Ask Friends Will Be Friends

[Darth Tiamat]

Her attention remained on the painting and she went to take another scoop from her stew, missing entirely as she plummeted the spoon into her lap. The girl frowned and tried again, seeming suspicious that she would miss her own bowl. Morgan spoke of walls and though she understood his analogy, it still pained her as to what a wall would elicit when speaking about Emryc. Perhaps next time she should just pull him through her own walls if she were that strong to throw him. She closed her eyes tightly, thinking she saw her food sway before centering in her vision again.

Morgan's voice did well to keep her focused as best as she could, it did help his tone was soothing and she attributed to the calm he exhibited despite her wine-drunk clumsiness. She glanced at her wine glass, debating if she should pick it up before her gaze returned to him as he disagreed with the idea that attachment is weakness. Tiamat felt her curiousness pique, her eyes focused, her brow furrowed, and she remained in stillness as he explained his position.

When he turned to look at her and continued, Tiamat smiled, her cheeks glowed bright red, realizing she never viewed it in that perspective. "That sounds reasonable to me. I will be stronger." she agreed, making the promise to herself, "You always have the best ideas." She broke from his golden gaze to look at her bowl, then back to her wine glass, before returning back to Morgan, taking him in for a moment before finding her smile again.

A wash of calm ran through her; she was uncertain if it were from the wine or from the relief of Morgan's wisdom, but she felt more at ease about overcoming her mistakes. "Guys are still silly complicated." she humored as she worked to set the bowl in her lap before reaching over for her wine glass.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

The alcohol-bidden discombobulation continued in earnest with Tiamat dropping her stew spoon past the bowl. Morgan decided to take another sip of his own drink in an effort to keep things a little more fair, feeling the buzz growing behind his eyes and tingling through his limbs and fingers.

After his bout of advice-giving she turned a fun red colour, an amused smirk forming on Morgan's features as he watched the transformation and the smile that lit up the young woman's face. He hummed softly in a satisfied sort of way as she seemed to agree and, looking away when she first broke their matched gaze and taking another bite of his stew. When she looked again he was staring off into space as if lost in thought somewhere far away.

"I like to think so," he replied to Tiamat's compliment after some seconds, his tone indicating he took it with good humour. Morgan still seemed to be actually listening even if he was distracted.

"Agreed." Complicated was certainly a way to put it. On top of not having all that much actual experience being in a relationship himself Morgan's soldier boy really didn't either, although it was rather obvious he did have more physical experience. Morgan frowned again automatically at the thought, unexpectedly finding his annoyance from earlier returning in earnest.

"Both frustrating and sweet."

He idly wondered if any of his own habits got on his boyfriend's nerves. Other than his timing, of course, which was occasionally horrendous.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat was able to snag her glass, carefully bringing it back to herself and not to spill her stew and drink in the process. She toasted to his response, "Frustrating and sweet." she agreed and took a drink thinking of the qualities she found both in Emryc. She knew she could frustrate him with her own antics, probably more so than most; in fact she couldn't recall him ever losing his temper like the small handful of times he did with her in the presence of others. However, it never seemed like he wanted her to leave even after those moments.

She took a few more sips from her glass before scooping another spoonful to eat, not realizing how hungry she had been feeling. The last few days she felt she could not stomach much; she had thought cooking would have helped, instead she never felt like eating her own goods after just baking them.

Her gaze grew soft, her cheeks remained flushed with the warm glow of the wine, "It feels like even with all the complications at times, it just leaves the rest sweeter than before." she hummed and finished off her drinking, setting the glass down on the table as she continued with the stew.

"I've really enjoyed the music you created for me." she said recalling the gift he had given her at the spa. Her morning routine often involved warming up with several of her drills along with her katas.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

With obvious amusement Morgan toasted Tiamat in turn and took a drink and then placed the glass back down to finish his food. He'd intentionally timed dinner to around the young woman's arrival at his apartment and he didn't intend to delay eating properly too much lest he get grumpy about it.

Morgan was in the middle of that process, still looking mildly irritated at something or other, when Tiamat spoke again. He looked at her after a moment and blinked once in consideration. His experience with Emryc had been much the same, a sense of satisfaction and contentment coming over him any time they solved some problem or other. Amongst other benefits of such discussion.

"Growth is worth the effort," he muttered almost absentmindedly and put down his mostly empty bowl. Morgan returned to his drink and leaned casually back on the couch to enter halfway into lounge mode. A small, soft smile graced his features when Tiamat mentioned the music, humming in a satisfied sort of way.

"Glad you like it. Had hoped it would fit with your practice."

While he wasn't exactly a ballet person himself he was quick to pick up on musical trends and styles and tried to get the right tone and rhythm for the way he'd watched her dance before.

"Is the Karma running well for you?"

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Her spoon gently scraped against the sides of the bowl as she scooped out the last bits of stew, frowning slightly as she tried once more to get the remainder of the sauce onto her spoon.

"Best ship I have ever piloted so far." she grinned and popped the spoon in her mouth to savory the last bit of her portion, "And much bigger so I was able to move all my research and have it a bit more spread out." Tiamat explained and titled slightly to find her way to set down her empty bowl on the table, "I was able to figure out the access codes, now I have the algorithms to produce coordinates." the redhead felt a wave of giddiness to her success, "We can go just about anywhere in the galaxy."

Tiamat was able to set down the bowl on the table, but held it there for a moment as it took her a moment to process if the bowl was going to stay in place once she released it. A serious look formed as she watched the bowl for a moment as though she had forgotten how general physics worked. When it stayed put long enough Tiamat turned slightly on the couch to face Morgan, resting her arm on the back of the sofa to prop up her head lazily.

The girl's grin returned, "It will be so much easier to hop into the core without the Free Worlds bothering for your business." she sighed, "The negative to this is once I start using them, it is only a mater of time before the Eternal finds out." her gaze dropped uncomfortably to this thought.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan hummed in a satisfied sort of way. Karma had served him well for a good long while, but one of the things a change in situation required was a long-range holonet array. He and his boyfriend were frequently out and about and it allowed them to keep in touch during those times.

The Firrereo smiled warmly at the thought.

"Good to hear." Her enjoyment of the gift was genuinely something Morgan had intended. That and the ship she'd been flying was... questionable. Tiamat was both considered a friend and had intelligence and ambition, so how could he not? Plus if she'd lost her research to some fire aboard that trash heap he was pretty sure she'd lose her mind along with it.

Tiamat spoke of the gates more specifically and that drew Morgan's direct attention. They were an excellent tool, something he'd known when she first explained the idea some time ago, and the information was important on its own. An algorithm to determine coordinates would doubtless be valuable as well as saving time.

Its value was a potential issue amongst the Sith, of course, which she pointed out herself.

"Your work is excellent. Will provide unique opportunities. Naturally, it will be noticed." He paused a moment. "Find a way to not be replaceable."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

***​

Felucia

It had been some time since Tiamat had seen Morgan and it had taken her a long moment to think as to how long it had been. Was it just months? Or was it over a years time?

She had spent time with him just before Denon; she knew he was at the battle, helped recover Raze, and then...well...

Tia had guessed it really had been that long then.

She had not been really much in a mood for company, but when Morgan wanted to meet with her, she decided to make the exception. It was at least been long enough she was no longer feeling the withdrawal effects of the drugs they had given her; the pokes from the continued injections were nearly healed with the aid of bacta and with some use of herbs cultivated from the Felucians. Before leaving the prison, someone had hit a vein wrong and she was certain it had become infected, she doubted they would have done much to heal it and it would have been inconvenient if her life was thrown to sepsis. The thought of it now made her chuckle to herself at least.

There was hesitance to return to a private quarters at the Sith base, and instead, she opted to just be alone with her ship and set up camp outside one of the smaller space ports on Felucia. Low in a valley, she found a spot near a shallow river that seemed to carry the cool air from the mountains, helping to balance the jungle heat and humidity. It was relieving to not be bothered as she returned to familiarity. There was comfort in routine and Tiamat was quick to return back to her habits just as before the Byblos battle. Reunited with saber thanks to Pedee's (@The Good Doctor) loyalty, the redheaded Sith was right back practicing her blade work and mastering her footing once more. Her morning begun with cleansing, a continued effort to purge her body of the remaining effects of the sedatives, then meditation, repentance, and her Katas. She found herself spending extra time catching up with her ballet drills, feeling the burning stretch of her muscles as she danced and practiced her form, missing the peace she found within the movements and music.

Then she would meditate more, finding she had a lot to still process and resolve and the nagging impatience to get it all done immediately. Though she was more than relieved to cut her this part of her practice short today as Morgan was expected to arrive soon. Tying back her red hair into a ponytail, she walked around to the front of the ship where her small droid was working on some repairs; frayed wiring from just wear on the ship was a requirement of regular maintenance, but it was enough of a job to keep her mind occupied from more heavier matters for now.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan had been quite occupied with all the steps involved in making sure the territory he'd claimed from Malicia was at least somewhat in order. Cult cells were ordered to wipe themselves in the name of their coward goddess, positions were shifted around, inventory of different things were taken, the palace needed cleaning, and a great many other tasks to be handled.

Luckily his new authority allowed for a great deal of delegation for much of it. But even before all of it he'd been arranging for third party agents to find the location of the two captured Sith Lords for a recovery mission. It had been a massive surprise, full of a great many mixed emotions, when observers informed him Darth Raze had shown up, with others who followed in his wake, to pull the prisoners out of confinement.

Although he suspected Asminys was more a byproduct rather than a direct goal, he wasn't going to complain about it.

He'd also heard of the way in which the prisoners were treated. Suppressed with drugs and locked away in confinement were, he supposed, effective ways to prevent them from just forcing their way out with their powers, but that did nothing to soothe his anger at the fact. So, he took some time, after what seemed like a decent period of recovery first, to check in on the now freed Tiamat.

A speeder would arrive from the distance, stopping before the red-headed Lord's ship. Its passenger door opened and out stepped the familiar form of Morgan dressed in a relatively casual pair of black trousers and matching overtunic. He didn't feel the need to dress up to meet his friend.

"Tia!" he called, stepping over while the pilot droid went into sleep mode in the speeder. "It is good to see you. Are you recovering well?" Morgan held up a plastic bag containing to-go containers with the familiar smell of buns emanating from within. Golden eyes looked over her with with some concern.

"I must apologize for allowing you to be captured."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She could feel a presence approaching and until she saw the silhouette of the speeder, Tiamat continued to work with the droid. Understanding its binary language, she quickly showed the droid a few tricks to keep from crossing the wires before leaving the mechanical assistant on its own as she stood and walked to meet the approaching speeder. The redheaded Sith wiped her hands along the sides of her pants as Morgan stepped out from the speeder, food in tow. He was dressed casual, but regardless he always looked nice and well put together.

He approached her and Tiamat grinned and shrugged, trying to think how she felt currently compared to how she wanted others to feel. "Its a slow recovery, but its going as well as it can." she explained, her blue eyes watched him raise a bag while a breeze blew through the valley. Instantly Tiamat noted what was inside and she remembered how good the buns tasted the first time he had met with her. He looked her over, concern washed over his features and Tiamat felt some confusion to the reaction, mostly that she was not used to others fussing over her and her own well-being. However he would surprise her with something else, an apology for her capture.

Tia was uncertain of what to say, she remained silent, finding thought and opening her mouth only to pause again. Her eyes drifted her away from his golden gaze and instead of speaking right away, she turned on her heel and headed into the ship, "It will not be an issue next time, I will be stronger." she told him.

She was not done processing everything from then, ambivalent feelings overwhelmed her while she tried to continue forward on her journey to that strength. "Have you been getting a lot of flak for Byblos?" she asked turning the conversation away from herself.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Golden eyes watched Tia the same way they watched just about everyone. Even with concern there they were intense and focused, picking up on the way she moved around, the state of her hair and the colour of her skin. There was no way Morgan would miss the emotions that flashed over her face, either, at the things he said. He followed Tia into her ship, raising a brow at her statement.

"I am sure you will be," he replied amiably, looking around the familiar shapes, but changed interior, of the Karma Chameleon. It was clearly still being put to good use in her hands, just as she'd said before, and that pleased him. The bag of food was put down on a chair by a table since the surface wasn't immediately free.

"Yes. If I hadn't ordered a retreat I suspect it would be worse." Even angry, slugging forces back and forth wasn't his style and it meant there were far fewer losses than the old Galactic Empire method of shoot until you die. Even so, it had been a loss with two Lords captured, and hardware had still been taken down in the process. Naturally the Eternal had not been terribly pleased by the outcome and had quite a bit to say on the matter.

"Lately it has abated somewhat," he added dryly. Between the third party operation to recover the captured Sith's location and him taking action against Malicia, and his otherwise good record, the Eternal had other things to worry about.

"I am glad the plan to find you worked out, although I did not expect Raze to reappear there."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat had entered her ship many times over and each time she did not feel as self-conscious about the mess of papers, tombs, books, and electronic parts scattered about until Morgan walked onboard the ship too. Her cheeks glowed brightly as she started to move an armful of her belonging by scooping it up and then dropping them into an already full drawer of additional papers and books. He described his decision to retreat while she moved another armful of items, though this time, she seemed more careful where she moved them, disappearing into an adjacent room and returning to now a clear table and chairs for them to sit.

"Perhaps it will work in your favor." she suggested, "Now the FWA and Republic are vulnerable to inflating their ability to defend and protect. They certainly get cocky." she frowned thinking about how they played the Sullust victory while she was imprisoned. She moved the bag of food to the table and gestured for him to sit, he mentioned Raze's return, and Tiamat felt her stomach knot, uncertain how she felt about being broken out by the one person she would never want to know if her failing.

"I was thoroughly surprised." she stated walking away for a moment to dig through another drawer and pulled out a handful of napkins. She remembered Morgan had similar eating habits to Emryc's and keeping his fingers clean. "Well, I guess I was more surprised that there was even the idea of a rescue." she sat across from Morgan, her gaze falling behind his shoulder as her thoughts take her elsewhere, "I just don't like the talk that is occurring, damaged goods..." her blue eyes focused back on Morgan, a bit of disgust on her tongue to the description.

@Mr. Teatime