Ask I'll Tell You When You're Older

[Kasim Din]

Kasim was a couple of blocks away from the palace when he finally let his guard down. After his first exit attempt had been met with a backhand, he'd waited until a more natural time to leave. And as "luck" would have it, he hadn't had to wait long; Clove had gone into labor a few moments later, so as the Din inside the palace rose to a crescendo the orange Tiefling bailed.

Now he found himself inside an alleyway, vacant except for the usual trash bins, litter, and an inquisitive rodent or two that scurried away as his footfalls neared. It was a far cry from the luxury of Altair's palace, but for whatever reason he felt safer here- out of the reach of his parents or older siblings. One more glance over his shoulder confirmed that no one had followed him, but to be sure Kasim sent out his senses through the Force; a skill he was slowly beginning to learn. As he did so, Kasim sighed and shook his head. Of course his exit hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Come on out, Lals. I know you're there" he called out, waiting for his youngest sibling to show herself. "Why are you following me? You're gonna get in trouble."

@lizziie

 

[Laila Din]

Damn, how'd he know she was here? With a disappointed look, Laila stepped out from around the corner, wondering if it'd been her horns that had given her away. Or maybe it was her boots, since they were always a bit loud? Or her skin, since she was just so pink? She didn't exactly blend in with the weathered bricks and trashcans...

"Um ACTUALLY, I won't get in trouble because everyone is distracted by the baby, and also, I can follow you if I want to," she retorted, forcing air out her nose and puffing up her chest as if she was rejecting any obligation she had to explain herself. But one look at Kasim's expression and she decided that maybe being a brat wasn't the best move here. Maybe.

"Okay, well, I saw you leave so I just followed you 'cause I wanted to. You don't seem real happy and I was just, I dunno, feelin' bad for you." Jabari had literally slapped him in the middle of the family meeting. Not that Laila didn't think Kasim was overreacting a bit but... well, he was her brother, and she wanted to see if he was okay.

"I mean, aren't you excited to be an uncle?" she prompted, trying to convince herself that he was just as excited as she was.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Kasim Din]

Try as he might, Kasim couldn't stay angry at Lalia for more than a couple seconds tops; so although his mood was still darkened by the events of the palace, his anger- towards his baby sister, at least- abated. The orange Tiefling weighed her responses before acquiescing. "C'mere" he said, opening his arms for a hug and hoping that she hadn't outgrown them yet. She was noticeably taller than the last time they'd seen each other on Bandomeer, and clearly was coming into her own unique personality.

"Did anyone else follow me?" he asked; Lalia was many things, but subtle was not the first word that came to mind. "And yeah, hooray for the happy couple." Nope, he still couldn't lie to his younger sister.

"It's... weird." The understatement of the century. Away from the pressure and presence of the palace, Kasim felt his shoulders gradually falling as he started to process the news. "You don't have to worry about me, though" he said, absentmindedly touching where Jabari's blow had landed. "I'm fine."

Why was he even trying to lie?

@lizziie

 

[Laila Din]

Laila happily broke the distance between them and gave the hug Kasim was looking for. In true Din fashion, she squeezed as tight as she possibly could, expecting the same constriction from her older brother. The little girl had always loved hugs. She was never embarrassed about them, no matter how bratty or "too good" she got.

"Uh, I don't think so," Laila pondered as she pulled away, glancing back at the entrance to the alleyway. She'd slipped away while Ma and Pa were still distracted, and none of her siblings had followed her to her room where she'd slipped out the window. Unless they knew about her secret window rope... but at that point, they might as well just call her and demand where she was at.

"Why's it weird?" she asked almost immediately, her voice growing excited. "Is it 'cause they aren't married? Or 'cause we'd never met her before? Or 'cause she's the leader of the Star Guardians?" Well, former leader. Either way, Laila's assumptions came out in rapid fire, her tail whipping from side to side and her hands held in fists by her stomach. Kasim seemed to be playing tough, which was... well, normal for her and her youngest older brothers.

She was too nosey to let him slide that by her. Why wouldn't he tell her? She wanted to know!

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Kasim Din]

Kasim's ribs protested under Lalia's hug- she'd also gotten stronger since the last time they'd seen each other- but he didn't mind. It had been too long since he'd been properly hugged, anyways, and him leaving early from the Din family get together had prolonged that even further. And in the face of Lalia's incessant curiosity, his resolve started to slowly crumble. Since when had someone asked what he was thinking?

"It's weird because they're not together, yeah" he finally admitted, once Lalia paused her questions to finally take a breath. His tail, in contrast to hers, wound slowly side to side as he tried to come up with the right words. "I don't blame 'em" he continued, "since I guess it's better t' not force somethin' that isn't there. But now she's stuck." Another pause. "And he's got everythin' and she's lost everythin'."

Kasim's voice trembled despite himself as he finally put into words what had been bothering him since Korriban. Just when he'd started to think that he'd found a niche of his own- Nova, the Sith Order, and a life away from Bandomeer- in swooped Altair to whup him and send him back home in shame. The unspoken rift had further been widened when Altair's coup had displaced the Sith Order, robbing Kasim of his imagined future. Now, to try to understand or use the power that had been awakened inside of him deep in the bowels of Korriban- could get him hunted and killed, perhaps even by his own family.

"It ain't fair." He knew the response to that- life wasn't fair- but still, it felt like the right thing to say. "But enough about m- er, them. What have you been up to?" Lalia wasn't his therapist.

@lizziie

 

[Laila Din]

"Aaaaah... okay." Her whole family was kinda- no, really traditional. Having a baby before marriage was a huge no-no. So was sex, but from what Laila had gathered, none of her siblings abided by that rule (or would abide by it, if they could). She could like, kinda see the problem... but the girl was fourteen years old. She was much more concerned about what the baby was going to be named and if she was going to be allowed to babysit than the morals of having a kid outside of marriage.

"Well uh, I'm sure it'll all be fine," she said, patting her brother on the shoulder to try and comfort him. He was acting all worried like Pa, but with Ma's amount of words. "It's only fair in August, right?" she joked, trying to lighten the mood. She was more than glad when he asked about her. She could talk about herself all day long.

"Oooo! Well, I've been practicing my Matukai! And I made a new friend who isn't a stuck-up bitch! Oh, and I got this new bag recently that Ami-" Laila went on and on for a few minutes, detailing every new event in her life that Kasim really just had to know. "- oh! And, uh, that weird Force pulse thingy happened."

She'd forgotten about that.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Kasim Din]

Kasim could see that Lalia didn't quite understand his feelings surrounding Clove and Altair's relationship, but he decided against clarifying when his younger sister launched into an explanation of the past several months of her life. If anything, it was a welcome distraction from resentful thoughts that bubbled up again anytime he thought of his older siblings; never feeling like he was their equal, usually on the receiving end of a clout or two, and drowned out in any discussions or arguments.

So although he was missing several key details and sometimes struggled to decipher exactly what Lalia had said, Kasim did his best to listen, asking questions when he could get a word in and pretending that he and Lalia were back home on Bandomeer and not standing in a dirty alley on Eiattu. That was, until she mentioned the Force Pulse that they'd both felt.

Kark. The pulse was the main reason why he'd come to this planet in the first place, but now there was no hope of getting the answers he sought- not after making a ruckus about his family and insulting Altair. No, if he returned to the palace he'd probably be scolded and used for Din Family Sparring Practice. "I don't know" he admitted, even as a thought popped unbidden into his head.

Brown eyes fixed on Lalia as Kasim weighed his options. There was no denying the danger that delving into the truth about the Force pulse posed, and Lalia was what... 14? Far too young to be grappling with forces far beyond Kasim's understanding or control. But she had been the one to broach the subject, and as Kasim had learned well in the bowels of Korriban, escape from danger was easier if you weren't the slowest...

No; Lalia wasn't someone he could sacrifice, she was his sister! Just as quickly as the thought occurred to him he banished it and shrugged. "I guess we'll never know what that was" he said, almost grateful that he had no idea where to have even begun his own search. For as much as he was curious about the pulse and its origins, he also had a bad feeling about it. Hopefully his answer would satisfy his younger sister...

@lizziie

 

[Laila Din]

"Well, maybe not you, but I'm gonna figure out what it was and where it came from," Laila said matter-of-factly. She'd ask Tai about it. Surely he would know.

"Okay I'm tired of standing in an alley," she declared next, reaching out to grab Kasim's wrist to drag him out of it with her. She certainly didn't want to be spotted in a dirty alleyway talking to anyone, even if it was her brother. "Let's go get food! You still like pancakes right? There's this place- "

Laila began rambling again, describing the quality of the pancakes and how good they were for the price. "None of my friends will go without me 'cause of the part of town its in," she commented on the way. Of course, they weren't anywhere as good as Ma's, she made sure to tell him. But since Ma didn't do too much cooking anymore - not with the palace servants and everything - she hadn't had them in a while anyways.

It wouldn't take them too long to get there. And it wasn't the greatest part of the city, but Laila was recognized almost as soon as she entered.

"PRINCESS! Welcome back!" Though she was more than happy to be showered with all the attention, Laila decided to shift some of it off onto her brother. "Mr. Sorr, this is my older brother, Kasim! He's never had your pancakes!"

"Well, that's gonna change today! Here, sit down over here..."

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Kasim Din]

Kasim was about to argue with Lalia over the dangers of delving into whatever the pulse was, but decided to bite his tongue. She was a Din, after all, and once she'd made up her mind on something there was no dissuading her. Besides, Lalia had more options to draw on than he did; namely, access to Altair and by extension the resources of the weakened- yet still potent- Empire. "Let me know if you find anythin', ok?" he asked. "I'm just as curious as you are."

Although Kasim would've been just fine staying in the alleyway, he didn't protest when Lalia grabbed onto his arm and pulled him along with her towards a pancake place. The better impression he made now, the Tiefling reasoned, the more likely his sister might actually share information with him about the pulse. Pancakes were the perfect food to converse over, anyways, and so it didn't take much convincing for Kasim to follow his sister.

Kasim had hoped to travel relatively incognito, but by the sound of things Lalia was easily recognized by the populace. He nodded politely in greeting to the hosts' enthusiastic welcome while wondering just how many of the patrons might've overheard that a pair of underage royals were traveling alone in what could generously be described as a shadier part of town.

By habit, Kasim scanned the establishment; finding exits and entrances, taking note of a couple of lingering gazes, and sizing up a table of bikers in the corner whose swoops he'd seen outside as they entered. Kasim would've liked a corner booth, too, but at Mr. Sorr's insistence he and Lalia were set up on a couple of weary stools at the bar, where his younger sister's feet couldn't even reach the ground.

"Seems like you're adaptin' pretty well" Kasim said when they were seated. The trappings of royalty had never appealed to him, but at least it meant that Ma and Pa didn't have to work for the rest of their days. "Think you'll follow in Tai's footsteps an' be a leader?" His stomach rumbled in anticipation of the promised pancakes- diner food was diner food, but it had been a while since Kasim had enjoyed a full meal.

@lizziie

 

[Laila Din]

Laila happily hopped up onto the stool, kicking her feet back and forth with her elbows on the counter and her head in her hands while she waited for Mr. Sorr to return with the menu. She glanced over at Kasim as he spoke, wondering why he seemed so apprehensive.

"Yeah, I am," she confirmed, perking up as Mr. Sorr came back with the menu.

"Alright. Chocolate milk for Lady Din here- " The man mimicked writing her drink order down on his pad. The joke was that he didn't need to write anything down; she got the same thing every time. "And what for you, Sir?"

After Kasim ordered, Laila would answer his second question. "Yeah!" she hummed enthusiastically. "I want to be just like Tai! Maybe I can't be a- " Her voice grew quiet as she whispered, " -Sith- " The Sith were a bit of a taboo subject now on Imperial worlds. "-anymore, but that's okay! I'll just be an Imperial Knight instead!"

Laila thrust her arm forward, mimicking the way an Imperial Captain or an Officer might address her enemies. "And when I fight my enemies, I'll strike fear in their hearts!" Next, she saluted the air in front of her. "And when I address my underlings, I'll be super respected! Like Tai!"

"Alright, drinks are here. Any idea what'cha want?" Mr. Sorr returned, handing off their drinks and asking Kasim about his order.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Kasim Din]

Kasim was sorely tempted to go for something stronger than the coffee that he eventually ordered, but with Lalia present he decided to play it safe. Besides, he'd developed an affinity for the drink; it was cheap, easy to find, and it sometimes helped with the headaches when other fixes weren't available.

The orange tiefling couldn't blame his younger sister for looking up to Altair- he'd done so himself for much of his life- even as he'd hoped that it might be otherwise. "Tai's not respected, he's only feared" replied Kasim, when Lalia had finished. As far as Kasim was concerned, behind Altair's every word was an unspoken threat; fall in line, or else. He'd felt the nervous energy in the room from the servants hovering around the Din family. Just thinking about it was enough to make Kasim moody. His fault, he supposed, for immediately broaching the subject of their older brother when that wound was still so fresh.

His thoughts were interrupted by the welcome arrival of their drinks. To his surprise, the coffee was better than he expected. Kasim took an appreciative sip before ordering. "I'll have whatever she's having" he decided, since Lalia clearly frequented this place. The loss of the menu, however, meant that there was less to do with his hands and less to hide behind. His hands found a home base on his coffee mug, soaking up its residual warmth, but his eyes wandered around before finally, uncomfortably, settling on his sister.

"Lals, I can't go back with you to the palace, you know that?" he finally said. Despite her comments earlier, she still had time to choose her path. He'd already chosen his, and there was no turning back. "It's... not safe for me? ...better if I stay away after today. Maybe after things calm down a bit." Suddenly his appetite was gone. How could he possibly tell her that if she followed in her dreams of becoming an Imperial Knight that the next time they saw each other might be when she was sent to hunt him down?

"Just... promise me that you'll be the best Lalia Din you can be. Not the best Tai." Why did he keep using that nickname? "But the best you; whatever that looks like."

@lizziie