Ask Serenno Those Who've Fallen

[Veles]

"You're taking me to a place?" he asked incredulously. Nevertheless, he followed. In his state, he would follow a mynock into a black hole. "If you wanted to wear my skin, you could have just said so from the start."

Laughing, he followed her deeper into the woods, blissfully unaware of the fact that they were going the wrong way because he had no idea which way the right way was. "Yes, it has forests and jungles and swamps. The vegetation is usually black or dark red." He answered the question she'd been thinking about. Veles wondered if there was a method to help her see the world as he did. There probably was, but he needed to give it further thought when he was sober.

"This place is nice--oh." He looked around, eyes darting across the clearing. "Do you think these are natural?"

Seemingly unbothered by the fact that they were lost, he walked forward toward the rocks. "These aren't natural," he murmured, crouching down and extending a hand toward one of the stones. As his fingertips touched it, images flashed through his mind, memories that were not his own. A dark figure hunched over, moving the rocks in position under the light of the moon. Something about the memory made him feel severely uncomfortable. The Sith Lord stepped back once, almost stumbling and falling as he desperately moved to get some distance in between him and the rocks.

The fact that the sorcerer was rattled by what he'd seen was not good. He'd seen many terrifying things, and anything that could still inject horror into his heart was clearly powerful. Realization dawned on him as his brain raced for explanations. Another feeling came over him, a sinking dread in the pit of his stomach. Veles darted his head toward Malou, his face pale under all the tattoos. "Rituals were performed here. Rituals that go against nature itself and are sacrilege against the land done by an entity that scorns all living life." If it hadn't been pitch black, he would have seen how all the vegetation nearby was dead and blackened. He hadn't paid attention as they delved deeper into the woods, but he should have seen the signs earlier.

He rose to his feet. "Malou, we should--"

A branch cracked behind him, in the darkness on the other side of the clearing. A feeling like thousands of spiders crawling up his back shot through him, a chill settling over the area. The forest was still and silent, the pale light of the moon shining weakly on the rocks. Veles turned his head slowly toward the source of the sound, but he couldn't see anything. He gathered the Force to himself and was shocked by the darkness hanging in the air. It flowed through him, but it only made the feeling of dread grow more intense.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"I don't think so. I don't think this has always been here," Malou pondered aloud as she slowly approached the circle alongside Veles. Like him, she'd failed to make note of the deceased vegetation around them. She'd seen it, but the warning signals in her brain were drowned out by the alcohol coursing through her veins, so she thought nothing of it. "I think- I think I've been here to meditate. These rocks weren't here... it feels different here."

The Serennian continued into the circle, carefully stepping over the ringlets of stones as she made her way to the center of the rock construction. She could feel her heartbeat growing louder and louder in her chest, almost like the world was closing in around her. What is this symbol? She crouched down by the middle rock, examining its face through her Sight. There was an unfamiliar symbol scratched into its surface, resembling nothing she could think of.

"Rituals?" Someone was performing rituals on Serenno this close to a Sith councilor's home? It's possible. I don't think Artorgias has been home in a while. A frown weighed down on her lips as she continued to stare at the symbol. Something about it was off; she kind of wanted to touch it.

Just as Veles rose to his feet to say they should leave, Malou touched a finger to the surface of the rock.

Something cracked a branch out behind Veles. He couldn't see it at first, but after a few seconds, he would see a small creature slink out of the treeline into the clearing. It was no more than two feet tall and appeared to be some sort of sickly, wild animal. Its pelt was as black as the night sky, and its eyes gleamed with a malicious orange color. For several moments it made direct eye contact with Veles, glaring at him with an almost human expression. It was surrounded by the same flavor of Darkness he had felt in the rocks.

Suddenly, the creature's legs gave way, and it crashed lifelessly onto the ground. Simultaneously, Malou's own legs buckled beneath her, and she fell limp and unconscious onto the dead grass.

-----​

"Hm," Malou stood back up. For some reason, she'd figured something would happen if she touched the rock. "Are you sure? It just seems like—" Malou cut herself off, suddenly very aware that the world around her had color. Her hands jumped to her face and felt the bare skin there. Where's my blindfold? An ugly feeling of dread began to flood her chest as the feeling of being watched suddenly blanketed her. Slowly, she turned around. "Veles...?"

He was not behind her, but something was. A dark figure stood there, hunched over with its head concealed by the shadows of its hood. It raised its head until Malou could see singular, glowing orange eyes glowering at her. It slowly began to walk toward her, one step at a time. Freaked out, Malou went to take a step back but found that she couldn't move. Her eyes widened the closer it got, and her heart began to beat out of her chest. Why couldn't she move? Why couldn't she talk?!

It reached her, and wordlessly, raised a finger to press against her forehead.

-----​

Malou suddenly sat upright as if she hadn't just collapsed to the ground. She said nothing as she began to pick herself up off the ground, the blindfold secured tightly around her face making it difficult to discern her expression as she rose with stiff movements. The dark weight in the air became so much more present, and it seemed to have thrown itself from the collapsed animal to the Miralukan standing in the middle of the circle.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD! She was trapped inside her own mind, screaming at her muscles to move, stuck under something piloting her body. The sinister echo of laughter responded to her furious demands. It said nothing, but in the corner of her mind, she could almost feel it taunting her. Malou felt rage course through her, the same feeling she'd felt when Asminys had invaded her mind before. But this was different. She felt like a strange in her own body.

"I think I'm a bit too drunk," Malou laughed. Her voice, in comparison to the atmosphere, was uncharacteristically cheery. She paused, slowly raised a hand to her face, then promptly tore off the blindfold. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing a sinister orange hue. Her expression faltered for just a moment as her gaze danced around the clearing in front of her. Though her face smiled, the malice in her eyes was unmistakable. "Why don't we head back to Castle Wessex, hm?"

She took a step toward Veles, but it was robotic as if she were fighting her own body to move.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

His head snapped toward Malou as she stepped forward toward one of the stones, over one of the rings. She half-walked, half-stumbled, knocking over one of the stones with her foot but not realizing, opening the ring. His eyes widened. "Malou, no, don't--" he shouted, cut short as she collapsed. He almost didn't see the small creature, but it caught his gaze, a small movement in the corner of his eye. For a moment, he felt the harsh fog of solitude press down on him as Veles realized that right now, he was alone in the clearing. Malou was unconscious, and no wildlife dared approach this area., leaving the forest silent as a grave.

He had begun to walk over to her when Malou rose suddenly, her movements slightly stiffer than before. Was it the alcohol? The spice? No. He had seen many people in various stages of intoxication, had watched lifeforms overdose right before his very eyes, but he had never seen one act like this before. The darkness coursed through him, but it felt alien. It felt truly evil, and ancient, and somehow a bit disconnected from the Force. This was an unknown form of magic that he had never encountered, but he could deduce information from the different signs.

Malou had crossed the circle and opened it, after which the animal had appeared. She had collapsed upon touching the center rock. His mind raced, possibilities coursing through, until he finally settled with one. This circle, with its seven rings, had been meant to keep something trapped inside. An entity had been sealed within, but the moment Malou broke the circle, she had opened the prison and the entity was able to escape. It had likely possessed the small creature at first, yes, but with it passed out, where could it have gone? It would surely not be powerful enough to exist without a host body.

His eyes fell on the Champion as she walked, and his mind blanked out for a moment from the sheer amount of malice that he sensed from her. Darkness surrounded her, and even the land around her seemed repelled by her presence, the dirt cracking and blackening under her soles, the wind swirling away from her and toward Veles. A scent of burning hung in the air. He gritted his teeth as she tore the blindfold off and her eyes were open. The orange was not what worried him. It was the look on her face and the fact that the way she was staring at him made it seem as though she could see. When she opened her mouth, the cheerfulness in her tone felt off. There was something subtle but horribly wrong.

As she stepped toward him, he took a step back, raising his palm toward her. The world still swirled around him, the alcohol and spice still washing over his brain over and over, incapacitating him physically. The gravity of the situation seemed to sober him up a little, though, and Veles found the resolve to stand still, eyes bearing into hers.

"Stay right there," he commanded, his voice hard. "You're not welcome in that body. It is not yours."

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

When Veles raised his palm to her and demanded she stay put, Malou's head tilted slightly to the right like a dog curious to understand the words being spoken to it. The smile on her face faltered again, then returned even brighter.

"I'm not sure what you mean," said the words from her mouth. "You can't just wish away being drunk," her voice added with a low chuckle. She had paused when he'd commanded her to stop, but she began to walk forward again after she finished speaking. On her way into the circle, her feet had knocked over rocks in most of the rings, but not the outer circle nor the fourth from it. When she reached that fourth circle, her eyes looked down to it. Slowly, her foot kicked forward, making contact with the stone and sending it rolling off to the side. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath, then she continued forward again as the air grew heavier.

GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD! Malou was doing all she could to keep her body from walking forward. When the stone had been kicked aside, the presence in her head only felt stronger. It was as if each broken ring let more and more of this thing free. Malou didn't want to wait around and find out what would happen if the seventh ring was broken. It was only a few meters away, a heavy presence in her Sight. Wait, she could see? Her eyes were open, shouldn't she be seeing with them? The Force! She could still use the Force!

Malou's body took another step forward, and as it did, the Force coalesced around her. Her hand began to rise, and with it grew the glint in her orange eyes. Just as her fingers began to twitch, that gathered Force suddenly slammed down on top of her. The expression on her face morphed to anger just before she fell under the pressure, her head slamming into the ground.

"DON'T LET—" Malou was cut off by her jaw clenching shut, the entity fighting her for control. Her hands threw themselves around the back of her head, forcing her forehead into the ground as she fought the thing for control. She could feel it exerting pressure on her mind, trying to force her to let go. The champion fought back, her body twitching and shaking as they did.

"THE LAST RING! DON'T—" Her voice was cut off again, and she slowly began to stand from the ground. The sinister smile had melted away to malicious determination, and without a word, her body began to make a beeline for the edge of the circles.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

The creature appeared confused for just a brief moment, and then that damn smile returned, but Veles was not an idiot. Witchcraft was his specialty, and he knew what someone possessed by a parasitic entity looked like. "You know exactly what I mean," he snapped, putting up a wall of telekinetic energy in front of the monster inhabiting Malou as it strode forward. The entity seemed to fight back, and Veles had to make a concentrated effort to gain an advantage in the battle of wills, his eyes closed and teeth gritted as he laid all his focus on the task at hand.

He could feel the creature fighting back, but he could also feel the anger bubbling in his chest. He took in that anger, did not deny it, and then unleashed it into his powers, beating the entity back. He put Malou's body in a Force stasis as she began twitching and shaking on the ground, taking advantage of her vulnerable state.

Veles was still drunk, and within his mind, his brain cells were running around banging their heads on the walls and screaming. How could something like this happen? This shit is terrifying, he thought. But on the outside, he presented a stoic facade that made it seem like he knew exactly what he was doing.

And for the most part, it worked. The beast was not able to fight back the Sith Lord in all his power, drunkenness aside. It remained in a stasis, giving Malou time to fight the war raging within her mind.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

With Veles' holding her body in a stasis, the entity's presence became entirely focused on her. For about a minute, Malou's body twitched and jerked in little bouts underneath the pressure of the Force. There was turmoil in the Force around her; hers and whatever she was fighting.

After that minute mark, her body stopped moving and was eerily still from then on. Silence encapsulated the clearing, and for a moment everything stood in suspension. CRACK! The stone in the middle of the circle shattered, then any resistance he felt before disappeared, minus a small, barely audible telepathic pulse from the Force. You can let me down. If she was let down, Malou would stay limp for a moment, then set herself up. Her eyes stayed half-open for a second, amber-brown instead of orange, then lowered shut.

She felt empty and jarringly sober. Her hand extended out to her discarded blindfold and tied the tattered pieces around her eyes once again, all without a discernable expression on her face. Her mind was racing with a million things, but at the same time, she only had one thing she wanted to do.

Malou slowly got to her feet. Her hands pulled her sweater closer to her body, crossed one over the other, unable to ward off the cold from biting into her skin. It would make sense for her to be feeling some sort of emotion, but she felt like the energy to feel had been siphoned from her. She just wanted to get back somewhere warm.

"...sorry...let's....go back..." Her words were hard to understand as she mumbled them, passing by him with her head tilted down. Her voice was steady, but gone was the drunken confidence from before. "Thank you." She was conflicted about whether to acknowledge what had just happened or not. It was very important for her to find what the fuck that thing was. Veles could help with that, but would he? She'd drug him into this. He's probably going to leave.

"I uh-" How did she even say this? Did she tell him she felt terrible for burdening him like that? Should she tell him she was indebted to him? Maybe she should just straight up ask him to help her. Or maybe we should head back and I should worry about it later.

Malou continued to stand there, juggling her options, for a few moments longer.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

A strange next few moments ensued, and Veles did not lower the stasis until she stopped writhing around and that center stone exploded to smithereens, sending small bits of rubble flying in all directions, a few pebbles peppering his shins. He dropped the stasis then, stepping forward and covering the distance left between them in a few breaths.

Worry was etched on his face so clearly, an overwhelming sense of anxiety in his chest. For a moment, he wondered if she'd died, until he checked her pulse and found that she was still breathing. Then, Malou rose, and he looked her up and down. The presence had gone, and he probed through the Force but couldn't find evidence of any other entity being there. Her eyes had returned back to normal as well, and he'd seen that before she tied her blindfold back on.

He slid his cloak off and wrapped it around her shoulders as she passed by him. "Don't mention it," he replied quietly, following her out of the rings. When she stopped, he did as well, gaze on her as though if he blinked she'd disappear. "Are you okay?" It was cold in the forest, the breeze gentle but biting, and yet Veles didn't feel any of that. His body was hot with worry, the blood pumping through him as though he'd been running a marathon.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

He looked so worried that Malou briefly wondered what things had looked like from his perspective. How could she have been so stupid? She couldn't blame the alcohol either; the rock had sung to her and she'd stumbled right into its siren's call. Malou could barely remember the words it'd whispered in her ear over the fresh memory of fighting tooth and nail against a creature in her own head.

She shuddered, then finally spoke again as he draped his cloak around her. "I need to know what that thing was." It wasn't really an answer to his question, but the tone of her voice was. It was quiet, almost monotone, but had the solidness of determination underneath. She was shaken up, but not broken. "It knew my mother's name." That bothered her, but the Miralukan had been through too many encounters with things messing with her head to fail to some angry entity lurking in the woods.

It wouldn't take them long to get back to the castle. Malou's body was still dealing with the effect of alcohol, but her mind was clear of any distractions. She would show him the lake another time if she ever got the chance. For now, she was sure the both of them were done romping around in the woods. Instead of taking the steep stairs, she led them along the trail to a small locked door on the side of the mountain. Her keycard unlocked it, and once inside she was able to direct herself to the elevator that would lift them back into the castle.

"Here." She slipped Veles' cloak off her shoulders and held it out for him to take. "You...know a lot about sorcery, right?" Magic, witchcraft, sorcery...all were words to describe the fuckery that had occurred within the hour. There was a lot Malou knew or could find out about, but sorcery was something she was unfamiliar with. Maybe I shouldn't ask him for help. He was probably still drunk. For her and her current sleep schedule, it wasn't all that late, but who knew where Veles stood? Thoughts began to race, culminating in her just blurting out her words.

"I know I already owe you so much but will you help me?" Her face reddened, embarrassed at the way her voice sounded. "I- I understand if not...I just..." She trusted him. How could she not?

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

They trudged through the forest slowly, the enemies now defeated. "Creatures like that have the ability to do that." He didn't know if this one had an exact name, but he knew the type. They preyed on people when they were most vulnerable, and used the Force to probe their minds for their fears and doubts. That one seemed to have been imprisoned, but Malou had freed it by breaking the circle. Which was to be expected from someone who is drunk.

He took his cloak when she offered it, wrapping it around his shoulders. His skin had turned cold from the breeze and drop in temperature but he didn't say anything. He cared more that she stay warm, and it hadn't even been that bad.

"I like to think I do." They entered the elevator and then the castle, Veles just following her wherever she went.

"Of course I'll help you." He frowned jokingly. "Why would you owe me anything?" His mind raced, but he couldn't imagine what she thought she owed him. Malou clearly seemed embarrassed to ask, and it was actually kind of endearing. If anything, he owed her for all the times she's helped him out with something or other.

Wandering through the forest at night while crossed had likely not been the best idea, and it seemed Veles had a knack for getting fucked up and taking things overboard. He was actually quite afraid that he'd do something that crosses the line very soon and have no way to solve things. Some might call it premonition, but he knew that the Force was speaking to him.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"I- never mind." She didn't want to explain to him why she felt like she owed him something, but she couldn't exactly place it herself. There were several reasons, including him saving her ass about an hour ago, and just showing up here at the start of the night. Malou didn't ask him to show up. He just did, and it meant more to her than she could admit. "How are you feeling?"

Malou was partially asking to get a feel of whether he was too drunk to continue, and partially to see if he had anything to say about what had just transpired. Her mind was itching and racing to get back to her study and get to the bottom of what she'd just witnessed, but she wouldn't push him past his limits. She was physically and mentally exhausted, but she felt fine pushing herself past hers. It was better than going off to sleep and waking up with the aching feeling of grief again. The headache she could feel coming on wasn't going to be helpful though.

Assuming he didn't declare his intention to leave, Malou would eventually walk the both of them back over to her study from before. It appeared just how they left it earlier, but this time she would make her way over to the desk rather than the couch. He would probably notice now, if he had not before, that a pair of thick-lens glasses had been shoved against the back of the desk with various other bits and bobbles. Her hand extended out to grab it, but she changed her mind last second and let it fall back to her side.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

"Me?" he asked, a bit perplexed. She'd just gotten possessed by a mysterious entity and she was asking him how he felt? "I'm... fine. But how do you feel?"

The entire endeavor had sobered him up somewhat, as had the cold outside. He was already thinking about getting some more alcohol in the corner of his mind, but he didn't mention it, because it seemed they were going to get down to business. Besides, he basically never slept, pushing himself to the point of exhaustion and just passing out for a few hours sometimes. It wasn't the healthiest lifestyle, but he had so much to do that he had to work during sleeping hours.

As they entered the study and he flicked the lightswitch, his eyes adjusted, looking over the room that was there the way they'd left it. Malou headed for the desk, and he went for the bookshelf, scanning the titles while slowly walking along its length. He'd spotted the glasses, and a thought flashed through his mind for a moment, but he focused on the books instead. Why would she need glasses if she's blind? They had probably belonged to her late master.

After a few moments, he grabbed a book and tugged it off the shelf by its spine, then another and another. Setting them on a table near Malou's desk, he cracked open a massive tome titled "CREATURES OF THE DARK ARTS," dust sparking up as its pages were opened for the first time in a while. His eyes scanned the text, flipping the pages. He had a general idea of the layout of the book and had no need for the glossary, because he'd read it before. He just needed to recall which page it was at.

"The isruzqûs," he spoke up at last, reading aloud. "Are creatures of darkness that seek to possess their host by capitalizing on the victim's innermost fears, desires, doubts, and insecurities. They possess the ability to use the Force and are formidable psychological opponents, overwhelming those who are of weak will and proving to be a challenge to those who don't."

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

It was probably odd to ask about him and avoid talking about herself, but this sort of thing was a defense mechanism Malou just couldn't shake herself of. She had too many conflicting emotions, and all that combined on top of the grief she felt underneath for the loss of her master meant she just wasn't going to process any of them at the moment. Thus, "Fine," was her answer. A short and simple word infamous for being untrue.

With the glasses disregarded, Malou glided over to the shelves upon shelves of books in search of anything related to the situation. Veles found one before she did, though she kept looking as she listened to him read off a short description. "Isruzqûs?" she repeated, toying with the foreign pronunciation under her breath. Between mentions of possession, capitalization on emotions, and being able to use the Force, it sounded pretty close to what they'd encountered. The description didn't explain where it had come from or how it'd gotten into Serenno's forests though. That almost bothered her more than anything. It had seen her memories, and hers its, but they were so fuzzy and broken that it had almost been as if the creature teleported to Serenno.

"Are they created, born, or transformed into that?" Malou would ask after a few long seconds of thought. Her fingers continued to trace across the spines of the books she passed by. They stopped on a particularly thin book entitled "The Cult of Envy." This book was one of the few records of Darth Senteur's following, the namesake of which the book was titled. Malou had read through it before, and from what she remembered, the cult believe they could gain strength through the Force from jealousy and taking from others. It sounded completely ridiculous to her, but cults often made sense only to those within.

If she remembered correctly, the cult had messed around with sorcery that sounded suspiciously familiar to what Veles read off. Whether they were connected depended on what his response was.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

She felt fine, which was exactly what he thought she was gonna say. Still, Veles said nothing, not wanting to push further. It wasn't the proper time or place, and even then, he doubted forcing her to talk about her feelings was going to help. Mourning was a process that only the one grieving could undertake, alone. The best he could do was be there for her, even if she'd never ask for help.

His eyes scanned the pages as she echoed the word, butchering the pronunciation and earning an amused grin from Veles. He'd pronounced it exactly the same the first time.

"They just come into existence." He closed the book and grabbed another. "In places of great darkness, it's not uncommon for the energy to manifest in the form of dark creatures taking shape." It may seem confusing at first, but Veles knew exactly what that entailed.

Malou's grief had left a dark stain in the Force over the forest, and other factors put together had resulted in this small pocket forming, similar to a nexus but merely temporary. They would need to vanquish it by confronting it head-on, which was going to be difficult. It would likely be similar to Dagobah, except this time the illusions could only get worse. Now came an important decision: tell her the truth or make something up? She would definitely want the truth, because it was part of a Sith to confront any conflict head-on without hesitation.

"This one specifically..." He thought for a moment, gathering his words. "Came together, born from the dark side and freed onto this forest because it's where the darkness hangs. I... uh... think it was here for you." He had no idea how she'd take that, though he knew Malou would probably keep her steely-gazed composition. "It was weak and had no body, so it sought out to possess the most powerful body it could. It spawned from a pocket of the dark side so steeped in it that it's like a black hole. You've seen what it did to the trees." He closed the book and grabbed the ones he'd brought, putting them neatly back on the shelf, then turning to face Malou, now right in front of her.

"We'll need to vanquish the nexus."

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Okay, so these things are unrelated. Malou couldn’t help but feel just a little disappointed, even if the cult’s lack of involvement was nothing short of a good thing. The Consiluil de Sapte was her little token of history; anything to do with it was good news in her eyes, even if it was creepy as hell. Everything she learned about them was just so incredibly fascinating.

Alas, not today. Here for me? At least she was still getting her “creepy as hell” vibe from whatever this thing was. Malou pinched the bridge of her nose through her blindfold, only letting her hand fall once Veles finished explaining the situation. Was that the nexus, the circle? Why was it specifically here for her of all people? There were many force users on Serenno, and many were greatly above her level. Who was to say it wasn’t here for Artorgias, and just decided to move onto his apprentice now that he wasn’t an option?

”...and how do we do that?” she asked softly, semi-dreading the answer as her other hand dropped from the spine of the book she’d been about to pull from the shelf. ”And why me? There have got to be better…better hosts than me just on Serenno alone.”

 

[Veles]

The thing about alchemy and sorcery and the dark side in general is that no matter how well-versed and educated one is, no matter how powerful they grow, there will still remain things that remain elusive. Sith could make mistakes too, or poor estimates and guesses. It was a normal part of life.

So it was entirely likely that Veles was wrong. That was also one of the more daunting aspects of the dark side--you may think you know exactly what you are getting into, only to be sorely mistaken and taken by surprise in the worst ways. Without getting a good look at the very center of the spot, or analyzing the creature, it would be very difficult to figure out what it was that had attacked them. Yes, the dark side locus was palpable--that was a given. The reasons behind its creation, however, were largely unknown. Hell, it could have been made by Caelestis for all they knew.

He thought for a bit, trying to organize his thoughts into words and the words into sentences. "To vanquish it, we need to seek it out and conquer it. Like Dagobah. Why it seemed to target you specifically, I do not know. Maybe I'm wrong and we'll run into the reincarnation of Darth Tyranus." That would be awful. It was the last thing he wanted to fight.

Veles threw himself onto the couch, his head laying on the rest and arms at his sides. He was so tired. Though he'd sobered up, that simply meant that a wave of exhaustion hit him all at once, and he was in no shape to go take on dark side nexuses tonight. Malou likely wasn't either, however wired up the possession had made her.

"Tomorrow," he exhaled, his eyes darting down from the ceiling to gaze at her. "It won't be going anywhere."

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"Great." Malou was so tired of letting things in her head, but yet again that's what she was going to have to do. Despite her dislike for it though, she felt a strike of determination run through her. She really was down to go-go-go, but Veles' declaration of the need to rest caused her to pause for a moment. Tomorrow? A wave of exhaustion crashed into herm and she began to fight the urge to yawn. Man... Of course thinking about being tired would make her tired. She didn't want rest!

The Miralukan spun around to look back at the contents on her desk, shifting papers around, organizing them like it would organize her thoughts too. It didn't much help, because between the aftereffects of alcohol, having her mind forcibly invaded and taken over, and grief, there was too much going on. It was too much one on top of the other. Maybe she did need rest.

"Tomorrow..." Technically, it was already tomorrow, but she knew what he meant. Her head fell back over her shoulder until it looked up at the ceiling, and a sigh fell from her lips. "Alright..." She looked over to him, laying somewhat crumpled on the couch. That wouldn't do.

"Do you want to get a room?" she answered casually, fighting a yawn as she did so. "I can show you to one of the guest rooms if you want."

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

Malou most certainly did need some rest, and Veles knew that she'd regret every minute she spends not sleeping when she wakes up in the morning feeling like her head is splitting open. Thankfully, he knew how to use shadow magick, and could use it to heal hangovers—a Lordly use of his power indeed.

Veles yawned and stretched his shoulders as he heard Malou shuffle around the papers on her desk, turning to look at her from his position on the couch. His thoughts flicked back to the forest, to the rings and the moment she’d taken off her blindfold. He had always wondered what she’d look like without it, but had never thought he’d get to see. If she hadn’t been possessed, he probably wouldn’t have. Veles was glad he did, because your perception of someone can change entirely once you see their eyes. Has his perception of her changed in any meaningful way? Not really. She’s definitely cute though.

At long last, the excitement of the night seemed to catch up with her, Malou slowly deflating, her energy seeping away as she realized what time it was. She didn’t seem like she wanted to throw in the towel, but also couldn’t carry on weary as she was, so after a brief moment of consideration, she reluctantly agreed. Then she asked if he wanted to get a room, and the Sith Lord’s breath was knocked out of his lungs. Surely, she didn’t mean what he thought she did, no? And yet, the only context in which he’d heard that exact sentence was very specific. Was she a mind reader?

”Absolu—” he began, only to be interrupted. ”Oh—yes, of course.”

Haha, idiot. Maybe he was still a little drunk, and maybe that, mingling with how tired he was, was making him delirious. He’d better go to sleep before he dug himself into any holes. So he stood from the couch, scratching his chin as he waited for her to lead the way.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"Okay, I'll get you a room," she nodded, unaware that her sleepy choice of words caused a bit of miscommunication for a moment. Malou was too sleepy to spend time wondering why he'd sounded so enthusiastic for a second. "Follow me."

There were many nice things about her Sight, but not being about to see color changed the way she saw the world. The only time she removed her blindfold was to sleep, and she put it back on as soon as she dressed in the morning. Color was so beautiful, but she could only see so much of it. Past her arm's length, they blended together into formless shapes. Often she wondered what people she knew looked like in color. For most people, she didn't care, but for those she had grown close to? Malou was pretty sure Veles had mentioned having tattoos on his face, but she had no idea what they looked like. For her to know, she'd have to remove her blindfold and be close enough to him to look. The idea of him seeing her face up that close made her nervous, but not so much to dispel the curiosity. The Serennian thought he had a nice face—as she'd so awkwardly said earlier—and she liked the way his long hair framed it. White hair. He'd told her he had white hair.

It only took them about three minutes of walking to reach a long, carpeted hallway. Malou stopped at the third door down and opened it for Veles to enter. The room was decently sized with a large bed placed against the wall in the center of the room. A dresser and a large mirror set across from it, and there was a door in the back corner leading to a small full bathroom. The palette of the room was dark woods and warm, red and oranges hues. It was stocked with the basics—towels and soaps if he wanted to shower, and one of the nightstand drawers had a few bottles of water in it.

"Is this alright?" she asked, yet again fighting a yawn. After he walked in, she would stand awkwardly in the doorway as if there was something more she wanted to say. She bit the inside of her cheek, thinking for a moment, but said nothing about it.

"My room is the first at the end of the hall if you need anything," she said as she turned to leave. "Goodnight."

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

It was a surprisingly long walk, mostly because the castle was so damn massive. Only when inside could one actually appreciate its sprawling size, rooms upon rooms all connected by corridors, some dug into the stone itself. The halls were dark and cavernous, and in this hour of the night, everything was completely silent, so he could hear their padded steps as they walked over the long carpets. Malou said nothing as they strolled, and he didn’t know what to say, so he remained quiet. Veles’ gaze darted to the Miralukan next to him every once in a while through the Force, since he wouldn’t see in the darkness regardless.

After a good few minutes of walking, she stopped in front of a door and opened it, so Veles followed her inside, the door shutting behind them. He turned the light on and took in the room, scanning the dark furniture that was complimented so well by the colors of the Empire. It reminded him of the late Councilor, who’d likely paid great attention to the castle. He hadn’t gotten to know Caelestis well, but he had a hunch that the man liked aesthetics as much as he did. Or maybe he didn’t, and Veles was just making stupid assumptions because his mind was still racing despite his tired body.

”This looks lovely,” he agreed, gazing at the room and back to her, then nodding. ”Thank you, Malou.”

For a moment, they stood there in silence, staring at one another. He noticed her open her mouth to say something, which was ironic because he, too, could feel the words on his tongue that simply refused to come out, and then she turned away and wished him good night.

”Goodnight,” he said softly with a smile as the door closed behind her.

---

The next morning, as predicted, he woke up with a head-splitting hangover, his body completely devoid of any healthy liquids. Veles thanked the Force and Malou as he opened his eyes and immediately reached out his arm to grab one of the bottles on the nightstand, chugging the entire thing in one go and moving on to the next. After two bottles and a half, he was finally not feeling thirsty anymore, and he turned his attention to the room.

His shirt lay in a heap in the middle of the room, his boots right next to the door, but nothing was different other than that. Veles tried to think back to the previous night and vaguely remembered being too tired and drunk to bother with folding his shirt, so he’d just thrown it off once he was in bed. A classic every time he was drunk.

The Sith Lord tugged the blanket off and slid out of bed, his bare feet padding across the dark wood as he went to retrieve it. He’d left his things on his ship, because he hadn’t expected the night to go the way it did, but that was fine. The only thing he wished he’d brought had been his perfume and other toiletries, but he supposed that was fine. There was shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom anyway.

He took a half hour shower and got out feeling much fresher, his hair hanging limply and slapping against his back as he walked out of the bathroom, rubbing his torso with a towel. He hung it up over the door to dry and then weighed his options.

Veles wasn’t keen on prowling through the castle alone, and he wasn’t sure if Malou had woken up yet. It was only 0732, so he guessed she was probably sleeping the alcohol off and he’d hate to bother her. The Sith Lord walked slowly to the window, his head pounding, and opened it. He took a seat on the windowsill and took out his pack of cigarettes, finding with surprise that he had a single one left. He really did burn through cigarettes like a Sector Ranger when he was drunk.

With a sigh, Veles put it between his lips and lit it, turning his gaze to the lush forest below. His mind thought back to the rings and to the creature. Today was the day to head back in, and he wasn't quite sure what to expect.

He took a long drag. If Malou didn't wake up in the next hour, he’d probably have to go to the shuttle for another pack.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou say goodnight to Veles, then made her way down the hallway to her room. She felt a wave of relief pass over her as she passed the threshold, knowing that she could finally relax. The day's (or rather, the night's) events weighed heavy on her, and her feet guided her over to the bathroom as her hands undid the blindfold over her face. The woman turned on the shower, then stood under the hot water for a good while. It wasn't often that Malou took long showers, but she stood there for at least half an hour before she got out. Her mind was racing, replaying the night's events scene by scene.

I'm glad he came, she thought to herself as she finally exited the shower. I guess I didn't expect him to stay the night. Malou pulled on a nightgown and made her way out of the bathroom, but came to a dead stop after a few steps. Oh. The color drained from her face, then was violently overtaken by a dark red hue. Her words from earlier, "do you want to get a room?", echoed in her mind as her skin deepened in color. You idiot!

She collapsed into her bed and welcomed its comforting embrace. I wonder if he even noticed? Considering his response, interrupting himself to say "oh, of course," Malou was pretty sure he had. A groan escaped her throat—embarrassment—as she flipped over onto her stomach to shove her face into her pillow. I mean, if he did— Before she could finish the thought, she quickly reprimanded herself for it. Veles was a Sith Lord. She was probably misinterpreting his words. He was just being friendly. Not that she would mind if they were to— She needed sleep.

~~~~~​

She definitely slept in a little bit, but the Miralukan woke up much earlier than she had been. It'd been a while since Malou had seen the full brightness of the sun. Her eyes squinted at the window, then just squeezed shut. The world was unblurred and fell out of color, and she began her morning routine.

After getting ready, she made her way down to where she'd left Veles for the night and knocked thrice on his door. She would wait quietly for him to answer, after which she would greet him with a smile. "Good morning." The Miralukan would step back so she no longer blocked the doorway. "Are you ready?" If it wasn't obvious, she was still itching to get back out there and confront whatever that thing was.

tag: @vamp