just wanted them to enjoy each other.

He pushed all other thoughts aside and stared at Andraste's position. If she knew it or not, she was just asking for him to defile her again. His eyes sparked with lust as they settled on her wonderful legs. He loved them. He bent to kiss the inside of her right leg, just above the knee. His eager hand traced up her stomach, and outer thigh. Then ever so slowly, his hand slipped in her inner thigh. Silas continued kissing up her leg, parting them wide on the way up to her thigh. When he got there, his teeth nipped at it. Nipped at her. Softly at first, and then with a hard bite. His darkness stirred inside him violently. He felt delicious jolts of pleasure race through him as his thoughts delved deeper and deeper into his lust for her.

~Fade out~​

 

[Sreeya]

---​

Andraste stirred awake yet again, and it was now the middle of the afternoon. She did not stay in bed this time, slowly sliding out and standing at the edge as she pulled on her clothes. Andraste surveyed Silas for a moment, who was still asleep. She paused for a moment before leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. Andraste withdrew from him, slightly confused as to what provoked her to do that. She quietly walked away from his bedroom, back to the fireplace. The pot was still there and she gazed into it, fighting back the urge to dip her fingertips into it.

Andraste quickly looked back in the direction of the bedroom. Sensing no movement, she went through the notes and instructions scattered all over his quarters. Andraste picked up all the papers, looking through the runes. It took her only moments to decode what it said, though she could only decipher half of it. Her training in alchemy hadn't been complete, though she had progressed far with it.

The Sith finally came across a set of instructions that vaguely matched with the result in the pot. It was an area of alchemy she wasn't an expert in, as she had mostly dealt with imbuing weapons and armor with dark energy. Andraste followed the details carefully, committing them to memory. She realized that his concoction was only half complete.

 

[Dread]

Some strange dream fitted through his mind and he made an angry face, briefly. Silas snorted and shook his head as if he were trying to shake a fly off his face. He half rolled, mumbling something close to an insult in the Sith language then sputtered his lips in a loud snore.

When he woke up, he sensed movement in his quarters. He sat up and looked around, wondering who it was, and then suddenly a pained groan escaped his bruised lips. He was pretty sore. When the fog cleared from his mind he remembered everything. His eyes shot down to the empty space beside him then back towards where he sensed the movement. Andraste was in his alchemy room. Silas quirked an eyebrow. It seemed that she was snoopy.

Chuckling, he slipped out of the bed. He got up, and instead of looking for his shorts - which were no doubt somewhere unexplainable - he just snatched up his robe and slipped it on.

He was sore but not beaten up badly, so after a short pause he decided to strain himself a little more in order to play a trick on his snoopy guest. Silas gathered his power, and with a smooth wave of his hand, as if he was grabbing something, Silas vanished from plain sight and from the Force. No doubt, Andraste would feel him vanish...Silas was counting on that.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste was too enthralled by the alchemy notes to hear Silas in the other room. She began to make calculations of her own, sitting on the floor and putting different combination patterns down on the paper. Andraste checked again to see if Silas was up. She felt him shuffle slightly before his signature abruptly disappeared and faded. Andraste stared, slightly confused. However, she decided that he simply must have left. Shrugging, she opened up a massive book of alchemy, running through the pages quickly. She found countless runes and symbols, making notes of each one.

"Disease..plague...corruption.."

She finally jotted down variations of the rune translation. Andraste finally began to get a inkling of what he had been creating. Her eyes began to widen, excitement clear in her features. She furiously began to jot down everything, checking to confirm that his presence was still undetectable. Andraste rose to her feet and began to look through his ingredients, making sure not to step onto the spilled results of his previous experiments. She scowled, finding empty containers. Andraste spoke under her breath.

"Ugh! So disorganized. If you'd pay half as much attention to this as you do tea-making.."

 

[Dread]

Silas crept out of his room. He avoided everything on his floor with a prowess of a cat, but it was the first time that the spilled contents had ever bugged him. For a second he thought about cleaning up. Then he heard Andraste's little comment and had to swallow his snicker.

He studied Andraste as she came into view. His countenance softened. For a few minutes he simply watched her as she scribbled down some notes. They were his books and normally he'd be a little less willing to allow someone such free access to them, but there was something that pulled at the back of his mind. It told him that it was alright. Silas' face scrunched up. Was he becoming comfortable with her? He shook the thoughts off and crept up behind her.

He stood behind her only for an instant, and then wrapped his arms around her while uncloaking himself. As his hands cupped her breasts he screamed, "Surprise!"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste picked up a glass container, staring at the odd powder inside. She thought it must have been a part of alchemy, but a closer look told her it was simply spice. She had to roll her eyes, setting the bottle back on the shelf. Andraste looked down at the book, wondering if he had all the necessary ingredients to finish the mixture. She was far too taken by the prospect of alchemy to notice him anywhere near her.

When he yelled surprise, Andraste jumped about a foot, dropping an empty glass container. She let out a high pitched squeak that was completely involuntary. However, before he could even touch her, she whipped around and slammed her knee upwards, right into his family jewels. It took a second to realize it was Silas and her eyes widened. Andraste jumped back from him, blinking.

"I..I'm sorry! I didn't think it was you!"

As it began to dawn on her what she had done, she bit her lip hard. However, this was not from embarrassment, but from trying to quell the laugh that threatened to escape her.

 

[Dread]

Silas barely got time to laugh at Andraste's cute little scream before he sensed where her legs was going. By the time her knee made contact, it was too late to stop it.

With a pale white, shocked face, Silas fell to the floor where he then curled into a fetal position, groaning the way you do when you get kicked in the balls hard. Silas then decided that maybe he shouldn't of played that dirty trick on her, he'd of rather of dug a hole in the ground and died in it.

 

[Sreeya]

As he curled up in a fetal position, Andraste finally couldn't hold it back. She burst out laughing, watching a famed Sith Lord curled up on the floor clutching his poor groin. He looked as if he were about to cry. It took a long moment for her to regain composure, wiping a tear away before she crouched down next to him.

"You shouldn't play tricks on me, darlin'. You're lucky I didn't fry your jewels instead."

She playfully ruffled his hair before leaning in to kiss his cheek, though she knew he was still in pain. Completely unfazed by his misery, she plopped down next to him on the floor and pulled the book on alchemy back into her lap.

"I've been looking through your notes and I think I know what you're making. It's all fine and well but... where do you plan on testing it?"

Andraste looked at him suspiciously.

 

[Dread]

He could hear Andraste giggling herself to tears, but he was too busy writhing to care. When she kissed and pet him, a strange mix of comfort, anger and confusion spun around his mind. He breathed in and out, resting his eyes for a tick in time. Admittedly, it was the first time Silas ever dealt with a situation like this. Not the getting kicked part...but how she reacted.

Her words illicited a whine from Silas. He whined out something about how cruel she was to him, even if he had no right to speak of cruelty. He was partly joking and manged to smirk a little.

Gathering himself, he ever so slowly uncurled. His legs were spread wide as he sat up. Before turning his attention to Andraste, he ran his fingers through his tendrils of hair and sighed.

"Mm. Well, I suppose I do need to test it first," he said, eying Andraste. "Perhaps I should try it on you, hmmm? My dear, sweet Andraste." He joked.

Reaching over, he ran the side of his finger down her cheek to her neck then back up to her chin. He still loved the feel of her wonderful skin.

After his slight pause, he continued, "Ehhnn...theres slaves and some unlucky Sith in the cell room. We can pay them a visit once the virus is done. It shouldn't take much more effort to finish." He gestured at a certain line in the book. "I've already created this earth and metal combo. I just...uh...mm...need to find where I put it. Eh heh."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste smiled as he stroked her face and neck, the action subtle yet affectionate. For a moment she was distracted, only wanting to get close to him once again. However, she knew where that led every time, and held herself back. Andraste looked back down at the book.

"It won't be easy to finish this. We'll have to go down to the labs. Your stock is running low and..quite frankly your quarters are biohazard zones.."

She grimaced at all the spills on the floor. Andraste rose to her feet, grasping Silas' hand and pulling him up.

"Quit laying around! Let's go!"

She couldn't remember the last time she had been this excited. Andraste knew that part of the process included imbuing mechanical objects with dark energy. This would be a complex procedure, one she was unfamiliar with. However, more than anything, she was curious to see Silas at work. She found it difficult to visualize him seriously working instead of always being aloof. She half expected him to throw on some type of obnoxious clothing that was absolutely mandatory to conduct alchemy.

 

[Dread]

"Mmm...I don't think my rooms that messy. But, I suppose, it's not all that bad of an idea." He shrugged.

Her fingers wrapped around his, and Silas couldn't help but smile. He curled his fingers around hers tightly while she pulled him up. Then he got an idea. His eyes sparkled and his smile widened. Wrapping his arms around Andraste, Silas swept her completely off her feet. He cradled her tiny body against his chest, and covered her mouth with a quick kiss.

The pot of golden liquid shook, spilling some of it's contents, then floated off it's stand. It stopped and floated just above Andraste. Then Silas scanned his room until he found the bottle of metals he had prepped. It, too, floated till it was above Andraste.

"There, I have everything I'll ever need, I think. Mhm...mhm," he said with a happy murmur.

Silas began to walk out of his room, on course for the lab.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste paused when she felt him entwine his fingers with hers. Before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her close, eliciting a gasp of surprise. She met his lips with her own, once again savoring the taste. Though the act was sensual, it filled her with warmth, and she never wanted him to pull away. When he did pull away, she simply smiled and tugged him right back towards her, ruffling his hair and kissing him on the tip of the nose.

"You're a wonderful man...you know."

She didn't pause to gauge his reaction at her sudden outburst, a repeat of what he had said to her. Andraste allowed the pot to float over, taking a hold of it with the Force and casually levitating it behind her. She walked ahead of Silas, her face slightly hot from her odd comment. She quelled the thought, walking through the halls. At the very end, she came across a large door with ancient rune symbols on it. Andraste closed her eyes and placed her hand on the runes, chanting the code and letting the dark side of the Force channel through her. The runes glowed eerily before the door opened with a creak. Stairs spiraled down into the bowels of the temple, an underground dungeon reserved strictly for alchemy. Andraste grimaced at the pungent smell of various chemicals.

"You know, someone could be dead down there and no one would know. Well, I suppose that holds true for anywhere in a Sith temple.."

She glanced back to see if Silas was following before descending down to the lab area. It was an interesting hybrid of an almost medieval set up combined with modern technology. Andraste had the pot float over and set down on a counter. She found remnants of another alchemist's work, pushing the various stacks of papers and datapads aside. Andraste grimaced.

"All alchemists are messy, I swear.."

She set the bottle of mixture down as well. Andraste went through the shelves, satisfied to find an endless supply of chemicals and equipment. The entire area throbbed with dark energy, a true testament to the kind of practice taking place here.