Ask Familiar Faces, Familiar Places

[Ailis Drast]

Sith Academy
Taris​

Ailis Drast's heart pounded, a light sheen of moisture shining on her forehead as she ran. A steady techno beat drummed in her eardrums, the electronic music of Spice Lord providing an aural motivator as she finished her third lap around the Academy track, her loose black and red academy issue track suit swishing with each stride. Once upon a time she had despised running. The activity a little practiced skill in the undercity that was only utilized when she really needed to. Running from the cops, or rival gangs.

Nowadays she found an almost peaceful zen in the activity as it drew her mind away from her studies, the rigors and stresses of life as an Acolyte. The constant reminder that she was once again on Taris.

She had almost escaped the ever familiar city life. Growing up in the undercity of Coruscant had forced her to develop a host of bad habits that had followed her for a time into the Sith. She had ran away from that life to find a new one with the Sith, a better one. Instead what she had found at first was more chaos and excess. More parties. More drugs.

Ailis had almost escaped that life when she transferred to the Dromund Kaas academy, until that had been ripped away from her by saboteurs of the FWA. The thought of them brought a scowl to her forehead as she ran and she increased her pace to outrun the thoughts that tried to follow. The anger at an organization that declared itself "free" while bombing an academy. At least the Sith didn't try to pretend that they weren't monsters.

A little bit of hypocrisy that, on her part. She would have laughed to herself at the irony if she wasn't breathing too heavy to do anything but while she ran. While she ran away from her own actions, choices. Evils. While she ran to distract her mind, to pretend that she herself wasn't a monster for joining them.

To pretend that she hadn't joined them because she was already a monster.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair wasn’t too thrilled about being moved repeatedly since the Kaas academy explosion. After a stint with some temp housing, he was sent to Taris to finish up his final year. He had applied for a few prestigious military academies and was anxiously waiting on a response after his graduation. In the meantime, he kept up with his combat training and team sports.

He was out on the track to do a few laps before he did his strength training. The tiefling was yawning as he walked out, dressed in gym shorts and a simple tanktop. His tail swished side to side, and he took a swig of water before he stretched. He heard somebody approaching and glanced up, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Ailis?!” Altair blurted out, his jaw hanging open at the sight of her. It felt as if it had been years since he had seen her. He looked different now - bulkier and slightly more rugged. He was also a Champion now. He was frozen in place, still not entirely processing that she was here in the flesh.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis was deep in thought as she ran. The rhythmic pounding of her feet silent to her ears as music blasted. She was just coming around the turn when she spotted a figure step out onto the track. Her vision was a little shaky after three runs and she couldn't quite make out the figure, but it radiated familiarity.

They were also in her way.

"H-!" Ailis started to shout for whoever it was to get out of the way when sound suddenly filled her world as one of her earbuds fell out of her ear to bounce somewhere on the track. Her focus faltered and her eyes sought to chase the errant device. Her course changed slightly as her head turned seeking the earbud.

THUD!!

The sound of a sudden collision rocked Ailis ears and stars filled the her eyes for a moment as she slammed into Altair and fell over him onto the ground. She would lay there blinking for a moment as her eyes cleared, a mix of pain and rage coloring her face as she scrambled up onto her arms, looking down at whatever sorry soul had interrupted her run and earned her wrath.

"Al... Altair?" Ailis said as she looked down at the familiar face, the rage there softening when she recognized him.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair didn’t factor in where he was standing when he spotted Ailis heading his way. He blinked stupidly just a moment before she trucked into him. While normally this wouldn’t have been enough to topple him, he had been taking a single step back. The tiefling landed flat on the ground with a heavy thud and a grunt, wincing a bit. He looked up at Ailis, spotting the surprise on her face.

“Well damn I’m happy to see ya too,” He said with a grin, though he made no effort to move her off. He couldn’t deny that he had worried about her while she had dropped off the face of the galaxy. Although she was the type to do just that, it still surprised him.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis was shocked to see Altair. It had been some time since the tiefling boy had entered her life, consumed in her studies as she had been after coming home to the Sith from her visit to Coruscant. She had kept herself occupied to improve almost as much as to keep her mind distracted from the cravings, her mind closed to the seductive chemical lure that had been lodged in her mind over the years.

They hadn't last seen on good terms, and the fact that Altair was smiling and happy to see her, well it melted away whatever leftover anger she held for being obstructed.

"I'd be happier to see you if you weren't so solid." Ailis groaned a bit as she shifted off of him, sitting up on the track and glancing around as she remembered why she had stumbled in the first place. "Shit, my headphones." She said as she looked around, spotting the little piece down the track. Ailis willed the headphone towards her with a gesture of her hand and pocketed the device.

"It's nice to see you too." Ailis said as she actually looked at Altair for the first time since running into him. He looked handsome as ever, older than she remembered. There was a roughness around the edges that she recognized, a certain hardness about him that betrayed his trauma's. She smiled at him, but there was a small sadness to it. "Its been a while hasn't it?"

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Psh,” Altair scoffed, “I think me being solid is one of my most winning traits,” He said as he also rose to sit up. He didn’t miss how she easily called the headphones to herself rather effortlessly. Altair remembered when she had some trouble with the Force, but clearly her time away had honed her skills a bit more. She looked as she had before, but far healthier. There was a shine to her skin that wasn’t there before and her face didn’t look as gaunt.

“You look good,” Altair blurted out, following with a smile. He got to his feet and extended a hand to help her up, “Where you been?” He asked curiously. They hadn’t exactly seen each other since the field trip led by Tiamat. He recalled the Sol incident with a pang, but he wasn’t the type to hold onto things. At the end of the day, whatever had existed with Sol and Ailis was their business.

“I was surprised I didn’t see you after the Kaas explosion…”

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis focus on her headphones was almost disrupted by Altair's comment about his solidity being one of his best qualities. It elicited a muted giggle-snort from Ailis as she blocked out the distraction and retrieved her headphones.

A compliment and a dazzling smile was all it took for Ailis to glance away for a moment, a hint of flush brightening her cheeks that wasn't from exertion. She didn't let it faze her however as she looked up as he stood and held out a hand to her. It reminded her of the first time they had met, that fateful occurrence during which he had pissed her off severely but set her on the path to straightening out her life.

"You look good too." She said with a grin as she reached up to clasp his hand, letting him haul her to her feet. She was a little embarrassed at her own appearance, cheeks flush from running, sweat beading her brow. She took a moment to settle her breathing as he asked her where she had been.

"Here. There. I took a short trip home to settle some unfinished business." Things there hadn't exactly gone according to plan and it still remained unsettled… for now. "I came back to find the dorms blown up, got transferred back here… to Taris." She let a not so small grumble leak into her voice at that, she was tired of sprawling cityscapes. She brushed some of the dust from her track suit as she spoke, shaking her head.

"What have you been up to? Still slaying it with the ladies I assume?" She joked with a half grin. She had lost count of the girls he was rumored to have been running around with. Truthfully it had hurt at first, and she didn't want to admit she had caught feelings for the boy. It had been better to disappear out of his life than cause trouble, or so she reassured herself. Still…

"Oh. I did get you a present, while I was gone. Don't let me forget to give it to you." She lit up as she remembered the birthday gift she had never gotten a chance to give him.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard her mention she ended up back on Taris, “You really can’t escape this damn planet,” He said, clearly amused and recalling the hypergate field trip. However, that was when his smile faltered just a bit. He listened to the rest of what she said, coughing a bit as she mentioned him ‘slaying it with the ladies.’

“I was datin’ Aadya for a while, but we split,” He shrugged, “Free agent now!” He chirped, though he wasn’t even sure what that meant. He certainly had more than a few hookups since, but he wondered if he was ready to dive into another serious relationship anytime soon, "I also got into the Ziost military academy so I'm hyped for that. I start in the fall," It was the most prestigious military academy second only to East Point where President Thorne had attended.

When Ailis mentioned a present, he eyed her curiously, “Aww, you didn’t have to. I definitely missed you at the party…which was thrown by Sol of all people,” He added after a moment as he began to turn and get into a slow jog, inviting Ailis to join him.

“It’s been a while but I figured I’d ask - are you two an item or were you?” Altair asked as he jogged, even though he felt rather nosy asking. He had his own opinions of the boy, but he was not one to badmouth people that meant something to others. Even then, it wasn't exactly a secret that Altair had no love for Sol.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis scoffed and rolled her eyes at Altair's comment about Taris. "Tell me about it. One day i'll be free from all this." She said with a hint of hopefulness. Ailis did not miss Altair's apparent discomfort at her comment about his luck with the ladies. She raised an eyebrow at him as he coughed, a slight smirk lingering on her lips.

It took a conscious effort to prevent her jaw from dropping as he mentioned casually that he had dated Aadya for a while. With crude no longer coursing through her on the weekly anymore, her memories regarding her trips over the years had become much clearer. Many nightmares and sleepless nights had followed as she was crushed by the enormity of many of her actions while she had been taking the drug, but one face stood out in those memories from her first party among the Sith. The gorgeous woman who she had danced with had been dating Altair, and then the dumbass had let her get away?

"Aadya?" She let out her own uncomfortable cough as she looked at him, "What... can I ask what happened there?" She asked, hoping she wasn't overstepping into something personal. She hadn't seen Altair in forever and yet here she was prying in his business. He seemed uncomfortable about the whole thing and quickly switched topics.

"Ziost! That's awesome, congratulations." Ailis grinned, genuinely happy for him. He had certainly come a long ways, from failing into summer school to getting accepted into one of the Empire's, no, the galaxy's, most prestigious military academies. "We should do something to celebrate before you leave." They had some time, if he wasn't due to leave until the fall.

Ailis frowned for a moment when Altair mentioned Sol, but moved on to address his other words quickly. "Don't even start, of course I had to. You're gonna love it." She grinned as she thought about how excited he would be. She could still scarcely believe that she had had the courage without Crude to approach what was perhaps one of the most popular and powerful men in the galaxy at the Huttball party. It was a shame it had taken her so long to get back in touch with Altair.

Ailis nodded at Altair's invitation to jog, stretching her legs out for a moment before catching up to him. His next question caught her almost entirely off guard, though she had suspected he thought something along those lines. "Together, with that dweeb?" She almost laughed, instead saving her breath as they ran, staring at the ground for a moment as it wobbled with each step as they jogged.

"He wishes," She scoffed and took a hesitant breath before continuing, "I kissed him at a party while I was tripping on crude, danced with him a little." She admitted, glancing at Altair nervously, worried what he might think. She didn't know why she was worried, the tiefling had plenty of his own conquests and she certainly didn't owe him anything. "I think he thought it meant more than it did when we ran into each other again..." She trailed off, she didn't really want to linger on the subject and instead glanced at Altair. "Is that what you thought, when you stormed off that day?" She asked, curiosity mixed in with sadness in her eyes. It was what she had suspected.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair continued jogging, a little surprised at her response to his question. He glanced over briefly before he continued, hearing the details of how they kissed. He made a face, but it wasn’t from jealousy, “I’sppose you were blitzed,” He said, laughing a bit as they kept running. He saw Sol as a child and couldn’t imagine him as anything else. Altair grimaced slightly as she outright asked about when he had stormed off.

“I ain’t a fan of the dude, but I didn’t like the idea you were steppin’ out on him to hook up with me,” He finally admitted. He was raised on traditional principles in that regard and wouldn’t support cheating. However, the fact that they weren’t dating made him feel better that no lines had been crossed.

Altair kept jogging, now rounding around the track and starting another lap, “How about you? Been slayin’ any men.. Or ladies?” He asked with a smirk.

@Arcangel