Ask Serenno Those Who've Fallen

[Veles]

Coruscant was certainly the place to go for someone who didn't want to get recognized, especially because there were so many celebrities that partied on every level that no one really said anything, probably because they were afraid of being sued or just made to disappear.

"Well, I was asking you like to do it as a hobby, I guess," he explained, looking around at the kitchen and motioning with his hand. "Then again, I've never seen a kitchen that's regularly used that's this clean." Everything was spotless, and he doubted it was because of the servants that cleaned every crevice from the floor to the ceiling and in between. On his way in, he'd seen a man sweeping on the roof.

"Oh yes, I cook," he chuckled. "I worked my way up from dishwasher to executive chef back on Coruscant. I had to make money some way after moving by myself from Dathomir as I looked for the Sith." It had been a good run, albeit a more tiring job than even organizing battles and planetary conquests. There were a lot of people on Coruscant, so the kitchens, too, were absolutely massive and burned through more ingredients in one day than many small planets.

"I'm not particularly hungry," he noted, opening the fridge just to look inside, curious to see what the fridge of a noble looked like. Eyes passing by the dozens of takeout boxes Malou had left behind, they settled on a specific package. Veles pulled it out and opened the box, stuffing an éclair into his mouth immediately. He turned, then, realizing that he wasn't alone. "Dywantone?" he asked, mouth full, chewing and wiping his mouth of cream with his hand. Very gracious.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou looked at the éclair Veles was offering to her. "Sure," was her response, followed soon by the offered treat being plucked from the container through a small twist of her wrist. She grabbed it from the air when it reached her, then popped it into her mouth as she turned her body to face more towards him.

"As a hobby, no, not really. I think it's really cool that you worked as a chef though." How much had this man done before becoming Sith? To think he'd done all that, that he'd traveled so much and so far, and she'd been stuck holed up in a stuffy estate for most of her childhood. Malou took another sip of her wine to wash down the sweetness of the éclair.

She kept forgetting he was from Dathomir, though. He used the magick of the Nightsisters, but as far as she knew, he wasn't a Zabrak like the Nightbrothers. Would it be insensitive to ask? The Miralukan thought about it for several moments, then decided she was too curious to pass up the opportunity.

"Can I ask how you came to learn the Nightsisters' magick?" It was no secret that the men on Dathomir were considered second-class citizens to the women. Where did Veles fall into that equation?

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

"I did a little of everything," he elaborated, as if reading her thoughts. Living by yourself on a planet on the other side of the Galaxy from your home tended to make you into a fighter, whether you liked it or not. Very rarely had he been able to just sit idle until he became a Sith. Apparently being part of a military conflict involved a lot of sitting around.

"I convinced the Empress to show me," he replied, and realized how impossible that sounded. "I have no idea how I managed." It was a closely-kept secret for the Nightsisters, and they devalued men a lot, of course, but these were progressive times and they were a progressive Empire. Things change.

"I grew up in a house with my parents and we were the only intelligent life in the area. There was a Nightsister settlement over the mountain, but we only interacted a few times. It was enough to get me interested in magick." Having spent his formative years on Dathomir--most of his life, really--it was normal for him to have that sense of attachment and belonging, even though he was not a native. Considering how long his family had lived there, he might as well have been.

He looked down and realized the box of eclairs was empty so he tossed it into the trashcan. Veles took another gulp of wine and leaned back onto the counter. He was surprised by how well-kept her blindfold was, since he'd assumed the wear would be visible. Then he realized she probably had an entire collection that rotated. The spice never did many wonders for his brain, truth be told.

"Did you grow up in a noble family?" he asked, realizing that he'd read something about her name in a book once.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

He convinced the Empress to show him? If not for the glass at her lips, her surprise might've been a bit more obvious. I mean, he's a Sith lord. Wait, would this not have all happened prior to him being a lord? He said he grew up on Dathomir, so that probably has something to do with it. It made more sense for him to have managed that when he called the planet of the Nightsisters' home.

Malou finished her glass of wine and went to set it down. Her hand missed the counter, but she didn't let go, so she moved her hand over and set the glass firmly on the hard counter without any more issues. She had a suspicion that the mixture of alcohol and spice wasn't doing her any favors at the moment. Oh well. She poured herself another glass.

After she poured the glass and while she was taking a drink, she noticed Veles glancing her way. He was right about her blindfolds. She had quite a lot of them, and she usually did her best to match them to whatever outfit she was wearing. Either that, or she would wear something black. She had satin ones, silk ones, and other sorts of fabrics. Hell, sometimes she just used a scarf. It really just depended on the day.

Malou rotated so her hips rested against the counter and she was facing him, then answered his question. "Yeah," she affirmed before she took another drink. "The D'Amaris House is my family." Unless he lived under a rock, he would recognize the name as one of the ruling houses on Serenno. "It's about as noble as you can get," she added with a bit of a scowl. "It comes with its privileges, but you can't even trust your own family members to care about you." Maybe unintentionally, there was a bit of venom that poisoned the tone of her voice as she spoke. Her fingers tightened around the bottom of her glass, only relaxing after she reminded herself to be careful with breakable cups. "The greed for power some of my family members possess could rival any Sith's." She knew her father wanted her uncle dead so he could call her cousin a bastard and take the Countship for himself.

"And then they have their damn power trips." Malou couldn't forget the flurry of emotions she'd felt when her father had tried to force her to remove her blindfold because he had some stick up his ass about her using the Force around him. She set her drink down, crossed her arms, then turned so her back rested against the counter like Veles. She didn't wish she hadn't been born into nobility because it was the reason she'd started her training as a Sith in the first place, but she did wish she might've been her aunt's daughter instead. Manon is so nice. Her cousins from Solange were all pretty alright, too. With a sigh, Malou picked her drink back up and finished it.

"But yeah. My mother was from a minor noble house on Alpheridies." She'd never met any of her mother's relatives. Somewhere down the line was Darth Izicinat, but it seemed they weren't doing their best to advertise that fact.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

He finished the glass of wine and poured another right after Malou. One thing Veles had not been particularly interested was noble families. Royal families--monarchies, dynasties--sure. Those had long and spectacular histories. Noble families, on the other hand, took all of the bad things from royal families and made them even worse. He'd heard terrible things about inbreeding and atrocities committed behind closed doors, so he'd never particularly held much respect for nobles. The hard time he'd had on Coruscant had certainly not helped their case.

He knew some were normal people, like Malou. And with the changing of times, even the nobles had mellowed out and become nothing more than just big families who act normal but are very rich. Their wealth, earned through never-ending inheritance had always seemed excessive and sometimes very on-the-nose to him, and it wasn't a view that wasn't particularly common in the lower levels.

Veles didn't even notice as he finished the glass and set it down, already getting ready to pour another. He smirked as Malou scowled when mentioned her family name. That was exactly what he'd been talking about. Her description essentially confirmed what he'd been thinking; it was like the Sith Empire, but your only reward at the end was a dead family left in your wake and a massive fortune so that you may become a recluse like a dragon hoarding gold.

"Wow," he said when she was done. "Did they, like, teach you languages and fencing and shit?" Bits of his personality were slipping out, the spice thinning the veil he shielded himself with.

He took a sip of the new glass, watching her reaction as she replied. He liked Malou's presence and the way it wasn't unbearable or polarized like so many other Sith. That, and also the air of casualness, among other things. It was interesting to actually get to meet a person and actually know them. It was his first time actually knowing someone in his life, which kind of attested to the hermit status.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou chuckled when he asked if she'd ever been taught to fence. "No. The only thing they taught me was how to hide my emotions. I had private tutors to teach me the fun stuff." There was a lot to be lost from letting people without your best interests in mind know how you were feeling. It was a big reason Malou was as composed as she usually was. Though she was slowly trying to peel it away, it was extremely difficult to unlearn. Though it was good in some situations, it didn't do much but hurt her whenever she tried to make connections with people.

Alcohol solved that problem some of the time, along with whatever little bit of spice was floating around in her head from the one hit she'd taken. "I wasn't allowed to attend the same private university as my brother, so I got my education from private tutors." The more she talked about it, the more she became increasingly aware of how unfair it was that she was treated so differently from her brother. All because she had the use the Force to see, and he didn't.

"But um, I speak Basic, High Galatic, Miralukese... and I can read Ur-Kittât." Two of those she'd learned on her own, though. She went to drink again but found that her glass was empty. The bottle was as well. Not content to stop, Malou pushed herself away from the counter and back toward the cabinet. "Do you drink whiskey?" she asked, pulling a dark bottle down from a shelf just a bit too high for her to reach without a little use of the Force. Not about to drink whiskey in a wine glass, she pulled two scotch glasses from the shelf.

She could feel the alcohol settling into her system as she made her way back over to Veles. The champion gave him a smile as she stopped nearby to set down the glasses and the bottle. She poured two glasses of whiskey, and as she was handing him his, a question popped into her head. "Why'd you grow your hair out?" She was just curious. He looked good to her with long hair, but she remembered that his hair had been much shorter when they'd first met on Taris.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

Hiding one's emotions was a pretty useful skill, especially when you were a Sith. To feel them but be able to disguise them was probably one of the most valuable things to know. Veles had learned to practice self-moderation, but it was likely nothing compared to Malou's training. He'd had to wing everything. That resulted in bits and pieces of a nicer person slipping out. A nicer person than he was supposed to seem, at least. It wasn't lost on him that many were surprised and sometimes upset about the fact that he wasn't an outright unpleasant, cruel person like many other Sith Lords. But it wasn't up to him to carry on a mantle that didn't represent him.

"That's shit," he nodded. It was indeed unfair, and if Veles knew it was because of her Force sensitivity, it would make him even more upset. Any other noble that he'd met other than Malou, he'd been hostile toward. They were generally capricious people without any regard toward the lives or emotions or others. It was no surprise that her parents would treat her that way without ever stopping once to considering it it was normal or reasonable.

"Pretty impressive. Have you been learning any new language?" Which ones did he know? "I know... Basic, Sith, Dathomiri, Huttese, and bits and pieces of a couple others. You know, just the essentials if you intend to interact with the most scheming, criminal individuals in the Galaxy." He cocked his head a little and gave a little sarcastic smile, shrugging. They had served him well so far. Hell, he was pretty sure Luke Skywalker and all those other "legends" probably only knew Basic.

"I like whiskey." He liked any sort of drink or drug, truth be told. Anything from ale to wine to whiskey to bantha tranquilizers and everything in between. The bantha tranquilizers had been an interesting time, and he doubted there were many other people who could say they've experimented with something like that. Everyone smoked a little spice sometimes, but most didn't go any farther than that. But then again, he didn't always have very good self control.

Veles beamed back at her. It was nice to feel fuzzy inside every once in a while. Especially somewhere so secluded, so far away from everything else that was happening around them. No stormtroopers or Imperial agents around, no military machinery or weapons. Just a normal, civilian lifestyle. Drinking with someone close to him, actually talking about things that were interesting without that insufferable air of formality.

"Oh, well, it turned white when I tinkered with the Force on Dathomir by myself for a few months, and it looked weird white and short, so I thought I may as well go for the full crazed sorcerer look. I think I nailed it a little too well, unfortunately." The tattoos and bruises or demonic eyes certainly didn't help.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"Not at the moment," was her answered to his previous question. Like him, she knew bits and pieces of various languages, but Basic got her around most parts of the galaxy. She knew a little bit of Togruti from, a couple of words in Huttese, and enough of Old Miralukese to suffice, but she wouldn't call herself fluent in any of the three by any means.

Malou handed him his glass as he answered her question, then took a drink of her own. White hair? Crazed sorcerer? She kind of thought he would have black or dark brown hair. There wasn't really a reason for that, but something about him had just said "really dark brow hair" to her for a while now. Considering color wasn't something she couldn't be bothered to find out about most of the time seeing as she couldn't see color through her Sight, it had only been a brief assumption that just stuck around with her until now. Her lack of ability to see color also contributed to her not understanding how he might look "crazed." The way he beamed back at her when she smiled at him felt so friendly to her.

"I can't see color or shadows through my Sight," she mused a few seconds after he finished explaining. To her, right now, he was just a colorless shape and form defined through the Force. She could see the texture of his hair and the shape of his face. It was even possible for her to see where his gaze went, or note the creases in his face when he smiled. Her free hand raised to twirl around one of the curls in her hair, pulled it down, then let it spring back into place when she released it. "I know the color of some things though. My hair is black, my favorite color is burgundy, the sky gets orange during sunsets..." She laughed, then took another drink. Even if she knew what color looked like, her actual vision was too poor to properly appreciate a sunset. Malou had vague memories of what they really looked like from when she was a kid.

"You don't look crazed to me," Malou added next, making sure to pronounce each of her words. "I like the shape of your face." She couldn't see his bruises nor the demonic color of his eyes; he just looked like her friend to her. Maybe it was the alcohol or the fact she'd just complimented him by the shape of his face, but her own suddenly felt very warm. The Serennian rotated back away from him, then leaned with her back against the counter next to him. She took another drink and focused on the flavor of the whiskey. It'd been a while since she'd last drank.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

Truth be told, he'd assumed she couldn't because he'd used Force sight a good amount of times as well, but his spice-muddled brain seemed to be unable to make assessments or properly comprehend some things. It was one of the side effects he disliked, but the feeling of relaxation and openness made it worth. "Have you never been able to see with your eyes?" he asked. She was only half-Miraluka, which meant that she likely had eyes unlike full Miraluka, but he wasn't sure if she had been blind at birth. A Miraluka--even half--that could use their eyes was definitely an interesting thought.

"Ever seen the sky on Dathomir?" he asked, but she probably hadn't. "It's crimson. The light from the sun casts this deep, red light onto the planet so everything looks like there's a massive colored lightbulb in the sky. Some think it looks eery, but I like it. When I'm in my room or my study or anywhere, really, I like to set the lights to red. It reminds me of home." The sense of peace that it instilled in him compared to nothing else. He'd even had the bulbs in his ship fitted so that they change colors, though he usually only set them to red or a daylight white. Purple was nice too.

"Thank you," he said, almost choking over the words. Veles was glad she wasn't able to see color because the burgundy on his face almost rivaled hers. Very rarely had he ever received a compliment other than "Wow you punch hard" or the subtly envious remarks about his power from other Sith. Very rarely had anyone ever actually seen him as a person and not a walking embodiment of edginess or a cold-blooded murderer. "I... uh... I like your hair."

He had never thought of the fact that she probably couldn't see the tattoos or bruises on his face or his eyes, but it was certainly interesting. Perhaps Malou was one of the only people with the ability to actually see other Sith as they had been before their corruption, even if they were far down the road by now. Then again, it was kind of sad, because his tattoos were hot.

Veles just then took his first sip of the whiskey, not flinching as he let the liquid hang on his tongue for a little, taking in the taste. He could drink liquor like water, and could properly appreciate its taste--and this Serennian whiskey was spectacular. He doubted a noble house would have anything less than the cream of the crop of the top shelf when it came to anything, really. He grabbed the bottle with one hand and his glass with the other and rose to a standing position. Immediately, the ground came up a bit faster than he'd thought, but he pushed the dizziness down and stepped forward. The alcohol definitely sneaks up on you.

"Any cool places around here?" he asked, hoping she'd lead the way. Then again, he was also perfectly content with going back to the study and sitting on the floor. He was never very picky.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

He asked her if she'd ever been able to see with her eyes and it surprised her. When people asked if she was blind, Malou typically responded along the lines of "I'm Miralukan, so I use the Force to see." It wasn't really a secret that she had eyes though. Sure, only like, four people knew that for sure, but if someone were to ask her directly about them she wouldn't lie about it.

"I- I mean, I could when I was younger," she muttered. The tone of her voice was laced with uncertainty as if she were a bit uneasy talking about it. "I still can now, but anything more than this much in front of my face I can't really make out." She extended her hand out in front of her, stopping just short of a straightened arm to indicate where she could see. "I can't read anything not right in my face… I'm essentially blind." She was legally blind.

She wished she could see the sky, whether it be the red of Dathomir, the cloud-streaked blue of Serenno, or even just the stars. All she had were vague memories from her childhood, and with age, they grew fuzzier and fuzzier. All she remembered now was that they were beautiful, and she couldn't see them. Her free hand came back toward her, her fingers brushed against the surface of the blindfold just over her eyes, and she couldn't help but wonder what Veles looked like. He told her he had white skin, but what color were his eyes? His clothes? Did he have markings on his skin, whether they be tattoos or freckles? Veles would be able to feel her looking at him, even if her head was turned slightly away

"Thanks," was her response to the returned compliment. Malou used to find it hard to accept compliments, but a certain friend of her had changed that. Senin essentially put her through exposure therapy for compliments. It was a shame she couldn't bring herself to fully trust him. Malou ran her fingers through her hair from front to back, fluffed it out, then dropped her hand back onto the counter. He asked his question, and she took a moment to think.

"There's the library... um, a little theatre, a wine cellar, games room..." There was also the ballroom, the gym, and other things. The number of places she could take him was a bit overwhelming. Maybe she should just start walking in a direction and see where it took them. She finished his drink, set it down, then motioned for him to follow. Her pace was slower than usual. She wasn't too keen on stumbling over.

Malou walked down the north hallway for a bit. This one was dimly lit, as it was one of the main ones used throughout the castle. They passed by a sleepy-looking servant who barely nodded to acknowledge Malou, but stared wide-eyed at Veles as they passed. He ducked away into a room just as Malou stopped in front of her desired location. She opened the door for him.

On one side of the room was a couch, and on the other was a slightly raised platform. Tucked into the corner were various instruments, from a piano, to guitars, to drums, etc. Malou beamed at Veles as she walked in behind him. She remembered he liked guitar, so she had brought him somewhere with one!

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to not be able to see with his eyes, to renounce colors for the rest of your life. So Malou had lost the gift unfortunately. He was about to say something, and then he began to feel her looking at him. It was an interesting thing; though she didn't have eyes and there was no way to gauge physically where she was looking, he could sense it through the Force.

He followed her out of the kitchen, making sure to turn the lights off after them. "Sounds like there's a lot of options," he murmured. "I guess we can just start wandering and see where it leads us." The journey through the halls was much more daunting than it was supposed to be, mostly because of the struggle between walking straight and actually stand without falling over. He was feeling a bit lightheaded, and yet so rooted into the ground at the same time.

He chuckled as they passed the dismayed servant, and followed her inside the room, turning the light on, of course. The room lit up and he could see all sorts of instruments, scattered around the room, with state-of-the-art tech that was used only in the music industry. Veles raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, wow." He turned away from her and wandered into the room, scanning every single instrument. He ran his finger over the neck of an electric guitar.

He looked up at her. "This place really has everything," he replied, grinning back at her.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"Perks of having money," Malou smiled. She watched as he ran his fingers across the instruments while she made her way over to sit on the bench by the piano. Her head was incredibly fuzzy from the alcohol. She'd never drunk this much, so she was struggling to walk straight on her way over.

She couldn't find a way to describe it, but her vision was different. The shapes were there, but they weren't. The Force seemed to present, but at the same time, it seemed undefined. It started to bother her, but instead of worrying about it, she just focused on Veles. His face, his clothes, his stance. It was easier to see him through the Force than anything else.

"You play guitar, right?" She already knew the answer, but she was hoping he would pick it up and do something with it. "You should play something." Malou's favorite genre was rock, of which electric guitar made frequent occurrences, so she hoped he would play something along those lines. She dropped her elbows onto her knees and rested her head in her hands, indicating her full attention.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

Veles turned to look back at the guitar as she spoke, then glanced back at her. For a brief moment, anxiety flashed up in his chest but was extinguished instantly by the alcohol. He nodded. That was a great idea. To an inebriated brain, of course.

"That's a great idea," he declared, grabbing the guitar by the neck and lifting it from the support. It took him a few tries to hang the strap around his shoulder, his hands fiddling with it and his body gently rocking as he struggled to maintain his balance. Then, he succeeded and plugged the cable into the amp that was nearby. It buzzed to life, a low sound humming at a low frequency. He plucked a single string and it blasted out of the speaker. Veles lowered the volume and tried again, then got to tuning it. Except it was already tuned. Either they had servants tasked with regularly tuning the instruments, or no one played them, and both were equally probable.

Then, he stopped and seemed to be frozen in thought for a few seconds. Once he snapped out of it, he began playing. Veles didn't sing along, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to do it without slurring, and also because he was a bit insecure with his singing voice. Instead, he slammed the strings back and forth, hands and fingers moving with Force-assisted speed, a blur over the guitar. Seeing it, she wouldn't even think he was drunk or high.

He finished and let the last string echo for a little, then shut off the amp. That had been incredibly loud, but then again, who was going to say anything to them? He set the guitar back down onto the support. "I play every once in a while," he commented nonchalantly.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

When Veles had told her before on Dagobah that'd he played electric guitar, she'd taken that nugget of information and stored it away for later. She hadn't thought about how good she thought he would be. Now, watching his fingers fly across the fingerboard and his hand strum up and down the strings, it was all she could think about. Malou didn't recognize the song he was playing, but she watched and listened with the utmost curiosity. Maybe it was the alcohol, but at that moment he was the most interesting person in the world.

The room grew deathly silent after he unplugged the amp. The walls were textured to prevent excessive echoing, which additionally meant his slamming of the guitar was nothing more than a distant hum out in the hallways. He spoke, making light of what Malou thought was the coolest thing she'd witnessed in a while, and then the silence was broken by her enthusiastic clapping.

"That was really cool!" she exclaimed, speaking too quickly to prevent her words from slurring a bit. The woman ceased after a few seconds, but the wowed smile on her face didn't leave. "I love guitar! I can't play, but I love music with guitar." This was probably the most enthusiastic she'd sounded all night. Her skin was buzzing, her head felt light, and the alcohol-induced happiness was overshadowing any lingering shadows of sorrow.

Malou quickly stood up from the piano bench, causing a rush of dizziness to flood her head. It threatened to throw her off balance, but she was able to support herself by placing a hand on the nearby piano. Her fingers landed on the piano keys and played a dissonant chord of random keys. Red rushed to her skin and she quickly pulled her hand back. "Sorry," she chuckled, trying to laugh it off as she reorientated herself and began to make her way over to Veles. She made sure to walk at a steady pace so she didn't trip over her own feet.

"I tried to learn guitar once," she admitted once she got over to him. Her fingers flitted across the strings of one resting on its stand, then retreated back to her side. "I could never get the hand of the- the um—" Shit, what's it called? "—the finger placements." Not the mention she couldn't read most sheet music anyways. At least on the piano, it was just close enough to her face that she could make it out with her own eyes.

Making note of all the other instruments in the room, she would add, "I only ever learned piano. My father kept one in the library, so when I got bored of studying I would mess around on it."

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

As she clapped, he took a bow. "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night." He extended his palm out and the glass floated over from the ground into his hand shakily. Veles laughed as he watched its rocky ascent, then reached out and lifted the bottle of whiskey the same way. He could use the Force when he was drunk but it was just as efficient as one would think. Still, there was certainly space for some more drink in him. He could drink orcs under the table on a good day.

Veles took another gulp, lowering the glass from his mouth right on time to see Malou stumble and hold herself upright against the piano, his hand already outstretched, a blanket of telekinetic energy in front of her like a cushion to prevent her from falling any further. He reacted surprisingly fast, but that was mostly because it was just muscle memory by now. He chuckled and extended his arms out as she slowly made her way over as though she was about to trip again.

"It's okay, Malou, take your time," he teased, lips curled into a lighthearted smirk, and took another sip. "What can you play on the piano?" He was hoping she'd show him, since it was technically her turn.

"I don't even know how I learned guitar so fast, because we didn't even have one in my home growing up." Electric guitars were a difficult thing to use when there was barely any electricity. They managed to draw power from some solar panels that he had no idea how his family had gotten, but it was not nearly enough for the sheer consumption most households create. They also had no connection to the holonet, so he'd had quite the surprise when he moved off world.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"I can walk just fine!" she protested with a laugh, then proceeded to demonstrate that she couldn't walk just fine by trying to step in a straight line, placing one foot after another until she leaned too far to one side and stumbled to the left. Malou managed not to trip, whether it be from her own reflexes or Veles helping her out. With a warm face and a sheepish laugh, she would say, "See?" The embarrassment she might've felt was overpowered by her inebriation.

Though she'd just walked over from a piano, there was another one closer by, so she had made her way over to that one instead. "I have a few songs memorized still, I think," she mused aloud as she carefully pulled the bench back with the Force, then back under her as she sat down. Her fingers hovered above the keys, gently fluttering there as she debated internally what she wanted to play. What would he like? Ideally she'd think of something he'd be impressed by, but Malou wasn't sure how adept she would be with her fingers in her current state.

"Maybe…" Malou muttered uncertainty under her breath as she lowered her fingers onto the keys. Like a breath of fresh air, the memory of playing alone in the dim library in her childhood home returned to her. Formulas, assignments, and textbooks were abandoned in favor of the wooden grand piano tucked away in the window of the room. The flitting, dancing melodies and slow, somber chords of the songs she'd learned flooded her memory. Her fingers fell upon the keys, and slowly, she began to play.

Spoiler: MUSIC

The music was sobering, if only for the duration of the song. Malou's fingers danced across the keyboard, playing entirely from memory a song she'd taught herself as a child. It began with a steady rhythm of a singular note, then slowly chords came to join it. There was a quiet mystery to the music, and as the steady beat beneath it all began to increase, the tone began to change. It went from curious to calm, sped up and slowed, but the steady beat remained.

When her finger played the last note, she immediately looked to where Veles stood for a reaction. "It's been a few years since I've touched a piano," she admitted with her head still facing the keys. Between a lack of practice and the alcohol it certainly hadn't been perfect, but she was happy she remembered how to play it in the first place. Because she couldn't read small notes well, memorization had been her saving grace as a kid. It served her well now.

"It's from some movie my mother liked. I don't remember what it's about, but I remembered this song from it, so I learned it." It'd been twelve years since her mother had died. Malou wasn't particularly sentimental, so this song was one of the few things she had from her mother, even if it wasn't directly from her.

Malou spun around on the bench to face Veles again, with a slight smile on her lips. This was the most fun she'd had in a while, thanks to him. Her Sight lingered on his glass for a moment, then looked for her own. Aw... She'd left it back in the kitchen, hadn't she? Oh well. Seeing as she was already pretty drunk, maybe it was for the best.

"Are you more of a cold or hot weather kind of person?" she asked out of the blue as she spun around on the bench to face him. The Miralukan had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter, considering the amount of time he seemed to spend in hot swamps.

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[Veles]

"I can tell!" he retorted, slowly loosening the cushion of energy that followed her as she walked once he decided she won't fall over. Then, she tried to walk in a straight line and he had to catch her as she started tipping over toward the left, gently applying pressure until she was upright again, having to stop drinking mid-sip, a little whiskey spurting up his nose and making him choke. After a few hearty hacks, he laughed, teary eyed from the coughing fit. It would take them a long time to make their way through the castle once they exited the music room.

The nice thing about music was that it came to you even in states of inebriation, because playing an instrument was eventually committed to muscle memory. It was how he'd managed to play the guitar without dropping it even though he likely would struggle as much as Malou to walk, had he not been standing still in the same spot. He watched as she sat down on the bench, staring at her back as she probably thought of what to play. Oh, I'm staring, he realized, and looked away into another corner of the room, his eyes settling on a strange instrument he'd never seen before. He tended to zone out sometimes and simply stare at people without realizing which made many of them uncomfortable, and this was only exacerbated when he wasn't sober enough to stop himself.

As she began to play, he slowly moved closer to the piano, shifting his entire weight onto one foot at a time, his arms tentatively held out at his side in case he needed to grasp anything to prevent from falling over. Thankfully, he was surprisingly adept at walking when drunk, which made sense considering how many times he'd almost fallen through the gap between levels on Coruscant during nights out. One time he'd actually tipped over and found himself free-falling, only to slam down onto the hood of a speeder. He'd held on with all the strength he'd been able to muster, and aside from the owner of the vehicle turning violent when they came to a stop, the experience hadn't been that bad. He slid down onto the floor, legs crossed.

The song she played was much softer than what he had gone with on the guitar, but he enjoyed it. The melody started off as foreboding and then picked up in speed as it went on, and Veles watched as Malou faded away from the room they were in and deep inside her mind, likely reliving some memories. He didn't bother her and didn't say anything, simply watching with interest as she played, forgetting to breathe at one point and almost choking. He, too, could feel the world around them fade away, and as music rang out through the room, it felt like they were sealed away in another dimension. He looked at Malou and at her hands as her fingers slid and hopped and pressed the keys, utmost concentration on her face. A tuft of hair fell onto it, covering her eyes, and he flicked his wrist, the hair sliding back over the top of her head and out of the way.

When the song ended, he clapped and stood up, beaming from ear to ear. "No, tha wus good!" he said incredulously, stumbling a little over the words. He furrowed his brows, and cleared his throat as he frowned, then tried again. "Nooo, that was good," he blurted out, heavy emphasis on the first word as his thoughts raced in an effort to make his mouth move the right way. Satisfied with the success, he turned toward her as she whirled around.

"I think I know the one! I don't remember what it's called either, but maybe I will when I can actually use my brain." Veles realized that he was still wearing his cloak, and wondered how he hadn't noticed earlier. Subtly, his hands snaked around under it, fiddling with the string as he tried to untie it. After a few seconds of strife and beating his arms around, it fell off, revealing the simple shirt he had underneath. He'd only realized the cloak was still on him because he'd started to feel hot, and the pleasant air that hit his skin as he took it off made him exhale quietly with relief.

"I like the cold, but I can't stand it." He motioned at his body, his arms moving up and down. "As you can see, the lack of fat makes it difficult to bear anything past temperate. What about you?"

He offered her a hand to help her up off the bench, because he was vaguely worried that she'd trip and fall over if she tried to rise. "Let's get some fresh air."

It was time for another cigarra, but Veles knew how eagerly he chuffed them down when he was drunk. He was, however, always prepared and had enough packs on his ship to fuel the economy of a small planet.

@lizziie[/url]

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou giggled at his slurred words, but said nothing to it in fear that she'd end up doing the same thing herself. She was happy he enjoyed it though. It was certainly a far cry from the music she enjoyed on her own time. Rock, hard rock, metal—she'd not been familiar with the song Veles had played but it was in the circle of what she liked. Add some strong vocals, a kickass drum, some bass...

Oh? He thought he might know it? "That woould be nice," she mused. She couldn't remember the name of the movie either, but if she played it to a song finder she was sure it would be easy enough to figure it out. Part of her liked the fact she only associated it with her mom though. It was like she shared something special with her.

Malou watched as Veles undid his cloak, and when he motioned to himself, she studied him. Her Sight lingered for several moments before she answer his question. "I llike the cold," she chirped. The Miralukan also lacked fat, but she wasn't thin like Veles. Malou was in good shape. A knit sweater covered her arms, but he would probably remember from Dagobah the toned definition of her arms. She had been slacking with her workouts since her master's death, but muscle didn't disappear in a day. It kept her a bit warmer, and either way, she had a little trick for keeping herself warm.

She was about to tell him "too bad" and declare she was taking him outside, but he suggested it before she could. "Took the words rright outta my mouth," she grinned as she took his hand to stand up. "I want to sshow you something. Follow me." Malou began to head to the exit, but stopped after a few steps. "Bring your cloak," she advised before continuing. If he didn't like the cold, he might want it.

As was convenient, the place she wanted to take him was nearby. She had to fumble through her pockets to find the keycard, but after waving it haphazardly in front of the door it unlocked with a click. With another wave of her hand, it opened up to reveal a deck over the Serennian landscape. Pine trees sprawled out underneath them for miles, then climbed up the slopes of distant mountains. The deck itself was fairly empty outside of a chair or two, but to their left was a long set of stairs leading down the cliffface. Was it probably a bad idea for two drunks to wander off into the forest? Probably, but there was a railing and a trail below, and Malou convinced Veles had never been ice-skating. She hoped to keep it a surprise for now; the lake was only a mile out.

"Don't fall," she teased as she gripped the railing and began taking the steps down.

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[Veles]

Of course she liked the cold. He'd seen how uncomfortable she'd been on Dagobah and the other swamp planet that they'd been to. He turned toward her as she headed for the door and then looked back toward his cloak, sighing in exasperation as he grabbed it and slung it over his body once again. It swished at his ankles as he strode down after Malou, stopping as she fumbled with the keycard and briefly wondering if that's it, and they were going to be stuck at that door the entire life because she'd gotten drunk and lost the keycard. Then, she tugged it out and scanned it and he rejoiced as they stepped out into the chilly night. His eyes took a bit to adjust to the darkness, but once they did, and once he tapped into the Force a little, he glanced around at the landscape. It was striking.

Despite the darkness, he could see every single tree for as far as the eye could see. Veles paused to just look for a moment before he looked over to see Malou heading down the stairs. This might not have a happy ending.

He grabbed onto the railing and followed her, trying not to focus too much on the long fall around them. "If you fall I won't be able to jump after you, so be careful," he shot back, smirking down at the top of her head. As they got closer to the ground, his nerves calmed down and by the time they had reached the surface, he was relaxed as though he hadn't just climbed down the stairs ridiculously not sober.

He hung back behind her as they started to head into the forest, completely unaware of where they were going. Veles hoped she wasn't taking him to the woods to sacrifice him to some eldritch horrorterror, because that would definitely be more his thing. He giggled a little to himself. He cracked himself up.

"Sooo, where are we going?" he asked curiously.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"I'll be fine!" she called back from below. Her hand never left the railing, and her feet found the steps. Between the distance, Veles behind her, and her desire to make it down to show him the frozen lake was enough to keep her steady down the descent. They both made it down just fine, somehow.

"I wanna take you to this place out here," she replied vaguely, not wanting to spoil the surprise. She tried not to laugh at how suspicious that might sound, even in context. If someone told her they were going to take her out to an undisclosed location in the woods, she would be wary of them. Hopefully, Veles didn't feel that way. The lake was absolutely beautiful. Malou was pretty sure she knew the way there well enough to make it there, even in her drunken state.

She took him down onto a trail. It was worn well enough that it was easy to spot, even in the dark. It came to a fork, not after long, and she confidently took the left path. "I like how sparse Serennian forests are," she commented as she walked. The woods here looked a lot less familiar than she remembered, so she was looking for signs of where she was supposed to go. Had the lake been left or right?

"Dathomir has forests right?" Malou wondered if they were red like the rest of the planet. Were they woody trees like she had here?

They reached a grassy clearing, and she stopped. She didn't recognize this place, and it certainly wasn't where he intended to take him. A rock was placed in the center of the clearing, and around it was a circle of rocks. Around that circle was another, and so on so forth until there were about 7 rings in total. Malou stared at it for a few seconds.

"I think I took a wrong turn," she said sheepishly.

tag: @vamp