Ask Misadventures

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was focused on getting started on the wound, his free hand holding a medkit when Jaikus made his quip about showing off. The comment drew out a grin before the half Sephi rolled his eyes, knowing fully well it was a smooth recovery from an otherwise dumb decision on Jaikus’ part. The half Sephi eyed him curiously when he stopped him, watching as the Axxilan dug through his bag. Emryc tilted his head slightly to very nosily look in the bag as Jaikus rifled through it. He spotted an assortment of items that piqued his curiosity, “Hmm,” He remarked quietly, “I see you were rather presumptuous about us continuing what we began at the hospital.”

The half Sephi gave Jaikus a half grin before getting distracted by the wipes. Emryc’s features softened then, the simple gesture far more heartwarming than Jaikus would ever know. He took the wipes and cleaned his hand off before returning to the wound. It took extra effort to focus and steady his hand as he stitched Jaikus, his ears flattening whenever the man winced or shifted. He could tell the stitching was deeply uncomfortable, but Emryc worked rapidly enough to put even a droid to shame. He cut the thread and packed up his medkit after putting bandages over the wound to protect it.

Emryc reached into his own backpack and pulled out a full sleeve shirt of his own, extending it to Jaikus, “Put this on,” He declared, “You shouldn’t be wearing your tight bullshit with that wound,” His face made it clear there was no room for negotiation.

The half Sephi packed up and grabbed his backpack and also Jaikus’ since the man was in no condition to carry anything. He walked towards the opposite end of the ice room where the doorway was suddenly open. At some point when they killed the crab the path was cleared for them.

Once Emryc stepped through, he did a double take. There was ground on the path ahead, but the ceiling looked as if water was suspended upside down over them. He saw the ripples and waves of a lake directly above them. The hallway extended into a room at the end of it with a doorway blocking the way.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Internally, Jaikus knew that his smooth recovery was complete bullshit. While he certainly didn’t mind flaunting for the half-Sephi, there had been little thought that went into his decision to go without a shirt – a decision that turned out to be exceptionally stupid in the long run. Nevertheless, he didn’t linger on it for long, flashing Emryc grin before turning his attention to his pack, riffling through the many different items that he’d brought.

The quiet remark from Emryc caused Jaikus to pause dead in his tracks, his hand still buried in the bag. Almost instantly, the Axxilan turned tomato red – that usual flush spreading from his cheeks to every corner of his face. He very clearly wasn’t expecting to get called out on that particular matter, Emryc’s comment catching him completely off-guard.

The Axxilan began to abruptly cough for no apparent reason, emerald eyes suddenly very wide. “I-Uh..” He muttered, looking in just about every other direction except for the half-Sephi. “Well I thought after the hospital..” Jaikus cleared his throat a few times. “-I didn’t want to come unprepared.." He muttered, finally bringing his eyes up to meet Emryc's.

After a long pause, Jaikus finally flashed his partner a grin, his face still burning bright red as he spoke. "Turned out to be a good decision on my part."

Emryc quickly turned his attention to the wipes after that, and Jaikus couldn't help but smile wide just then, watching as the man eagerly cleaned off his hands. The half-Sephi would know almost instantly that Jaikus likely didn't pack the items for himself, instead bringing them only after taking into account his partner's general aversion to touching things with his hands. With that, Jaikus allowed Emryc to begin working at the wound on his arm - gritting his teeth a bit through the process.

Each new stitch brought a winced and faint noise from Jaikus' lips, but the man otherwise tried his best to remain still - not wanting to make it any more difficult for the half-Sephi or draw it out. Without quite realizing, the Axxilan brought a hand up to grab a handful of Emryc's shirt, resisting the urge to reach for the man's arm.

When the bandage was finally wrapped around his shoulder, Jaikus took a moment to glance over the wound before finally leaning forward, planting a kiss to Emryc's cheek. "Thank you," He said softly.

When Emryc offered him the full-sleeve shirt, Jaikus took it without arguing - clearly noting the serious expression on the man's face. He quickly slipped it over his head, pulling the sleeves up onto his forearms a bit. The Axxilan was practically swimming in the garment, but he didn't actually seem to mind, just as he didn't with the hoodie.

With that, Jaikus followed alongside Emryc as they began to make their way towards the new door. There was a decidedly grumpy expression on his face when the half-Sephi snatched his pack, though given his new injury, wasn't really in any condition to protest.

When the pair finally passed the threshold of the door, Jaikus stopped dead in his tracks, emerald eyes fixated up onto the watery lake above their heads. "Uh.." He narrowed his eyes significantly, quickly scanning the room. "He's still missing." He grumbled, and Emryc would know almost at once that the Axxilan was referring to that infernal creature wearing a goat's form.

He squinted a bit, looking around the ground for a moment before settling upon a loose stone. Without really explaining the reasons for it, Jaikus used the Force to skid the rock into the middle of the hallway - as if expecting to set off some new, bizzare boobytrap.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc grinned as his partner was very overtly flustered with a face burning furiously red. For all the ways Jaikus was confident and suave, Emryc certainly liked disarming him completely. Jaikus recovered soon enough, flashing the half Sephi a grin with his ending remark.

“A great decision, babe,” He muttered quietly as he closed the distance between them. A hand snaked down Jaikus’ back before he playfully grabbed at his rear, "Maybe we can try all of those things out," He let his hand linger there for a moment as he leaned in to kiss along the side of the Axxilan’s face. It wasn’t till he leaned in and took a step forth to accidentally step on crab blood that he remembered the mission. There was a moody sigh and he drew away from the other man.

Once they were in the new hallway, Emryc opened his mouth to form a plan. However, Jaikus abruptly moved the loose rock into the middle of the floor. The half Sephi scowled at his partner, “Seriously?” He grumbled. Nothing happened for a moment.

The entire hallway suddenly began to churn and rumble, segments of it shifting in a spiral that was enough to make anyone dizzy. Emryc grasped Jaikus by the wrist, watching the water above them beginning to drip down. It began as a wave that started behind them.

Emryc cursed as he ran down the hall, practically dragging Jaikus with him, “Please don’t trip Jai!” He called out, gallons upon gallons of water dumping into the hallway behind them. He used the Force to blast the door in front of them but it didn’t budge. Horror began to build at the pit of his stomach as they quickly arrived at the doorway that wasn’t yet open while the hall was rapidly filling with water.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

The crimson tint on Jaikus face lingered for a long while after that moment passed, and yet Jaikus couldn’t help but smile wide when Emryc muttered softly, pulling him close. The Axxilan couldn’t have guessed in a million years that things would progress as they had. He never anticipated that he would be as happy as he was at this very moment.

Happy to call Emryc his.

Jaikus felt the playful grab at his rear, his heart suddenly beating a bit faster in his chest as Emryc began to trail kisses along his jaw. In response, the Axxilan reached one arm around Emryc’s torso, while the other one snaked downward. He hooked his index finger into the beltloop of Emryc’s shorts, giving them a firm tug to pull the half-Sephi’s hips against his own possessively. “I have a few ideas where we can start,” He whispered, leaning forward to capture Emryc’s lips.

Just as the man stepped in the crab blood.

There was, as could be expected, an exceptionally grumpy expression on Jaikus’ face as Emryc pulled away – the moment once again ruined by some random, asinine circumstance. It was a trend that followed by pair all the way since Keldooine, and it was made worse by the fact that Jaikus couldn’t actually blame Mr. Goat this time. Only then did the Axxilan actually remember the mission ahead of them, begrudgingly releasing the hold on Emryc’s pants and following him into the new chamber.

Whatever plan Emryc was about to come up with was summarily dashed by Jaikus’ brilliant idea to kick a rock into the hallway. He watched the stone tumbled into the middle of the floor, cautiously scanning the room for whatever was about to happen next.

He blinked a few times, narrowing his eyes and turning to Emryc when the man spoke. “What? Were you gonna suggest we just walk through?” He was prepared to continue to defend his actions, only cut off as the hallway began to churn and rumble. Turned out the rock set off a boobytrap after all.

The sudden shifting was enough to cause Jaikus to wobble a bit on his feet, stumbling until Emryc grabbed his wrist and made a break for the door ahead. “I’M NOT GOING TO TRIP!” He yelled back, a hint of irritation lacing his voice – as if that somehow wasn’t a valid concern.

Much to Emryc’s relieve, for once in his life, Jaikus actually lived up to those words. He didn’t trip as they made their mad dash towards the door, only to find the bloody thing unmovable. The Axxilan desperately reached out with the Force, attempting to pry it upwards, only to be met with the some unyielding results as his partner.

Just then, Jaikus abruptly spun around and extended his arms out in front of him – the Force flowing through his limbs in a desperate, last-ditch effort. The Champion didn’t have the strength to hold back the water, per say, but his strained effort was enough to keep it from crashing against them like a tidal wave. Instead, the water sloshed and began pooling at their feet, rapidly starting to climb up their legs.

The lake continued to pour out from the ceiling, splashing off the narrow walls of the hallway. There was no lever or key to open the door in front of them – for all intents and purposes existing as nothing but a dead end. Panic began to flash across the Axxilan’s features just then, rapidly glancing around the room for some kind of exit or mechanism.

The fear lingered on his features until he finally glanced upwards. “Emryc!” He called out, just as the water passed over his chest. The Axxilan gestured upwards towards the ceiling, the surface only now visible with most of the water having shifted positions.

Curiously, the ceiling appeared as a mirror image of their current position, only flipped upside down. On the ceiling version of the hallway, there were two colored tiles positioned at different points along the path – as if indicating that the pair needed to stand in those spots. While the ceiling wasn’t reachable, the exact spots on the ground were. The Axxilan took in a deep breath just as the water passed over his head, continuing to rise up for another three or four feet. Moving quickly and with only a limited amount of breath, Jaikus began to swim across the hallway, making his way to press his weight onto the first tile.

If and when Emryc mimicked Jaikus’ actions, the pair would feel the unmarked tiles beneath their feet rapidly sink into the ground. Almost at once, the chamber was filled with a loud groaning sound – the door ahead of them finally splitting down the center and opening, allowing the water to rush into the new space.

In an attempt to avoid being swept with the water into the new chamber,, Jaikus desperately latched the edge of the doorframe, reaching out a hand to hopefully latch onto Emryc as well.

The lake quickly drained into the new chamber within a few more seconds, allowing the men to take a breath of fresh air. Instead of the water pooling as it had before, however, the pair would be surprised to find the water rapidly rising from the surface of this newest room – levitating upwards in large blobs. There were no candles or torches along the walls, but it was nevertheless brightly lit - the walls covered in bioluminescent corals and stalactites, indicating that the entire structure had been flooded recently in the past.

Similar to other parts of the planet, gravity seemed to operate entirely differently within this new chamber - not entirely unlike a zero-gravity chamber on many starships. There were no doors save for the one they had just passed through. Instead, the walls were lined with different mechanisms and panels, alongside a single pedestal in the middle of the floor.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was in a far worse mood by the time they arrived at the new chamber. He was once again drenched from head to toe, and both their backpacks were also soaked. His first thought was to go check on Jaikus to ensure the man didn’t open up his stitches while attempting to hold onto the doorway.

The mechanisms on the walls were not intuitive whatsoever, and the men were stuck there for at least two hours attempting to work out the puzzles. Pressing buttons here and there changed some of the water levels or rotated some sections of the walls, but otherwise it was frustratingly unclear. The half Sephi had an abundance of patience, but he could tell his partner was getting on edge. Jaikus was seconds away from a full blown tantrum and he only had their belongings to throw.

After fiddling around with a few switches, Emryc looked up and jumped back so abruptly from surprise that he almost knocked Jaikus over. If the Axxilan followed his wide-eyed gaze, he too would spot Mr. Goat casually lounging near a section of the wall as if he had been there all along. A chill went up Emryc’s spine as he stared at the infernal farm animal that calmly sat there staring at both men.

Emryc noticed the goat was seated next to a lever that hadn’t been there before - it was revealed at some point with their earlier sequence of events. The half Sephi walked over and pulled the lever and heard the entire room begin to churn and shift. Emryc tugged Jaikus close, the two of them and Mr. Goat standing on a platform as the rest of the room turned and shifted. The stalagmites now protruded up from the floor vs. the ceiling. However, this big shift revealed what appeared to be an ancient stone tomb in the middle of the floor. It rose up on the pedestal from the ground beneath it, the gravity controlled just enough to allow it to surface and pause.

The half Sephi made his way over, shoving the top of the ancient sarcophagus aside. When he gazed inside, he forgot how to breathe. Jaikus would never have seen Emryc almost collapse from seeing something before. The half Sephi buckled slightly as he gazed into the ancient coffin. Lying there was a mummified figure with its arms crossed over its chest in the traditional royal form of burial. Around the figure’s neck was a pendant that Emryc recognized at once as Andraste’s pendant. The figure’s hands rested over the hilt of the Blade of Emperor Elix. The two artifacts were thought to be separated and lost for centuries and yet this figure had managed to not only obtain both but be buried with them as well.

“She is a Drast,” Emryc said with a low whisper, still in awe of this groundbreaking discovery. He didn’t reach for anything, simply standing in stunned silence. All the trials and tribulations they faced to get here suddenly seemed worth it. He glanced over the body - the figure too tall to be Andraste, but certainly a female.

“I think she was a descendant of the main Siris line,” He said as he looked over at Jaikus with wide eyes. Both of those artifacts were worth a fortune now and they had clearly eluded historians and collectors for centuries. The woman in question would have been an imposing figure to have been given such an honorable and protected burial.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

There was no denying the look of raw irritation etched onto Jaikus’ features, even as the water receded into the next chamber. The long-sleeve shirt he got from Emryc, while far too large, was actually quite warm. Now it was soaked.

However, that grumpy expression on his face died the moment that Emryc moved to inspect his stitches, ensuring that Jaikus hadn’t injured himself. It was a little gesture that brought a faint smile to his lips, even if he was now freezing. Luckily for them both, the stitches had actually held up during the entire ordeal.

With a faint smile lingering on his lips, Jaikus finally turned his attention to the chamber ahead of them – walking alongside Emryc as they crossed the threshold. The room was filled with dozens of different switches and mechanisms that lined the walls, and yet didn’t appear to be a rhyme or reason to them. While certainly not easy, the puzzles earlier in the temple were relatively straight forward and easy to decipher, not taking more than a few minutes for the pair. The present chamber proved to be significantly more complex.

Roughly two hours had passed by this point, and it was very clear Jaikus was getting irritated. The Axxilan wasn’t exactly known for an abundance of patience, and the present chamber was certainly pushing his limits. Begrudingly, Jaikus worked his way over to another switch on the wall, pressing the tile a few inches inward. Immediately in response, a section of the room shifted, simply causing one of the previous levers recede into the ground.

The sight of it caused Jaikus to clench and grind his teeth together, his hands balling together until his knuckles turned white. The failure was nothing new at this point, but the sight now was simply the straw that finally broke the Eopie’s back – causing the frustration boiling over within the Axxilan. He wanted to scream, and the urge to throw something against a wall was overwhelming. Of course, the only thing that Jaikus had to throw was that fancy little flashlight he’d flaunting earlier in the adventure.

Without another word, the Axxilan drew his hand back and threw the flashlight against the wall with all his might, attempting to spike it off the stone in a pointless display of frustration. Of course, gravity within the chamber wasn’t nearly as strong as the rest of the temple. The flashlight only moved a few inches from Jaikus’ hands before halting in mid-air, floating close to the ground. Jaikus blinked, watching the flashlight slowly rise into the air – passing right in front of his nose as it continued towards the ceiling.

If Emryc witnessed any of this little outburst, the half-Sephi would simply see a subtle twitch in his partner’s left eye.

After fiddling around with a few more switches, Jaikus eventually made his way back over to stand beside Emryc, closely inspecting the wall besides them. His attention was drawn away when his partner abruptly jumped back, bumping into the Axxilan and nearly knocking him onto his ass. He immediately reached up, latching onto the half-Sephi’s arm to steady himself.

Emerald eyes fixated onto Emryc curiously, noting the wide-eyed expression. He then followed the half-Sephi’s gaze, a chill running down his spine when he spotted Mr. Goat staring back at them with beady eyes.

“HOW!?” He couldn’t help but blurt out, a mixture of concern and irritation lacing his words. It was physically impossible that Mr. Goat had followed them through the last two chambers, and yet here he was. There was no logical explanation for any of it.

Eventually, Jaikus noticed the lever that Mr. Goat was sat next to – the sight immediately causing him to narrow his eyes. That simply hadn’t been there before, and the sudden appearance of it now made the Axxilan thoroughly uncomfortable. Either it had been revealed with one of their seemingly failed attempts with the switches, or Mr. Goat had mysteriously caused the lever to reveal itself.

Jaikus was thoroughly convinced of the latter.

Begrudgingly, Jaikus followed Emryc to the newest lever, watching as the half-Sephi pulled it and caused the room to shift. He felt as his partner pulled him close, hugging onto the man in response as the ground receded and revealed a field of stalagmites protruded from the floor below. His attention, however, remained solidly fixated onto the sarcophagus ahead of them – his heart skipping a beat.

He watched as Emryc slid open the sarcophagus lid, his breath immediately catching in his throat when he gazed inside. He noted the stunned silence from his partner and the way Emryc’s knees buckled slightly, and Jaikus wasn’t faring much better. The Axxilan had to quite literally braced himself against his partner, feeling a bit unsteady on his feet as he stared at the sight before him.

He never could have predicted in a million years what they would find in this temple, and yet suddenly all the struggles they faced were worth the trouble.

He immediately fixated onto the mummified body that lied within, as well as the two objects of note that resided there as well. Jaikus immediately recognized both artifacts for what they were, even if he could hardly believe it. Both the pendent and the sword had been lost to history for centuries, two pieces of a set that had long believed to have been separated. And yet here they were, right there in front of them.

Emryc declared the feminine skeleton to have been a Drast, and Jaikus was in full agreement with that statement – giving the half-Sephi a nod of his head. They would both know as much from the style in which the woman was buried, replicating the process used for other members of the dynasty. Even the burial shroud that was draped over the body indicated traditional Drast practices. “But who?” He said softly, unable to muster much more than a whisper as he was still overwhelmed with the discovery.

His question, though, was valid. There were no inscriptions or markings on the sides of the sarcophagus, instead left completely blank. There was no denying the woman was an imposing figure, and yet her identity was entirely left a mystery to the two men. He nodded once again at the suggestion that she was of the Siris’ line.

Several minutes of stunned silence would pass, and it was clear that Jaikus was in no rush to leave the sarcophagus. It was a goundbreaking discovery – more significant than anything that had happened in decades, and the Axxilan was still struggling to soak it all in. Emryc likely had never seen the Axxilan look at something with such a wide-eyed, stunned expression - genuine giddiness flashing across his features. It was a historian's dream come true.

After an extended pause, Jaikus blinked a few times and immediately reached for his pack, pulling the datapad from one of the pockets. There was no signal, of course, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take an abundance of pictures – thoroughly documenting the discovery.

He took his time documenting the discovery, only putting his datapad away after snapping half a hundred pictures at all different angles. At one point or another, the Axxilan literally got down on his hands and knees, getting a very up-close photograph of the base of the sarcophagus.

Only then did he turn his attention back to the artifacts themselves. Instead of physically prying the artifacts away from the skeleton, Jaikus reached out with the Force, subtle tendrils of energy latching onto the hands of the skeleton. Being exceptionally careful, the Axxilan lifted the hands away from the Blade of Emperor Elix, allowing it to slide free and levitate into the air.

Without a word, he extended the blade towards Emryc to grab. He did the same for the pendant around the skeleton’s neck – gingerly releasing the clasp and levitating the ancient piece of jewelry off of the body. Instead of touching the artifact with his dirty hands, Jaikus instead reached into his pack – pulling out a piece of cloth. The fabric had entirely dried over the two hours spent in the chamber, and Jaikus very carefully folded the pendent within it, tucking the artifact into a secure pocket of Emryc’s pack.

Jaikus took a moment to look around the room, squinting at his surroundings. "I was sort of expecting the temple to cave in when I did that.." He shook his head. "We should probably get going though."

Luckily for the both of them, the process of actually getting out of the temple was far easier than getting in. Just as the sarcophagus rose from the ground, a section of the room split open to reveal a doorway that hadn't been there before - revealing a torch-lit hallway that extended on and gradually began to spiral upwards. Jaikus gradually began to make his way towards the door, though not before reaching out with the Force in order to slide the sarcophagus lid back into place.

After an extended period of time, following the path would lead the pair of men back to the rectangular entrance of the temple. The smell of Mr. Goat's 'gifts' still lingered in the air, and to their surprise, the sun was still high in the sky at this point.

Walking into the main chamber, Jaikus glanced back over his shoulder. To his horror, Mr. Goat had once again vanished into thin air - vanishing down the narrow hallway at one point or another. Jaikus cleared his throat, blinking a few times before glancing back to Emryc. "Ready to head out, babe?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

There was no way to guess who the dead woman was without taking the time to do some heavy research. Hilariously enough, Emryc had small vials and tubes on him to collect some archaeological samples. The half Sephi was incredibly careful to collect what he did, just enough to run some dating analysis. He knew about the Drasts to fill in any gaps.

Emryc was in a great mood by the time they made it out of the temple, even if both men were soaked. He handled the sword very gingerly, marveling at it the entire way back. It took them multiple days to hike back towards their ships and Mr. Goat made appearances here and there. The Goat was extra affectionate with Jaikus to where even Emryc moodily decided to give the beast the rest of their snacks once they were almost near the ships. When they parted with Mr. Goat, the half Sephi gave it a few pats on the head which was a huge departure from his usual aversion to animals.

After a while, he could spot his ship in the distance. Jaikus would spot the name written on the side as Ship. Likely with how well the man knew Emryc by now, there would be little surprise at the sight. The half Sephi paused for a moment before glancing over at Jaikus. He cleared his throat and looked entirely awkward for a few seconds.

“Can I show you my home?” He asked as he ran a hand through his hair, one of the telltale signs of when he was nervous or stressed for any reason. The half Sephi didn’t even notice when he did it nowadays.

If Jaikus agreed, Emryc would walk up the ramp to his ship, opening the doors to reveal a spacious interior. The lingering scent of incense and cologne permeated throughout the ship and right away it was clear everything was impeccably clean and organized. The most curious part upon first glance was that the hallway wall directly across from them was not a wall at all. There were multiple shelves with rows upon rows of ancient books and texts behind transparisteel glass. Many of the texts were original, but they were clearly well maintained. There were books from the Drast era, from the Clone Wars, and most other major times in history. There were documents and reports that had been handwritten by figures of history and even works thought to be lost by historians.

The half Sephi set the sword and his bag down for now, pausing to let Jaikus look through the shelves he had. Emryc looked at the rows and grinned, “I collected these whenever I went on missions,” Most of them called for obliterating everything in sight, but he often saved anything he could of historical importance.

Emryc next began a long rant about the type of ship this was and the make and model. It was an old ship model, but it was clear he was extremely proud of it. As President of the ISC and the positions he held with corporations, it was obvious he had quite a bit of wealth. And yet it was also obvious he spent almost all of his downtime aboard this ship instead of any fancy penthouse or manor.

He continued the tour, walking down the hallway and pointing out the various rooms. The crew room was impeccable and neat. If Jaikus nosily looked, he would spot some women’s clothing lining the closet left over from when Tiamat or Renfry journeyed with him. The ladies were far less organized and had a penchant for leaving things behind that he then meticulously cleaned and organized for when he would see them next.

Emryc showed Jaikus his expansive gym which had options for tweaking with gravity. The entire cargo hold was repurposed for the gym with countless weights. Almost everything was free weights and there was a small corner dedicated to mixing and drinking supplements for before and after training. There was also a training droid currently switched off and a rack full of various kinds of melee weapons.

Emryc stopped by a small kitchenette area and excitedly showed Jaikus the giant collection of MREs and fruit snacks. The only fresh food was an overabundance of produce that he generally steamed to be nice and bland before eating. Through the entire tour, Emryc was borderline giddy about showing all of this to his partner even though the dwelling was incredibly modest and low key.

“And this is my room,” He punched the side panel to open the door after they walked further down the hallway. This was where the smell of incense was the strongest, a leftover remnant of whenever he still practiced his religion. There were a few figurines on the side table next to his modest bed. The figurines were of Kravos, Evandrus, Siris and Vader. Andraste was noticeably missing.

His closet was open to reveal rows of dress shirts and suits followed comically by countless Huttball shirts, jerseys and hats. The rest of the room was just as impeccable as the rest of the ship - bed perfectly made and clothes neatly hung up or folded. The most notable thing was the presence of a Holocron by his bed that had belonged to an ancient Jedi Grandmaster. It hummed with Light side energy that would be almost oppressive to the senses at first, but diminished with time. Emryc made no real note of this, lingering briefly at the doorway before turning to look at Jaikus.

"I....suppose that concludes the tour."

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

There was an almost giddy expression on his face when Emryc pulled out the vials and tubes, very carefully collecting small archaeological samples from the dead woman. The Axxilan hadn’t thought to bring his own archeology equipment with him for the present expedition, even if it was a subject area that the Axxilan could talk about for hours on end. There was no denying, he was genuinely excited to learn who the dead woman was, even if dating the remains would take a bit of time.

Despite the long journey down the mountain and the soaked state of their clothes, Jaikus’ mood never seemed to dampen over the course of the journey. He spent a great deal of time admiring their discoveries, filling the hours with near-endless ranting about historical topics and a fair bit of debate about the true origins of the temple structure. Stubborn as he was, Jaikus was still convinced the base foundations were of Ratakan origin.

In the least surprising reveal of the century, Mr. Goat had managed to trail them the entire way down the mountain. It was a pattern of following them for miles before vanishing abruptly, only to reappear staring down at them from some ledge in the distance. His frequent reappearances in random places would’ve been slightly unsettling, were it not entirely expected at this point.

Despite being a constant thorn in their side during the adventure, Mr. Goat had been exceptionally affectionate to Jaikus during the hike and the Axxilan wasn’t capable of holding any kind of grudge towards the goat. He always had a soft spot for animals, and went so far as to give the animal a few belly scratches when they finally parted ways, leaving Mr. Goat gazing in a field of clover and crisp wildflowers.

Multiple days had passed by now, and the pair finally made their way to the base of the mountains – Emryc’s ship finally visible in the distance. Jaikus clearly noted the plain name written on the side of the hull, the sight bringing a faint smile to his lips. The Axxilan knew his partner well enough, which meant it was entirely unsurprising. Jaikus paused just then, taking a moment to look at his partner.

He clearly noted the awkward expression on Emryc’s face, followed by the man running his hands through his hair. It was a little gesture that Jaikus had clearly picked up on whenever the half-Sephi was nervous about something. He blinked a few times when Emryc finally spoke, his head tilting to the side slightly.

Without warning, the Axxilan took a step forward – tugging on Emryc’s arm and pulling the man close in order to plant a capture his lips for a moment. When he pulled away, the half-Sephi would clearly see the giddy smile plastered across Jaikus’ face. “Of course I would love to see it.”

With that, Jaikus followed Emryc as they made their way into the spacious interior of the ship, taking a moment to take in every detail that was visible to him. Almost immediately, the Axxilan noted the ancient texts and documents that lined the shelves – drawn to the collection like a moth to the flame. Luckily, Jaikus resisted the urge to physically press his face against the transparisteel glass, even though he inspected the collection closely.

“There are original texts here that date back all the way to the ancient Sith purebloods.” There was undeniable giddiness in his voice, quite literally looking like a kid in a candy store.

His attention was drawn away from the shelves when Emryc began speaking, starting to rant about his ship. The Axxilan was very clearly intrigued the entire time, stopping what he was doing to give the half-Sephi his full attention. Not only could he appreciate the value of an older model ship, but it was very clearly something that his partner was passionate about.

Despite growing up on a penthouse befitting his family’s wealth, Jaikus was entirely interested with every corner and room of the ship that Emryc showed off. It didn’t seem to matter how modest or low key it was. It was something that was special to his partner, and that made it special to Jaikus.

The Axxilan happily followed Emryc along as they continued on their tour, passing through the hallway and crew room. He very clearly noted the women’s clothes that hung in one of the closets, though he didn’t really give them any mind – his gaze only lingered there for a passing moment. They continued on, passing by expansive gym big enough, quite literally, for multiple people.

When they finally made it to the kitchen area, Jaikus couldn’t help but roll his eyes and smile when he spotted the hoarder-level collection of MRE’s that Emryc had stocked. It was entirely unsurprising given his partner’s mysterious love for the damn things, even if the fruit snacks didn’t look half bad.

When they finally reached Emryc’s bedroom, Jaikus took his time inspecting the chamber – the smell of intense hitting his nostrils as he peaked inside. He noted the open closest full of suits and Huttball-hoodie, alongside the perfectly made, modest bed. He noted the figurines that set beside that bed, and very clearly saw – and felt – the holocron of the Jedi Master close by. It was a presence that was almost overwhelming when he first entered the room, though it gradually was something that faded into the background.

Jaikus eventually turned his attention back to Emryc when the man spoke, concluding their tour of the ship. Immediately, the Axxilan leaned up to plant a kiss to his partner’s cheek. “Thank you for showing me.” He smiled, emerald eyes glinting up at the half-Sephi. “Maybe one of these days I can show you around on Axxila.” Despite having explored practically every inch of the ship at this point, it was clear that Jaikus wasn’t itching to leave – clearly not wanting to part ways with the half-Sephi quite yet.

He lingered by the doorway for a moment before grabbing the half-Sephi by the wrist, leading him back to the lounge-area of the ship. Luckily, their clothes had long-since dried by now, meaning that Jaikus was comfortable plopping down on one of the couches. “So, what’s next on the plan?” He grinned. “Since you mentioned clearing out your entire schedule.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc awkwardly stood there for a moment blanking on how to make it clear he didn’t want to part ways just yet. He was surprised when Jaikus abruptly grabbed him by the wrist and led him back towards the common area before casually plopping down on the couch. Emryc stared down at the man for a moment, blinking. Thankfully for them both, Jaikus wasn’t the least bit shy about making his intentions clear. It was a trait he had seen in the Axxilan since the very first day they met and he quite boldly stated his desire to dance with Emryc. The half Sephi tilted his head slightly, giving a half smile to his partner before he plopped down on the couch with him. It was obvious on his face he was pleased with the man’s decision to delay parting.

“Since you managed to tolerate me for the past few days..” He cleared his throat a few times, “Will you stay with me for a few more?” His face began to shift colors and he promptly looked away, fingers running through his hair again, “I can fly you wherever you need. I’ll have a droid fly your ship too,” He muttered awkwardly. For being as charming as he was on Holo before so many people in the galaxy, Jaikus managed to turn him into an embarrassing puddle. He couldn't quite work out why asking simple questions like this was so difficult. Didn't Jaikus being his partner mean he could always ask to spend time with the other man?

“I can jump us to hyperspace and we can start on one of those stupid Holomovies you like,” Emryc grinned sheepishly at him. He didn’t have any elaborate plans beyond just hanging out. His ship wasn’t exactly the place for riveting adventures, but it was precisely why he loved it. There was something tender and warm about sharing that with Jaikus.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

True to his nature, Jaikus didn’t hesitate to make his intentions very clear – plopping down onto the couch and making himself right at home. Making it clear that despite their original objective being completed, he didn’t want to leave. Though he never quite put it into words, Jaikus hated every time that the two of them went seperate ways – the prospect of parting seeming more and more agonizing each and every time it came up. This time was no different.

He looked up just then, catching the half-smile on his partner’s face. The half-Sephi didn’t need to say anything for Jaikus to know he was pleased, and it brought a wide, stupid smile to the Axxilan’s face. When Emryc plopped down onto the couch beside him, Jaikus immediately twisted his torso a bit to face the half-Sephi. He immediately raised a brow when the man began speaking, eyeing him curiously.

“I think I can manage to tolerate you for a few more days.” He quipped, a playful smile etched across his face. The Axxilan clearly noted the red tint on Emryc’s face, and the repeated gesture of the man running fingers through his hair. He clearly noted that the nervousness and difficulty in uttering those words, even if Jaikus didn’t quite understand why.

Just then, Jaikus shifted a bit closer, lifting his arms up from his sides. He snaked them around Emryc’s shoulders, tugging the other man close whilst laying his head against the man’s shoulder. “We’re partners, Emryc.” He declared softly, a bit more serious as he hugged the half-Sephi a bit tighter. “Of course I’ll spend time with you.”

There was no destination in mind. No grand plan. There was nothing that Jaikus intended other than simply spending a bit more time with Emryc, and it didn’t seem to matter what they were doing. He listened for a moment when the half-Sephi spoke, grinning up at him. “I will be holding you to that, I hope you do realize. Especially since you seem to enjoy reenacting the cheesy scenes out of those movies anyway.”

“Hallowe’en is coming up anyway. Could pick a movie to fit the holiday, too.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t move as Jaikus moved over to close the distance between them. His arms instinctively wrapped around the other man, savoring the warmth and the comfortable familiarity of Jaikus’ weight against his own. He shook his head slightly at the mention of reenacting the scenes from sappy movies, “Only for you, babe,” He mumbled quietly before leaning in to place feathery kisses along his cheek.

He squeezed the man tighter before he pulled back, “But first I’m getting us in the air and then we’re redressing the shoulder,” Emryc moved to stand, once again back to his methodical self as he invited Jaikus to join him in the cockpit. The planet’s strange gravitational pulls concerned him and they had limited windows to take off.

It didn’t take them too long to lift into the air and jump into hyperspace. It had taken several days to fly out here and he would chart an actual destination course when they stopped at a refueling station. Emryc stopped to redo Jaikus' bandages and clean the wounds again before he was happy with his work. The half Sephi made his way back to the couch before long, flipping through his giant database of Holomovies before pausing on one he hadn’t seen before. It was about some creepy haunted house that a family recently moved into.

The half Sephi sat next to his partner, an arm lazily wrapped around him as the Holomovie switched on. It was pitch dark and they had some fruit snacks and veggie chips as food options for now. Right away Emryc was unimpressed with the opening scene.

“That house appears as if it would be foreclosed or marked for condemnation,” He grumbled, “Why would a family of four be moving into it?”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus couldn’t help the way that he smiled just then, happily pulling the half-Sephi close and coiling his arms around the man. Truthfully, the Axxilan could’ve stayed like that for hours – melting into the familiar embrace and the soft cushions of the couch. When Emryc spoke, the words brought the faintest blush of pink to the Axxilan’s cheeks, following by a low, satisfied hum when the half-Sephi began to plant feathery kisses to his cheek.

He huffed softly when Emryc pulled back, listening at he spoke. He didn’t argue with the man, instead pushing himself off the couch and following the half-Sephi into the cockpit. Once they were successfully within hyperspace, Jaikus watched as his partner began to address the wound on his shoulder – gingerly replacing the dressing and cleaning the area that had been stitched. Amazingly, his work had actually held up rather well over the past few days.

Once the work was done, Emryc was rewarded for his efforts with a loving kiss on the cheek, followed by Jaikus beginning to make his way back towards the couch. “Your pick, babe.” He commented. He wasn’t actually sure which movies Emryc had seen and which he hadn’t, and hoped the half-Sephi would pick something that left them both in suspense.

While Emryc had selected the snacks, Jaikus instead grabbed something to combat the slightly chilly temperatures within the ship. There was a neatly folded blanket laid across the back of the couch, which Jaikus proceeded to grab and spread out across his and Emryc’s legs.

Of course, he just as easily could’ve asked Emryc to turn up the ship’s thermostat. One could only wonder why he didn’t.

The lounge was pitch black save for the glow of the HoloMovie in front of them, painting the two men in faint blue light. As the movie began to play, Jaikus reached down between them, plucking one of the fruit snacks from the bowl. As per usual, the Axxilan ate in his infuriatingly dainty way.

While Emryc unimpressed by the movie, Jaikus seemed to be completely enthralled. He thoroughly enjoyed these types of movies, even if they didn’t always make a ton of sense. He squinted a bit, watching as the opening scene of the movie started to play. He waved off Emryc’s very logical conclusion. “Because that guy just inherited it from his dead aunt and its bigger than their apartment in the city.”

“Even if it needs a bit of fixing up..” He muttered. There was no denying that the house was exceptionally creepy, and Jaikus only looked the slightest bit perturbed. A few minutes would pass, and the movie continued to play – continuing to the family’s first night in the house.

The scene was completely dark, located in the bedroom of the youngest son of the family. The toddler-aged child was very eerily sitting in the corner of the room, looking to be talking to some unseen figure in the darkness.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc glanced over at his partner when he laid the blanket on them both, blinking curiously for a moment. The underlying gesture was missed entirely by the idiot half Sephi. He brought out his comlink and began to fiddle with the app to change the thermostat on his ship. Jaikus would clearly be able to see him doing this and be able to interject if he wanted to point things out to the oblivious man.

He stared at the movie as Jaikus responded to his quip earlier. Unlike anyone simply telling him to shut up or complaining about his comments, the Axxilan instead supplied a very logical counter explanation. The half Sephi pondered on that for a while, reaching for a snack or two to munch on.

“I’ve only lived on my ship..” Emryc muttered quietly under his breath as he watched the movie. He wasn’t sure why he admitted that, the comment blurting out automatically. He could have lived anywhere else. There had been a time Morgan had wanted to cohabit in a home together, but none of it ever manifested. Emryc always found himself back in his ship repeatedly.

He watched the toddler having a full on conversation with nothing in the corner. Surprisingly, Emryc was entirely unfazed by this. He could even remember when he often spoke to the entity that would later on become Raze. During times when no one else listened. He could sense Jaikus tensing next to him and he pulled the man close, drawn out of his thoughts and back to the movie.

“Children are always eerie..” He muttered with a bit of distaste. It was clear it was a forced tone. His thoughts briefly traveled to the twins that never had the chance to be born. He thought about the little girl back in the village that always giggled and lit up whenever she saw him. He had been blind the entire time and still wondered what her face looked like, knowing he would likely never know.

The scenes had a few jump scares and an old lady was spotted wandering through the corridors. Every now and then her reflection would appear in the mirrors throughout the house. Emryc took this little tidbit and planted it deep into the reserves of his psyche. When the movie changed scenes, he purposely manipulated the Force to create an illusion so the old lady’s face would randomly be reflected on the metallic surface of a side panel of the entertainment console away from the Holoscreen. He played the waiting game to see how long before Jaikus noticed, his face externally completely blank.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Internally, Jaikus was exceptionally pleased with himself. Not only had he managed to stave off the slight chill of Ship’s interior with the blanket, but it gave him a reason to snuggle up every close to Emryc during the movie. Not that he really needed an excuse at this point, but still. He pulled the blanket up a little bit on both of their legs, snuggling a bit closer to Emryc. Just as he did so, he caught sight of Emryc scrolling through his commlink, switching over to the app to up the temperature throughout the entire ship. He blinked a few times in response, staring with mild disbelief.

Emryc would only have a few seconds to fiddle with his commlink before Jaikus literally placed a hand over the half-Sephi’s wrist, stopping him just as he went to adjust the heater. “I’m actually comfortable at the moment. Like this.” He gestured down to the blanket and the way they were snuggled up next to each other. He then looked back to Emryc. And then again to the blanket. And then back to Emryc.

A smile gradually pulled at the corners of his mouth, internally hoping that the half-Sephi now understood the underlying gesture. “No need to adjust the heater.”

With that, Jaikus turned his attention back to the movie, watching the creepy scenes for a few more minutes. When Emryc muttered softly, the Axxilan briefly glanced towards him, pausing for a moment. “I like your ship.” He said softly, leaning back his head against the Half-Sephi’s shoulder.

Whereas Emryc had only ever lived on his ship, by comparison, Jaikus had only ever known the grandiose and luxury-filled environment of his familial penthouse. As a boy, surrounded by a family, it was a place that seemed so full of life – carrying with it fond memories of running through the same hallways and corridors. It only made the place feel that much colder and empty nowadays.

Perhaps it was why, in truth, the Axxilan felt just as comfortable – perhaps even more so, as of late – in the more modest, simple environments.

A few more minutes passed and a few more scenes played, most of them filled with abrupt little jump scares. While Emryc probably saw every jump scare coming, Jaikus was completely oblivious until they happened. Each and every one got a reaction out of the Axxilan – which usually involved the man abruptly tugging on the half-Sephi’s arm and leaning into him.

Jaikus very clearly picked up on the forced tone when Emryc spoke, causing him to blink a few times. “Only when they are doing objectively creepy shit..” He muttered, glancing towards his partner for a moment. The toddler on the movie may have been communing with demons, but Jaikus nevertheless actually had a soft spot for children. He had vivid memories of himself and Hatice as children – her being a few years younger than him.

The Axxilan narrowed his eyes significantly when the old lady made an appearance in the movie. While he had a soft spot for children, Jaikus had quite literally zero tolerance for demon-possessed grandmas. At that moment, Jaikus snaked hands upwards, creepily wiggling his fingers against the back of Emryc’s neck. As he did so, the Axxilan spoke in a low whisper, forcing an eerie tone of voice. “Did you see that? I think she was even wearing floral print..”

He grinned wickedly at his own comment, making reference to his partner seeming to attract older women like a magnet. Very satisfied with himself, Jaikus never noticed the subtle manipulations that Emryc employed, completely oblivious to the illusion that was being conjured.

Much to Emryc’s delight, it didn’t take Jaikus long to notice the creepy face of the grandma reflected against the side panel of the entertainment console – his gaze eventually drifting there inbetween scenes. Immediately, emerald eyes went wide with sheer terror and Jaikus quite literally jumped in the opposite direction, barely avoiding knocking over the bowl of fruit snacks. This, of course, meant that the Axxilan had positioned a bit further in the half-Sephi’s lap.

A shriek – a few octaves higher than his normal voice – escaped from the Axxilan’s lips, though it was immediately cut off by the man bringing a hand to his mouth. While it only made the Axxilan look a bit more overdramatic, the gesture was actually intention. He knew Emryc’s ears were sensitive, and actively tried to avoid screaming right next to the man.

Immediately, the Axxilan snapped his head to look at Emryc, eyeing him with a suspicious expression. The face was no longer there, and it was a fifty-fifty split in Jaikus’ mind whether it was Emryc or his own mind playing tricks on him. Blinking a few times, he gradually settled down and focused back onto the movie, clearing his throat. He didn’t actually move, though.

The movie changed scenes once again, and once more they were back in the child’s bedrom. This time, however, the toddler from earlier in the movie was nowhere to be seen – mysteriously having vanished in the middle of the night. Eerily, in its place, there was a porcelain doll that looked vaguely like the toddler left In its bed – much to the horror of the parents when they actually walked in. The camera panned around to a mirror in the bedroom. While the inanimate doll appeared to be facing forward in the bedroom, its reflection in the revealed the doll to be staring directly at the mirror.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc eyed the Axxilan curiously as he stopped him from adjusting the temperature. The half Sephi had an almost comical expression on his face as he stared at his partner and the back and forth gaze between the blanket and back to him. Jaikus would practically see the calculations happening in Emryc’s head before his eyes widened and a spark of recognition finally settled in. He said nothing, simply setting the comlink down and clearing his throat before looking away.

The compliment on his ship, however, certainly caused his ears to twitch to betray his excitement. Emryc smiled in return, pulling Jaikus close as he leaned his head against his shoulder. He was comfortable enough here to where he could sit like this for hours and even doze off. Jaikus’ smell, the weight of him, the warmth, all of it was the perfect combination of things that brought him far more comfort than he ever knew he craved.

He was distracted when Jaikus ran his fingers up along his neck, the intended gesture backfiring on Jaikus. Instead Emryc closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly with a satisfied groan, “Use some nails,” He muttered quietly before realizing that the Axxilan was attempting to spook him.

This, of course, made Jaikus’ reaction to his Force illusion even more satisfying. His ears flattened at the shriek, but it was a credit to his self discipline that his face remained stoic. Emryc eyed him with mild concern which bled to confusion as Jaikus looked at him suspiciously.

The half Sephi only cracked a discreet smile when Jaikus was back in his arms and they continued with the movie. He could tell the man was tense and he silently plotted to continue tormenting him just a bit more. When the doll came on, however, it was Emryc’s turn to tense a little. There was just something very particularly eerie about dolls, especially the ones that smiled too much.

The doll’s head began to slowly swivel around, the creepy smile still pasted on its face. The movie then panned to one of the parents that was found with their neck twisted around just as the doll had done. It was during these tense moments that Emryc decided to mess with Jaikus again. In every scene, there was just the very vague reflection of Mr. Goat’s dumb face hovering slightly in the corner. Doing that infamously ominous side chewing.

Emryc bit his lip as he did this, struggling to keep from bursting out laughing.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus couldn’t help but smile wide, watching every little reaction of Emryc’s face. In those few moments, he could practically see the half-Sephi connecting the dots in his head, slowly but surely coming to understand the underlying meaning behind his gesture with the blanket. He watched as Emryc’s eyes went wide and he suddenly lowered his wrist, very clearly saying nothing after that.

It was clear at this point that his partner now understood, the Axxilan’s tender method of correction proving effective after all. Without warning, Jaikus leaned forward a bit – planting a tender kiss to his partners cheek while Emryc cleared his throat. He didn’t need to say anything after that, merely proceeding to snuggle his head against his partner.

The Axxilan let out a soft, satisfied hum when Emryc pulled him close, head laying against his shoulder. It was moments like this that made Jaikus realize just how much he craved and cherished the closeness – the feeling of familiar arms wrapped around him and the comfortable warmth that radiated from the half-Sephi.

He had fallen asleep against Emryc multiple times before, and the only reason he didn’t do so now was because he was actually interested in what they were watching.

While he was facing the HoloMovie at the time, there was a somewhat moody expression on Jaikus’ face when Emryc misinterpreted his attempt at being spooky. Jaikus happened to think he was being exceptionally slick with that maneuver, only for that idea to be quickly dashed by his partner. While his attempt at scaring the half-Sephi had completely failed, the Axxilan nevertheless did exactly what his partner asked – lightly dragging his nails across the back of Emryc’s neck, drawing figure-eights against the skin.

He continued to do so up until the jump scare, which put Jaikus squarely in Emryc’s lap. Curiously, he didn’t actually move after that – instead lingering in his partner’s arms for a while longer. He adjusted the blanket on his legs and wrapped an arm around Emryc’s shoulder, hugging onto him while the next scenes of the movie played.

While the doll was exceptionally creepy, it didn’t terrify Jaikus half as much as the sight of Mr. Goat lingering in the corner of the room. It took Jaikus several scenes to actually notice the infernal beast, his eyes going exceptionally wide the moment he did. “THE GOAT!” He blurted out, instinctively tugging on Emryc’s arm while attempting to point out the horrifying visage of Mr. Goat chewing in the background.

He blinked a few times after that, very slowly coming to the realization of what Emryc was doing. Immediately after that he snapped his head around, narrowing his eyes on the half-Sephi. “Emryc!” He cried out with a groan. “That isn’t fair!”

He kept his eyes narrowed on the half-Sephi. For a moment, he was very clearly trying to appear serious and annoyed – though it didn’t last. After just a few seconds the Axxilan’s lips began to twitch, gradually tugging upwards the slightest bit. He shook his head, letting out a grumpy huff through his nostrils before placing his head back onto his partner’s chest, turning his attention to the movie which was hopefully now devoid of all goats.

After a few minutes, the scene of the movie changed. It was the middle of the night, and one of the children of the family was frantically running through the hallways of the house – making a mad dash of the parent’s bedroom at the end. It wasn’t immediately clear what the child was running from, and none of their screams were seemingly heard.

When the child reached the door, they proceeded to frantically tug on the locked handle – struggling in vain to open the door. Just then, the camera panned back around to the hallway, revealing what the child was running from. The creepy doll from earlier – clearly possessed by some kind of demon – emerged from the shadows. It was running in a crab-walk position, sprinting not along the ground but instead across the wall of the hallway – its head bent back in an unnatural position.

It continued to move terrifyingly fast until it reached the end of the hall. Once it did, the doll sprang off the wall and towards the child, reaching out to grab them. In response, Jaikus abruptly yanked the blanket, burying his face into Emryc’s chest. The scene cut away after that, leaving the permanently smiling, porcelain face of the doll the last thing they would see before the new scene began to play.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc couldn’t contain himself any longer. When Jaikus screeched about Mr. Goat, the half Sephi began to chuckle. Even though he bit into a fist, it was worthless and his entire body was shaking from failing to hold the laugh in. He looked at the very unamused expression on Jaikus' face and that pushed him even further over the edge, sending him into an entire fit of laughter. The sound was still strange for his normally heavily baritone voice, and it was clearly not a sound that manifested often.

He was entirely pleased that the movie successfully managed to push Jaikus into his lap, the Axxilan having naturally navigated his way over with a series of jump scares. While Emryc had little interest in the movie, he did find his partner and his antics to be entertaining. However, when the doll was back on the screen, the half Sephi couldn’t help but watch.

As the doll began to crab walk, Emryc grimaced, “Oh fuck no,” He blurted out as Jaikus buried his head into his chest. Emryc had one arm wrapped around his partner, the other reaching over for some baby carrots for him to furiously munch on through the high octane scene. It was obvious the heightened level of creepy caught his attention.

Emryc was in the middle of grabbing some more carrots when the new scene switched to a flashback. It showed the mother when she was younger doing some sort of ritual. The half Sephi’s eyes widened, “I knew it,” He said with a sagely nod, “I knew she was sketch. You can tell because her hair looks like shit. Can’t be letting your roots and grays get out of control if you don’t have shady things occupying your thoughts instead,” He nodded matter of factly again before popping another carrot in.

The half Sephi was still focused on the movie as it switched to another creepy scene of the ritual. This time it showed a sacrifice to a demonic entity in exchange for great wealth. As the ritual completed a man was sacrificed and his body was bent unnaturally back to snap his spine and put him in the same crab walking position. Emryc watched the movie with fascination until he felt Jaikus shift around while on his lap. The half Sephi gave the Axxilan a side-eyed glance.

“Stop wiggling, babe, you’re distracting me,” He grumbled quietly before turning back to watch the eerie ritual scenes. The origin story was the last bit of the movie and Emryc found it fascinating as he watched it unfold.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Despite his attempts to be annoyed, Jaikus couldn’t help but lighten up when he saw the reaction it elicited from his partner. The unamused look on his face gradually faded away, replaced by that ridiculous, stupid smile almost as soon as the half-Sephi devolved into his fit of baritone laughter – the Axxilan clearly watching as the half-Sephi’s face lit up and his body shook.

It was a sound that Jaikus rarely heard from his partner, and yet it was one that filled him with unexplainable warmth, and the Axxilan suddenly forgot about the movie that was playing behind him – completely transfixed onto his partner while all other sounds drowned into the background. Even after Emryc calmed from his fit of laughter, Jaikus continued to stare at him for a few moments more – left with a dazed, smitten expression on his lips.

He blinked a few times after that, clearing his throat and turning back to the movie. The smile immediately faded when he saw the scene that started playing.

Jaikus saw the crab-walking doll and immediately had a visceral reaction to it. He dug his fingers into Emryc’s arms and yanked the man close, burying his face into the half-Sephi’s chest – eyes tightly shut for the duration of the scene. Despite having faced far worse during their adventures, there was something about the movie that thoroughly creeped him out and elicited such reactions from him. It caused him to cling to the person who comforted him the most.

Terrified as he was, the Axxilan was still plucking fruit snacks from the bowl beside them. Of course, he insisted on eating the damn things in the most dainty, infuriating way – pinky out and everything as he popped each one into his mouth one by one. His attention was drawn to the flashback scene, brow furrowed immensely.

As soon as Emryc started talking, however, Jaikus’ attention was drawn to the woman’s greyed, ratty hair. “..Shit that’s actually a good point.” He narrowed his eyes, suddenly more interested in following that train of thought. “And her nails are fucking disgusting. Who lets that much gunk build up under their fingernails?” He grimaced. “Cultists, that’s who.”

He continued to watch the next scenes play out, including the part where the man was sacrificed in some kind of ritual. While Emryc was entirely entranced, Jaikus looked thoroughly uncomfortable – a fact that manifested in his movements. He constantly shifted and moved around in the half-Sephi’s lap, entirely unaware of how distracting this might’ve been. Even when Emryc pointed it out, the Axxilan couldn’t quite help it – still moving around with every creepy scene.

The next few scenes continued to go more in-depth into the origin story of the movie and the cultists. A new flashback scene played, after the original sacrificing-and-possession of the man. It showed the house – in a much more pristine state at this point – being consumed by flames, where the demon-possessed man burned alive. The only item that survived the fire, unsurprisingly, turned out to be that creepy doll from before – which the spirit had latched onto once its previous host was little more than ash.

After several more minutes, the final scene of the movie began to play. The scene was set in the middle of the forest, outside of the house – gathered around a large bonfire and altar. Several hooded figures surrounded the fire, and among them was the presumed-dead aunt from earlier in the origin story. As it turned out, her death had been faked in order to convince the husband to move his family to the old house, the aunt turning out to be the leader of this cult. While the husband had been murdered earlier in the film, all of the children had been collected and brought before the alter.

Just as she had in the flashback scene, the mother stood at the head of the group – dressed in a flowy robe and with a black sickle in hand. Instead of a man, the woman stood over the toddler from earlier in the film – the one that the demonic spirit had taken a liking to from the beginning. The child was levitating in front of the bonfire, suspended in the air alongside the doll.

The entire group of cultist began to chant, and the mother rose her blade into the air – preparing to sacrifice her own child for the cult. Just as the mother drew back her sickle to strike, the screen cut to black – ending in a cliffhanger about what happened next.

Even as the scene faded, however, the familiar sound of the spine snapping began to play out over the speakers.

“Fuck that.” Jaikus said after a long moment. The credits began to roll, and yet he still didn’t move out of Emryc’s arms – still lingering there for as long as his partner allowed. After a few minutes of credits, the movie completely ended and the screen went black. After a brief moment, it then flicked over to a different broadcast – starting to show whatever was playing on the HoloNet at that moment.

In this case, it turned out to be some cooking show.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched the ritual with fascination, an arm still wrapped tightly around his partner. Jaikus fit like a puzzle against him, Emryc's much larger frame easily surrounding the man and allowing him to rest against his broad torso. At some point, the half Sephi reached over for fruit snacks to hand to Jaikus while he was too terrified to look at the screen. All of this was automatic without Emryc ever taking his eyes off the movie. The half Sephi wasn’t the least bit afraid from the movie, and that made Jaikus shifting around all the more distracting.

After a few minutes, Jaikus would very much feel what all his moving around had done, though Emryc made no mention of it. If the Axxilan looked at him, he would simply give a blank stare and a shrug as he popped another carrot into his mouth before looking at the movie again. The aunt twist caused his eyes to widen and he was suddenly very much interested in a sequel. Emryc expected Jaikus to move away when the credits rolled, but the man remained right where he was.

It was Emryc who shifted then to adjust how he sat with Jaikus having made some things inconvenient for him. The half Sephi glanced over at the cooking show briefly before turning to look at his partner.

“I think you watched a total of thirty minutes of that entire movie,” The half Sephi grinned, bringing his other arm to wrap around him as well, “You know we’ve faced far more disturbing things on our missions, right?”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

As his partner likely knew by this point, Jaikus was never the type of man to mask exactly how he was feeling. Whether it was his feelings for the half-Sephi or his somewhat frequent tantrum-style outbursts, the Axxilan often embraced his emotions and allowed them to manifest unapologetically. Of course, this meant that the Axxilan made no attempts to mask just how afraid and uncomfortable with the movie he was.

Despite having faced far things that were significantly more disturbing on their many adventures. Apparently the possessed doll struck a nerve with the Axxilan, and it manifested in the way that he constantly moved in the half-Sephi’s lap. While Emryc remained fixated onto the HoloMovie, Jaikus was more focused on munching on the fruit snacks that his partner handed him, falling into a pattern of watching the movie for a few scenes and then abruptly burying his face in Emryc’s torso when things got a bit too sketchy.

After a few minutes, Jaikus finally halted his constantly shifting and wiggling – suddenly feeling a shift beneath him. It gave him momentary pause, blinking a few times before glancing up to his partner. It didn’t really occur to the Axxilan just how distracting his movements were, given that he largely did them involuntarily.

He caught sight of Emryc’s blank stare and shrug to the situation, immediately bringing a faint grin to Jaikus’ lips. He didn’t say anything for the moment, allowing the movie to finish playing the last few scenes.

As was expected, Jaikus looked immensely creeped out by the final scene, and he somehow knew that Emryc was going to want to watch the sequel. Conveniently enough, while he’d never actually sat down to watch any of the films, Jaikus just then remember that there was a whole trilogy of films set in that universe.

The movie switched off and he just then felt Emryc finally shift the way that they were sitting. Still sat within the half-Sephi’s lap, Jaikus wrapped both arms around Emryc’s shoulders, grazing his fingernails across the nape of his neck.

Jaikus turned his head around just then, catching sight of the cooking show that was playing. The program was set in what appeared to be some woman’s kitchen, who was apparently making some kind of dish using zoodles. He blinked a few times, watching it for a few seconds longer than Emryc.

While he didn’t say anything at the time, the Axxilan made a mental note to record that episode for later.

Jaikus turned back to gaze at Emryc, listening when he spoke. He blinked a few times, squinting a bit. “Forty-five," Out of a two hour movie. "..I’m not sure I agree with that statement.” He jutted a thumb back at the HoloScreen. “While you definitely seem to attract grandmas in floral print, we’ve never encountered possessed dolls.” He shook his head. “If we ever encounter some creepy-ass doll, we’re leaving.” He spoke very matter-of-factly.

He stared at his partner for a while longer, a grin gradually tugging at his lips. Just then, the Axxilan once more shifted around on Emryc’s lap – though this time was very much intentional. He grinded his hips a bit slower, as opposed to the frantic and involuntary wiggling he was doing before now, while a hand gradually began to dip low, dragging along Emryc's torso.

“Still got time to kill before we reach a refueling station, y’know.”

@Sreeya