Ask The Quiet Life

[Altair Din]

OOC: Takes place before this or this​

He had grown up on this farm, but it was something entirely different now. The farm was his. His family was back on Eiattu, but he split time between the farm and his kingdom. Eventually, he appointed the Priamsta to govern in his stead, composed of several of his family members to prevent any coups. This allowed him to live how he truly wanted - as a farmer.

It was another afternoon on the farm and Altair was out working in the fields. He was in overalls and with a tanktop underneath, his bare arms caked with mud and dirt as well as his rancor hide gloves. He had a straw hat on his head that was custom made to accommodate his pronounced horns. His tail lazily swished from side to side as he hummed to himself while working. He had an idle strand of hay protruding from his lips where he twirled it in his mouth.

There were chickens clucking and wandering around, at least one bantha standing around and sheep running about. Altair paid them no heed, focusing on planting new seeds and preparing the mounds of earth.

He had already collected the chicken eggs for the day and had milked the bantha. He would take a batch of his harvest down to the farmer’s market later that day, but for now he was content with planting new crops.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique was on her way back to Raxus, traveling back from the western territories, namely Bastion, to the capital. She had managed to get a few hours of decent sleep on the ship, but her course wasn't directly set for the Headquarters as something else conveniently lay on her way.

It had been a while since Altair had given her the coordinates to his homestead and Kalique had found it relatively amusing that her husband and Altair both shared a common background they now pursued again - with his retirement, Altair had managed to settle on Bandomeer when he wasn't pursing his royal duties on Eiattu, and it wasn't the first time that Kalique was about to come in for a surprise visit like the Swool Aid man.

She thought it was about time they met again, after all, with work keeping her busy and him being so far away, she didn't hear a lot from him any more, so she decided that checking in on him was a good idea. Her private vessel wouldn't have issues in entering the atmosphere and so she was soon on direct course to his farm.

She wasn't all alone as she had Chaos with her, having made a habit of taking the wolves out and to Raxus every now and then, usually one by one as their now fully grown selves simply took a lot of space and require quite some maintenance. "You better behave today" she warned the tall, dark wolves that simply responded with a happy tail wagging before she approached a fitting landing spot near the farm.

Once the ship was down, she gathered her lightsabers, yet instead of donning armor or uniform, she went for a casual, elegant sundress and stuffed her belongings into a bag she then slung over her shoulder. As she descended the ramp, Chaos trailed beside her, staying at her heels rather obediently, yet sniffing the air excitedly.

She approached Altair with a wide happy smile before she softly said, "Hey there, stranger". It had surely been a last while since their last meeting and she barely recognized him here. Finally, he seemed happy. Back where he wanted to be, where he deserved to be.

"I've brought a little something" knowing Altair liked spicy, meaty snacks, she had brought some homemade seasoned jerky from the Baize farm and thus offered him the fully filled bag. "No veggie sticks, I promise".

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was minding his own business when his Charhound Belleza started barking. The tiefling glanced up to spot a familiar figure walking his way, but his charhound was growling at the wolf making an approach. Altair simply whistled, “Easy girl, she’s a friend,” He said as he patted Belleza on the head. The regal hound sat on her haunches, quietly observing the visitors.

“You didn’t come here to recruit me for a new coup, did you?” Altair teased as he spotted Kalique. He slid off his muddy gloves, tossing them aside as he walked towards her. He didn’t smell the best, but he was out farming and she showed up unannounced, so he wasn’t too fussed. Altair smiled at her, “Ya look good, Kalique,” He said genuinely, his gaze flicking over to the wolf behind her, “New bodyguard?”

The tiefling quirked a brow when she said she had a gift. It looked like food and he already had a suspicious look on his face, expecting some terrible vegan concoction he would pretend to eat and then toss when she wasn’t watching. To his surprise, she brought meat snacks and jerky, “Aww snap!” He said cheerfully as he took them, but then he frowned, “Wait, now I know you’re trynna get me to go be Emperor again,” Altair said as he popped one of the snacks in his mouth.

“Come inside the house and lemme fix you a meal,” He said as he turned and walked towards the house, his tail happily swishing back and forth, “I hear you got hitched?” Altair didn’t hear shit, he just noticed the ring on her finger, “Where was my wedding invite?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The hair of the wolf's neck bristled at the sight of the charhound, however the Apex predator was more than used to not chasing the variety of animals on the farm and he had grown up with a dog after all, so Kalique didn't even have to say anything for now.

"No, not today" she reassuringly replied, an amused grin on her lips before she wrapped him in an embrace. She didn't mind the mud and it was simply good to see him again.

Pulling back after a few moments, she gestured for Chaos to sit. "So do you...right in your element" it wasn't like he had been out of his element as Grand Marshall, not at all, but this was a whole different facade of him that simply fitted as well.

"Finally adult and well-behaved enough to tag along" she explained with a smirk, patting the tall wolf's back. Dark, curious eyes still rested on the charhound while the tail still lavishly wagged.

"I am not, Altair, I promise. I only stopped by to say 'hi' and check on you" she defensively raised her hand, chuckling at his reasoning about bribing him with spicy, meaty snacks. She had no such intentions. The power vacuum he had left behind had still remained untouched , but she had encouraged his decision way before he had actually retired.

"I won't turn that down...you know, you still owe me a meal anyway" she knew he was quite a cook, but he had promised her a fresh homemade meal ages ago and she obviously still remembered. She happily followed, both canine followers close behind after having sniffed at each other.

Her gaze flicked down to her hand as he mentioned it, a soft sigh following. "I did, yes. We only went for a private ceremony though...you know, this Hutt situation was way too tense to even start a small ceremony..." if they had gone for an actual celebration, even if it had been a small one, Altair would have been there for sure. They had gone through a lot and she considered him a close friend by now.

Once inside, she followed him into the kitchen before she let out a small whistle. "That place is lovely" she met his gaze with a warm, genuine smile before she slightly tilted her head to the side. "How have you been? You seem happy...truly happy". It warmed her to see him this relaxed, yet this meeting still felt a little surreal after all those years.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair could appreciate the desire for a small ceremony. He had given up on pondering about his own marriage a while ago. Growing up he always envisioned the perfect wedding and quiet life with a fence and many children running around. Just the way he was raised. However, that sounded like an impossibility for him even though he retired. His mind briefly drifted to Vahliri, a faint grimace touching his lips before he moved on.

“Thanks, this place been in the family for generations,” Altair said as he pointed at the pictures that lined the walls. She would see the family portrait of him and all his siblings and countless others of the Din children. It was cozy and lowkey, vastly different from the methodical and ruthless man Kalique had seen him as while he was Imperial.

When she mentioned he seemed happy, Altair smiled to himself, “I’m happier than a pig in a wallow!” He said cheerfully, “And you? Still the momma of every Imperial Knight?” He teased, recalling back to when she took on countless squires when there was a shortage.

Altair began to gather ingredients in the kitchen and washed everything, starting to rapidly chop the vegetables. He glanced up and smirked, “Lil’ lady, I hope you ain’t expectin’ to just sit there. Set some water in a pot on the stove and pop them yams in there.” While he cooked, he popped on some catchy music in his language. He wasn’t afraid to groove side to side and sing along while he prepped, the knife twirling in his hand before he chopped and diced. She’d even notice his tail swinging up to slide over different spices and ingredients.

“The amount o’ times I got in trouble for stealin’ shit from this kitchen,” Altair said as he shook his head, “Havin’ that many brothers and sisters it was fight to get the best cinnamon roll right from the gooey center. So during the holidays it was straight up sabotage wars to trip and fuck each other over and one of us would stumble and trip our way to the kitchen to get that cinnamon roll,” He said as he chuckled. Without warning he picked up a piece of carrot and hurled it at Kalique, “Think fast, Lord Commander!” He chirped and watched to see if she caught it in her mouth or took a solid hit to the noggin.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique took a moment to marvel at the family portrait he so proudly presented. It was cute to see, even if those times were seemingly an eternity away after everything the now retired Grand Marshall had been through. Seeing small Layla though also widened the smirk on her lips before she leaned back against the counter behind her.

She had noticed slips of his original accent back on Raxus, but it was totally different now and what he said drew a chuckle from her. "There are less now...many have passed their trials already, also my duties have shifted" she truthfully replied, before he suddenly urged her to get the water ready.

"Oh, of course, Sir" she playfully quipped before she started looking for the pot to fill. She loved cooking, but had been certain that Altair was someone who wanted to be left alone while working his magic, hence she didn't mind helping though. "So what exactly will you pop in there? Or is that a Din secret?" she curiously wanted to know as he started chopping, right as she turned on the stove.

She happily listened to his story, truly appreciative of how he shared those memories and she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander for a moment. Their summer residences, unnecessarily posh gala nights, catching squirrels in the backyard just to be back for her dancing lesson - "This all seems like a whole lifetime ago, huh?" at least that was how it felt like for her.

"So your mom used to make these amazing Cin-" she was about to ask the question as Altair suddenly hurled a vegetable at her. Her reflexes were quick, these days she was always somewhat alerted, even if situations seemed utterly lighthearted, and so the Lord-Commander caught the carrot perfectly and with ease, stopping it right with her teeth, not even moving much apart from a little sidestep and chewing on the crisp veggie right after.

"Mhm...are they fresh from the fields?" she asked cheerfully before she moved over to grab a good handful to cook. "So apart from farming, what are you up to these days?" she was sure he was enjoying the retirement in many way, but she wondered what he got up to apart from regular visits to Eiattu.

@Sreeya

Roll: 20

 

[Altair Din]

Altair visibly winced a little when she called him sir, “Whoa whoa, I ain’t no sir no more,” He blurted out, his tail swishing around erratically. He was beyond impressed at her carrot catching skills, the sight actually drawing out a chuckle as he clapped, “Damn, kept them reflex razor sharp,” He said with a grin as he continued cooking.

“Yeah, all the produce is from the farm,” He explained as he continued chopping, “Since I’m such a considerate man, I’m whippin’ up a vegetarian dish. No animals were harmed in the production,” Altair assured her. The kitchen began to smell incredible as he applied all his spices. She would notice he sprinkled everything by feeling instead of following any recipe.

“Farming takes up a lotta time, actually,” Altair explained, “Gotta take care of the animals, milk ‘em, shear the sheep, sell the goods, go to the farmers market,” He rattled off, “There’s a festival tonight I was gonna go to and maybe play some tunes,” Had Kalique ever seen him perform? He was briefly reminded of his early Sith days, a fond memory that left a pang in his chest. He had a huge social circle back then and could sing and dance at those parties.

After some time, Altair told her to take a seat. He came out with two dishes, a vegan ratatouille packed with his own special blend of flavors and a pot of butternut squash soup. He opened a bottle of wine and poured her a glass to go with it all. He clinked his glass against hers as they sat down, “Cheers to your wedding!” Altair said happily before they dug in.

“Where are y’all living these days anyway? Imperial space seems sketchy nowadays..”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The carrot was all crisp and crunchy, yet what she found interesting was how the subtle nuances deviated from their own. You probably thought all carrots were carrots until you started growing them yourself. As Altair chopped and chopped, she kept scrubbing off some remaining earth and washed the veggies before she tossed them in the pot.

The spices that lingered in the air smelt harmonic and she curiously watched him reach for seemingly whatever seasoning he could get his hands on. She knew he had a plan and she trusted his skills, yet it was quite a spectacle to watch. "Oh?" that was indeed truly considerate of him as she knew how much he loved his meats. She wasn't restrictively vegetarian, but she really didn't eat a lot of meat, so the gesture was kind.

"Thank you, that's sweet" and she was looking forward to the dish. He had whipped out quite a meal made from scratch on Prakith when they had battled a twisted nexus, so this here at his home was probably going to be great.

She curiously listened to what he told her of his life here, feeling nothing but happiness for him having found some peace and quiet here. She still couldn't fully imagine him at the farmer's market, but he seemed to have adjusted great and that was what mattered. "That's nice to hear...sounds relaxing...even though I do know how packed farm days can be" there wasn't even the faintest hint of envy in her voice.

He fully deserved the rest and he was doing great, so she was happy for him. She knew it had been hard at first for Jon as even if farm work had kept him busy, he had struggled to fully let go of what had been before, so it was good that he was already adjusted, otherwise she would have been afraid he'd consider going back,

"Oh, that sounds fun!" he had strummed some tunes on his guitar, but this was probably a different level here. There was a brief moment of when sne sensed that subtle, yet deeply rooted sadness, but as he guided her to her seat, she didn't enquire any further yet.

"And cheers to your new chapter", they clinked glasses right after, just as Altair had served the dish that already smelt amazing. "Well, thank you for the cooking! Let's see whether that dish was worth all the wait" she playfully teased before she dug in, her features immediately mirroring that he knew his stuff and that her expectations were more than met. "Mhhhm...Okaaay damn...that's great".

While they enjoyed their meal, the lighthearted chatter continued and there was a lot to catch up with. "Spintir...yes, Imperial Space isn't perfect given the recent developments, but I'm mainly on Raxus anyway..." whenever Jon could make it work, he was there with her, but when she wasn't traveling to the Western territories, there was a lot that needed to be done in the Capital. Her time off she spent at her actual 'home', but with the current tensions, duties didn't allow for much downtime.

"Is everything good and stable on Eiattu?" she curiously asked, knowing he had more insights that what media covered. "When was the last time you've been on Varc? Isn't your son like...almost adult now?". She couldn't keep a straight face as she stirred up those bizarre memories, a wide smirk on her face.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was surprised to learn she settled down in Imperial space. As loyal as he had been to the Empire, it had become the punching bag of the galaxy for a long time. He knew he wouldn’t want his daughter growing up within those borders. However, he wouldn’t say any of that aloud - they both knew it because Kalique had been with the Empire through multiple hurdles now.

“Ugh Raxus..” He mused, “That became my main home for so long,” He said aloud, thinking back to all the buildings and towers he saw every day. His entire life was wrapped in politics and social agendas. Half the time he wondered when Drast was going to find some excuse to get him axed. He had already sent Altair to deal with Andruil and was likely disappointed when the tiefling returned victorious.

“Do they know what happened to Drast?” He asked, “I saw some news about the dude keeling over in a shower…but that can’t be real, right?” Altair asked, blinking.

When Kalique brought up Varc, the tiefling had been in the middle of taking a sip of water. That water immediately sprayed to the side as he coughed and sputtered, “Damn! Outta left field, girl, the hell?!” He cried out before he started laughing, “Imma be real I completely forgot about that planet..I put some regent in place and…fuck, I hope the kid didn’t get himself killed,” He pondered before he quirked a brow looking at Kalique, “But I will tell Klava you’ve been missing her badly. I think it’s time for a visit, eh?”

Altair thought back to all their crazy adventures and how things always went sideways. While they had some terrible moments, they could look back on them fondly, “Remember when things used to be simpler?” He thought aloud, “When some crusty ass dude pretending to be Raze was the worst we had to deal with?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique didn't like Raxus either. Raxus meant work. Everywhere. Duties everywhere, no real place to fully disconnect. "Dead for sure" she replied with a shrug. Obviously, no one had bought that shower excuse, but it was fairly obvious that ISB had its hands in it. "I don't have any details though. His kids were never seen again either".

She didn't want the conversations to settle on work and the Empire again though...not when she was on yet another last day off for a while. Not when she was here to gain insights on this new chapter of him. Fortunately, bringing up Varc did exactly that. Joining into his laughter with a chuckle, she dramatically shook her head.

"Wow...you forgot about your son?!" she asked in feigned indignation, before she wanted to sip from her glass, however that was when he threw in Klava. "Those greasy fingers...I do miss her", taking another bite, she added, "I say we're going. It's time". Perhaps for some time off, it wasn't a bad idea at all. The mountains had been scenic, the setting special and there was most certaintly a lot to catch up with.

"Fuck" she immediately busted into laughter as he continued, the situational humor simply unbeatable. The memories came flooding back in and she almost choked after she relieved the day they had fought crusty Raze. It was only after she had caught her breath that the hint seriousness returned.

"It's crazy...like another life time. We had those Raze kinks and some disobedient nexuses...and wedding ceremonies that took dramatic turns" every now and then, that terrible lonely flute started playing in her head again. "I'm glad you're not in for another war". They had been through a lot, but he had made the right decision.

"I wanna see all of this", she said after another moment, gesturing around them. "Care to show me around a little?". As she finished up, her plate was fully empty. "I'd also ask for a recipe, but I know there is none" she threw him a smirk as she leaned back, enjoying the lighthearted mood.

@Sreeya