Ask Roses and Thornes

[Emryc Thorne]

It was difficult for Emryc to stay away from the media. Their interest in him amplified ever since he returned after a long absence. During his return speech, he had skirted over the details of his disappearance and that simply wasn’t good enough for the news. The half Sephi had arrived at Rodia to meet with the local diplomats about setting up some military training facilities for jungle and guerrilla tactics. However, he also came here to partake in the semi annual podracing championships. It would be the qualifier rounds in just a few days and he arrived to prepare for it.

Emryc stepped out of the building he was in after a very long day of grueling meetings. While it wasn’t too hot, the humidity was awful on this planet. He had a speeder waiting with a droid driver, but he didn’t head over to it just yet. The half Sephi checked his chrono, knowing he had some time to make it over to do a few test runs at the range. He pulled off his suit jacket, folding it over one arm as he brought up a cigarra to his lips. Between what he could see and sense, no one was nearby. There was a sleight of hand and the end of the cigarra ignited on its own.

Emryc leaned against the side of the building, staring up through tinted sunglasses towards the sky as he blew out a cloud of smoke. The building he stood near was the capital one that often held diplomatic dealings of all sorts. It was a common site for ISC executives to frequent. Emryc knew it was only a matter of time before cameras descended on him, some of them already beginning to collect around his waiting speeder.

For now he remained where he was, plumes of smoke threading from his lips as he weighed the outcomes of his earlier meetings.

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Rodia was not, perhaps, the planet one would expect to find a Queen of Naboo visiting but she was hardly just the Queen of Naboo. She was a representative of the ISC and had been tasked with spearheading moves that would help improve industry with the aim of undermining the institution of slavery within the ISC worlds. Rodia was a good place for her to be because despite not being exactly anti-slavery, the planet was on its way in terms of industry.

Growing but not full-grown yet and that was the sweet spot.

Of course she got slightly distracted when she was heading back to the main government buildings for a second round of meetings by a sight she didn't expect to see; the ISC President himself catching a few moments alone with a cigarette and not a camera or hanger on to be seen. She had managed to convince her own security to trail her at a distance for the day (it was far too humid to be lingering around men dressed in leather and armor) so she was the only one really with a view of him.

Giving her guard a hand signal to keep their distance and try their best to secure her some privacy, she started toward Emryc with intent. And if her heels clicked a little sharper and her hips moved ever so slightly more than before? That was of no importance until she decided it would be or not.

"Didn't know you smoked." she remarked casually with a cool smile as she fished out a cigarette case from the pocket of her pantsuit, "Share a light?"

The Queen of Naboo? Did not smoke.

Emilia Parnelli on the other hand? She had been sneaking around her parents backs to smoke since she was thirteen. The pressures that she had been under had required something to soothe her and her teenage need to rebel had settled on cigarettes.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

He heard the heels coming in his way long before he saw them. Emryc moved to leave, expecting some media reporter to antagonize him. However, he glanced over first and spotted a sight he hadn’t been expecting. The half Sephi drew from the cigarra deeply before exhaling it, putting it out by the time the Queen closed the distance. He was enough of a gentleman to not smoke in the presence of a lady, after all. He didn’t miss that extra sway of the hips, a smile threatening to tug at his normal stoic.

To his surprise, she seemingly contradicted her own words by pulling out a cigarra case. Emryc offered a half grin as he fished for the lighter, bringing it up to ignite the cigarra, “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised after the painting incident,” He said casually, silver gaze taking her in behind the shades. He stood much taller and broader now, towering over her more than he ever had before.

“What brings you here?” He asked after a moment, gazing past her towards the guards that would no doubt attempt to spy. Being President didn’t mean he kept tabs on the Governors at all times - he was genuinely curious as to her purpose being here. And he never minded her company to boot.

“And I don’t see…” He paused for a moment, “Theo, was his name?”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

The way that he seemed to want to leave upon being found spoke to her - here was a man who valued his privacy precisely because it was so limited. It was something she could relate to but not on the sheer scale that Emryc was exposed to the problem every day. Something of a victim of his own success in both the best and worst ways the poor man. That he seemed to decide to stay purely because he recognized that it was her was a nice little thought.

Perhaps a bit vain but she could afford such thoughts in the sanctuary of her own mind.

She smiled a little wider than she had intended to when he brought up the painting from their first meeting. The smile had been intended to be more coy and less bright-and-proud-to-have-made-such-an-impression but she didn't mind all that much. Still, she took a small pull from her cigarette before exhaling away from Emryc.

She had spent far too long as a young woman practicing the best way to control the exhale both to improve the aesthetic and to make sure it was easier to hide if she got caught.

"Sometimes it's the little things that help." she replied with a small smirk, "Can't always make masterpieces after all... a series of rather dull meetings about industry local to Rodia."

The eye roll she wanted to give was internalized thankfully - industry was a strong word for what was present on this humid little planet even if it was making steps in the right direction. At the mention of her often teased young bodyguard her lips curled up into a small smirk and her voice adopted a teasing lilt to it without conscious thought.

"Oh you know, he went and joined the ISC Rangers." she explained, laughing with her eyes, "Something about a dark haired, bright eyed, man inspiring him to do more, to be more. Well... that was what I managed to extract between blushes and stammered apologies of course."

Theo had been so fun to tease like that but it seemed her little Theo was out there in the Galaxy for someone else to find fun in teasing. She delicately tapped her cigarette to the side, sending ash trickling down to the ground as she eyed him and his current state of dress.

"I seem to have caught you managing to escape for a few moments. Rough business on Rodia yourself Mister President?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc couldn’t help but be amused at the response about Theo. The handsome guard had been genuinely enjoyable company whenever the half Sephi saw him. His thoughts returned to the Queen. She didn’t need to roll her eyes for him to deduce that coming here had been a dull affair.

“Escaping the media,” He said after a moment, gaze flicking back to his speeder that had a gathering mob around it. From here he could see the droid beginning to move the speeder to threaten others to back off, “They’ve taken far more interest in me than before.”

Emryc was not camera shy by any means, but he did prefer to do it on his own terms. He looked back at the Queen, the graceful woman so much smaller next to him by comparison now. Her vibrant hair and delicate features were always laced with dignified authority and poise. She was never afraid to speak her mind or assert herself in a situation. The combination of traits was one Emryc had always found appealing and to his tastes.

“But I’m here for business,” He stated, “And pleasure,” A faint grin touched at his lips.

“I came here for the local podracing qualifiers,” He explained. Emryc eyed her for a few moments, “Unless you have some other Queenly things to attend to, I would have you join me.”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Ah so she had been right but on a level she hadn't expected; he had been seeking some respite in being alone but it wasn't an escape from the meetings he had gone looking for but rather the media. Having seen her share of the same media she could understand the sentiment completely. Vultures would be a term of endearment compared to how she often saw the media, even if it was an oh-so useful tool at times.

"Yes it would appear that the Media is focusing on you as their darling." she admitted, smirking ever so slightly as she gave him a little look out of the corner of her eyes, "Tabloids seem most impressed with you I must say..."

Tabloids were, as a rule, better off not being read at all but if one simply had to listen to them then the least they could do was to be entertaining. Most of the ones surrounding Emryc were just the kind of absurdist humour that she enjoyed during her more whimsical moods. Though his answer to her question was interesting - interesting enough that she raised an eyebrow and inclined her head to show that yes, she was listening and, yes, he had caught her attention.

And then he kept it.

"Truly? You race?" she asked with a sudden smile, not able to school her response before speaking and, honestly, not really wanting to hide it either, "Why Mr President I do believe my meeting has just been cancelled by a rather terrible error on my datapad. Oops. I find myself with a free afternoon and evening."

She stubbed out her cigarette against the wall and threaded an arm with Emryc. That his arms were rather higher up than most people were compared to him was quickly ignored.

"I do believe we have a date."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc gave a knowing grin when the Queen casually decided all her meetings were suddenly canceled. He eyed her silently for a moment at the mention of a date, but it was nothing significant, “Of course,” He said as he offered her an arm to lead her towards his speeder, “I hope my means of transportation is up to your standards,” He said as a half joke as he led her over.

The journey over was largely uneventful, but Emryc was curious to see this side of the Queen.

“It’s a hobby I picked up years ago,” He explained on the ride over, “I’m not good enough for the big Tatooine races, but I try to participate here every year,” He tilted his head to look at her, “You follow podracing?”

It wasn’t long before they arrived, their transport taking them to a terraformed dome that had massive tracks in it. Emryc stepped out of the speeder, the droid walking over to open the door for the Queen. He left his jacket in the speeder and loosened a few buttons of his dress shirt, not exactly dressed for the occasion.

There were rows upon rows of racing vehicles lined up. Countless species milled about with their helmets and podracers, tweaking the specs and engines. Several of them looked up to regard Emryc and, especially, the Queen of Naboo herself. The half Sephi grinned, “I suppose you will be seeing yourself on Holo later today.”

Emryc strode over towards a parked podracer. It looked very much custom made and polished. He visibly lit up when he saw it, walking around it to inspect it. The Queen would note the shift in his demeanor, the normally poised and stoic half Sephi suddenly excited. There were no races happening today, but there were certainly lots of people testing out their racers.

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

She hadn’t been aware that she had been concerned he might not appreciate her suddenly deciding that she was coming along with him to enjoy his hobby until he said that it was fine. It was like she had been holding half a breath, waiting to make sure that she was free and clear to relax even just a little bit. Of course it wasn’t enough to put her off her game when it came to witty comebacks.

“Not every vehicle can be chrome I supposed.” She drawled with a sly smirk, “I’m certain I can cope for a short ride.”

Her security gave her weird looks but they dutifully followed behind Emryc’s speeder in one of their own, close enough to shadow them but not close enough to be breathing down their necks. It was a calculated risk to wander even that distance from her security but she doubted Emryc had any designs on her life.

Designs on other parts of her? Well that might make the trip more interesting.

Learning more about how the enigmatic Emryc Thorne was always a bonus, even if it seemed that she was learning something so personal today that she hadn’t been prepared for. In the grand game of politics, learning such personal things was usually so they could be used against others. But she didn’t think she would be using the man’s revealed love for racing against him at all.

“More than my parents and tutors ever would have liked.” She admitted with a laugh, “They always told me that it was unbecoming for someone of standing to enjoy the sport. I shall take great delight in telling them the story about how the most powerful man in the Galaxy races on Rodia because he enjoys it.”

Maybe a bit of flattery but not far from the truth in all honesty.

“If I end up being classed as a Racer Woman I reserve the right to blame you oh illustrious leader.” She teased, though her expression softened when she noticed just how animated the large man seemed when he got a chance to inspect his racer, “Impressive craft. It looks like you’ve put a lot of care into it.”

It was one thing for someone to say that they enjoyed something, to list off their hobbies like items on a shopping list. But it was quite another to see the way they came alive when given the chance to engage in something that they didn’t just enjoy but actively loved. The way Emryc Thorne came alive, alight with purpose and joy, was rather startling if only because it revealed something else about the man that she had not been expecting.

She was self-aware enough to admit that she liked it on him, even if she wasn’t going to start any form of simpering over him ‘looking at her like he looked at that pod-racer’. Emilia had standards after all, even in her internal monologue and simpering was far below them.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t miss the compliment snuck into her background and family not agreeing with a preference for racing. In truth, Emryc Thorne, was likely the most powerful man in the galaxy right now. However, for the commentary to come from the Queen of Naboo herself was extraordinary. Naturally, Emryc’s face betrayed nothing, silver gaze studying the red head in silence. There was always that subtlest tug towards a smile on his face, one that looked as if he were casually amused and never too rigid.

“I put a lot of care into anything that catches my fancy,” Emryc remarked in response to the note about his racer. Gaze lingered on the Queen for just a moment longer before he walked over to get on the vehicle. He grabbed a helmet that he despised wearing, but he was always one for rules. It was conveniently custom made to allow his ears to poke through.

“May want to step back,” Emryc said as he glanced at her with a grin, “Wouldn’t want your dress on fire.”

With that, he revved up the engines, a loud roar erupting to where several other racers looked over. After a moment, the half Sephi jetted off. He was nothing more than a blur as he zoomed around the arena. There were obstacles set up along the way and he dodged between them effortlessly. Even then it was apparent how quick his reflexes were, certainly on par with some of the best racers on Holo.

After he finished a lap he pulled up near the Queen and glanced over.

“So,” He began with a grin, “Trust me enough to take you for a ride?”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Oh he was ever so coy when he wanted to pretend that he was not intrigued or amused by something. At least, that was how she chose to read the small movement of his lips - the motions and movements that, one anyone else, would have formed the foundation of a smile. On his chiseled face they merely were as they were, small motions to show a wider array of emotions than one might expect. She was far from an expert at reading said emotions but she was beginning to find that making the effort to learn was worth the effort put in.

Imagine that; she put care into things that caught her eye as well it seemed.

That there was an implication in his gaze went unsaid and uncommented upon directly. The gaze he had cast over her had been short after all - short enough to have been her own imagination or, at the very least, easily dismissed as such. Still, her pride as someone quick with her wits did not allow her to merely stay silent.

"Then it does not surprise me that so many seek to catch your fancy." she teased him lightly, "Though, perhaps, not as many as seek the attentions of the reigning champion of the 'Hottest Hunks' list. Mores the pity for them I suppose."

Indeed, Emilia did take a rather large step back from the vehicle - flaming was not a fashion she could pull off.

Moving to the side of the course, away from the other racers and away from Emryc's vehicle as it began to jet off, she watched as he went. How anyone was able to see the course when they were going so fast was a mystery to her - perhaps aided by the helmet and goggles? At such speeds surely a stray grain of sand would be disastrous if encountering the eye at pace.

As his pod racer came in slower, angled towards her, Emilia decided to joke a little. Holding out her hand, she stuck up her thumb as his pod racer came to a stop nearby.

"Only if you're going my way." She replied with a smile that attempted to be coy but held a little bit of trepidation as well, "If I sound cautious it is only because of the multitude of lectures my security team have given me over the years but... do you have a second helmet?"

Helmet hair was a concern for her PR team - she would prefer to be safe than front-cover ready. It wasn't even a question about trusting Emryc either, just a show of genuine worry from someone usually so composed but this was entirely out of her wheelhouse. Sometimes people came across things they simply had no real frame of reference for and this was one for the Queen - she was not opposed to learning just, perhaps slightly overly, cautious was all.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc said nothing about the Hunks list. He found the entire concept silly and had little time for it. However, his little jab at Bom Trady was trending quite a bit on social media much to his amusement.

He grinned as he spotted the Queen sticking her thumb out, once again reminding him of her casual sense of humor. The sun fell against her skin and hair just right, the vibrant strands rippling into rivers of molten fire. She wouldn’t be able to catch him staring through the ridiculous goggles and helmet. He slowed down and hovered near her, powering down the thrusters to a simmer.

“Of course,” He said as he reached over and brought up a spare helmet and goggles, “Not very fashionable, but it’s to keep the sand out,” Emryc would wait till she hopped into the seat next to him. It was a tight squeeze - these vehicles weren’t designed for large spaces and luxury. The half Sephi turned and helped put her helmet on, adjusting the straps and fittings till it fit her snugly, along with her seatbelts. He glanced at her with the goggles and helmet and paused. After a moment, a chuckle escaped him - it was a sound that almost never came from the very stoic half Sephi. The sight of her in the getup was enough to push him over the edge.

Unfortunately Emryc didn’t give her much time to dwell on the gesture, training his gaze ahead and revving up the engines. The Queen would feel a sudden sense of weightlessness as they kicked off. It was not unlike being on an extreme thrill ride as they began to move unnaturally fast. She would see right then that he was dodging obstacles, pivoting and turning at impossible speeds and with unnatural reflexes. This was one of the very few instances where Emryc sometimes found it difficult to hide his innate abilities as a Force user.

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Oh thank the Gods he had a second helmet and goggles set. She would have hated to have to turn down the offer considering how much (terrifying) fun it seemed to be but she was not confident enough to tempt fate overly much. Naturally a helmet would do practically nothing if they were to crash but she trusted Emryc enough to handle the actual piloting well enough that that was not a cause for concern.

The goggles, on the other hand, were very necessary as even grains of sand could be dangerous at the speeds they were soon to be travelling at. Honestly she wasn't sure if she should be doing this but it was precisely that same feeling that made her want to do it more. Many women had rebellious times during their formulative years but Emilia had not - perhaps this was just her way of letting it out?

Allowing Emyrc to help her settle into place and add the equipment, she allowed herself a nervous grin when the man chuckled. It was a rare sound from her understanding and one she wouldn't mind hearing again.

"The difference between us, my dear President, is that I make this look Good." she joked, gripping onto the panels of the racer, "Shall we - oh kark!"

The Queen of Naboo did not swear, she did not curse and she definitely did not scream.

Emilia Parnelli did all of those things in one as they were suddenly racing at speeds she had not truly expected. Part of her thought that he was still going slightly slower than usual even now and that? That was absolutely terrifying in the most exhilarating way possible. What started as a scream of fright changed in pitch and tone as they continued, becoming more akin to the sounds of delight children gave when on particularly fast roller-coasters.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

To say that Emryc was enjoying hearing the Queen of Naboo lose her mind was an understatement. If she ever looked over, she would see his face set as calm and focused as ever, gaze trained ahead. There was also the faintest tug of a grin fixed across his face, and it all came from her rather entertaining reactions to the speeder zooming through the track. It also didn’t help that Emryc took the most harrowing route, at some points leaping over chasms and doing sharp hairpin turns.

After a while, he finally slowed down, shifting the gears and bringing the thrusters to a low hum. Emryc tilted his head over to look at Emilia. Her hair was frazzled and her knuckles were bone white. The half Sephi took his helmet and goggles off, “You make what look good?” He repeated her words from earlier with an amused grin as he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair.

He finally parked the racer and placed an arm casually behind her seat's headrest, “So have I scared you off yet?”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Coming to a stop was something that was still done at speed and she didn't let go of the hold she had on the speeder-craft until they gradually came to a stop. Certainly they had come down from dizzying speeds and she felt it. She felt it, oddly enough, in the back of her throat as she had been making quite a large amount of noise both of enjoyment and not of enjoyment at the same time.

Still, the adrenaline from the speed, from the trip, was still running through her system. That was the excuse she would always give for her rather flustered response to Emryc's first comment.

"W-what was that?" she asked, blinking rapidly a few times before her brain managed to catch up a little bit, causing her to blush as she realized that she had answered like some gormless muppet to begin with, "Ah... well... screaming myself hoarse I suppose? I believe it is... something that men like to be able to make women do...?"

Kark.

She had had half a comeback in there that might have worked as her typical kind of flirtatiously flippant remarks but she had stumbled over it in her embarrassment and, to the surprise of no one, embarrassed herself further. Still she couldn't allow herself to wallow in her embarrassment like some kind of teenager. Instead she grinned a little bit and forced herself to ignore the red tint to her cheeks as she answered his second question in a much more typical manner.

"Why Mr President, a comment like that could have me believing that you don't enjoy my company." she teased with a slightly wider grin than usual, the adrenaline still having her heartbeat racing slightly, "You'll have to try much harder than this to run me off I'm afraid."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s eyebrows rose at her fumbled response, especially with how boldly it ventured into the dirty joke territory. The half Sephi said nothing in response, that grin still lingering on his face. The contrast between his calm and collected demeanor and her flustering was rather enjoyable for him. His gaze dropped from her eyes to take in sight of the red tinge to her cheeks. He gave her the space to recover from the fluster, always a gentleman even after putting her through complete chaos.

“Perhaps giving you one last chance to escape before I keep you for myself the rest of the day,” Emryc stated nonchalantly. He glanced over at his chrono. He had only the one meeting earlier today and was more or less done for the day. The half Sephi finally got out of the racer, walking around to help the Queen out.

“I believe it is your turn to show me what the Queen does for fun off the clock,” He gazed at her for a moment before adding, “...Or what Emilia does.”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Damn that grin!

Damn that grin and damn how it made her want to smile right back. If she wasn't certain he was doing it on purpose before, she certainly was now that he had well and truly started to use it against her. The damnedable flush to her cheeks was still present but she knew that dwelling on it was likely to just make it worse - the best thing to do was also the hardest thing to do and was to simply ignore it until it went away.

If Emryc was going to give it chance to go away of course.

"Your manners serve you well Mr President but I'm afraid the rest of the day?" she grinned right back at him, giving into the urge that happened whenever she managed to make the large man grin, "Well I'd say it's a write off now - you'll take responsibility for that and show me a good time, I assume?"

Of course she accepted his hand and did her best to step out of the speeder with all the decorum of a Queen. Naturally the effect was somewhat spoiled by just how much of a mess her hair was now that she had freed it from the helmet she had been wearing for her own safety. Thinking about it for a moment, Emilia placed a hand on her chin and tapped her lips with her pointer finger as she considered what she was going to show him what she did to amuse herself.

"I think... we're going to Pull an Amidala." she declared with a twinkle in her eyes, "And before you make a smart-alec remark, no, obviously NOT the part that involves putting the moves on an underage warrior monk. No no - we're going to do one of my favorite pastimes and evade my security detail."

She smirked ever so slightly.

"Are you any good at stealth, Mr President?" she asked as she playfully looked him up and down, deciding to tease him, "I can see you doing a passable disguise as a particularly muscular tree perhaps..."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc motioned for her to lead the way to her speeder. She had learned the art of discretion perhaps even better than he had. She had her ways of escaping scenarios and doing things out of the glare of media. In fact, he was quite sure that she had a decoy present even here to wander around for the media to chase.

The half Sephi stared blankly at her suggestion of stealth, “Only if it involves hiding in plain sight,” He said with a shrug. At his height and size, it was virtually impossible to be ‘stealthy’. Her comments about pulling an Amidala were thoroughly entertaining, however. He once again didn’t give her much more than a grin in response, always preferring to torment her instead of outright letting her know where she stood. His art of flirting and banter was far more subtle and one had to really look for it.

Emryc put his suit jacket back on, walking alongside her wherever she led, “So where are we going?”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Hiding in plain sight was something she could run with actually. It was something she tended to do herself when she wanted to try and slip past her security team, specifically because she preferred not to physically mess herself up too much. If she was going to get caught out by her security detail, she wanted to be ready to get back to her duties with minimal fuss and having to brush twigs out of her hair and mud off of her face would just take too much time.

"It will, don't worry." she assured him with an affectionate pat on his forearm (his biceps were a bit too high up for her to casually slap), "I'll make sure you fit right in as a dashingly handsome tree or maybe a particularly well-clothed coat-rack?"

She was teasing him because she was getting the impression that he was teasing her as well - flirting right back with her if she was feeling particularly bold in her assumptions of how the day was going. Clapping her hands together, she had a little bit of a chuckle to herself as she rubbed her hands together.

Likely looking like a strange, cackling, little witch with terrible hair but she didn't mind.

"Right! So the first part of Pulling An Amidala is we avoid the security team - so far so easy, right?" She grinned up at him, "But that's not the fun part. Because it's not Pulling An Amidala if we just evade them and go get ice cream in my hotel room. No it only counts if you sneak away from your security... and go somewhere you really shouldn't be. So...!"

She smirked slightly.

"Lets each try and think of a place a Queen and a President really shouldn't be. The option that is the most Amidala wins as the first destination we go to. Ready?" she grinned suddenly, "My vote? Let's Amidala to a Dive Bar owned by some criminals."

Now THAT was Amidala-ing, she'd like to see Emryc top that.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t react to the subtle touch, keeping his detached cool demeanor as always. He was, however, thoroughly surprised by the plans she was hatching. He couldn’t help but find himself a bit skeptical of how much she was willing to execute on it, but she had impressed him thus far. Emryc looked down at his own state of attire and then back at the Queen.

“Do you actually know of such a bar?” He asked with an eyebrow raised, “How about I go back to my ship and meet you in an hour in front of a bar like that that actually exists,” Emryc said casually, following up with a wink. He was quite sure her next move would have been to pull up a datapad and search ‘dive bar owned by criminals’ and end up in some thoroughly policed area.

---​

As promised, Emryc had sent Emilia the information on a location to meet up. Said location was in the seedier areas of the planet. Their meeting point was a very sketchy and dark alley, but it was near a popular bar. Upon arrival, she would see many suspicious looking Rodians and other species talking and whispering at corners or outright exchanging packages.

The half Sephi showed up after a while, dressed in a black hoodie and gray sweatpants with sneakers. He looked just like any ordinary person off the street, no expensive chrono or suit present. Even his hair was slightly disheveled on purpose. At most he strongly resembled the infamous President Thorne.

Emryc had his hand stuffed in his pockets, walking over towards the Queen. There were open drains along the alley with the wonderful stench of sewage permeating through the air.

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Ah he poked a hole in her otherwise perfectly formed plan - that she did not actually had any idea where exactly she would find such a bar as the one she described. Honestly she had kind of been hoping that he would chicken out but that was fine, she could roll with this. In hindsight, expecting the President to back out was a longshot but she was going to be enjoying the fallout and change of plans she was sure.

But to the matter at hand.

"Absolute not." she replied with a bright smile before placing a hand on her chest, affecting a slightly affronted air, "To imply that I would know the criminal elements of this lovely planet Mr President... shameful, I say."

She was just messing around with him but she was very happy that he was offering to actually track down said bar. That he was confident he could find it was a little bit strange to her mind but she did her best to put that far from her mind for now. It meant she wasn't going to have to search 'dive bars owned by the cartels, rodia' and have to try and explain that search history to her security later.

---

How did you hide in plain sight when you were the Queen of a planet, known across the Galaxy from holonet shows and magazine covers? Well, one of Emilia's own favorite methods to do so was to avoid being seen as Emilia Parnelli at all by appearing as someone else.

She had bound her chest tightly with bandages, adopted a bit of a slouch, put some terrible local gel in her hair to have it spike out and borrowed some of the off-duty clothes of the youngest of her security guards. Emilia had to admit that part of the reason she had gone so far was to see if she could surprise Emryc himself with her changed appearance...

Which immediate went down the drain.

"Oh come on...!" she (definitely did not) whined a little bit as she gestured down at herself, "How did you spot me straight away?"

Spoiler: Went Way Too Hard on the Disguise

@Sreeya