Ask Exploring the Unexplored

[Renfry]

Renfry smirked coyly as he grinned and accused her of simply saying what he wanted to hear. It was exactly what she was doing, but it wasn't untrue.

Maaaaaybe, she said.

What she didn't expect was what he said next, and yet, it didn't sound so bad. In fact it sounded better than "not bad." It sounded like a blast. He knew her well enough to know that she was hardly an opponent to "spur of the moment" and her impulse control was really only something she had developed out of necessity when she grew older and came into power.

Deal! she said, smiling broadly. It's probably for the best, too. It looks nice, but I'm pretty sure your tent would collapse as soon as you touched it, she said, jutting a thumb back in the direction of the tent she had set up on his behalf.

She started packing up the camp in a hurry, stuffing everything away so they could start heading out. The trip back to the lift was quick, and the dead who the pair had killed before seemed to have been cleaned up, no further signs of guards present.

You know, I don't get to do spontaneous things anymore. This is fun and I'm excited, she said, her tone sounding almost young and girlish again.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched the scene before him for a while, hearing Renfry cheer up. He didn’t have to look at her to know she was smiling. To know she was smiling in ways she never did anywhere else. He exhaled softly, his ears twitching the slightest bit as his silver gaze remained fixed ahead. Emryc didn’t look as she began to pack up the camp.

The half Sephi rose from his seat, packing up all his notes and other items. Emryc walked alongside her for a moment, hearing that familiar giddiness in her tone again. This time, the half Sephi paused, gently grasping Renfry by the wrist to make her face him.

“Renfry,” He said quietly, gazing down at her with the faint hues from the light from the level above illuminating part of his face, “You know you can do whatever you want. With whoever you want. You have the galaxy at your feet. Why do you insist on locking yourself away?” Emryc was one of the few individuals that had seen her from her days of being a wild Dathomirian. She had become far more reserved and closed off over time and he wondered if that was truly her.

 

[Renfry]

Theme​

She slipped the small vial in the "key hole" to unlock the lift, watching it begin to descend when he reached out and grabbed her wrist. She turned to look at him, not expecting him to stop and certainly not expecting what he asked her next.

She paused a moment, the joy in her eyes melting away slightly in a way that she tried to cover up. The smile she held on her face didn't fade entirely, but it was clear that for the faintest moment there was a flicker of pain that would have gone unnoticed by all but those who knew her best. It was a poker face that many would have fallen for, but he would know better.

Because I'm alone, she said.

It wasn't said out of self-pity and it wasn't something she would have brought forward of her own accord, it was simply the truth. The person she was with him: the fiery wildling girl from a backwater native tribe wasn't someone who could lead an Empire. That wasn't someone who could navigate the politics of the galaxy. Her face - her true face - was something she trusted to very few these days.

And fate had dealt her a cruel hand: the one person she truly loved was close enough to touch, but never close enough to hold. This, she didn't say. She had asked enough of him through their years together and she wouldn't do that again.

She placed a hand on his chest, looking at her hand rather than looking up into those piercing eyes that she could already see in her mind. I have to be. Maybe someday I'll put this all behind me and remember what it was like before, but... until then, I am what I have to be, she said. It was duty that bound her in many ways. He knew her well enough to know that her love of Dathomir and even her rule over it was something she saw as a sacred duty as much as anything else, and sacrifice was simply a component of her life.

Are you happy? she asked after a moment. It wasn't something she had ever really asked him before, and though the question may have seemed abrupt, it was not out of place.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc exhaled when she spoke, shaking his head, “You’re not alone,” He said quietly, feeling her hand on his chest. He didn’t need to look at her eyes to know a whirlwind of thoughts ran through her head, “You are choosing to be alone,” He paused for a moment, reflecting on his own way of life, “That only works if you genuinely enjoy solitude,” They both knew Emryc could do just fine living out the rest of his years without anyone else. For as high profile as he was, the half Sephi was a loner at his core.

“Your rule is meaningless if it’s not something you truly desire,” He shrugged vaguely, “You just as easily could have bowed before the last Eternal and maintained the status quo,” Emryc had little patience for self wallowing. He had been like that since the first time they met, and he didn’t change from that today. She had chosen every single step of the path she took and she was accountable for her own actions.

The half Sephi shrugged at her question. However, he began to start walking again, stepping onto the elevator to take them up. Happiness was subjective, and he didn’t understand the concept as well as most. He certainly had things that gave him a rush of pleasant feelings, but was that happiness?

“I hope you don’t just come to find me when you need someone to cheer you up,” He scowled at her, crossing his arms over his chest, “You have your toy Artorigas for that.”

 

[Renfry]

She knew that moping around him seldom really ever got her anywhere, so she was unsurprised at his reaction. But she didn't do it because she wanted sympathy nor did she actively bring it up. She was simply honest when asked.

Still, hearing him say she wasn't alone made her feel... somehow better.

I want to rule, but I don't think I want to rule forever, she said honestly. It was the first time she had mentioned it aloud, and she felt almost dirty for saying it. She felt like it wasn't something she was supposed to admit to, as if it were profoundly out of place for someone of her position.

Someday perhaps things will be different. Or I may change my mind, she said with a shrug, her tone flat and betraying little. She stepped onto the elevator as well and they started ascending upward until they eventually broke into the night air. It was chilly up here and the stars were totally unobscured by pollution. She felt like she could have looked up and seen clear to the other side of the galaxy.

She was still looking up when his next comment caught her off-guard.

Excuse me!? I do not have a boy-toy! she said, her mouth genuinely hanging slightly agape and her cheeks turning slightly red, something she was glad it was too dark to easily see.

You just like to get me all riled up, she said, crossing her arms across her chest in an intentional exact mirror of the way he was standing.

Come on, she said, heading off back in the direction of their ship. As she did, she pulled out her datapad, clicking a few times before holding it up for him to see. She had used a random number generator that had spat out Omereth as their next destination.

We could rent another boat. I'm 100% sure it'll be better than the last two times we were on a boat together, she said. Neither "boating" experience had been great, but the third time was definitely the charm.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc quirked a brow as he walked alongside her, “If you keep sounding wishy washy, I’m going to fling you off the next cliff I see,” He stated very curtly. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t hesitate to do just that. In fact, Renfry knew well of the fate of Ana DAmico who Emryc had tossed off a cliff, never to emerge again. She had also seen him throw Draugr over a balcony. It was actually a specialty of his by this point.

The half Sephi stared at her blankly as she flustered about a boytoy, “Then why does your face look so ridiculous? I don’t care who you’re fucking, but you clearly ought to be demanding more out of them so you’re not wallowing all the time,” He was always blunt by nature. It was one of those double edged things that made others love him or despise him. Regardless of perception, he was who he was as always.

Emryc had never heard of the planet in question, but he was open to most things. He followed her up the ramp of her ship, ducking past the doorways and hunching slightly through the corridors. While the layout was similar to his ship, the ceilings were definitely for normal sized people.

The half Sephi tilted his head to look at her, “What was wrong with the second time on the boat?” He asked, genuinely surprised that she filed it under the same disaster as the first time, “All of you showing up pulled me out of a funk I was in for months.”

 

[Renfry]

Yes, she knew that story well but still rolled her eyes at his threat. "Emryc Thorne, yeeter of women" just doesn't have a very nice ring to it, she said.

We are not... she started to truthfully object before waving her hand and shaking her head. Nevermind, just... just forget it, he said quickly. This was absolutely preposterous!

They made it back to the Ascension, far nicer than her older ship that she had used, and she headed for the cockpit.

Well I guess the second one was fine once we were on the boat. More-so the circumstances surrounding why we were dragging you out on the boat, she said with a shrug. Anyway we're going to have fun out on a boat, she said.

She told the droids flying the ship what to do next before leading Emryc - ducking through the doorways - to the guest VIP room.

You can stay in here unless you'd prefer to stay in my room, she said coyly, not even missing a beat before continuing.

The room was surprisingly spacious for a ship, but that was by design. The star yacht was created with comfort in mind as one of its primary features.

I'm going to shower, but there's a holoterminal over there. Qwent is already downloaded, she told him with a smirk.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

“Yeeter of all,” He corrected her sternly, “I hardly discriminate.”

He said nothing, staring blankly and directly at her as she fumbled over her words again. The way she dodged and skirted around the topic of Caelestis was infinitely amusing to the half Sephi. Emryc grimaced slightly as she reminded him of the circumstances of the second boat ride. He had been at a low point, one he preferred to ignore. However, it was strangely nice to have them all show up and join him on a ridiculous adventure on the waters.

The half Sephi entered the VIP room, brows raising at the quality of it. He shouldn’t have been surprised at the fancy add ons, but it gave him pause nonetheless. Emryc cast her a half grin, “Not unless your room is significantly better than this,” He walked over and plopped down on the couch. Emryc was more than a bit surprised at Qwent already being installed. He knew for a fact it was something she had zero interest in.

“Next you’re going to tell me the fridge is stocked with vegan dishes,” He muttered before turning to boot up the game.

 

[Renfry]

It's pretty much identical to this except it has me in it with significantly fewer clothes, she said deadpan and shrugged. As he headed over to the computer and booted up his Qwent game he commented on the vegan foods.

And you better eat them all because I have absolutely no use for them, she said. Her people were the polar opposite of vegan in almost every way. If he didn't eat all the carrot sticks then she almost certainly wasn't going to.

She headed back into her room, turning on the shower and hopping inside. She took only a few minutes but enjoyed the quite warm water washing over her. She was absolutely used to living in the wilds, but she couldn't deny that she'd grown accustomed to some of the nicer things in the galaxy. Warm water and a soft bed weren't the worst thing in the world.

As she finished, she came back out, robe on as she wandered over to the kitchenette to pour herself some juice.

Are you winning? she asked, knowing full-well that she would have pretty much no idea what was going on as she wandered over to look over his shoulder. Cards seemed to be damaging each other but she had to say the art certainly was nice.

Wait are those Deucalalas? she asked, pointing to one of the two factions that she was primarily familiar with from the Drast history she had studied.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was genuinely surprised she had stocked the fridge with food closer to his preference. The last time she had attempted to cook for him had been with a spicy steak. While the thought had been touching, the half Sephi ultimately struggled with it. He was briefly distracted by the thought of food and she had already disappeared into her room.

The half Sephi looked sufficiently grumpy by the time she walked out. He was intently focused on the screen, silver gaze especially frosty. When she asked her question, he simply grunted in response. Some idiot named V.Trix was making him nervous. Historically Emryc habitually defeated him, but this time he was putting up quite the fight.

Emryc remained silent at Renfry’s question, though he did look at her from her next comment, a slightly disgusted look on his face, “Deucalian,” He said as if she had just kicked his puppy. He looked back at the screen as “YOU LOSE” began to flash. Emryc sighed and leaned back into the couch.

He looked ahead after a moment, tilting his head slightly to catch sight of Renfry in her bathrobe in the distance. Emryc said nothing about it, his body angled without shame to check her out briefly before he leaned back to sit upright as if nothing happened. He focused back on the screen, switching over to see what was playing on Holo.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry suppressed a smirk as he looked deeply offended by her pronunciation. It was almost like playing qwent - or losing qwent, rather - put him in a bad mood. The gift and curse of competitive people.

She didn't fail to notice the way he looked at her, and it was exactly what she had been hoping for, of course. It was no secret how she felt about him, and watching him look at her felt nice. Of course, she was also one to up the ante at every possible opportunity.

As he turned back to the screen, she took off the robe, letting it fall back to the floor. Underneath was a nightgown that was dark green and black with more than a few translucent areas that left only a little to the imagination. He would be able to vaguely make out the shape of some very revealing black underwear beneath as well.

She said nothing until she was fully in view.

I was wondering if I might be able to distract you from the holo for a bit, she said, facing him and sliding onto the couch next to him but not quite atop him.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s gaze certainly shifted away from the Holo once he saw Renfry drop the robe. He couldn’t help but grin, tilting his head back as he ran his fingers through his hair, “You ladies are going to kill me,” He gave a low chuckle to himself, staring up at the ceiling as his fingers combed through his hair, leaving it slightly disheveled. Silver gaze returned to regard Renfry, a thoroughly amused look on his face that conveyed almost solely through his eyes.

The half Sephi felt Renfry plop down next to him, but not before he regarded her through the flimsy clothing. He could have sworn that there were new lines of tattoos there that hadn’t been there before. Emryc barely let her finish speaking before he reached over and casually moved her to sit on his lap while facing him with her legs folded on either side of his.

Emryc grinned at her, his hands lazily resting against her thighs, “Perching atop a king not satisfying enough for you?” He quipped, a visibly smug look on his face.

 

[Renfry]

She smiled coyly at his comment, watching his eyes closely as he looked at her. No matter how many times it happened, she always found that gaze exhilarating, her heart beating faster as he pulled her across and into his lap.

She shifted her hips strategically across him, looking down at him with that almost fiery glow in her eyes that seemed like it was reserved for him.

This is pretty satisfying, she said. She could help smiling, looking down at how his hair was now slightly disheveled. This was her happy place, humorous as that may have sounded.

I take it this outfit is more to your tastes than my last one, then? she asked, eyes falling down as her hands started to gently pick at his shirt, loosening some of the buttons slowly but surely.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was silent as she spoke, not missing how she once again dodged past his quip. He began to suspect that nothing actually existed between her and Caelestis, though the idea was surprising. Emryc only grinned in response to her words, feeling her beginning to undo his clothing almost coyly. She had done this many times before, and had already experienced what he had to offer. And yet something drew her back like a moth to flame every time.

“It’s never about the outfit, Renfry,” He said simply in that low, roiling baritone. His hands traveled up her legs and along her hips, gripping around her slender waist, “Maybe I just like seeing you go from being a fierce krayt dragon to a purring loth-cat just for me,” He leaned in and spoke against her jawline. But he didn’t kiss her. She knew him. She knew his boundaries. He was just as hot and cold as ever, even since she had known him from the days of being a much shorter, lankier boy with long hair.

Without warning, he rose up from where he was sitting, easily hoisting her up. He drew back to gaze at her, silvers piercing into goldens, “Well I’ve had a Drast descendant and a Queen. Let’s see what a true Empress is like,” Emryc said simply, carrying her towards her quarters.

 

[Renfry]

After only a few moments more, his shirt was open and her hand ran across his skin. He leaned in and she could feel his lips brush momentarily against her skin, the breath of his whispers carrying heat all down her jawline. She smiled, knowing his words were true and dangerous, but simply not caring. She was what she would be and she wasn't going to be ashamed of it. When she was with him, she was happy even if she could never truly have from him what she craved.

No one else can manage that with me. Don't go spreading that trick around, she said. She couldn't be having every other person draw her like a moth. She was content to limit it to him.

He rose and she was picked up like a leaf. She was tiny by comparison to him and he had no trouble carrying her away. He would be able to feel her heart pounding against her chest, no matter how many times they were together, she always wanted more.

Your Empress, she said quietly, and he would gain the impression that of the two ways that statement could be interpreted, she didn't seem to mean the one that claimed any sort of power over him, but rather the one that was far more submissive.

I've missed this, she whispered quietly against his skin, lips trailing lightly against his shoulder. Anyone else wouldn't have been able to hear it, but she was certain he would.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

---​

It was sometime later and they were on Renfry’s bed in her quarters. It had been quite some time since they had done this, but Emryc still remembered everything she liked. He had his ways of pleasing that were unique to just him, perhaps something she would always crave and seek elsewhere but never truly find. The half Sephi’s chest rose and fell, a thin line of sweat covering his scarred and muscled torso. His clothes had been discarded on the floor beside the bed, and he was lying on his back next to her.

He ran his fingers through his damp hair, tilting his head slightly to look at her, “I think I’ve earned myself at least a few weeks without you bringing up the Dark Lord position again,” He said with a grin. He lingered there only for a moment before rolling off the bed. Emryc rolled his shoulders, standing to his full height before walking over to grab a box of cigarra.

Emryc put one between his lips, but he paused for a moment. After a few seconds, he put the cigarra back in the box, tossing the entire box aside. He looked over at Renfry to regard her sprawled form, tilting his head, “After the way I conquered you, I ought to become Emperor.”

He said nothing more before casually walking towards the refresher to hop in the shower. His body language was clear as ever - he had no desire to be joined. His boundaries were the same as they had always been.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry let out a contented sigh as she lay there in the bed, closing her eyes momentarily and half-ready to simply fall asleep at this point. She knew that he wouldn't stay there in bed with her throughout the remainder of the night, and she didn't ask him to.

She smirked slightly and looked over at him, holding up three fingers. Three weeks. And I'll be counting, she said, making a motion to look at her wrist as if she were looking at a chrono that wasn't there.

She snickered at his other comment, grinning knowingly about what she was about to say. You better be careful or I'm going to hear a marriage proposal in there, she said. She knew that wasn't the case, but their unique banter never got old.

As he got into the shower, she closed her eyes a moment, simply listening to the sound of the water running and enjoying the moment. The warmth of the bed, the smell of his cologne that lingered, and the feeling of relaxation.

After a few moments more she slipped out of bed, putting her robe back on and heading to the other room to grab a small wooden box of sorts before he emerged.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc emerged only a few minutes later, a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still damp and disheveled. He walked out to find Renfry again. His cravings for a cigarra didn’t leave him entirely, but he had begun to make an active effort to quit. It was perhaps his last remaining vice in his otherwise clean and healthy lifestyle.

His silver gaze flicked over to the box in Renfry’s hands, eyeing it curiously. However, it wasn’t in his nature to ask a lot of questions. Emryc walked over to the side to open a fridge to begin looking for any veggie snacks.

 

[Renfry]

Veggie snacks indeed. As promised, he would find the fridge well-stocked with several foods that there was no chance she would touch with a ten foot pole. She stood and made her way over to one of the tables, setting the box down before grabbing a cup of juice for herself.

I got you a gift. I thought you might like it, she said, motioning toward the box. It was made of plain wood with no markings on the outside, but as soon as he opened it up, he would find a full set of handcrafted qwent cards. Though people didn't typically play physically, they were a collectors item if nothing else.

She had known all along she wanted to give it to him, but had specifically waited until after what they had just done so as to avoid the impression of any ulterior motive. The set had not been cheap, but neither had it broken her bank wide open.

She tried not to look too giddy as he opened it, sipping at her juice instead to keep herself occupied.