Culling Flowers

[Dread]

Her kiss and words made him realize how much he truly liked her. She meant so much more than the hookers and the plethora of other women Silas had bedded. A long sigh escaped his lips, as a few visions of his unsavory past -- at least, the parts he believed were reality -- swam before his closed lids. He opened his eyes and rubbed them with the palms of his hands. Silas took in a deep breath. He wouldn't allow his past to effect Andraste. At least, he'd try not to.

He smiled warmly again as he followed behind Andraste in toe, and scratched his chest while she opened the enchanted door. When she brought up dead bodies in the lab, Silas quirked an eyebrow.

"Ehn, I don't think I have much of a sense of smell anymore," he said with a shrug. "Theres only a few things that I can smell strongly...intensely..." He licked his lips and chuckled.

Their decent down the stairwell was quick. Silas refused to touch the railing. He hated railings with an unmatched passion. If he touched one before preforming alchemy, he believed it gave him bad luck. It wasn't too hard to get rid of the bad luck, though, all he had to do was wash his hands.

At the bottom of the stairwell Silas ignored everything Andraste said. Instead he rubbed his hands together nervously. He looked at her and rushed to her side, grabbing her wrists.

"Did...did you touch the railing?" Silas pulled her closer. "We have to clean your hands quickly, before you touch anything else! Now...come on my dear. Hurry, hurry..."

He pulled her to a sink and stood behind her. His body pressed against the back of hers. His arms wrapped around her and his chin rested on her little shoulder. The tap squealed on. At first there was a thick, strangely multi-colored liquid that poured out. Silas waited for clear water to come out, and as soon as it did, he used the Force to bring soap to their hands. Eagerly, he began to lather it on both of them.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste raised an eyebrow.

"Um.. yes I touched the rail-what the!"

She was abruptly turned around and guided to the sink. Andraste's face was scrunched up in confusion. Silas had an endless list of odd behavioral traits, and this was definitely one of the top ranked ones. Andraste did not move as he lathered both their hands in soap, furiously rubbing away the invisible taint of the railing. She simply blinked.

"Did you escape from an insane asylum?"

Not waiting for an answer, Andraste suddenly grinned. Without warning, she abruptly whipped around and wiped her soapy hand all over his face and hair. She jumped back quickly, a serious and terrified look on her face.

"Oh no! It's said that if you get soap on your face you're destined for bad luck.."

She looked grim.

"It is said that you will...you will suffer from wardrobe malfunctions for the next seven years!!"

Andraste clapped her hand to her mouth, letting the severity of the situation sink in.

 

[Dread]

Silas stood dumbfounded. He couldn't understand why she'd rub the bad luck on his face. Perhaps she didn't understand the true dangers of the railing. The Sith Lord felt his heart pounding, as if the beating was in his head, a jungle drum playing over his cerebellum. He tensed up with fear, every muscle in his body surging. His fear filled his body with adrenaline. Something broke in the mind of Silas -- the laid back demeanor fell by the way side, as he charged to the sink.

As fast as possible, he wiped his face and hair clean. Water dripped down his chest and drenched the top of his cloak. Taking a deep breath, he finally centered himself.

He looked back at Andraste, then at her still soapy hands.

"You need to finish cleaning them! Don't you want the virus to work?"

His eyes pleaded with her. Then he began to edge closer to her. He'd chase her around the room if need be, so that he could drag her back to the sink and finish the job.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste watched in awe as he took her words to heart and began to wash his head and face, completely drenching himself in water. She had to bite her lip in order to keep from laughing. She backed away as he began to approach her, demanding that she finish washing her hands. Andraste nodded in agreement.

"Yes, just..give me a moment.. I just gotta.. pick something up right.."

As she backed away, she seemingly slipped and fell backwards. Andraste caught onto the railing to hold herself up, making sure to feel it up as much as possible as she struggled to get to her feet. She turned to Silas, smiling apologetically.

"Oops, clumsy me! Oh, hey, your hair's all messed up. Let me fix that for you!"

With that, she closed the distance between them and reached out for his face, fully prepared to chase him around the room.

 

[Dread]

Immediately all Silas' hair stood on end.

"No! No! No! Stay away!" he said frantically.

He swatted her hand away when she got close, then realized that he had just touched her. He gasped in disgust, raised his arms in the air dramatically and ran to the sink. As fast as the last time, he washed his hands.

Once Andraste got closer he backpedaled until he bumped into a table, which caused him to scream. A scream that was rather high pitched for a man. He looked back at the table then at Andraste. His eyes were still pleading with her.

"M-m-m-my dear. I don't think you understand the true dangers of the railing. Please, just wash your hands." He gestured towards the sink.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste couldn't hold it back any longer. She burst into a fit of giggles, the sight of him dramatically waving his hands about and washing everything all over again enough to send her over the edge. Andraste watched him slowly back away from her, and she threateningly wiggled her fingers, as if they were coated with poison.

"Silaaaasssss this is judgment day. Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Are you reaching towards it?"

She watched him bump into the table, noting the terror in his eyes. Andraste's own eyes widened as she called the Force to herself. She looked at him, a serious expression on her face.

"I understand..I understand more than you know. This is your destiny. You are to embrace your fate at the hands of...of...THE RAILING!"

With that, she nudged him with the Force, hard enough to send him toppling backwards on the table. Andraste jumped up, springing up like a cat and landing with a foot on either side of his body. She plopped down to sit on his stomach, wiping her hands all over his face and neck. Andraste couldn't keep up the serious face and burst out laughing hysterically.

 

[Dread]

Silas was so distraught, so confused and scared. He simply could not piece together why she found this funny. It made no sense at all. She was so illogical. Everything she said only confused him further.

His body hit the table hard when she pushed him back using the force. Even more fear ran through his body like a rising tidal wave, rushing through veins, pumping through his heart. His fear was building. He was so scared. So deeply scared he hardly could think. It was the kind of fear that drove you mad.

On impulse, his arms and legs squirmed and he screamed bloody murder with everything he had in his lungs. He could not help it, he could not even think about stopping it.

He tried to wipe it off his face, only to remember it'd get on his hands.

As he got up, he pushed Andraste without care of how much force he was using. He rushed to the sink and his knee bumped into it. He yelped and cradled his knee then screamed more because he had just got the bad luck on his pants.

Silas took off all his clothing and washed them and himself. He was completely naked.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste used the Force to cushion her fall, landing on the ground like a cat. She was far too amused to care that he had practically thrown her off. He was simply too comical. His inexplicable fear of the railing was just too much. She laughed even harder as he stripped naked, now attempting to bathe himself at a sink. She wandered over to stand next to him.

"Okay, okay I'm washing my hands."

She turned on the faucet, ready to wash her hands. However, she grinned once again before quickly reaching her hand out to slap Silas right on the rear, something she knew would make him go completely insane. Andraste acted like nothing happened and washed her hands, grinning widely.

"All a Jedi has to do to defeat you is touch a railing?!"

 

[Dread]

Silas screamed when she slapped his butt. Quickly, he got water and soap on his hands and cleaned the infected spot. As he finished cleaning he stared at Andraste and narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean, my dear? He wont be able to touch me...and he'll be the one with the bad luck. Certainly you understand that at least." He shook his head.

His fear vanished as quickly as it had came once her hands were cleaned. He got dressed again, even if the clothing was sopping wet. It didn't bother him too much. It was better than wearing bad luck clothing. Although he was tempted to go back to his room and put on something more comfortable.

With a sigh, he got closer to Andraste and wrapped his arms around her curvy hips. Those lovely hips. He pulled her closer than used one hand to cup her chin while he placed a kiss on her lips.

"Mm. Lets not do that again....alright?"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste grimaced as he embraced her in his soaking wet clothing. However, she hugged him back nevertheless, smiling at him.

"You make absolutely no sense. I thought I was a little crazy.."

She kissed him back, tugging him even closer. In truth, she preferred it when he was undressed, but she decided he had been traumatized enough. Andraste pulled back from him, walking over to the pot they had brought over. She picked off some ingredients that would help bind the metals and allow it to mesh with organic material.

"It might be simple to finish this, actually. After that we can use our own blood to see if it attacks our cells. We can move on to live subjects from there."

She looked up at him, grinning.

"You look..cold.."

 

[Dread]

"You're the one that's crazy and makes no sense...but, I suppose, all Sith are unique anyway."

He smiled back at her. He didn't mind that she was a little crazy. Silas considered most people crazy anyway. It was rare to come across people who understood the simple things in life; like wearing an apron whilst making tea.

Silas raised his chin slightly and tapped his finger on his lip when she commented on him being cold. He wondered if she was just mocking him, or truly concerned. Either way, it didn't matter. He decided not to answer.

After walking to the counter and making himself comfortable, he began to purify the ingredients that Andraste had gathered. The process included using a Alchemy Set.

He turned on the burner underneath the boiling flask then snatched up the golden liquid and the ingredients. He poured them carefully into the flask, making sure not to fill it past the center. He kept a close eye on the thermometer attached to the distillation train, to make sure it heated up properly. It could ruin everything if it heated too quickly, or too slowly. Soon the mixes vapor ran through the distillation train, into the condenser. While it did Silas held his hand over the distillation train, manipulating the vapor with the force. His eyes seemed to take on a brighter green as he did.

"Tell me," he said abruptly, "what sort of things do you like? Besides my...ehm...besides alchemy."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste watched him fiddle with the alchemy set, expertly working with the chemicals. It was a shocking sight, as she could never have fathomed him doing anything seriously. As she watched him at work, it was apparent exactly why he was an expert in this area of study. Andraste's own knowledge of alchemy only extended so far, and she primarily worked with imbuing weapons and armor. She knew that the time would call for them to apply the same kind of energy to the virus, and she would be able to help during that phase. His question caught her off guard, and his little slip up made her grin.

"That's a strange question...why do you care?"

She looked at him, noting the gleam in his eyes. Andraste suppressed the urge to walk over and steal a kiss, as he was concentrated in his work. She looked down at the ground, leaning against the table.

"I like walking through the grass barefoot when it's still wet from the morning dew. I like walking through the desert at night. I like exploring old ruins and finding artifacts. I like finding beauty in everything..even when others cannot see it. I love.."

Andraste smiled at the thought.

"..flowers. I can't explain it."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the glass flowers she had made from the sands of Korriban. Andraste twirled the flower between her fingers, looking up at him.

"And yourself? Besides my.. besides wearing strange clothing."

 

[Dread]

He listened closely to Andraste while he worked. She playfully repeated his slip up, and Silas thought it was rather delightful. A lighthearted chuckle escaped him. Then he thought back on her words, remaining quiet. When he finished purifying the ingredients he turned off the burner to allow the set to cool down. The liquid needed to be a certain temperature before they used it to bind the metal and organic material.

"There is nothing more appealing than looking at a beautiful flower," Silas finally pipped up. He turned to face Andraste, and ran the back of his finger across her silken lips. Feeling her light, quick breaths warm on his skin. He locked his eyes with hers, then continued, "and women are nature's flowers."

Silas leaned and placed a kiss on her neck. He pulled back, but barely. His lips hovered over her skin, brushing and tasting it.

"Mm...my beautiful flower...will you come out on a date with me if I promise to bring you somewhere you like?" he asked boldly.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his question. Was he...actually asking her out on a date? She wasn't used to this kind of treatment, and for once she felt her face grow hot from nervousness. Though the entire thing was adorable, it still made her feel like a young teenager all over again. Andraste blinked a few times, finally mustering a smile.

"A Darth asking a Crusader out on a date? I can't say this happens very often.."

She felt his lips against her neck, and she tilted his chin up so he faced her. Andraste tilted her own face to capture his lips, the tender flesh swollen from their constant kissing. She playfully nibbled on his lower lip, tugging on it before withdrawing back to grin.

"Very well, I'll go on a date with you. On one condition.."

She stepped back and looked down at the alchemy set.

"We finish this god damned virus."

 

[Dread]

Silas kissed her back, enjoying every one as much as he had the first. He was tempted to grab her hips and push her onto a table when she bit him. His eyes burned with lust... but he controlled himself.

When she agreed to a date Silas smiled, but remained quiet. He just nodded and turned around to continue their work.

~Days Later~

"Oh my, oh my!"

Silas tumbled about his quarters, skidding crazily on the puddles of substances on the floor. He searched through the kitchen cupboards at length, trying to find his apron. It was lost.

It couldn't of grown legs and ran of...could it? He thought.

Silas shook his head at the thought. He sincerely doubted that, since those kinds of things only happened when he was high, and he was pretty sure he was sober right now...pretty sure.

For an hour he searched until he was a complete wrack. He had bags under his eyes, as if he'd been up for a hundred nights straight. Then a hunch made him look over in the direction of Andraste. Silas rushed to her and grabbed her tiny shoulders, shaking them.

"Wheres my apron? Where is it?! My dear, my dear...my dear... if you saw it run off...or know where it is, tell me now!"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste had been eating a candy bar, watching Silas completely go ballistic over his stupid apron. She had said nothing the entire time, casually sitting around watching the entertainment unfold before her. Andraste lazily swung her foot to a rhythm only she heard, taking another bite of chocolate. She yawned and was about to stand when Silas abruptly came over. As he began to vigorously shake her shoulders, Andraste lost control of the candybar and it popped directly into her mouth, making her choke slightly. She coughed it back out, making it fly into his chest. Andraste glared at him.

"How should I know?! Maybe your acolytes are finally sick of you forcing them to wear it to make tea!"

She looked down at the candybar that was now on the floor, sighing.

"You owe me chocolates now."

Andraste grinned at him then.

"Did you ask the cactus if it saw where the apron went?"

 

[Dread]

The candy bar smacked against his chest and dragged down it, leaving a smear of brown. Silas cocked an eyebrow and gazed at the damage. Huffing, he eyed Andraste suspiciously with his keen, restless glance. As he opened his mouth to answer her, he was interrupted by her comment about the catus.

"It? How rude. You mean he...and no, why would my apron be outside? Unless..."

He tapped his finger on his bottom lip.

"Where is it!? I know you know! I'll force the answer out of your pretty mind if I must!"

Silas growled under his breath and pushed her down back to the chair. He leaned over her with a hand on each chair arm. His eyes leveled with hers.

"And about my students...they do not understand how wonderful tea is. Mm...mhm...They're only benefiting themselves by learning how to make it properly. Perhaps I should make you make me tea...now, tell me!"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste fell back down, but she kept grinning at him. As he loomed above her, she had to fight back from laughing at the ridiculous stain now on his chest. Andraste simply stared at him innocently, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know where your stupid apron is! And you know I'm bad at making tea. Even a hundred pink aprons won't help with that.."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, as if her mind were far away. Then, out of the blue, she used the Force to push the chair backwards. As it did so, she flipped backwards, easily rolling off the top of the chair and landing on her feet. Meanwhile, this would make Silas topple forward onto the chair as it fell to the ground. Andraste acted as if nothing happened, blinking in confusion at his mishap.

"By the way, you might want to get that shirt cleaned. It looks like someone pooed on you. Then again, I have a feeling no one would question it if you walked around looking like that.."

Andraste thought of the various times he had dressed questionably, and how everyone around the academy appeared to be desensitized to it.