Ask Heavy Is The Crown

[Altair Din]

There was a time when Altair loved all manners of socials. He was usually the loudest and most obnoxious. He and Cairo usually walked in like they owned the place and caused a scene. He had girls fighting over him and he could vividly picture Vahliri, Aadya and everyone else dressed to the nines. All of those memories were distant now, as if they were from a different lifetime entirely.

This was meant to be a joint mixer between Imperials and Imperial Knights. Since the new rules were announced, there was better camaraderie between the groups. Altair saw a lot of faces he didn’t recognize immediately. There was music and a few people were dancing, but he was seated at a table in the back. Everyone was dressed formally and he was in his uniform dress attire.

Instead of dancing or performing on stage, he was quietly scrolling through his NalPhone while drinking from a glass of whiskey. A few people came up to pay their respects, but otherwise he was left alone. He was no longer that obnoxious teen - he was the ruler of this new Empire he created. And he was the last one standing from all the people he once knew.

He carried a deep sorrow with him, but he would never let it come to surface. Altair was still reeling from the latest blow - the fact that he would become a single father in just a few months. He was absentmindedly browsing through his old dating apps, finding his old bio hilarious. He barely ever matched with any girls back then since he was a tiefling. Suddenly he had hundreds of interested women that recognized him.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

With the most recent changes in regards to the Imperial Knights' standing within the Empire, a lot had changed in terms of rights and reputation. Kalique's promotion was relatively fresh as well and so a lot had basically happened at once and they all found themselves in a period of transition with shifting responsibilities.

Tonight's occasion was formal, yet relatively relaxed in terms of how it wasn't a super vital official meeting, but it was more meant as a mean to let Imperials and Knights both bond with the other party. Kalique had already realized that while some seemed more tense than usual, others were seemingly happy about the adjusted power structure, but she was well aware that there were still countless bridges that still needed to be created and trust to built back up again, so that such a event was maybe exactly what would aid morality.

Kalique was casually chatting with a group of Lieutenants and another Knight before she was actually headed towards the bar as a very familiar horned face caught her attention. She didn't quite know how or why she hadn't seen him for now, but blamed it on the long talk and s instead of heading towards the bar, she decided to approach the Warmaster.

His formal uniform looked crisp and fitted him perfectly, yet if he'd look up from his phone he'd realize that she was also adorned on something he hadn't seen on her before. It was an elegant crimson dress and instead of a military bun she had a few wide, rather glamorous curls in her hair. She noted that he seemed a little absent and was not mingled with the others like she would have expected, so she wondered whether there was something on his mind.


"Warmaster Din", she greeted him with a warm smile, "may I sit?". She noddednto the seat next to him, wondering whether he minded a little company.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

He almost didn’t recognize her when she first arrived, but his face betrayed his surprise. She looked stunning in that attire and her hair done, and it was vastly different from the standard Imperial Knight armor. Altair set his NalPhone aside and offered a smile, “Please,” He gestured politely before he sat up in his own chair. He had been slowly melting into his seat from boredom.

“Congratulations on your promotion, Captain Demici,” He said with a grin, “Well deserved,” He raised his glass in toast to her. He almost opened his mouth to compliment her appearance but didn’t know if that would be inappropriate considering their roles. He opted to instead take a swig from his whiskey.

“Enjoying the festivities?” He asked as his gaze flicked to the crowds. Ugh. He was making small talk. Altair hated small talk. However, he couldn’t exactly run out to the dance floor and start pelvic thrusting to a song like he used to, so he had to be the prim and proper Warmaster. He almost missed the days of snorting spice or accidentally dabbling with Wildfire..

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She answered his kind gesture with a grateful smile and gracefully slipped into the chair. While she didn't mean to intrude, she immediately realized that her approach had been relatively direct and that she was even more grateful for how casually he allowed her to join him even though it had seem like the Warmaster wasn't in the mood for much company.

"I thank you kindly" her smile almost turned into a subtly sheepish one and once again she found herself actively fighting against letting her cheeks blush as such a compliment from him meant a lot to her. It had been a long way, but she was grateful for having switched into a position with much more responsibility that she was however willingly taking. She was ready to take an even more active role in the process of shaping the newly forged Empire and still remember how Altair had been impressed with her work, so that she was wondering whether he's had a saying in her promotion.

"I am indeed. I do enjoy the view" she replied amusedly, however realizing that she had accidentally offered an double entendré, hence she decided to clarify the thought immediately before he'd assume she was already a little tipsy and hitting on her superior.

"The changes in the overall atmosphere are clearly palpable" she shifted her gaze towards the crowd and gestured towards the dance floor to emphasize her point, "Imperials and Knights alike are enjoying themselves together and simply having a good time. The event was a perfect occasion to bond".

With that, her gaze flicked back to him while her smile widened a little. "How about yourself?" perhaps the question was of of rather rhetorical nature as she had seen how absent he had been before, but the question that was still in the room was whether he was just bored or otherwise distracted. "Care to dance?" again, it was a rather direct prompt but she hadn't gotten to know him as a man who fancied smalltalk.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was sipping from his whiskey when she blurted out about enjoying the view while still looking at him. She would simply see his eyebrows raise over the rim of the glass, but he stayed silent. He had an entertained look on his face as he set his glass down, following her gesture out to the dance floor. Altair stared at it for a moment. He didn’t see Vahliri, Aadya, Anai, Ashla, or hell even Varyn passed out on the floor. It was a sea of people he didn’t recognize.

He didn’t respond, finishing up his whiskey instead. He likely came across aloof and closed off, which was not intentional. His head was far from the present, and he hadn’t had a break in a while. When she asked him to dance, he almost declined. Altair wanted to wallow in pity and keep drinking without talking to anyone the rest of the evening. However, he also knew that was not exactly inspiring to see in a leader.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Altair agreed, rising to stand. He offered his hand to her, guiding her out to the dance floor. People stepped aside to allow him to walk through, his tail swishing behind him. The music was melodious and rhythmic, and he tugged her close and moved effortlessly across the floor. It was clear he had done this a thousand times before.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The amusement her unlucky choice of words had triggered quickly faded from his features and what remained was somehow this broody, much more distant version of the Warmaster.

Despite having ventured through the damn sewers and murdered a whole cult who followed the 'son of Raze', his mood was somehow much worse today, which finally led her to the assumption that something was wrong.

It was not like she expected something that concerned the Empire but rather something much more personal and without wanting to dig in and figure out what caused his broodiness, she decided to make it her mission to lighten his mood, even if it was only for a little while.

She knew how much he was usually working and how much responsibility he carried, so she exactly thought it was even a question of duty to help the Warmaster a little - obviously only if she would notice that he was not at all open for a little distraction.

He accepted her suggestion and went with it, however despite his formal politeness there was not much enthusiasm in the way he led her towards the dance floor. Still, as soon he started leading her his excellent dancing skills were just another little thing she admired about him.

Obviously, she had received thorough training in all kinds of dances back on Serenno as nobles simply had to know how to dance, but with all her usual workload, it had actually been a while since she had last danced.

"Remarkable" she briefly commented on his skills as the next song slowly began to fade while she gracefully followed his lead, yet, as another thought crossed her mind, a playful smirk tugged at her lips. "What about a little game?" she curiosly asked him, however wanting to elaborate before he'd either agree or disagree.

"Fairly simple, but I could get interesting. I bet you've played 'would you rather' before, but now I was wondering whether you'd rather never dance again, or would want to be pretty bad at it, regardless of the dance, but you could choose to participate whenever". Maybe he'd find it stupid, maybe it was exactly what he needed. A simple game to take his mind of whatever he was contemplating and helping him to have some more fun tonight.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair knew he was being a wet towel. He was normally the life of the party, and here he was presenting the lamest version of himself before this girl. Did it really matter? No one just saw him as another person anymore - they saw him as the Warmaster, as this person so far away and untouchable. The tiefling was pulled out of his thoughts when she suggested a game. His amethyst eyes widened in surprise, but the question brought a smile.

“I would happily dance like an idiot, I don’t care,” He said proudly, “I love moving and performing,” Altair hadn’t talked about his musical abilities in a while. When was the last time he popped up on stage?

Altair thought over his question, a sly grin coming across his face as he guided her across the dance floor. His hand grasped around her waist as he easily tugged her along, “Would you rather let everyone read your thoughts or allow everyone to read your Holonet history?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique found the challenge she had posed for herself indeed very interesting as she had not experienced the Warmaster in such social settings often. Yet, she was confident that distracting him from whatever was on his mind would would do no harm and wouldn't be too difficult either.

Bystanding Knights and Soldiers alike made way for them as they danced, keeping a deliberately vaster distance, most likely out of respect for the Warmaster in order to avoid bumping into him. Yet, most watched in awe as he effortlessly swept across the floor, surely delighted to see him in the midst of the crowd.

Kalique didn't pay them much attention as she was focused on the game while she elegantly danced with the Tiefling who was obviously delighted about her game suggestion. "Oh. Interesting choice. I'm afraid I've missed most of your performances so far". She had heard stories, but she obviously hadn't been present on former Sith events.

"It's a shame I missed out on that". That was truly something she would have loved to seen, yet she knew that a lot had changed ever since and she wasn't sure whether everyone in this room would be delighted if he'd suddenly charge on stage and take over the entertainment program. She for once would find it delightful, but others were too prim and proper for such opportunities.

"Easy. Read my Holonet history. What people do on the Holonet is still somewhat controlled" and the ISB was keeping a very close eye on them anyway, "but what happens inside one's mind is much more intimate. You'd never know what you'd find if the thoughts start to wander". She gave him another playful smirk as she met his amethyst gaze, immediately realizing that his eyes looked much more vibrant now.

She somehow had a feeling that this was getting spicier quickly, but she was still careful in what she voiced as she was still talkig to the Warmaster, regardless of how chummy he seemed "Okay...would you rather be obligated to hold each important meeting in underwear only, let's say for safety concerns, or always have at least two animate guards wherever you are, all time. No droids, not even restroom breaks". She finished with a sly grin, gaze directed up at the tall Tiefling.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair thought back to the days when he performed, “I miss it too,” He admitted quietly, briefly looking past her and towards the open hall behind her. He knew he couldn’t keep living in the past. Her answer caused him to quirk a brow, “Why, do you have scandalous thoughts often?” He asked with a grin, thoroughly entertained.

He twirled her and dropped her into a dip, the dance moves automatic to him at this point. The tiefling thought about her question, “I’d rather be underwear. I can probably get more people to agree with me if they see me shirtless,” He said smugly. He was long past the days of being insecure. He had complete confidence in his appearance by now, and he wore it with pride. The Emryc Thorne routine had served him well even if it was from his greatest enemy now.

For now he kept things tame, but chose questions that allowed him to learn more about her, “Would you rather be the only person laughing at someone or the only one being laughed at?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The way he still talked about what had once been let her wonder it had been nostalgia he had dived into earlier that night. She couldn't blame him for it as it was pretty normal, but what was important was living in the presence like the were right now. "Scandalous? No...not necessarily. But I do like to be in control of what I share".

What she said last was immediately applicable to his next answers as her gaze quickly flicked down. Despite being all dutiful, hard working and diligent, she was also a woman after all. Even through the formal uniform one could see how defined his body was. "Fair". He definitely had a point.

His next question was less playful and more curious, but again, she didn't have to think about an answer for long and didn't mind letting him in on a few things about herself. "The latter. Let them laugh. I'm confident enough to take it whereas others might not be fine with it. Also, I'm a firm believer in mutual respect".

She didn't mind the more serious nature either and so she wanted to return something similar. "Would you rather go back in time and change one particular day or travel to the future for one day, to see how it all turns out?". She wasn't even sure whether he wanted to share such personal thoughts, but until then it hadn't seem like he minded the exchange much.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

So far she sounded different than most of the Sith he had met. It was actually refreshing, and it gave him hope that Imperial Knights could be entirely separated from Sith. While he enjoyed his friendships and romances, ultimately interacting with Sith had brought him nothing but drama. Her next question actually caused him to stop dancing. His jaw tightened for a moment.

He could think back to one day right away. He could have simply run away with Clove. Or, better yet, he could simply have not met her. But then he thought of everything he endured since - good and bad. Ultimately it all crafted him into the man he was today. Would he undo all of that to run away and live on a farm? In the past he did, but he couldn’t imagine that today.

“I think I’d rather stay right where I am,” He said with a grin. It was a lame answer, but her question was truly thought provoking. He didn’t want to jump to the future to see the Empire in ashes. And he didn’t want to look back on a series of regrets.

“I’m ready for another drink after that question,” Altair chuckled as he stepped back from her and began walking towards the bar, “Care to join me?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While Kalique had intended to distract him from whatever bothered him, it seemed like her question had brought him right back at it. Something about her question made him stop moving, all the warmth temporarily fading from the well defined features before he came up with an answer that wasn't really satisfying.

Maybe asking such a deep question had been to insensitive, but then again she had had no idea what the nature of his thoughts was. Now she knew. It had to be something personal from his past or else he wouldn't have reacted like that. She bit the inside of her cheek, however didn't grimace or anything.

"A drink sounds awesome and I'd love to join you". She was relieved about his initiated change of topic and scenery and she was hoping it would prevent him from dwelling on the thought. His answer was perhaps not fully surprising, but it did break the nature of the game which was a testament for how he'd rather want to avoid the topic.

She followed closemby and together they made their way through the crowd before they reached the bar. "That was whiskey earlier, right? What are you feeling like now?". She had to raise her voice a little so that it was reaching him through the music and chatter all around.

She'd wait for his answer and would go for a rum mixture herself before she leaned a little closer. "How about enjoying the drink outside?", she suggested, wanting to escape the noise for a moment. She nodded towards the large wing doors to their left which led to a little balcony before she expectantly glanced back up at him.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair led the way to the bar, deciding he didn’t want another whiskey.

“Try something with me,” He said with a grin.

He ordered two bright green drinks, handing one to Kalique, “This is called Aezz’s Revenge,” He said as he clicked his glass with hers before tossing his drink back. If she did the same, she would feel a burn in her throat and with a tickling sensation as if there was hair in her throat. It started off tasty and then it was strong, but it definitely sent a surge through you. Sometimes it made people start coughing or making a bunch of unintelligible noises - hence the name. Altair shook his head, reeling from the drink and seeing how Kalique handled it.

Altair ordered himself a real drink this time, a mixed drink from imported liquors. When it wasn’t his personal funds, he decided to be a little extravagant. He looked at her as she asked her question. He was a seasoned player in this game by now. Altair did not respond immediately, watching her as he sipped from his glass.

“Well if you insist,” He said breezily before walking outside. People saluted him along the way as they walked out to the balcony. The location was high up, the cool night breeze rustling his hair. The stars were bright tonight in a cloudless sky.

“You know I’m not exactly the most interesting guy in the room,” Altair said with a chuckle, sipping from his drink as he leaned against the railing.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She was delightfully surprised by his idea and agreed with a smirk. "Sure, let's be adventurous" The name alone - a tribute to the ancient wookie of Kashyyyk - was already catching her interest, but the term 'revenge' was already hinting at some spicy potential and as the shot was poured, she was a little afraid.

"Cheers" she clicked her glass with his before she down the drink in one drink, however, the burning sensation was just as bad as expected. However, as she had assumed it would be quite harsh, she did grimace but managed to suppress a cough. "Well...a delightful drink for sure" she mananged to say with a relatively straight face, but she did appreciate choosing her long drink herself afterwards.

She wondered why instead of answering straight away he studied her for a moment and again it made her admittedly nervous. As he finally agreed though, she followed happily after, appreciating the chilly night-air from the very first moment. The blonde took a casual sip from her rum mixture while facing him, a smirk playing across her lips as he confronted her with an understatement. "Why do you consider yourself that way? I'm sure we could talk for days and I'd still learn something new every minute".

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was impressed by how she handled the drink. Or she was just that good at playing off when she was miserable. That wasn’t surprising considering how well she kept it together in the sewers when most would have gagged two steps in. He drank from his glass and looked out over the balcony as she asked her question. He didn’t look at her then, scoffing as his tail swished. Her sentiment was warm and kind, and in the past his tail would have been wagging eagerly.

“I don’t have much to say,” He said as he rested his elbows on the railing, his drink swirling in his hand, “And you already know my story,” Altair said. There were always whispers about him among the Imperial ranks. Some were about his crazy past, the drama with ladies, his wild performances. Others were about his fighting prowess or his military leadership.

“Would you rather have me break your heart now or later?” Altair asked flatly, laughing into the night air again as he tied back to their game earlier in a crude fashion. He sipped from his drink.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Asking him so directly was surely risky and the tail movement alone already told her how thought-provoking their deep exchange was. "You say I know your story while I only know what you chose to share certain parts that made it through the media or was passed down to us from above. It's filtered. I'm pretty sure there's much more to it...and you", she replied softly, not wanting to push him further but also reminding him of how there were probably only a handful of people who knew the real Altair.

She was well aware of their positions, yet it was so weird that they were still talking that openly like they had known each other for much longer. It was hard to grasp for her, but she actively had to remind herself that this was still an official event and they had just sneaked outside for a moment.

As he continued though, he suddenly went back to her game in the most bitter way he could probably have and while Kalique was rarely ever speechless, that was one moment. She almost chocked on her drink as she had just brought the drink to her lips again, his question hitting her truly unexpectedly.

While it was surely self irony and bitterness bleeding into his actions, it was as if he was also alluding to the drama with the ladies he had constantly been involved with and somehow it also came as a warning. Had she made the impression on him that she was hoping they'd vanish into his quarters sooner or later? Well, not intentionally. Their exchange had surely been flirtatious to some extent but she would have never believed this would lead to anything more than a verbal exchange. This was the Imperial Warmaster after all.

Her cheeks still blushed at the sheer bluntness and the thought of it, even if she hadn't thought in this direction. "That's one way to start this game anew" she let out a little chuckle before she walked closer, choosing to hop onto the railing right next to him as gracefully as possible, with her legs dangling in the air. "With this hypothesis, I'd go for later though. I could at least enjoy it while it lasted...". She then decided to be just as blunt and just play along, not digging into the bitterness but rather aiming for drawing another laugh from him. "Well then would you rather kiss me now or later?". She phrased it similarly. So that it simply wasn't clear whether she was being shamelessly direct and flirty or just toying with hypothesis. On the inside, she was slapping herself as she was literally playing with fire but somehow he had provoked it...

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair expected her to instantly be turned off by his brusque response. He was being pessimistic and unpleasant, and he knew it. He kept drinking from his glass, not even glancing her way and expecting to hear footsteps walking away. Instead, just as she plunged into the sewers without hesitation (which is probably what she was doing now), she spun the challenge around on him. The tiefling almost choked on his drink before he turned to gaze at her, surprise clear in his purple hues.

The shock was soon replaced with a smile, and then a soft chuckle. He was thoroughly amused. Perhaps this kind of exchange wouldn’t be possible if she were an Imperial officer, but the lines were blurred between Imperial Knights and soldiers. The tiefling didn’t respond immediately, simply staring at her with an amused look on his face as his tail lazily swayed back and forth as if he were a very content cat.

After a moment, he leaned in towards her, her seated position negating their usual height difference. He scooted right in between her legs that were hanging, both of them on the sides of his hips. He was only a few inches away from her face when he paused with a grin, “Then you would have heard that I’m a gentleman,” He said softly before drawing back, “I would rather kiss you after letting you decide if you can tolerate an entire evening with me.”

He threw back his drink and shifted to stand at a distance, “How about I take you out?” He asked. When was the last time he asked a girl out? He couldn’t even remember. It all spiraled in the past. This time he was attempting to have some control of the situation. It would most likely lead to nothing, as every other tryst had, but he could enjoy himself briefly at least, "Promise it'll be somewhere with minimum stairs," Altair added with a wink, unable to resist.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Literally a thousand thoughts raced through her mind while the majority just screamed "seriously?!". Was that the effect of the drinks she had already had? It hadn't been much, much maybe she had indeed loosened up a little and also, he had started this all of a sudden.

She faced him boldly, even though her cheeks were burning, but there was no way she'd look away while she expected an answer that was at least as much caught of guard as her own. And then he laughed after almost choking and she knew she had accomplished her mission.

He wasn't moping, he was chuckling, obviously amused at her unexpected reply. The bitterness was forgotten and he seemed to enjoy himself tonight after all, so her success even made her a little proud. This feeling was however immediately replaced with nervousity again as he suddenly forced her legs to spread.

He literally took her breath away as for a moment, time just seemed to stand still. She didn't reply, just watched and waited, fully unprepared to whatever came next. As he softly replied, she could feel some tension, especially once he brought a decent distance between the two of them again, but what remained was that immense heat. What are you even doing here hitting on the Warmaster like that?! This inner voice kept scolding her, but she happily ignored it as his reply was genuinely sweeter and more gentleman like than she had even expected.

"How could I refuse such an offer? Although I've got to admit I love challenges". Stand him for a night, that wouldn't be hard, but wait, what was she even trying to prove or win? Before she could spiral into thoughts though, his last comment immediately drew a chuckle from her and she shook her head in embarrassment. "I was dearly hoping this would never come up again...but I see how it is". She then hopped down with her drink still in her hand, approaching him confidently before she said, "I'll expectantly await your invitation then. Good night". She sweetly winked at him before she spun and disappeared back inside, still internally suprirsed by how quickly they tides had changed but she was genuinely looking forward to this date as she hadn't had a proper one in ages.

@Sreeya

/End Thread