Ask In a Little Pocket of the Galaxy

[Darth Tiamat]

Before she could say anymore, she welcomed his lips against her own, his hand exploring first along her chest before lowering past her waistband. Tiamat whimpered and wrapped her arms over his shoulders, fingers intertwining with his soft black hair as she tried not to make too much noise to draw them a crowd from the patrons who were hopping from club to club. She felt helpless against his touch and yet impassioned; the Force rippled around her, metal cannisters creaked as she held Altair tightly, letting him enjoy himself as much she was enjoying him.

______________________​

At some point, her red hair had fallen out of its messy bun and now it was rather wild until she quickly combed her fingers through, trying to make it as neat and semi-normal as possible. She wasn't sure where the hair tie had fallen, but she quickly discovered she didn't have another, and her step was just a little lop-sided as she tried to continue the last few meters to the shop to get her parts. There were no words she could find in the moment, just bashful giggles anytime she caught his gaze; her arm was wrapped around his waist as she tucked herself under his arm to occasionally bury her face in his shoulder.

"Your surprises are great too you know." she said as they would enter the parts shop. It would be quick, finding exactly what she needed as she measured out the coils and picked up a couple new tools to make repairs as smooth as possible. Getting what she needed, they were ready to return to the ship, more sober than she was only an hour earlier, it would make the flight to Corellia...safer.

She sat at the controls in the cockpit of the ship, prepping for hyperspace as she waited for the navigation computer track their path. Her mind swirled with thoughts of where she considered home, an eagerness to return the location that seemed to hold only tranquility for the woman. "I hope you like this place too." she told Altair, "I've never brought anyone else there."

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was in a great mood as they stumbled through the alley, laughing and giggling the entire time. There was something liberating about all this, about just giving into impulses and not having to worry about anything deeper or beyond that. He hummed or belted songs as he pleased, taking her by the hand the entire way. It wasn’t long before the alcohol began to leave his system, and he was more or less back by the time he was in the cockpit with her.

He looked over at her curiously when she mentioned never having shown anyone else that part of Corellia. Altair was silent for a moment then, pondering on the implications of that. Somehow it sounded different than everything up until then - almost deeper. However, he stopped his thoughts before they ventured any further.

“Can’t wait!” He said excitedly, easing back into his seat, “This is the vacation I didn’t even know I needed,” Altair mused aloud, thinking of all the stress he would face once he arrived at the Ziost academy.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Despite the brief moment of silence, Altair seemed not worried, though Tiamat felt worried and she wasn't too sure if she was being too nice, too trusting, but in her efforts to find her own evidence for this, it seemed it overall to be okay. Perhaps she was just being weird about it...or there was some sliver of truth to her feelings she didn't want to explore until later. Altair was looking as though he was enjoying himself, and after the devastating loss of the Kaas academy and his possessions, this was what they both could use before he of course returned to his academics, and she locking herself in her lab for days to weeks.

The redheaded woman found herself falling asleep often while trying to work on some of her notes, face planting into her notebook before finally giving up and cozying up in her pilot's seat. Altair was free to do what he wanted for the hours it took to reach the Corellian system. As soon as the stars fell into stillness as they exited into real space, Tiamat felt a calm wash through her body; even the stars that surrounded the system seemed familiar, and her heart beat just a bit faster as she gazed upon the terra colors of the gem she would always call her home.

The ship broke smoothly through the atmosphere, passing through air traffic of the busy capital city before exiting into the less densely populated plains of the large main continent. Soon, it would look like no one had a neighbor for miles and in the distance the faint blue horizon of the sea could finally be seen. The ship would slow and finding a flat surface the used frequently to land her ship. Tiamat took a second to watch the ocean and the blowing grasses, "Home..." she whispered softly, before finally getting up and heading toward the small cottage that resided on the coast. She checked her chrono, noting the morning hours and lead the way.

"Welcome to the Durand Cottage." she told Altair.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair decided to go back to his quarters and strum on his guitar, writing a few more notes to the song he was working on. The gentle tunes could be heard throughout the ship and it certainly wouldn’t help Tia stay awake. At some point, he fell asleep and was out cold until that familiar lurch out of hyperspace woke him again. Altair quickly packed up his guitar and basic belongings before stepping out to look at his surroundings.

“Whoa,” He remarked, glancing around. He had expected another ecumenopolis with Corellia being in the core. However, he was taken aback by the salty breeze of the sea, the warm wind, and the sounds of waves. Altair stared at the ocean for a long moment, “This is beautiful,” He said excitedly, “I can’t believe you could come here whenever you wanted as a kid!” Altair remarked. He had only known his farm homestead and nothing else as a child.

He glanced back at her with a smile, “Durand? Tiamat Durand, eh,” He said as he walked towards the cottage, “I’d never leave if I had a place like this,” Altair said as he walked.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He was impressed, maybe even at a loss for words briefly as he looked around. Seeing it as much as she has, she didn't think it was too impressive, quaint compared to other coastal homes miles far from her own. However, as he starred out over the ocean, she took a moment also to soak it in herself, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lip. "Yeah, it is." she spoke softly and glanced at the tiefling before returning to the ocean as he shared his disbelief she had a place to escape to when she was younger.

Tiamat Durand

Her face scrunched up in confusion as she looked at him again and shook her head, disagreeing with him, "No, its just Tiamat. Durand belonged to my parents." she corrected walking beside him to let them inside the cottage. He suggested never leaving a place like this as she went around to open the windows, wooden floorboards squeaking regardless of how light of a step she took. "Sometimes I think of never leaving." she admitted, walking around the cottage. Inside, it was homey, a kitchen leading into the living quarters, and a small hall that lead to a couple bedrooms in the back.

Over the years she had filled the shelves with her own books, a mix of classical literature and scientific manuals and textbooks. More family photos were on the walls and the kitchen look sparsely touched. She rarely ever brought back her work to the cabin, leaving it absent of mechanical parts. Instead it was decorated a mix of what her parents had left behind and her own touch; a combination of seashells and ocean glass pieces that refracted the sunlight, vases empty of flowers, and ocean charms that hung from the window seal.

"I come here when I need calm." she explained, "Of all the places in the galaxy to escape to, I come here first." Tia explained walking to Altair and took his hand, holding it against her cheek, "Wanna go for a swim?" she asked him, smiling.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was staring at the waves, still not used to seeing the ocean very often. He had lived on a farm growing up and his life in the academy was always on metropolitan planets and busy cities. All of this reminded him of home and the countryside, but the ocean made him feel extremely small and humbled. The tiefling stared out in silence until Tia grabbed his hand, causing him to glance over. It was a tender gesture and one that surprised him, especially the way she held it to her cheek. He couldn’t help but smile at her.

“I’d love to,” He said quietly, “But I ain’t got no swimming shorts,” Altair said with a chuckle, looking back out to the waves. He hoped the water wasn’t cold. He glanced back at Tiamat, still getting used to her smiling and being tender like this. It was very different from how reserved or detached she normally appeared.

“Though technically we don’t need clothes..” He remarked after a moment, looking around to see if this beach had any randos walking around.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She was ready to sprint to the beach when he agreed, but pointed out his lack of swimming shorts. Her mind was turning, trying to quickly problem solve the situation and ready to convert any of her pants to a skin-tight swim bottom for him. Though his suggestion of not necessarily needing clothes brought the woman to a pause. If she were honest with herself, she never considered that option, even for herself when she visited. Even she gave quick thought to the nearest beings that resided along the coastal area just to be on the safe side. The redhead couldn't imagine being caught by either neighboring residents who decided to stroll along the beach.

"No...we really don't..." she said slowly, thinking and then grinned, "There's no one for miles." Tiamat added, starting to feel antsy as she decided to lead the way, dropping articles of clothing along a nearby stone. She felt flooded with memories with each inhale she took of the ocean, and was hoping that Altair was enjoying this place as much as she was. The sun's light filled the sky as the heat of the day took hold, "It might be on the cold side, its not like the other side with warmer waters." she explained, watching the waters ebb and flow over the sands.

Tia stood quietly, letting the water wash over her feet and ankles as she looked out onto the waters and then pointed to a rocky ledge that curved on the horizon, "Over there I used to dive into the water, I broke my arm once when I decided to jump from a new point." she laughed about it now, but at the time, it was frightening as she had struggled to break the water's surface. "Out there," she pointed to a small rocky isle off the coast, "We used to take the boat there to explore, I always thought pirate treasure would be there, I think dad just liked the adventure." she explained, reminiscing in the stories she had not shared since before she joined the Sith. She didn't think they bored Altair, nor did he question why she was telling them to him, which was refreshing.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair began shrugging off his clothing, feeling the wind brush against his bare skin. It didn’t take long for him to be fully nude, his muscled physique on display with the sun against his obsidian skin. He glanced back at Tiamat, the sun adding a glint to his amethyst gaze. He followed her stories and wherever she pointed, a smile gracing his face.

His tail swayed back and forth eagerly as he stepped into the water, immediately feeling the slight cold. The tiefling walked deeper into the water, sinking in until he was waist deep before he turned around to face Tiamat. For a moment he simply admired her slender body and the vibrant red hair against the sun.

“Think we can swim there?” Altair asked as she mentioned the story of the isle, “I wanna look for treasure!” He said eagerly and she would be able to tell he meant it. Not only was he not bored, but he was excited to participate in what she had done before. Altair dipped into the water fully before coming up again, his hair matted to his head as he felt the hot sun against the cool water on his skin.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She stood silently as she watched Altair walking into the water; the reflection of the water's surface against his own skin kept her mesmerized as he admired her figure also. He said something that brought her back to present and she quickly caught up with him in the water, feeling the gentle waves against her skin as he suggested to swim to the island. Tia looked at the island, "I think we can." she said nodding, her fingers gliding along his tail in the water before she waddled a bit further and dived.

The woman listened to the whooshing sounds of the water, as she closed her eyes, sinking slowly, her hair and limbs became weightless in the familiar blue surroundings. She was uncertain how long she remained, but remembering Altair was with her, Tia quickly broke the surface. Ensuring Altair didn't sink to the ocean bottom, she would then float on her back, feeling the sun warm her face and torso as she lazily paddled her arms to push herself to the island.

"Did your family ever get to visit the ocean where you're from?" she asked him, curious to know what others did when they went to a beach. She also was more curious about him and his family; the many siblings just fascinated her and she wondered how he was able to get along with all of them.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Though Altair didn’t see the ocean often, he certainly knew how to swim thanks to his very outdoorsy father. The man made a point of teaching every kid to swim - usually by tossing them in the water and watching them fend for themselves. The tiefling kept up easily enough, diving down before he came up again. His powerful swimming strokes took him rapidly towards the island.

He paused when Tiamat came up again and he rolled on his back and joined her in lazily floating for a moment. Altair blinked up at the sun as he pondered her question, “We all crammed into two speeders and took a trip once a year to a beach a few hours away,” Altair grinned at the memory, “We all had to share a room of course. All the boys piled on the floor and the girls scrambled for any inch of bed space. My family was never well off, so we made do,” He said as he coasted. While he was miserable at the time, those were the memories he savored the most now.

“I bet you had an awesome childhood while your folks were around,” Altair said as he tilted his head to look at her, “Parents giving you all the attention in the world, no siblings. Bet you were spoiled as hell,” He grinned at her.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She closed her eyes, listening to Altair describe his family vacation adventures. She tried to imagine herself with nearly all the siblings he had and what that would be like if she had brothers and sisters. From what she could remember from her parents, they would be overwhelmed, especially if they were all like her… a small army of fiery redheads, she didn’t think the galaxy could even handle one of her.

She grinned as Altair suggested she was most likely spoiled; though she didn’t necessarily see it as being spoiled she certainly was not denied opportunity, holidays or birthdays. “I dunno about that, I’m not spoiled, I am just a bit ambitious…” she hummed. “I wanted a little sister or brother, but I think my mom and dad were just too tied up with their work. It got worse as I got older- longer hours, extra shifts, more danger…I saw each of them less and less.” she explained, her voice trailing to softness, feeling uneasy about revisiting that time in her life.

The woman tilted her head to see how far they needed to go to reach the island. “But they tried always to be there, you would have liked them.” she grinned and then picked up her pace, eager to reach the island to see if it’s any different from her last visit.

Soon she would be able to touch the sand with her toes, able to wade through the shallow waters and ensuring Altair made it too. She looked back at where the cottage sat and smiled before turning her attention back to the tiefling, “You think any treasure stuck around here?”

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair frowned a bit at her response. His mother was a homemaker and he couldn’t imagine not having her around. It was something he didn’t appreciate till he was older, but there was a nice homecooked meal waiting for him and someone always around to hug him or take care of him whenever he was sick. How she managed to be that for all ten kids was a mystery he would never understand.

“I dunno, they probably woulda busted me for smokin’ some greens,” Altair said with a slight wince. He almost regretted saying even that. He suddenly recalled how rigid Tia had been about the Wildfire incident. Did that extend even to mild things like herbs? Shit. The tiefling was surprised at himself for managing the past few days without smoking but he supposed he was curbing it by getting plenty of action with Tiamat instead.

Speaking of which, his gaze lingered on her body as he watched the water slide down her bare torso when she emerged from the water. For a moment, he forgot she asked him anything, “Hm?” He blinked stupidly for a moment, his eyes quickly coming up from her ass to make eye contact.

“I mean, I’m lookin’ at some treasure right now,” He said with a wink as he kept his gaze on her. However, he was genuinely curious about this island and he began to wander around. He was definitely comfortable in his own skin, having no qualms with exploring without any clothing on. His tail swished back and forth eagerly as he walked towards a group of trees.

“So in all the stories you read, there’s always somethin’ buried by trees with curious designs or where plants look a bit off,” Altair explained as he put his tracking and outdoors skills to use to scope out the terrain.

@GABA