Ask Serenno Dead End

[Darth Malicia]

She just stared at him for a time after his comment. Every waking moment she spent on controlling herself and playing games that Sith played, up until she exploded with rage or gave into her hunger. Both were what she used for power. They were useful... and miserable.

The throaty roar of the bikes engines settled throughout the air, and when Rick signalled for her to get on she looked at him, then at the speeder, then back at him again. He probably wouldn't understand the hesitance in her eyes, though there was also curiosity there, enough that she gave in.

She walked up to the speeder pretending the moment of question never happened and got on a little clumsily. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed her body against his like she'd seen others do when they rode in tandem. Her grip was probably a little tighter than the average person, and she wondered if he'd be uncomfortable with it. She tried to relent for a small moment in time but the bit of uncertainty welling up in the pit of her stomach made her hands dig into him again and even tighter.

"I..." she murmured. "This is the first time I've been on a speeder bike," she admitted, though part of her hoped he hadn't heard. The bike took off right after, and the feeling of the wind and speed suddenly felt as if... it left behind her worry, allowing the excitement of the ride to settle in. Her yellow eyes flicked between the passing lights, the people, and it felt somewhat liberating to step outside her usual.

"Where are we going?" she asked, doing her best to shift her weight when he turned a corner. Her eyes caught the lights of a ferris wheel and it made her wonder how many other things she hadn't experienced before.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc couldn’t understand how she hadn’t been on a bike before, but she picked it up easily enough. It occasionally felt as if she were trying to give him the heimlich, but a well timed turn here and there caused her to shift and relax a bit. Meanwhile, she had a rather nice and firm body to hold onto, rippling muscles just beneath the layers of clothing accented with expensive cologne.

He could feel her shift as they slowly gained on some bright lights in the distance. Emryc hadn’t planned on it, but the idea was entertaining enough to explore. He answered her question by guiding the bike towards the direction of what appeared to be a fair. There was a giant ferris wheel and countless stalls for activities and food. It was packed with people, everyone smiling and cheering wherever they went.

Emryc parked the speeder near the other vehicles, swinging his leg over to stand. He glanced over at the fair and then down at his state of attire. He finally took the tie and jacket off, untucking his shirt so it loosely hung over his pants. He looked over at Malicia’s fancy dress and had to bite back an amused grin.

A short walk took them to the ticket booth and he paid for the fair - besides, it was probably her ultimately paying for it anyway. He led her in, an explosion of noise and activity hitting the senses at once.

“Mind the dress,” He said as he easily sidestepped past a mud pool. The terrain was not the best for heels or complicated outfits. Emryc stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk around, looking over at the different stalls.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

The fair's lights filled her eyes and the idea peaked her interest for a split second, until she felt her hunger pacing around in her mind. The amount of life in the fair was thick and she had stare into the distance to force her focus elsewhere. By the time she was able to look back at Rick, he'd adjusted his outfit. Malicia tipped her head curiously at his choice, so it was more of a causal affair here?

She kept pace by his side, not even realizing he'd paid for tickets by the time they got in. None of her missions or targets had hid in fairs, so the knowledge of exactly how they worked eluded her. The puddle came and and without thinking the Darth—no, the noble for the night—stepped around it without looking.

People walked around her and she looked up at some rides, noticing the speed of some and suddenly panic struck when something came to mind. Her hand jolted up in her hair and, to her relief, felt the rose still there. It prompted her to take it out of her hair, not paying attention to where Rick was at the moment. The small delicate bobble was placed in one of her hidden pockets on the dress and afterwards she allowed her hair down. The thin length of delicate white hair rolled over her slender shoulders and down her back.

She looked back at Rick, then a booth where a man was screaming at them to come and 'play'. Malicia raised an eyebrow and decided to simply go along with it. The man placed a fake blaster in her hands after suckering some credits out of her, and pointed at cardboard cutouts of hutts that were moving back and forth. She raised the blaster, aiming and taking out every hutt she could before the "ammo" ran out with unusual precision. The employee in the booth, the people around her and even a small child stared at her suddenly.

That was when she felt an awkwardness in the air, accepting the stuffed bantha handed to her after the few moments. Had she done something wrong? She looked back to Rick.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched with mild fascination as Malicia walked over to pick up the toy blaster. He half expected her to use it as a bludgeoning weapon on the carny. Eyes flicked to the side for a quick exit strategy in case she also decided to pick up a child and hurl it as a projectile weapon. Who knew what she was capable of? He didn’t need that kind of publicity.

What he observed instead was far more disarming and….the word didn’t exist in his vocabulary, but it was adorable. Silver eyes widened slightly, just a little bit, as he watched her pop the ‘targets’ with deathly efficiency and look around confused. She was promptly handed an oversized stuffed bantha that looked almost as big as she was. Malicia looked at him with surprise, as if she had done something wrong.

His face relaxed slightly, a faint grin gracing his face, “Look at you. Former military or something? That was quite impressive,” He said as they began to walk again. He noticed the change in her hair, the shock of white cascading down her back. It held his gaze just a bit longer than necessary before he finally looked away.

Next they came across another game that involved throwing rings around targets. Emryc went first, purposely landing a few, but then also missing a several. He sighed in mock disappointment, “Ah… just don’t have your aim,” He said as he gestured for her to try.

He offered to play a few rounds of this before heading over to the food stalls. Emryc came to a stop before the cotton candy vendor. The carny twirled up a giant pink cloud for Malicia before handing it to her. He purposely avoided touching it, dreading the thought of sticky fingers.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Ricks reaction wasn't negative, which, honestly, confused her a little further. Was he trying to make her feel better? Why was everyone still staring? Malicia looked around at the crowd and, despite her confusion, she decided not to say anything and simply walk away with Rick.

When Rick brought them to another booth and tossed rings, he missed some she knew she could get. No one was staring at him though, so perhaps that was the correct way to preform the ritual. Malicia took up her own rings without saying anything, mostly because she was trying to figure out how to fit in. She made sure to miss a few herself, looking around after to see if she'd drawn that awkward attention again and, to her surprise, she did not. The small woman walked away from the booth happily. All this experience could be filed away and used later should she ever end up in a fair again.

On her way to the food stall, a young boy stepped beside her. "Wow! You got a big stuffy!" the child cheered, his big eyes staring at her in awe. Malicia looked at the stuffed thing in her arms, which was nearly dragging on the ground and got in her way while preforming the last ritual. It took a few seconds of thought but she shoved it at the child after, who awkwardly but happily accepted it.

She was about to walk away when the child spoke again, "WOW! Can I have some credits too miss?!" Malicia turned, staring at the boy with cold, passive look. Why was this child still speaking to her and asking for credits? She replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "I have no qualms killing younglings"

The boy screamed and ran away, though Malicia had already turned herself and went to the food stall. She was promptly handed pink fluff on a stick and she looked to the person beside her, who was grabbing bits and eating it. Plucking a small piece herself, she took a bite. Cloud like sugar melted in her mouth, sweet and near tasteless. It wasn't that great but she would not complain. She'd eaten rats, spiders, centipedes, bats and even in her most desperate moments blades of grass and dirt in order to survive under the "care" of her Cadre-Masters, so she never complained about food or the taste.

She turned after, allowing her eyes to steadily gaze over the multiple rides. "Which one of the rides do you suggest?" she asked Rick.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched as a child rushed up to Malicia. Here it was. That kid was getting punted across the fair. Silver eyes began to flick to the side again as the child asked for the stuffed animal. To his great surprise, she actually handed it over. Crisis averted. Emryc took steps forth until the child asked for money. Seriously? At this point he had half a mind to punt the kid himself.

Emryc couldn’t help but grin at Malicia’s little snap, though it was gone the second she looked at him. Emryc quirked an eyebrow, “What’s a youngling?” He asked innocently as he walked with her. He watched with mild amusement as she ate the cotton candy, followed by the curious look as the sticky crap got on her fingers. Emryc grabbed a few napkins for when she would inevitably need them.

At her question about the rides, Emryc looked around, “Well there is the one that first caught your attention,” He said, remembering the ride over here. He began to lead the way towards the ferris wheel. They had a short wait in line before they were ushered into a cart, the door closing once they slid in.

Emryc looked over the edge as the ride began and they started rising. While normally this was to enjoy the view, he had a far more interesting one next to him. And so, he tilted his head to look at Malicia instead. Was she still struggling with the cotton candy or actually enjoying herself? The questions melted away as his focus was instead on the ivory strands of hair that danced with the wind, and the yellow hues of her eyes that contrasted so sharply against her pallid skin. He hadn't ever really noticed how small she truly was, or the way she sat properly and so delicately with the grace of a queen.

The wind brushed against their faces as they crested over and began the descent. The moon hung above them, lights shimmering below. Before they knew it, they were coming up for yet another go around and arrived at the very top again.

Except this time the entire thing came to a halt. Emryc looked over the edge, all the cars simply suspended in air as customers began to whine and complain. Fairs generally had shoddy equipment that tended to fail and this just happened to be their luck.

Emryc looked back over at Malicia, mentally counting down the seconds before she decided to take her rage out and attempt to fling him overboard.

“Well…” He looked around, “At least the view is nice.”

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

The cotton candies stickiness made her lose focus on Rick at first and his question fell on deaf ears. A mildly annoyed look quickly twisted on her pale face as she pulled apart her fingers a few dozen times.

And her look remained stuck in the same position when her gaze returned to him to recall his question. It took a second but... her expression changed. She blinked a few times. He'd overheard her threatening the kid? "It's just... a fancy word for children that I heard once."

He didn't ask about the killing part. She wasn't going to bring focus to the killing part.

Her gaze turned to the ferris wheel as he suggested it. All the lights on the slowly spinning wheel sparkled against her bright yellow eyes and, at the moment, perhaps deep down, she felt like that wide eyed child. Was she suppose to care about this? Was it okay or was she wasting time like she'd accused her cadre-brother of doing recently? She tried to shove the thoughts aside for now. All the information was useful, right? Even going on a ride.

Once they got on, Malicia didn't notice Rick looking at her. For a few fleeting moments, in her mind, no one was on the ride but her. She was forced to gaze at the view around them, something she never really thought to stop and do. The speeders and the cities sparkling lights fractured into a galaxy of twinkling colors. Farther on, the bright lights of the towers, shops, signs and the plots of gardens and skyline blended into one riot of color, with layers spread like thick strokes of textured paint.

Malicia only came too when the ride stopped and she sensed the annoyance and anger from the crowd around her. She looked back at Rick. "If this thing falls down..." she said staring at him with "you know what" eyes, though her threat was partly playful. She felt calmer than usual. Maybe it was the air. "Since we're stuck up here, I'd like to know more about you," she added, that spark of curiosity in her eyes again. She wasn't stuck with him, he was stuck with her. "Tell me something about yourself, something I don't already know." She wasn't sure if he'd just give up information on himself so easily but it was worth a try.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc handed Malicia the napkins he had collected just for the inevitability of the cotton candy. He had to bite back a grin as she struggled with sticky fingers and the sugary treat getting all over her hands. Emryc noticed she pointedly looked away, and he didn’t mind it. It gave him ample opportunities to study her. Silver eyes watched her little habits and shifting around.

He looked forward as soon as she would look up, hearing her menacing voice again about what would happen if the ride collapsed. Emryc glanced over at her when she asked her question. He thought for a moment, considering all the things he hadn’t shared. Emryc had little desire to reveal who he truly was.

“Well..” He normally didn’t entertain silly questions like these, but he was playing Rick the driver. He had a role to play, “All right, sometimes I DJ at nightclubs on Nar Shaddaa,” Emryc grinned, deciding to tell her a truth about himself. It allowed him personal income along with this gig.

He looked at Malicia as he reached for a cigarra, placing it between his lips and lighting it. He exhaled the smoke away from her as he did so, “Tell me something that you are afraid of,” Emryc asked as he drew in from the cigarra, exhaled to the side and turned to look at her again.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

How many jobs did this guy have? She still didn't trust him but, for some reason, she was enjoying herself and perhaps that was enough for tonight.

"Maybe I'll throw a party at the Clyin estate and hire you then," she said. It was worth musing over, but it was never going to happen because she wasn't interested in completely destroying her 'relationship' with the lord. His fear of her kept him in check, but, even if she wasn't his real daughter, he'd taken on a nasty habit of pushing boundaries and attempting to act like a father on occasion.

Then Rick's question caught her off guard and she raised an eyebrow at it. He had to know she'd lie or answer in a way that didn't give him exactly what he wanted, right? She thought a moment, allowing her gaze to drift down to the pool of life drifting throughout the fair. Weaving between one another, and her focus shifted for a handful of heartbeats.

"I fear the inevitable," she said at first. She knew he wouldn't understand her answer and that was exactly what she wanted. "One day, I'll lose part of myself and I wont be able to get it back. But I... want it as much as I fear it," she said as she felt the air around her drop sharply in temperature. Yellow eyes almost transfixed on the passerby's. Watching one after the the other as they gained distance and faded into the dark, an instinct that forced itself to the surface.

But she drew back, trying not to let herself slip further into the thought. "So, its only fair, tell me what you fear," she said. Fair wasn't a real thing in her world but she wasn't Sith tonight. As she spoke however, the ride suddenly jerked and its momentum returned. The people around them cheered though she struggled to regain the calm she'd found gazing at the lights.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had to bite back from grinning, “As long as this party doesn’t involve you vomiting.”

In some ways her answer to his question was a conversation they had before when he had been wearing the mask. She knew the duality of being a Sith and what it entailed. It was a fear that drove her even when she wasn’t actively trying to be Sith, “Well...you can pick and choose which parts to keep,” He said with a shrug, speaking like a civilian. The words rang true, however. He knew that no matter how far he fell, there were certain things he would never let go of.

Admitting the fears caused a shift in her, and he could feel the chill in the air. She looked at the other guests, and her demeanor felt similar to what it had been on Ajan Kloss. Malicia caught herself, turning instead to flip his own question on him. He met her gaze and offered a grin, “I fear running out of things to learn,” He said simply. It was a generic comment, but he had said as much with different words that rainy night they walked together.

The ride began to move again, and he kept smoking, ashing it over to the side. It didn’t take long before they were allowed off, and he finished the cigarra by then. Emryc stepped out, extending a hand to help her out before looking out at the rest of the fair. He couldn’t deny that getting away from his daily life was enjoyable on many levels. Emryc glanced over at Malicia, wondering if he would ever see this side of her again.

“What next, Lady Clyin?”

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

His first answer caused her to chuckle. She'd almost forgotten about the party. The sheer anger, followed by the crushing disappointment of following a lead to a dead end. Was forgetting it so quickly credit to him or to her for allowing herself to follow her desires? Maybe both. Of course, she didn't answer. She couldn't promise anyone that her moods wouldn't shift rapidly as they always did. It was who she was.

She looked away when he told her that she could pick what parts to keep. It made her think because she wasn't even sure what she wanted to hold onto. Perhaps the Cadre, but her vision on Ajan Kloss had urged her to let go of her siblings. It made her think that she might. Even Asminys... her cadre-brother she hate-loved with a passion. She really didn't want to let him go, or let him know that she didn't want to.

"Another scholar?" she said when he answered her own question, though it was mostly rhetorical. He was just a man with no understanding of the Force, but he probably knew much more about the world and people than she did. She rarely sought out knowledge, her emotions guided her.

Malicia accepted his help off the ride, even if she didn't need it. She let go of his hand after though, but continued to look at him. She looked at his sharp features and considered the night he'd granted her. He'd helped her step outside her usual, gave her experiences she'd never considered taking before.

And he made her feel vulnerable. She knew he'd stick in her mind. That's was what lead to her answer.

"A kiss," she said, perhaps completely out of the blue to him. She looked away so she couldn't see his passive face if he wasn't interested. "Just one, just once, if you'll grant it," she murmured. She hoped that indulging a primal urge on a small level might allow her to get him out of her system, so she could move on. So he didn't have power over the vulnerable part of her.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Scholar. Now that was definitely something he had been called before. Emryc half grinned as he recalled the context, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he walked. He looked around the fair and all the bustling activity. The stalls had long lines and there were countless young couples all around them. Emryc observed everyone for a while until Malicia answered.

If the answer shocked him, there was no indication of it on his face. The half Sephi looked at her for a moment, his face difficult to read. He took his hands out of his pockets and began to walk towards her. Silver eyes drew in closer than ever, piercing right through the goldens.

One of his arms snaked around her lithe waist, pulling her towards him. She would smell a mixture of cigarra and expensive cologne on him. Emryc tilted his head and leaned in towards her as if to capture her lips. Instead, he traced his lips to the side of her face and along her jawline, “That would be far too simple, my lady,” He murmured against her skin as he brushed his lips towards her neck.

The hand around her waist traveled around her body and pulled her in tight as his lips pressed into the crook of her neck, “Where would the mystery be then?” He said barely above a whisper, feeling the taste of her skin and drinking in the smell of her. Emryc stepped back after a moment giving her a grin.

“Let me take you home, Lady Clyin,” He said as he turned her around to lead her back to the bike. As he did so, he casually tossed her saber hilt back to her over his shoulder, the one he just nabbed from her dress. He strode forth as if nothing happened and he was right back to being her driver.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia's eyes slowly returned to his. Uncertainty gazed at him. Her mind became acutely aware of every footstep he took as he drew closer to her, despite the hundreds of others thundering all around them.

She froze as he leaned over her, expecting a kiss so her mind could release the power he held over her, but his mouth wickedly drifted from her lips. His lips, his breath and his scent trailed along her cheek, down to her jawline. And then he drew her closer. Her body tightened and clenched against his in repose, and warmth pooled in her cheeks against her will. They burned even brighter as she became aware of his body. Those solid muscles of his, rippling with power, colliding against her softer, more delicate body that naturally gave way to them.

Why am I allowing you to do this? her mind raced as his hands did the same to her body. She didn't answer him verbally, even if physically she did. Fear thudded in her heart and mind, and she couldn't shake off the desire that ached just beneath it.

Then he released her and she couldn't say anything at first. Instead she simply followed behind him until he tossed her saber to her. How did he get that?! It made her feel even more exposed and flustered and she quickly stuffed it into her pocket, looking around to see if maybe others saw it. She'd be more careful next time, and wanted to snap at him but couldn't after... what he'd done. Then there was the issue of addressing it possibly leading to even more questions. It wasn't until they were on the speeder and moving that she spoke again. "You know, I'm not sure what..." she paused, realizing that she'd have to use the title she hated to use for the Lord, but continued, "Father will think of me being dropped off by mysterious man on a speeder bike."

​

The estate's size reflected the length of the Cylin's bloodline. It dated far back, and yet there were very few that resided in the buildings on the property. Malicia wasn't sure if it was simply fate, or if it was a result of something that noble families had a bad reputation for.

Once they stopped, the few guards at the front gate very professionally let the bike pass with none judgmental eyes. Malicia got off the speeder bike when they got to the front door. She could see a silhouette of a man a the second story window as a butler rushed out. "I should be mad at you for distracting me for so long," she said half-jokenly since going out was her idea. She looked back at Rick for a second though her eyes drifted after to avoid some thoughts. "But I'll let it slide because I had fun," she added. She wasn't sure what else to say, really.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc grinned as he got on the speeder bike, “Something tells me your two boyfriends will be angrier than your father,” The two ogres had been left stranded in a speeder after all. The journey back was peaceful, the roads completely clear and the weather just right. He couldn’t help but think about the fair experience. It had been surprisingly pleasant to simply be a civilian. He could begin to understand why they did some of the bizarre rituals they did, even if it didn’t always make sense.

Emryc slowed down as he approached the guards, moving past the gates towards the massive manor. He had very little personal wealth and seeing such a structure caught his attention. Malicia clearly had a good thing going here. She was the type to take what she wanted, and it worked out for her. They were words Asminys lived by. A Sith does not ask.

The half Sephi parked the bike in front of the doors, standing to help her off if she needed it. Emryc glanced up at the mansion, silver eyes scanning till he spotted the figure in the window. There was something rather eerie about the way he stood there looking down at Malicia, and it made Emryc question whether he even wanted to know.

“Well I certainly didn’t mind the company,” He said with a grin. Emryc reached into his pocket and gave her a card with his information on it, “If you need a driver with a variety of skills including DJing,” Emryc gave her a wink before reaching over to grasp her hand. He brought up the delicate fingers to kiss the knuckles before releasing her hand, shooting a glance back at the man in the window as he did so.

“Have a good night, my lady,” He said as he swung a leg over his bike to get back on, “I hope you end up needing my services again.”

With that, unless she stopped him, he revved up the bike and veered off.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia accepted his card, looking down at it before covering it with both hands at first, a guilty look in her eyes. She didn't answer him because she knew she shouldn't call him, and, at the same time, knew it was something she may give into.

He hadn't given her that kiss and freed her. He'd only made it worse.

Her eyes fluttered again in surprise when he grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on it. His warmth again. Her cheeks reacted with their own warmth once more, though she tried to get ahold of herself and smiled politely in reaction. "You have a good night too, Rick," she answered finally. She wanted to tell him she'd use his services again but she wasn't able to let herself say it or think it.

The small noble watched Rick drive off. She didn't even notice the looming shadow in the window step away, though she knew Lord Clyin would want to speak with her. There were likely things he wanted to request of her, and questions, as usual. He was as single minded as she, that was why they worked. It meant she would be returning back to her regular and for the first time in her life, it made her wonder if she shouldn't be so single minded all the time. Maybe she should allow herself to explore the galaxy sometimes, even if she worried that one day she wouldn't care for it, or anything or anyone but what lurked inside her mind.

@Sreeya