Bound in Blood

[Retroboy]

"Don't talk like that," Apophe chided. "Anybody would be lucky to have you. Yeah, whatever, you like the Church a lot. But you're smart and you're sweet and hey, you have the Royal looks."" Apophe gave Arsolyn a hip bump. "So don't sell yourself short. You'll find somebody."

She wanted Arsolyn to be happy, above anything else. They had their differences, but Apophe had never really gotten over how protective she was of her little cousin like she was in childhood. There may have been a distance but there was never any love lost between them. After all, no matter what, Arsolyn was still family.

Her eyes surveyed the two lines, and she deliberated. Ultimately, however, she couldn't turn the politician in her off. Much as she wanted to just sit alone with her cousin, she realized it would be much, much better to sit amongst the slaves and workers than to separate themselves from them. It added a touch of humanity to themselves as masters and would maybe ingratiate them to the people they had captured.

"Let's sit with them," Apophe said. "Maybe some might even try'n talk with us."

 

[Vinn Esper]

Arsolyn hadn't been expecting the hip bump and as a result was forced to take a few steps away and also emit a surprised squee, which she almost immediately silenced. It was enough that the slaves and their counterparts stopped eating to stare in their direction. Arsolyn felt awkward with all eyes in the vicinity on her and Apophe. A brief moment of silence managed to seem as a long pause, but then Arsolyn started laughing at herself again.

The people who already had food went back to eating and Arsolyn sat at the table next to her cousin. It wasn't long before a Yahm dressed in chef attire approached from the other side of the table. "Queen Apophe," he said, "it is an honor to have you join us this evening." As he finished his statement he bowed low and some murmurs as well as the word Queen could be heard from the slaves.

"Priestess MehYahm," the Yahm chef continued, "I see you have chosen to eat this evening. This is pleasing to me as I have not seen you take a meal for some days." The Yahm chef spoke true, Arsolyn hadn't eaten in a few days. In between all the work she was doing, she hadn't bothered to make time to eat.

"I am grateful for your concern, Head Chef Vitau," Arsolyn responded. Her statement was true, but the fact that she hadn't been eating wasn't a fact she was eager for Apophe to learn. Her cousin had a tendency to be over protective. It was often endearing, but her lack of eating wasn't something she had wanted to answer for.

Arsolyn figured it was too late to escape that conversation, but she tried anyways, "what is on the menu tonight, Vitau."

"Ah yes," the Head Chef responded, "tonight we have the Gooberduck with a light red berry sauce that is mostly tart but also slightly sweet. It compliments the meat very well. It is served with mashed potatoes and gravy as well as carrots and celery stalks. Of course, each ingredient is freshly gathered from this planet. Each of your dinners are being prepared and will be sent out as soon as they are ready." The Head Chef bowed again and began to return to the kitchen.

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe raised a cool eyebrow at the mention that Arsolyn wasn't eating, but decided to table the discussion until the chef had left. She was all polite smiles with him, assuring him that the food sounded very good indeed. However, her gaze kept shifting back to Arsolyn. The damned workaholic. She was going to run herself into the grave like that.

Finally, once the chef left, Apophe looked over at Arsolyn again.

"You're going to start eating again, Lynnie," Apophe said in a tone low enough that others wouldn't hear. "I don't care if I have to like, spoonfeed you like you're a little kid. I'll totally do it."

There was a mild hint of warning in her voice, but the concern was more clear. She wondered if there were other things at play here. Arsolyn clearly had the same family issues with insecurity that seemed to run throughout the Yahm royalty. Could she have manifested an eating disorder? She was very concerned about image... No, that didn't sound right, did it? Arsolyn couldn't be starving herself intentionally. More likely she was probably just not thinking about it. That made more sense.

She put her hand on her shoulder.

"Are you doing okay?"

 

[Vinn Esper]

"I'd choke to death on the spoon," Arsolyn joked in response to Apophe's threat. It was a thinly veiled attempt to dodge the subject. Arsolyn knew she wasn't going to get away with it.

"Yes, I am okay" she said, "It's just there's so much work to be done, and I haven't been thinking about it. I haven't really been hungry. I just keep feeling like this has to get done, and it's the most important thing I will accomplish."

Some of the slaves were staring in their direction between bites. They were clearly curious about Apophe, but didn't want to be caught staring. Maybe, they thought they'd get in trouble. Finally, one of them got brave, "so you're the boss," he said. "I somehow expected someone... smaller."

The Overseer started to get up but Arsolyn said in a firm tone, "Stop." Apophe had mentioned the slaves might talk to them. Now they did. Apophe was capable of speaking for herself and probably wouldn't have wanted to dissuade the other slaves from speaking.

 

[Retroboy]

"Achievements ain't worth nothing if you're not alive to see'em," Apophe said. "You gotta eat. I mean it."

Apophe wagged a finger in Arsolyn's face, but she did so half-jokingly. When the slave began to speak to her, her gaze shifted over to them. Ah, her size. It did often come back to that, didn't it? She couldn't really blame people for being interested, she was abnormally large for a woman. Heck, for a human in general. There were few humans alive who could even hope to come close to her size or strength.

She decided she was going to be playful about it.

"Yeah, well, I drank a lotta bantha milk," Apophe said with a grin. "Grew up big and strong."

She flexed, although it wasn't like her cybernetics were going to show any sign of muscle.

 

[Vinn Esper]

Arsolyn waited until Apophe had given her retort to the slave that had addressed her. None of the slaves immediately responded. "What you said about accomplishments is true, but it's not a valid argument. This accomplishment is not for me, but for all of the Yahm and any outsider who has the wisdom to embrace the Church."

"Your church is a sham," one of the slaves shouted. Arsolyn's face grew red with anger, but she remained silent for a moment trying to collect her thoughts and respond as eloquently as Apophe had. Arsolyn wasn't Apophe though.

"You see all the Yahm who are around you everyday," she asked the slave that had spoken. "Those that oversee you? Those that act as guards for your groups? All of them believe in my church. In all the species I've dealt with, I've found that religious beliefs tend to be some of the most rigorously and hastily defended beliefs. Do you think it wise for someone who is in your position to degrade the beliefs of the beings responsible for your well being? I can't be around you to ensure your safety all the time."

Arsolyn turned back to Apophe, "as I was saying, this accomplishment is not for me. That being said, I do need to remain alive to see it through. If I died now there would be no one to lead. I promise to do better with eating."

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe's eyes narrowed. Clearly, the slaves were trying to get a rise out of Arsolyn, although she couldn't understand why. She heard Arsolyn talk to her about promising to eat, but her protectiveness kicked in. She stalked over to the offending person, standing at her full height. She put her foot down in front of him, on the table, letting him get a good look of leg but also a good view of just how much bigger she was.

"Hello, precious," Apophe cooed. "You think yer funny? Got some catty little comments for my cousin?"

She leaned in. "I can fix that," she said, her breath hot on his face. She made sure to show off her pointed canines as she smiled at him.

The cooks suddenly came out with the food. When they were going to place something for the slave, Apophe instead took the tray and dumped it out onto the ground. The slave protested, but she simply smiled at him.

"You eat off the floor now," she said. "Got it?" He protested again. She pulled him out of his seat and then dropped him, face first into the food. He struggled, and she kneeled to look at him. "No, no, no, eat your dinner." The slave looked back at her with defiance in his eyes, but something in the look Apophe gave him made him stop. He went to scoop them up, but she stopped him. "With your mouth, like an animal." She shoved him down. He complied, beginning to sob.

Apophe rose, looking at the slaves. "I sat with you all because I wanted to be nice," she said. "And I will be nice. As long as you're nice to me and my family. But be rude, make me mad? I'm going to break you. I don't need a torture device or anything like that either. I'm very creative."

She then sauntered back, sitting next to Arsolyn. "Sorry about that!" Apophe said cheerily.

 

[Vinn Esper]

Arsolyn watched Apophe punish the slave that had insulted her with an amused look on her face. Apophe had such a way with intimidation. Arsolyn being the slim and unimposing twig that she was, had always envied her cousin for the ease in which she was able to inspire others to follow her wishes. Arsolyn couldn't have made that work.

Instead, she was forced to be more ruthless then most people. In order to intimidate people, Arsolyn had to make them understand that she could end their lives in one second and go to sleep in the next. She had been successful in making people believe just that many times. Perhaps, even her cousins thought that about her, but it wasn't the truth. There were many nights when Arsolyn saw the faces of the people she'd killed in her dreams.

She never regretted killing anyone whom she had killed. As ferocious as Arsolyn was, she had never taken a life unless a justifiable reason existed and no other course of action could acceptably solve the problem that killing would solve. Her religion, to the outsider, and to the common Yahm seemed to glorify pain and death. To those who truly understood, the religion glorified being able to withstand pain, and embrace death for your cause. It glorified resilience and resolve to serve for the good of your people.

Arsolyn had been lost in her thoughts and hadn't even noticed the food being placed in front of her. It was only Apophe's cheerful apology that brought her back to the here and now. "Oh it's quite alright," she said with an equal level of cheer. Then she increased the volume of her voice, ensuring each of the slaves would hear what she said next. "I appreciate you dealing with that in the manner that you did. In doing so, you may have spared his life. Of course, that will be up to him. Whether or not he chooses to learn the lesson here will determine whether he lives or dies."

Arsolyn picked up the silverware that had been sent with her tray. The cooks were well aware that she always maintained her image. Even though the slaves and other Yahm didn't bother to use eating utensils unless it was necessary, Arsolyn always did. It wasn't a chip on her whenever or such nonsense like that. Proper etiquette was something that was hardwired into Arsolyn. It was part of who she was.

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe began to shovel food into her mouth, occasionally taking a moment to drink. In traditional Yahm style, she offered her cousin to drink from the same over-sized glass. It was something of a trust-building thing among the Yahm. The tradition started as a way to ensure that if someone tried to poison the drink, the person most likely to do it had to drink from the same cup. However, over time the tradition mutated into a family exercise. Close friends, family and lovers drank from the same cup to emphasize they were of the same lineage and show how much they trusted one another. That, and most of the time the Yahm didn't really ever think about it. It was just something that they did and had always done.

"So," Apophe said. "I've decided I wanna share your cabin." Apophe said between mouthfuls. She wiped her claws off on a rag provided to her.

The decision was simple. If she had to sleep on the floor or share a bed, Apophe really didn't mind. The idea reminded Apophe of the "sleepovers" the two had aboard the Fang, and she liked the idea of reliving that a little bit. Besides, it gave her the chance to nag Arsolyn about eating more. Poor girl was thin as a rail and Apophe needed to make sure she bulked up. The royal family tended towards the bigger, hippier side so Arsolyn was something of an anomaly, at least among the women.

"Work for you?"

 

[Vinn Esper]

"Of course that's okay with me," Arsolyn responded as she finished chewing the bite that was currently in her mouth. The food was delicious, as the chef had promised it would be. As Arsolyn continued to eat, she began to realize how hungry she really was. So, the speed with which she ate increased. She took another pause, "you're welcome to the bed. I've been sleeping on the couch recently anyways."

Arsolyn returned to attacking her food with her silverware. "This is so good," she said with a mouthful, momentarily forgetting her usually impeccable manners. As Arsolyn continued to eat, she realized she was getting tired. It was going to be another early morning.

The slaves were beginning to be marched away as Arsolyn finished her food. She felt like she might explode if she ate another bite, but still glanced back towards the kitchen, wanting more. Instead, she laid her head on the table. "I think I'm suffering from a food coma," she said to Apophe.

A few minutes later she looked up. The head chef approached the table and began to speak, "ladies, I hope the meal is satisfactory. I am about to close the kitchen unless either of you would like more food." Arsolyn looked at Apophe. She was too full to take more food, but Apophe might not be.

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe giggled as Arsolyn laid her head down on the table. It was good to see that her cousin still had her appetite after all. The idea that she might not be eating out of some sort of disorder disappeared from her mind, and she relaxed with the notion that yes, Arsolyn really was just skipping meals because she was a workaholic. Not much better, but at least workable.

"No, I think I'm good," Apophe said, wiping her face clean with the rag.

She smiled broadly at Arsolyn. "Looks like you need your beauty sleep," Apophe said. "You wanna go to bed?"

 

[Vinn Esper]

"Yes I do," Arsolyn said as she picked her head up off the table. She frowned and finished her statement with a melancholy tone that was only partially faked, "after the perimeter walk." Arsolyn began to get up from the table slowly.

"It's good for your digestion," she said persuasively. She wasn't trying to persuade Apophe as much as she was trying to persuade herself. Although, Arsolyn knew her resistance was feigned. There was absolutely no way she would retire before completing her duties.

She didn't want to force Apophe to follow her. "I should only be about ten or twenty minutes. If you want to go ahead and wait for me at the cabin, that's okay. I don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but I have been sleeping on the couch lately, so you're free to take the bed."

Arsolyn turned to head for the front gate of the compound. At first she moved slowly, laboured by a full stomach. As she continued to make her way to the gate she was able to increase her pace to its normal speed. Once there, Arsolyn proceeded to make headway around the ten acre church site. Everything seemed to be in order. It was getting cold outside, so Arsolyn finished her walk and returned to her cabin.

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe decided to join her cousin for the walk around the perimeter, joining her in silence. She saw no reason to talk while her belly was full, instead just wanting to take in the noises of the area. She smiled serenely to herself, that unpleasantness with the slave from earlier entirely banished from her mind. She kept close to her cousin, occasionally throwing an arm around her and bringing her in close. She didn't know why she was so physically affectionate that day.

She followed her cousin back to her cabin, smiling at her as she did so. She had been through a lot today as well, and she could feel herself getting tired too.

"You know, you don't hafta use the couch," Apophe said. "I don't mind sharing if you don't."

 

[Vinn Esper]

"I don't mind sharing with you cousin, but I'm not quite ready to go to bed just yet," Arsolyn responded as she walked over to the books that had been left on the floor as a result of the argument earlier. She began to stack them onto the table in front of the couch, rapidly.

She paused when she picked up a book entitled "Understanding and Communicating with Your Inner Self." She turned it over in her hands a few times and set it down on the coffee. She turned to look at her cousin thoughtfully for a second.

She looked down and back up, indecisive about saying something. Arsolyn went to the couch and sat down, leaving about half the books still piled on the floor. She looked up at Apophe, then immediately off to the side as if she had been about to say something but then rethought it.

Finally she turned back and changed the subject, which is what she intended to do the whole time. "When you were first deciding whether or not to become involved in a relationship, was there a time when you felt conflicted because you wanted too, but some of your emotions and thoughts indicated that a part of you was against the idea?"

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe stared at her cousin for a moment, confused. Then, she looked her cousin over. Did Arsolyn have someone in mind? Why was she asking her this?

"Uhhh, well," Apophe said. "I was worried with Amelia I wouldn't be able to give her enough attention, and maybe I wasn't ready to do things monogamously, you know? I've never... saved myself for everyone. Every relationship I've ever had was open, so... Amelia was a change. I didn't know if I could do it." she said.

She shrugged.

"Why're you asking? You have someone in mind?"

 

[Vinn Esper]

"I don't think they look at me," Arsolyn replied being very vague. Even if they did, they aren't Yahm or a force user to the best of my knowledge. If I had a kid that couldn't access the force that would be a disaster."

"We haven't really spent very much time together. He's very smart and his personality goes well with mine. We are very different, though. I don't even know if we'd connect well." she said.

"I feel like I'm stuck with an impossible decision. Despite the problems he could indirectly cause for the church, he could also help it in a lot of ways," Arsolyn continued, "despite the fact that we get along in our own way, I don't think he notices me and I can't say we'd even mesh well for more than a brief period."

"look at me," Arsolyn said changing her tone, "talking about the church again. It matters to me though. It's the only thing that's always been there for me no matter what."

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe smiled, wandering over to her cousin and then hugging her. "Look, Lynnie," she said. "If you do end up with this guy, and you do end up having kids, if the first one isn't Force-sensitive then what stops you from trying again?"

She pulled back. "And besides, you won't know if the guy is interested if you if you don't ask," she said. "You're a sweetheart, you're pretty, you're smart... Any guy would be lucky to have you and if whoever it is you're after can't see that, then they're a lunatic. Yeah and with the church, sometimes you have to look out for your own happiness instead. You're allowed to have a private life sometimes, where you do what makes you happy."

She looked down at Arsolyn. "Okay?" she said. "And who is this guy, anyway? Is he a stud?"

 

[Vinn Esper]

Arsolyn looked down at her knees and was silent for a moment. She thought through each question as her cousin asked. I don't want to be reduced to a baby machine, she thought. She decided not to say that.

"It's kind of complicated," Arsolyn said picking her head up to face Apophe as she spoke. "If I ask and he doesn't, it could make things awkward." She did not immediately supply any further explanation.

Arsolyn wasn't sure how to feel about Apophe's compliments. She had heard them often tonight, and she wasn't sure why Apophe saw her this way. She lowered her head again but then quickly looked back up at Apophe when she looked up.

Apophe turned her head to the side, and got a flash of irritation with herself. She had not even wanted to admit to the feelings yesterday. Now, she was validating them. Apophe wanted to know who it was.

Arsolyn turned to Apophe and said with great sencerity, "It is Rokuro." Of course that was untrue, but she wanted to see if she could pull it off. She met Apophe's eyes and went to her "preacher face" which was the face she used in her sermons. She felt it conveyed belief in one's own statements.

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe stared at Arsolyn for a moment, and then rolled her eyes. "Right, well, if you don't wanna tell me, I guess I can't make you."

She sighed, flopping on the bed. Whoever it was, Arsolyn seemed hesitant to tell her who she was interested in. Was she embarassed? Was it the Gunner? Was it one of Eris' boys? Oo, the scandal on that. She ran through her mental rolodex of likely men, but none of them seemed like her cousin's 'type'. She imagined she'd find out eventually.

She stretched on the bed, scooching over so Arsolyn could join when she was ready. She looked over at her cousin again, smiled. Even if Arsolyn didn't tell her, Apophe was happy that she had at least found someone to occupy her attention. If they broke her heart, she could break their leg. But, she really did believe that it was unlikely anyone could pass Arsolyn up.

She laid her head down on the pillow, looking up at the ceiling. She wasn't aware how tired she had become until just now. She yawned softly.

 

[Vinn Esper]

Arsolyn got up and started to walk over to the bed. She lie down next to her cousin and was quite comfortable. "It's Markus," she said quietly as she closed her eyes.

Arsolyn was pretty tired too. Breakfast was going to be in six short hours and Arsolyn wanted to get as much sleep as she could. She had a feeling that tomorrow would be a long day.

Arsolyn cuddled into her cousin who was well known to be a giant pillow. Her reputation held up and Arsolyn began to relax for the first time in awhile. Soon after she drifted off to sleep.