Ask Just The Two Of Us

Jaikus Thorne

Character
Consortium
Rank
First Gentleman

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Altaris
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
616
Reaction score
408

UUwPiDU.jpg


“See?” Jaikus glanced over at Emryc from the co-pilot’s chair where he was sitting, flashing the half-Sephi one of his signature smug, shit-eating grins - the kind that emerged whenever the Axxilan was proven right about something after copious back-and-forth bittering and banter. “I told you we weren’t lost in Wild Space.”

Despite the overflowing confidence of Jaikus’ words, confidence which seeped into his each and every word, the fact that the pair had actually arrived at their destination without inadvertently flying into a star or ending up in the middle of nowhere was probably a bit of a relief to them both.

It was only after several weeks spent researching this rumored site that the pair had finally decided to make the journey out for a few days, wanting to spend some quality time together and properly celebrate their engagement away from it all. Unfortunately, the directions to reach the planet weren’t particularly clear. It meant that they had to physically take the controls and navigate at multiple points throughout the journey, and it was the source of plenty of debate between the couple.

Jaikus, of course, never took the controls. Instead, all of his suggestions came from the co-pilot’s chair as he sat and effectively did nothing else - emerald eyes fixated onto his fiance, burning with the same affection and mischief that Emryc had long-since come to know.

Just as the ship dipped below the dense gray clouds, the Axxilan swept his hands out before them, gesturing out the cockpit window of the ship to the horizon that now sprawled out before them. Exactly as had been described, the planet before them was mostly aquatic in nature - with endless, aquamarine oceans stretching out as far as the eye could see - clusters of tropical islands rising up from the waves and serving as the only landmasses visible.

It was exactly one of these islands where the dusty old tomes and journal entries pointed them.

Of course, the closer they got to the surface, it became abundantly clear just how backwater the planet really was. There was nothing close to a spaceport even as they approached what seemed to be a fairly large settlement on the largest island, and it meant they would need to land a good mile outside the town walls. Additionally, the pair would immediately notice that instead of durasteel and advanced mechanics, most of the structures were built from wood or stone.

Located far out in Wild Space, it all pointed to being extremely likely that neither of them would possibly be recognized despite the frequent media attention.

And, more importantly, that they would be completely cut off from conventional resources during their little journey.

Nevertheless, Jaikus couldn’t help but feel a distinct bit of excitement as they neared the surface - and it was only partially due to the chance of actually discovering the ruins they had read about.

It had been quite a bit of time since their last adventure, and he couldn’t deny craving an escape from their daily lives. So far out in the middle of nowhere, it was so easy to forget about the rest of the Galaxy. The Sith, the ISC, his work in Intelligence - all of it fading into the background. Until there was nothing else but Emryc sitting beside him and the endless stars surrounding them.

It was exactly the type of escape that Jaikus wanted to spend with the man he now called his fiance. The man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and to hold close so long as their was breath in his lung.

And he intended to cherish every single second of it.

Jaikus, of course, was dressed as impractical as usual. Instead of hiking gear, or something befitting the humid and tropical climate, the Axxilan wore a pair of form-fitting dress pants and a low-cut red button-up that fit tightly to his torso. He wore a chain necklace around his neck, and sported his usual bracelet-chrono combo. Perhaps the only thing that really fit was the curly hair, which likely would’ve reverted to that state of being on its own.

With a comical thud, the Axxilan planted the stack of notes and papers onto the dashboard, glancing over a few of them before speaking. “According to the notes.. The trail ends at the island.. We’ll probably have to head into the town and see if we can’t find any more clues from the locals. According to this,” He pointed at one note in particular. “The legend is well-known enough that the people here should know.. Something..”

“Or at least, the locals from nine-hundred-and-sixty-nine years ago did.”
Jaikus said as the ship finally touched down in a jungle clearing, roughly a mile from town. They would need to hoof it through the vegetation to reach their destination.

The Axxilan rose up from the co-pilot’s seat and stood up, stretching his limbs a bit before leaning down to plant a kiss right onto Emryc’s cheek. “Ready to hit the road, Gundark?” Jaikus flashed his fiance a grin, tugging the pack a bit higher on his shoulders.




@Sreeya
 

Emryc Thorne

Faction Leader
Consortium
Rank
ISC President

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Sreeya
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
2,159
Reaction score
1,747

Emryc said nothing in response to Jaikus confidently stating they weren’t lost, as if it hadn’t been the half Sephi having to reprogram and correct their entire course. By the time the planet loomed into view, he was in a less than stellar mood, and he hardly looked at the breathtaking vistas all around. His focus was strictly on landing the ship safely as it relied entirely on manual controls, and he worked on instinct instead of listening to any instructions Jaikus was unhelpfully providing.

While he had been on a backwater planet before, he doubted Jaikus was at all well equipped for it. Emryc was perfectly content to laze around in a hotel and bask in the aftermath of them becoming recently engaged, but his fiance insisted on one of their adventure dates. Usually these led to lots of bickering and profanity, but it appealed to both their love of history and the arcane. The half Sephi still hadn’t entirely processed that he was going to marry the man next to him, the concept had always been strange and surreal. However, he knew in that hospital room that it’s what he wanted, and he hadn't looked back since.

The half Sephi remained silent as Jaikus explained the notes, gently easing them into a landing. He switched off the engines before finally turning to regard his partner. The man’s choice of attire already betrayed that he wasn’t remotely prepared for any of this. Emryc, on the other hand, was adorned in a sporty jacket, shirt and hiking pants with boots. He also wore a sport chrono that relied on satellites with a built in compass.

“You’re doing all the talking,” Emryc said flatly. Eating a greasy burger and scooping his eyes out both sounded far more agreeable than going around polling random villagers. The half Sephi unbuckled his seatbelt and walked back through the ship to grab his pack. Before Jaikus could grab his, Emryc walked over and grabbed a different bag, extending it out for Jaikus to grab.

“I packed it for you,” He said blankly. He had been there when Jaikus packed his bag and Emryc knew better than to start a debate during it because it was a battle he would lose. Instead, he quietly packed another actually useful and prepared bag for his fiance for use when it mattered, “It has your green hoodie in it for when you inevitably freeze as soon as we step off the ship.”

It was a nice, tropical planet. However, it was still early morning and he knew Jaikus would find reasons to be cold somehow even here. The half Sephi put on a pair of shades and walked out of the ship, shoving his hands in his pockets.

@Altaris
 

Jaikus Thorne

Character
Consortium
Rank
First Gentleman

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Altaris
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
616
Reaction score
408
Jaikus seemed entirely unfazed by his fiances less than stellar mood - continuing to rattle off the very unhelpful instructions and tips about the ship without ever missing a bit. It was abundantly clear that the Axxilan was in a fantastic mood, and it was reflected in his warm expression and familiar mischievous glint in his eyes.

In truth, Jaikus hadn’t entirely processed or even come close to calming down from the fact that the man beside him wasn’t just his partner, but was not his fiance - and the man that he would soon marry. It was entirely surreal, and the thought alone was something that brought a cheesy smile to his lips. It was really for his partner’s sake - knowing that Emryc would only handle his sappy behavior for so long - that the Axxilan wasn’t practically gushing over the proposal more.

The truth of just how remote the planet was hadn’t entirely dawned on Jaikus quite yet. Despite being uncharacteristically down to earth and not stuck up for a noble, that unnamed planet from several months prior was probably the most backwater he had experienced, and it was clear from his attire alone - than and now - that he wasn’t entirely prepared for that reality.

At least this planet had a town full of people, right?

“Well of course,” Jaikus glanced over at his fiance, flashing the half-Sephi a sideways grin. “I am the accomplished diplomat in the room, in case you’d forgotten.” He quipped right back at his partner, not at all seeming fazed by the idea of having to negotiate with some random villagers. They would have to in order to even hope of reaching the ruins they were looking for.

Jaikus was about to grab the back he packed just as Emryc walked up, extending out a different one entirely for him to take instead. The Axxilan blinked a few times, a smile gradually working its way onto his face upon the realization that his fiance had packed the thing for him without saying a word. It was a gesture that he found far more sweet than Emryc probably realized.

“Thanks Emy,” He smiled, though it faded ever-so-slightly when Emryc went on to explain how Jaikus was likely to get cold within five minutes of departing the ship. “Don’t be ridiculous,” He said confidently, dismissing the notion of him being unable to tough the cold on a tropical island all together.

Jaikus ran a hand through his curls before slinging the new pack over his shoulder, following Emryc as they strolled down the ramp of the ship - stepping out onto the floor of the dense tropical jungles all around them. The cries of birds and buzz of insects filled the air all around them, and moisture hung thick in the air.

Of course, just as Emryc predicted, the early morning meant that the temperatures of the planet were significantly cooler than anticipated. Within only a few moments, Jaikus could feel goosebumps starting to line his skin - especially given the low-cut shirt he was wearing that exposed a great deal of his chest - the gentle breeze brushing right against his bare skin.

He purposefully waited until it looked like Emryc wasn’t paying attention to subtly reach back, unzipping the pack in order to pull out the signature dark green hoodie. He pulled it over his button up, snuggling up in the baggy and warm fabric that staved off the cold.

Emryc would simply see the Axxilan reemerge after a few seconds of lagging behind, suddenly donning a new outfit. Of course, Jaikus said nothing about it whatsoever - as doing so would mean having to admit his fiance was right, and perhaps if Jaikus didn’t say anything, Emryc simply wouldn’t notice.

It didn’t take the pair long to come across a beaten trail through the jungle, allowing them to carve through the trees and monstrous ferns without actually trekking through them. As they walked, the pair would eventually come across a wooden sign along the road, the words “Tuataivai ahead” carved into the wood. They could just begin to see the wooden, log-bound walls of the town ahead in the distance, with what looked to be a bustling market just beyond.

"Looks like the place." Jaikus said towards his partner, giving him a glance before marching right along in that direction.
 

Emryc Thorne

Faction Leader
Consortium
Rank
ISC President

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Sreeya
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
2,159
Reaction score
1,747

Emryc was largely silent as they began to walk, though he did notice Jaikus promptly put on the hoodie and catch up. Externally it would appear as if the half Sephi didn’t notice anything at all, but both men knew otherwise. Unlike Jaikus, Emryc was already hot, silently regretting his decision to wear a jacket at all. The thick forests tended to be much cooler and had a lot of bugs in them.

The half Sephi took in sight of his surroundings, privately happy to be away from the cities and back into a place like this. It was one of the few times he could walk away from his political career and Sith life all at once. Though his hair was perfectly styled, the humidity began to fight it, a few strands here and there already poking out into a frizz.

Emryc spotted the sign and squinted to look in the distance. With his poor vision, he could make out vague blobs of what he assumed to be the town ahead based on hearing alone. It sounded like a boring enough town from all the chit chat and mutterings he could hear already.

As they walked in, quite a few people glanced over, namely not used to seeing such a tall humanoid. Everyone around was several inches shorter than Jaikus, men and women alike. And it certainly didn’t help that Emryc didn’t exactly have the most welcoming face.

There were market stalls all around and one of them was offering up fresh fruit and vegetables. Without warning, Emryc began to slowly deviate towards one of the stalls, casually leaving his fiance to fend for himself. It remained to be seen whether this was a clever avoidance tactic for what he saw coming, or entirely by coincidence.

As Jaikus stood there by himself for a moment, a group of children ran up to him. One of them tugged on his pants, “Excuse me!” A little girl squeaked, “Where are you frommmmm?”

A little boy shoved her a bit to the side to stand where she was standing, “Why are you so tall? Why is that guy so tall?! Is he a giant like in the stories?” He pointed at Emryc. The little girl shoved him out of the way and looked up.

“What’s your naaaaame?”

@Altaris
 

Jaikus Thorne

Character
Consortium
Rank
First Gentleman

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Altaris
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
616
Reaction score
408
Unlike his fiance, Jaikus almost instantly looked exceptionally more comfortable with the additional layers of clothing - casually tucking his hands into the front pockets as they approached the remote village. While he didn’t pick up on the chit chat and sounds like the half-Sephi, Jaikus could see the wooden structures and busy market just up ahead clearly enough - his poorer eyesight corrected by the prescription contacts he almost always wore when not sporting his dorky glasses.

The Axxilan walked alongside Emryc as they began to make their way through the village - passing through the wide, beaten road lined with food stalls and fresh produce. The Axxilan maintained a perfectly polite, friendly mask in stark contrast to his partner - emerald eyes flicking between a few of the villagers and very quickly picking up upon the fact that seemingly all of them were significantly shorter than them both.

Jaikus glanced over towards his fiance, flashing the half-Sephi a grin. “So this is what it’s always like for you.” He quipped - knowing full well that Emryc towered over almost everyone in his every day life, and that in this village, that applied to the both of them.

His emerald eyes followed as Emryc slowly began to break away - gravitating towards one of the stalls that was selling fresh produce. It was a turn of events that wasn’t the least bit surprising given his partner’s eating habits, and Jaikus couldn’t help but roll his eyes ever-so-slightly. He began to step in that direction - to follow the half-Sephi to go eyeball some fresh carrots - when the Axxilan was stopped by the approach of several small children.

He blinked a few times, glancing back towards Emryc after taking a moment to regard the children. While it was entirely likely that the half-Sephi had simply been distracted by the fresh produce and was oblivious, it was equally likely that he had seen what was about to happen and got the hell out of dodge before it did. Either way, Jaikus stared at the back of the half-Sephi’s skull with an entirely unamused expression for several long seconds.

His attention was finally drawn back down to the little girl who addressed him first. The unamused expression quickly faded away, and was replaced with a warm smile from the Axxilan. “Hello there,” He said, giving the girl a small wave of his hand. “Me? I’m from Axxila.”

“Is that close to the villageeeee?” She asked, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes.

Jaikus shook his head, crouching down a bit. “No, its–” He paused, watching as the little boy pushed his way through and asked question of his own. Jaikus blinked a few times, looking back up at Emryc who was probably very intently staring down at a zucchini right about now. “No, he’s not a giant.”

“Is his dad a giant? IS THAT GUY A HALF GIANT!?”

Jaikus couldn’t help the way his lips twitched ever-so-slightly upwards, the short exhale through his nostrils his best attempt at stifling that bit of laughter. He took in a deep breath, keeping an entirely straight and serious expression for what he said next.

“Yes.”

The little boy’s jaw practically dropped, staring at Jaikus before looking back at Emryc the half-giant. While the kid stared, Jaikus turned his attention back to the little girl who asked his name. “I’m Jaikus,” He said, extending a hand to the girl - who promptly shook his hand with her best attempt at a firm grip. “What’s your name?”

“Keiaaaaaaa,” She said, beaming up at him.

“It’s nice to meet you–” Before Jaikus could finish his words, the little girl walked behind him and proceeded to leap at the Axxilan’s back - wrapping her arms around his neck. Despite crouching down and putting himself in the proverbial line of fire, it wasn’t really something Jaikus expected.

I want to be tall!” She said, proceeding to kick Jaikus’ back with the toe of her shoe. “Come on!”

Meanwhile, Emryc would be completely spared from any of the attacking children - instead allowed to carelessly roam through the selection of fruits and vegetables that were put out for display on the stalls. As the half-Sephi approached one in particular, an exceptionally old woman poked her head around a stack of cabbages - flashing the half-Sephi a toothless - except for a single front tooth - smile. “Mugi-fruit juice?” She waved a hand, gesturing to the cups of dark blue liquid laid out in front of her stall.

Emryc would only have a few moments to drink and enjoy his juice before Jaikus finally rejoined his fiance - stridng up to stand beside Emryc at the fruit stall. Of course, it wasn’t just Jaikus at this point.

“I can see everything from up herrrreeeeeeeee,”

The same little girl who originally approached him was currently sitting high on Jaikus’ shoulders, arms wrapped comically around the Axxilan’s head and gripping onto either sides of his forehead in order to steady himself. She looked over at Emryc, blinking a few times at the half-Sephi.

“Excuse me,” She said, entirely too loud being that close to his face. “Where are you frommmmmmmm.”

“Keiaa.” The old woman crowed, tapping her walking stick against the wooden edge of the stall.

“Sorry nanna.” The girl said, looking entirely defeated. After indicating for him to do so, Jaikus bent back to the ground and let the little girl climb off his shoulders. “Thankssss.” She said before scurrying off, likely to tell her friends about the shoulder ride and conversation with a half-giant.

“I apologize for my granddaughter,” The old woman said, “We don’t get outsiders here very often.” She began to rearrange some of the fruits on her stall - tucking those with blemishes beneath the better looking fruits. “So, what brings you here?”

Jaikus smiled, shaking his head. “It’s fine, really.” The topic quickly changed to the why, and the Axxilan didn’t hesitate to reach into his back pocket - pulling out a folded up piece of paper. “We’re actually looking for a place. A bit of a local legend, I hear.” He handed the piece of paper to the old woman. “Do you happen to know anything about it?”

The old woman looked down at the paper, her expression souring ever-so-slightly. If I were you, I wouldn’t go poking around for those ruins. It doesn’t often end well for those that do.”

"So you do know about it." Jaikus said after a long pause.
 

Emryc Thorne

Faction Leader
Consortium
Rank
ISC President

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Sreeya
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
2,159
Reaction score
1,747

Emryc eyed the toothless granny as she greeted him. She had to really crane her neck to look at him, and he was sure she cracked something in the process. He looked over at the juice, but skipped past them, “I’ll take the fruit,” He pointed to the mugi-fruit and grabbed some of that, forking over some credits instead of crowns and biting into it. The granny was marveling over credits, having expected some coins.

The half Sephi looked over when Jaikus made his way over, not even remotely surprised to see a child on his shoulders. For just a moment, he was reminded of another little girl in an obscure village that used to ride around on his shoulders. There was a slight tightness in his chest and his ears visibly shifted, but he quickly looked away to continue nibbling on the fruit.

Emryc largely ignored the little girl and her questions, his demeanor a bit frostier than usual. The kids got the hint and gave him a wide berth after that. He listened to the dialogue between his fiance and the woman. Right away, he could tell the woman was hesitating. Normally this was where he would simply delve into her mind and get what he wanted. This time, however, he vaguely shrugged if Jaikus looked at him. The half Sephi turned away and grabbed another piece of mugi-fruit, forking over some more credits.

“Look,” The woman said, “You both look like real nice lads. Why don’t you come by my house and meet my daughters? They make the best local dishes that’ll fill up the bellies of even people as big as you two!” She chuckled, “Don’t need to waste your time with silly old ruins!”

@Altaris
 

Jaikus Thorne

Character
Consortium
Rank
First Gentleman

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Altaris
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
616
Reaction score
408

Jaikus couldn’t help but glance back over his shoulder, a smile at the corners of his lips as he watched the little girl scurry off. He saw as she was quickly rejoined by the boy from before, alongside a few other village children - all eager to hear the girl give a recollection of seeing their little village from the Axxilan’s shoulder and what it was like talking to a half-giant - that little detail no doubt to reach Emryc’s ears. Apparently half-giant’s really like Mugi fruit.

It was a sight that brought Jaikus right back to his own childhood - years spent surrounded by his own siblings - and he couldn’t deny the bit of warmth it brought to his expression. He watched, and couldn’t help to very briefly think of what his own family might look like someday. His gaze only lingered for a few brief moments before flicking back to the old woman and his fiance.

As he did so, Jaikus immediately noticed his partner's frosty expression. He was completely accustomed to his partner’s frosty and detached personality by now, and it meant that he very quickly picked up on the moments when the half-Sephi was far more frigid than usual - and it didn’t take him long to connect the dots in his mind and attribute it to the little girl that the half-Sephi had ignored. For the briefest moment, his mind wandered back to that day on Moraband - not so long ago - when the Axxilan had been there to birth Renfry’s child, and the emotions he had felt looking down at that child. At his fiance’s child.

There was a blank look on his face for a split second before that diplomatic smile returned, turning to regard the woman. Despite his polite smiles - a stark contrast to the frosty expression of the man next to him - it was abundantly clear that the woman knew something and was hesitating to divulge any information - a bit of frustration bleeding in. He glanced over to his fiance, blinking a few times but otherwise not the least bit surprised to see Emryc far more interested in the fresh produce - a fruit otherwise unfound in the rest of the Galaxy.

He turned back to the old woman, his smile tugging a bit wider as she spoke. Of course, the Axxilan couldn’t help but blink a few times when the granny suggested going to meet her daughters. Confusion very briefly manifested on his expression, followed by a few short glances between the old woman, Emryc, and then back to her. Whether it was the look on Emryc’s face or Jaikus simply catching on, realization struck him after only a few moments.

Oh..

It wasn’t the first, and certainly wasn’t going to be the last time that stranger’s had misinterpreted the relationship between them. On multiple occasions, the pair had gone out on one of their infamous food adventures or been out in public, only for someone to tap on Jaikus’ shoulder and ask him to help introduce them to his tall, hot friend - only to be met with a very grumpy stare from the Axxilan.

The irony of the confusion wasn’t lost on him, either. His mind immediately went back to that day on Keldooine when Emryc had played Jaikus off as an old roommate, and the playful nickname one the Axxilan still occasionally used to this day.

Though the smile never faded, Jaikus stared at the woman blankly for a few moments - the polite albeit somewhat detached expression something that Emryc had seen his fiance employ on multiple occasions when interacting with others. “That sounds delicious,” He said. “My fiance and I would love to stay for dinner and to meet your lovely family,” In an instant, the old woman’s hopeful expression faded a bit as the realization hit her. “..But we have traveled a long way in search of these ruins, and I know for a fact that all the stories lead back to his village.” He crossed his arms over his chest, looking exceptionally confident in his information and ever-so-slightly irritated that they weren’t getting anywhere. Even still, it wasn’t in the Axxilan’s nature to forcefully take information from the mind of someone else without exhausting all other options.

As he spoke, Jaikus couldn’t help but notice a few things from the old woman. His voice raised ever-so-slightly as he spoke, and he didn’t miss the way her eyes darted around the other people who walked about the market - looking somewhat nervous that they might overhear the conversation.

“Are you sure I can’t offer you some more mugi-fruit?”
She extended yet another plum, succulent piece of fruit. Naturally, while she was speaking to Jaikus, the hand holding the fruit was extended out towards Emryc. The old woman was fairly positive she had pinpointed the half-Sephi’s achilles heel in the form of fruit. Jaikus glanced over at Emryc with an unamused look on his face - not needing to say a single word.

Jaikus cleared his throat before speaking. “I won’t force you to tell us anything if you don’t want to, ma’am.” He spoke up quite a bit louder than before, his voice raised enough that anyone around them could hear. “But if you can’t help but, I am sure there are others in this village who can. Surely, someone must be able to help us in searching for the Sunken City of Tav–”

The old woman flailed her arms, lifting the walking stick she was holding. With almost alarming speed, she proceeded to whack Jaikus with the wooden stick right in the abdomen - enough to cut the Axxilan off and cause him to cough. “Alright, alright!” She crowed. “Obviously I can’t stop you two, so I’ll help you.. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!” The woman grumbled. “On one condition - keep your yapper shut the rest of the time you’re in the village. The last thing I need is another group of children getting ideas and trying to go looking for it.”

She waddled her way from around the cart. “Follow me. We can talk about it over some tea - without so many people listening in.” She proceeded to slowly walk down the road, making her way back home with the two men in toe.

Jaikus blinked a few times, finally able to get a look at the woman’s attire. A grin slowly but surely worked its way onto his face, just as the Axxilan nudged Emryc and gave him a very smug grin. “I think this is the third time.”

He pointed, gesturing to the floral embroidery of the woman’s dress.


@Sreeya
 

Emryc Thorne

Faction Leader
Consortium
Rank
ISC President

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Sreeya
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
2,159
Reaction score
1,747

Emryc was largely silent during the entire exchange. He could feel Jaikus looking at him when the fruit was offered, but the Axxilan was sorely mistaken if he thought he was getting between the half Sephi and some delicious fruit. Emryc casually took the proffered pieces, popping them into his mouth. However, as he did so, one of his arms snaked around Jaikus’ waist and tugged him close. This simple gesture gave the old lady pause and she stared vacantly at the two. Emryc reached over to wipe his fingers off on some napkins after touching the fruit.

“We’re not going to be interested in your daughters,” Emryc stated flatly, “Better to cut to the chase with the tea and information,” He said simply. Perhaps there was a time when he would have entertained some fine looking women, but things changed drastically since he met Jaikus. This was doubly true as the man was now his fiance.

The two men were led to a modest dwelling with a little courtyard in the middle and a small complex around it. It was clear that families had lived here for generations and were all related to one another. A few people came over to peer at them from balconies and children stopped playing to look curiously. Emryc kept his gaze trained forward, ducking at multiple points to avoid getting conked. The half Sephi had to practically crouch to fit through the doorway and had to push two chairs together to fit his large frame to sit down. The wood creaked and protested under his weight.

Tea was offered shortly after, though Emryc eyed it suspiciously. His gaze flicked back to the woman. Truthfully, he hated these types of engagements that relied on actually talking to people. He preferred doing all his own research and calculations and venturing out on his own.

“The city has been overrun with bandits and ruffians from all over,” The lady explained, “It used to be this mysterious and magical place that got tourists from all around the galaxy, and they started getting robbed or killed. So we’ve been telling people not to go there or encourage it anymore,” The lady sighed, “My grandma used to be a priestess at that temple. I always wanted to visit it but never got a chance since it’s so dangerous. Last I heard there was an all out turf war between multiple gangs around that place. Just…completely desecrated,” The lady looked on the verge of tears but quickly held it together, “Now you look like tough boys,” She looked mainly at Emryc, “But I’d hate to send you there and have you get hurt..”

Emryc stared blankly. This was not his area of forte. In fact, he glanced down at his chrono before looking over at Jaikus. His eyes said everything - ‘you have exactly five seconds to get this hag to tell us where or I’m draining her to get the intel.’

@Altaris
 

Jaikus Thorne

Character
Consortium
Rank
First Gentleman

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Altaris
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
616
Reaction score
408
Jaikus couldn’t help but roll his eyes ever-so-slightly, watching as Emryc shamelessly went back for that offered piece of fruit - shocking to exactly no one, least of all the Axxilan. He knew of fiancé well enough to know that no amount of unamused stares would stand between Emryc and some delicious, fresh produce.

What did shock Jaikus, however, was the fact that Emryc grabbed the piece of fruit with his bare hands before popping it into his mouth. While the Axxilan was only half-looking at fiancé while also looking at the old lady, Jaikus couldn’t help but do an internal double take. In all the time that Jaikus had known the half-Sephi, he could count on the fingers of a single hand the amount of times that Emryc had willingly touched any kind of food with his bare hands. Jaikus couldn’t help but glance over towards the stall, allowing his emerald gaze to linger there for a moment longer then before - a bit more interested in the fruit.

Are they really that good?

After all, Mugi-Fruit wasn’t exactly someone that was found elsewhere in the Galaxy - making it something of an exotic treat to the two men, even if it grew in abundance on the island.

Jaikus was rapidly snapped out of his spiraling thoughts, brought back to the present reality when Emryc snaked an arm around the Axxilan’s waist, tugging him close. The Axxilan couldn’t help the slightly dazed and happy little smile that worked its way onto his face, while one of his arms instinctively rose up to hook around the half-Sephi’s neck - tugging his fiance close and almost pressing back against his touch. He promptly ignored the stares he was getting from the old lady, merely offering a smile when Emryc dismissed the prospect of meeting the woman’s daughters.

Jaikus took one last look at the Mugi-fruit stall, stepping in to get a closer look before moving side-by-side with Emryc as they were led towards the old woman’s home. While Emryc kept his eyes strictly trained ahead the entire way, Jaikus allowed his own emerald gaze to wander - offering some of the passing-by children a small wave of his hand. He spotted one of the chicken from before amongst them, and couldn’t help but grin when he heard the word ‘half-giant’ dropped amongst the hushed talking between kids - something he knew Emryc was likely to hear loud and clear.

The Axxilan took a seat next to Emryc as they were led into the household, plopping down into a single chair at the table. He glanced over at the half-Sephi briefly when the tea was placed down but otherwise said nothing, the same suspicion etched into the look in his eyes for a split second. He didn’t immediately drink from the cup, instead opting to listen as the old woman laid out the story of the Sunken City in the modern day.

The Axxilan nodded quietly throughout the story, a smypathethic expression even projected onto his face when the old woman looked to be on the verge of losing. Nevertheless, he didn’t miss the way that the woman was still seeming to avoid divulging information.

He allowed his eyes to flick over briefly to Emryc, immediately meeting the half-Sephi’s gaze. There were no words that needed to be spoken for Jaikus to pick up on the subtle meaning behind that look, or to know that his fiancé was getting progressively more and more annoyed with this entire situation.

Without a word, Jaikus turned his attention back to the old woman, flashing her yet another sympathetic smile. “You have our deepest sympathies,” He reached forward, resting his palm on top of the old woman’s wrinkled hands.

“My fiancé and I will be more than capable of handling whatever bandits have taken up residence in the city. You mentioned your grandmother was a priestess at the temple. Was there anything she left behind from her time there - some heirloom?”

The old woman blinked a few times and immediately brightened, her eyes glinting a bit. “Well.. Yes. A necklace from her time as a priestess - but there is no way of knowing if it is even still there..”

Jaikus shrugged slightly. “It’s worth searching, don’t you think? We would be able to search for it while in the city, and if it’s still there, return it to you.” Whether Jaikus had any intention of actually searching for the heirloom wasn’t entirely clear.

He continued. “But I understand if this is too painful for you to talk about in any more detail,” He said, nodding his head a bit. “I am sure there is someone else who would be willing to point us on the right direction.”

The old woman furrowed her brows for a moment before lifting a hand. “That won’t be necessary..” She sighed. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you, but.. If you insist on seeking out the city, you will need to travel into the mountains just north of the village. There are multiple paths that split off from the main road, in an attempt to throw village children off from trying to find it.” The old woman lifted a pen up off the table, looked around for a moment, and proceeded to gesture for Jaikus to offer his hand. The Axxilan blinked a few times, glanced over at Emryc but eventually did as was asked.

“The correct trail will be marked with this symbol,” She said, drawing the ink pen across Jaikus’ palm as an alternative to paper. “Trees, rock markers.. They will tell that you are going the right way.” She allowed Jaikus to pull his hand back. “And if you do manage to reach the temple.. Check the East wing dormitories. That is where the necklace would be - an emerald on a silver chain.”

Jaikus nodded at her words. “We will do our best.” The Axxilan glanced back at Emryc before slowly but surely rising to his feet. “I think we ‘ought to be going, then. Thank you for all your help.”

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay a bit longer? You haven’t hardly touched your Tea.”

“I am sure. We have a long journey ahead of us, after all - best if we hit the road early.” He flashed a smile, but the expression on his face indicated that there would be no arguing with him. With that, Jaikus waited for Emryc to rise up from both of his seats before making his way out of the dwelling, exiting the way they came and making their way back towards the market square.

He finally turned back to Emryc. “Well, looks like we know where we’re headed.” Jaikus paused for a moment. Without a word, the Axxilan stepped forward and reached out to grab a fistful of the half-Sephi’s hoodie, tugging him close on order to capture the half-Sephi’s lips. He had zero qualms about lingering against his fiancé’s lips just then - holding him close right in the middle of the square.

After an additional moment or two, Jaikus finally pulled back a bit. “Just because I want to. And for going along with all this,” He said quietly, allowing a grin to work its way onto his lips. “I will thank you properly for it when we are back to Ship.” He grinned, the implication clear in his voice as he left a bit of mystery behind what he had planned.

With that, Jaikus stepped back and jutted his chin towards the market. “Think there is any chance of finding a bike to take us up the trail?”


@Sreeya
 

Emryc Thorne

Faction Leader
Consortium
Rank
ISC President

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Sreeya
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
2,159
Reaction score
1,747

Emryc glanced at the mark on Jaikus’ hand, memorizing it for when it was inevitably smudged with sweat and the Axxilan looked at him in complete shock. The half Sephi said nothing the entire time, finally relieved to leave the insufferable house. He rose to his feet, the chairs protesting once more as a crack appeared on one of the legs. He ducked as he left the house, his focus ahead as he could make out faint outlines of mountains. Or they could just be clouds. Who knew with his terrible eyesight?

The half Sephi took purposely steps, interrupted only when Jaikus abruptly grasped a hold of his hoodie. He glanced at his fiancé, welcoming the kiss as he sank into it. Emryc drew back after a moment, staring at Jaikus when he spoke. Sex as a reward? Pfft. As if. The half Sephi blankly looked at Jaikus.

“I’m doing this because I love you,” He stated matter of factly before he turned and continued to walk, “If the mood strikes us, I will have you against any suitable surface I find,” Emryc called out without looking back as he kept walking. He wasn’t some teen boy that could be lured with promises of seduction. He would act on it whenever he pleased.

“You can get a bike,” He said to Jaikus’ question, “I will be hiking,” Emryc could make out the mountain path ahead of them. He purposely didn’t do his cardio for today and this would do just fine as an alternative.

The market was teeming with life and more people came out to stare at the foreigners. Emryc largely ignored it, stopping to help himself to more of the fruit and get a bag of it for the journey. Jaikus had the chance to get a bike if he wanted. Once the half Sephi was done, he began the trek towards the mountains.

@Altaris
 

Jaikus Thorne

Character
Consortium
Rank
First Gentleman

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Altaris
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
616
Reaction score
408
Jaikus kept his eyes fixated strictly onto the half-Sephi, emerald eyes sinking into the piercing silvers that he had come to adore in more ways than he could adequately say. He kept his grip on his fiance’s hoodie, grasping the fabric tightly until Emryc finally drew back and responded to what the Axxilan had said. “I know why you’re doing it, babe.” He said without missing a beat, tilting his head ever-so-slightly to the side. Even still, that little declaration of love wasn’t lost on the Axxilan - words that still caused his heart to be beat just a bit faster in his chest. “And I merely plan to show you exactly how much I love and appreciate you.” The Axxilan began to walk alongside his fiance, making their way back towards the market stalls and the fruit that Emryc was inevitably going to be drawn towards like a moth to the flame. “Then, and against any surface we damn-well please in the meantime.”

Jaikus glanced back at Emryc when the half-Sephi declared that he would be hiking rather than taking the bike. “What, and let you hike alone?” He grinned. “Not a chance in the world. If you’re hiking, I’m hiking.” The Axxilan said confidently, stubbornly leaving little room for argument as they began to approach the fruit stalls - passing right over the shop with a variety of bike rentals.

“Besides. I am the map, courtesy of our friendly neighborhood granny.” He waved the symbol on his open palm. Of course he didn’t consider the fact that Emryc had likely memorized the damn symbol when Jaikus wasn’t paying attention, but that was entirely besides the point. With their bag of fruit secured, Jaikus began to make his way towards the mountain trail alongside Emryc - starting on the winding path that took them north of the village. Emryc’s desire for some get in some make-up cardio proved all the most likely from almost the beginning of the hike. Within minutes of starting on the trailhead, the path took them up an incredibly steep incline - rapidly rising up above the jungle canopy as the air became crisp. While it certainly wasn’t an easy hike, the pair were soon treated to a breathtaking view of the island below - the sapphire-blue oceans stretching out in the distance. A view almost as beautiful as the rolling vistas back on that unnamed planet. Right before they encountered Mr. Goat.

To his credit, the Axxilan managed to keep pace with Emryc the entire way up the mountainside - only falling behind the half-Sephi a few steps when the trail itself became too narrow to hike shoulder-to-shoulder. While the half-Sephi's back was turned, Jaikus subtly whipped out his datapad - scrolling across the screen for a few seconds before his arm hang down at his side. After a few additional minutes of hiking, Jaikus finally took a moment to catch his breath after cresting over a particularly steep hill - emerald eyes cast out over the ocean views that surrounded them.

"There," Jaikus pointed just up ahead, gesturing to where the trail split off in four different directions. "The one on the far left." Sure enough, there was a stone marker - or rather, a boulder with a flat surface on one side - that had a symbol painted across the front, matching the one on Jaikus' palm. The other three trails had similar markers and symbols, clearly designed to throw off any would-be adventurer's in search of the city.

It was only when Emryc was turned to face the path ahead that Jaikus lifted up his datapad once again, unable to keep the grin off his face as he did so. Without a word, the Axxilan pressed play on a video he had qued up while Emryc was marching forward. Within a split second, the air was suddenly filled with the loud and drawn out bleating of a pre-recorded goat - the sound almost identical to the cursed bleating of Mr. Goat from all those months ago, showing up at essentially this exact point in their previous hike. He had never gotten the half-Sephi back for the little Force-illusion he pulled back on Ship, and now seemed as good a time as any.


@Sreeya

 

Emryc Thorne

Faction Leader
Consortium
Rank
ISC President

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Sreeya
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
2,159
Reaction score
1,747

Emryc took a moment to appreciate the view as they began to hike. Ever since he regained his vision in that village, he always took a moment to appreciate natural beauty all around him. In many ways it would always fascinate him because he never experienced it for the first eighteen years of his life. The half Sephi was actually impressed his fiance was able to keep up, though he had to appreciate how often the Axxilan agreed to go on more outdoorsy adventures since meeting Emryc.

The half Sephi felt comfortable enough to actually quietly hum one of his favorite shanty songs he often sang as he hiked. Emryc glanced over when Jaikus pointed out the marker, surveying it quietly, “So it is..” He said with a slight tone of surprise. His partner was actually doing quite well with directions this time and it was almost a suspicious, but welcome, change of pace. He continued walking in that direction when his blood ran cold. His ears visibly almost flattened when he heard that horrifying bleating.

Emryc whirled around with his eyes actually wide, his face comically suspended in shock. It was not a look he wore often, and it would always throw off even those that knew him best. What Jaikus would notice, however, was that Emryc wasn’t looking at him but beyond him. The half Sephi blinked a few times before wordlessly raising a hand to point a finger for Jaikus to turn around.

For there, behind him and perched a level above, was Mr. Goat.

@Altaris
 

Jaikus Thorne

Character
Consortium
Rank
First Gentleman

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Altaris
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
616
Reaction score
408
Jaikus allowed his emerald eyes to wander across the horizon for a solid few seconds, taking in the breathtaking sights of the tropical valley and ocean that stretched out ahead of them. It was an environment that the Axxilan hadn’t ever wuite grown accustomed to, having been raised on an entirely urban setting.It wasn’t until meeting Emryc that Jaikus truly began to appreciate it all, let alone work up the endurance for these types of outdoorsy excursion.

It didn’t take long for Jaikus to pick up on Emryc’s faint humming of that catchy shanty, and the Axxilan soon began to drum his fingers against his thigh to the tune.

As they crested the hill and Jaikus whipped out the pre-recorded goat sounds, the Axxilan couldn’t keep the remarkedly stupid grin off his face - the corners of his lips twitching upward and threatening to blow his cover before he ever even played the recording. The Axxilan’s smirked widened significant as Emryc’s ears flattened at the sound of familiar bleating, stifling the bits of laughter that exhaled through his nostrils.

He watched as his fiancé spun around, eyes widening ever-so-slightly at the comically shocked expression that was plastered on Emryc’s face. It was an expression that caught the Axxilan slightly off guard, and one that he had only ever seen from his partner on a handful of occasions. Perhaps the only thing that kept the Axxilan from bursting out into laughter was the single detail that gave him pause.

Namely, that Emryc wasn’t looking at him or the datapad in his hands, like expected.

The Axxilan couldn’t help but blink in response, arching a brow as the half-Sephi slowly raised a finger and pointed to a ledge behind them. Jaikus very slowly turned his head around, looking back over his shoulder in the direction where his fiancé was ominously pointing.

And then he saw Mr. Goat.

Jaikus couldn’t help the way jaw slacked ever-so-slightly, nor the comically shocked and horrified expression that worked its way onto his face. It was a scene straight out of the Axxilan’s nightmares, and he could almost hear the
soundtrack to match as he stared up into those beady, demonic eyes. There was a solid fifteen seconds of dead silence as Jaikus stared, the silence filled only by the distant sounds of chewing from Mr. Goat and a sudden but somehow fitting crack of thunder that echoed across the valley.

Several seconds passed before the Axxilan finally cleared his throat, shifting from his frozen position. “...Nope.” Jaikus said flatly, staring at Mr. Goat for an additional split second before spinning around on his heels. The Axxilan didn’t need to look at his fiance in order for the half-Sephi to gauge that Jaikus was utterly horrified. His entire body language was tensed, eye fixed straight ahead as of trying to block Mr. Goat out of existence.

“Nope.” Jaikus walked straight ahead, making a beeline for the marked path he had pointed out earlier. As he passed Emryc, the Axxilan abruptly reached out and grasped the half-Sephi’s wrist firmly - intent upon physically dragging his immensely larger partner if Emryc didn’t start walking with him.

“NOPE.”

Jaikus couldn’t help the way his mind immediately started to race - spiraling down into a dozen different ways to explain how Mr. Goat had magically arrived on the planet and hunted them down. None of them were anything short of horrifying, and none of them pointed to Mr. Goat being an ordinary goat. At this point, Jaikus was fairly positive Mr. Goat was really the spirit of some ancient Sith Lord intent upon haunting them.

Of course, Jaikus didn’t vocalize any of it at that moment. Instead, he simply intended upon getting as far from Mr. Goat as physically possible. “NOPE.”


@Sreeya
 
Last edited:
Top