Ask Have Yourself a Merry Little Sithmas

[Darth Tiamat]

Taanab

It was never too difficult to find Emryc despite the paparazzi seeming to swarm him wherever he went in the galaxy. She hardly needed to use their bond to track him down; as soon as she landed on Taanab, all she needed to do was follow the talk, and the fan girls, and the holonet photos. She wasn't sure how he did it, she would absolutely dread the holo-cams and questions from reporters, but he looked good in all the pictures, as she was certain she was unflattering in any photo she had seen of herself. Finding the hotel where he was staying wasn't difficult either, there was no doubt he would have detected her presence as soon as she broke atmosphere. Though, just in case, she sent him a series of emojis that would easily translate into Stopping by for a visit, I have Life Day gifts!, though Tiamat was uncertain if he ever understood the picture messages.

Quietly she waited in the lobby with colorful and decorative boxes, knowing it could be some time before he returned. It was enough time for her to decide if this was a mistake, things had been fairly chaotic in recent months, and she had not dared showed face, but couldn't decide if it were because of the mask, her own unease, guilt, or embarrassment as to what had happened. It was entirely too conflicting for her to make any decisions as she navigated whatever this thing was that chose her. However, what was certain, she had been avoiding many since the masquerade, on purpose, until she felt comfortable enough to interact with others again.

Luckily, with Life Day fast approaching, she decided she could hold it together long enough to enjoy her favorite holiday. And with hope that she was absent long enough to avoid awkward questions and conversation. Hopefully...

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc, in fact, was not someone that texted using emojis. As a result, he stared at the sequence of emojis for a full five minutes before concluding that Tiamat wanted to slap a building with some life day stockings. He shrugged and went about his day, entirely missing that the message meant she was coming to visit his hotel with gifts. He was notoriously bad about communicating back, so most people were usually left on read. This was no different and he never clarified what the hell she meant.

Fortunately for Tiamat, she would be able to get all the information she needed about his whereabouts from all the buzz about him. The lobby began to teem with chatter as several Blackwell droids entered. Immediately, there was a crowd of people that began to gather, all of them dispersed or sent outside by security. After a moment, four more droids entered, two in front and two in back with a tall man striding in amidst them.

Emryc was dressed in a gray suit, speaking rapidly on his comlink as he made his way back towards his room. His face was set in its default stoic and he glanced down briefly at his expensive chrono while he paused for the other person on the line.

Meanwhile, one of the droids that stepped in ahead moved towards Tiamat. The droid began to tell her to get lost.

“Wait,” His familiar baritone rang out as he spotted her. Emryc said nothing more, giving a subtle nod of his chin for her to fall into step near him. His gaze returned ahead of him as he continued his call as they marched through the lobby. Tia would see the shocked gazes of some of the fans, some of them attempting to take pictures of her.

Emryc finished off his call, pocketing his comlink, “Inform them that she is my guest and a single leak of a photo will result in a lawsuit,” He stated curtly before one of the droids broke away to walk towards the crowds and inform them of such.

The half Sephi waited as a repulsorlift door opened. Ever the gentlemen, he motioned for Tia to enter first before he walked in. Only one of the droids accompanied them now. Emryc stared ahead and fixed up his collar.

“What’re you doing here?” He asked flatly, his tone betraying he had no clue about expecting her.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

It wasn't long before it became clear that Emryc may be returning soon; the lobby was suddenly increasingly crowded with reporters and fans, and possibly some political aides mixed in to see if they could catch the President's attention. Despite being distracted with her own thoughts, her gaze rested on a group of young women dressed in specific shirts and flair that made them known to be from the official Emryc Throne fan club. Slowly her brow lowered, eyes narrowed, her jaw agape as she tried to better understand their fanatic rituals prior to him entering the hotel. Her attention turned to the movement of the crowd as Blackwell droids begun to clear a safe path for Emryc who was flanked by his security.

He seemed blissfully unconcerned with those around him as he chatted away on his comm until one of the security droids seemed to spot her and Emryc seemed to notice her presence. He didn't need to say much more, the familiar subtle nod and the droids that were flanking him allowed her to enter at a safe distance slightly behind him while he finished his comm call. The hotel seemed to be crawling with his fans, and a look of concern crept across her face as she watched them seemingly to gather in a larger group, a few rose their comm's attempting to take pictures when Emryc gave his command. Though, she had been slightly distracted by the efficiency of his security droids, wondering if it were Newton's work.

Inside the elevator, she stood quietly, now seeming more distracted by the droid as her eyes slowly traced over the plates and joints when Emryc spoke.

"I sent you a message, saying I was coming." Tiamat sighed, "I wanted to bring you a Life Day gift, but its fragile, so I didn't trust anyone else to deliver it." Tia lifted one of the festively wrapped gifts. "Plus, its been a while since I was able to share Life Day with anyone."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc remained after she spoke, his face as blank as ever.

“You could have just spelled that out instead of sending silly emojis,” He muttered dryly as the repulsorlift took them to the top. The doors opened to reveal that he had actually decided to splurge a bit for once this time. He had reserved the penthouse suite for his stay on Tanaab, the large, panoramic floor to ceiling windows offering a perfect view of the city. There was also a balcony that protruded out with a hot tub that overlooked the city line.

The space was big enough to house twenty people at least, but it was just Emryc here. The half Sephi walked in, leaving his droid guards behind to guard the entrance to his suite. He shrugged off his suit jacket, revealing the dress shirt underneath. Emryc looked over at Tia, quirking a brow.

“Bringing me a gift sounds suspiciously kind of you,” He said quietly, “What do you want? Need a loan?” Emryc asked as he walked over to put the jacket on the hangar. It was clear that his mind was still weighed down with thoughts of work and the negotiations he was having on the planet.

He walked over to the fridge, opening it, “I’m fresh out of old leftovers,” Emryc said before reaching in to bring out a bottle, “But here’s some cheap beer,” He said before tossing the bottle over to her. The ‘cheap beer’ was in fact very expensive locally crafted beer, but it was still cheap compared to the other top shelf liquor he had here.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat let out a long sigh as he muttered something about spelling it all out. "That's too much, it takes 3.8 extra seconds to type everything out." she explained, her brow furrowed in disbelief to typing normal sentences; and if she gave it some thought, she was not certain when the last time she wrote a full sentence that wasn't in code. It was enough of a thought that it would distract her for the entire few additional seconds until the lift door opened to his penthouse. "Woah..." she whispered, stepping inside.

It was an impressive space and Tiamat felt herself gravitate to the window as she gazed out over the city, the evening lights gradually flickering on and Tia's eyes chased them for a moment longer before Emryc addressed her. She turned to look at him, a look of confusion slowly crossing her face. Suspiciously kind?

She started combing through her memory, questioning if she had done this before. "I..." she went to sent the boxes down on a nearby table, "I don't want anything, and I don't need a loan..." she reassured, still trying to recall if she ever asked for a loan. She caught the beer that he tossed and she looked at the label before setting it down, unfamiliar what was high end on Taanab.

"Is Jaikus not here with you? This box is for him." she said pointing to the iridescent red box with a white ribbon and then held up the silver box with the red ribbon, "This is for you."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s ears twitched slightly at the mention of Jaikus. He was still not used to being so transparent about his personal life. The mention of his partner almost brought a defensive edge, but he quickly pushed it down and reminded himself he was purposely transparent now. Old thoughts of transparency and making himself vulnerable would always loom at the back of his mind. The half Sephi looked over at the beer she set down and walked over to grab it, popping it open to take a sip.

“Just me,” He said simply. It was finals time at Jaikus’ university and that meant he was busier than ever dealing with students that were panicking realizing they had spent too much time asking about Emryc and not enough time studying. The half Sephi looked down at the box with the white ribbon. He grabbed it from her to keep for Jai. Actually, he curiously began to open it, but remembered Jaikus was a sap about Life Day and would pitch a fit if Emryc nosily opened a gift intended for him. While Emryc thought Life Day was silly, he knew better than to choose that as the hill to die on with his partner. He set the box aside and took the one intended for himself.

“Am I supposed to wait to open this?” He asked while casually undoing the ribbon and beginning to unwrap it right there. His silver gaze flicked up at her briefly.

“You know I didn’t get you anything,” He stated rather flatly. Then again, she had known him for years and never knew him to celebrate…well, any holiday really. He forgot his own birthday most of the time unless others reminded him.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was a twitch of his ears that didn't go unnoticed when she mentioned Jaikus and Tia watched him closely as he processed his thoughts in silence. She took a moment to take off her coat and drape it over a nearby chair as she watched Emryc quietly pick up the beer and informed he was not here as he took Jaikus' gift. "I'll trust you to make sure he gets it." Thinking he would just set it aside, but instead he started to untie the ribbon and open it! Tiamat's eyes grew wide with surprise, believing he had more tact than this, though, as much as she tried to look in disbelief, her demeanor slowly changed to a lowered brow and a scowl of disappointment. "On second thought, I'll send him a message to make sure he gets it..." she mumbled.

However, something changed his mind as he set aside one box and picked up his gift, asking if he were to wait to open it. Tia shook her head, giving him permission to open his gift despite it was clear he was ready to open everyone else's gifts before his own. She watched with anticipation, hoping he would like it when he informed he didn't get her anything. "Its okay, I like giving gifts more than receiving them." she smiled.

If Emryc chose to open his gift, inside there were several pieces to it inside. On top, rested a few individually wrapped gingerbread cookies tied with a festive ribbon to keep the wrapping in place. The first cookie was in the shape of a figure resembling Emryc: silver pearl candies for eyes, black frosting hair, a lightly indentation in the cookie as the mouth for his signature glare. Outlined on the cookie was a suit he would wear in his public appearances. The next gingerbread cookie was a bit more oddly shaped, but after close inspection, it was an outline of Ship, frosting lines traced with emphasis on certain angles. The last cookie was more obvious, a huttball cut out with his team's logo in the center. There were other items in the box too; knowing he enjoyed high end privileges, she was able to find him a bottle of Whyren's Reserve made prior to the Corellian distillery riots 30-some years earlier. Batches were reported to be the best in the galaxy before the riots, the quality has not been as great following the upheaval. Lastly, in the box were several different fruits seen as seasonal, and even more hard to come by especially on worlds like Naboo.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked through the box and his eyes visibly widened, “This looks like..” He gazed at the miniature version of himself, spotting the ears and eyes. The half Sephi picked up the oddly shaped one and looked closer, “Oh shit it’s Ship!” He exclaimed, staring at all the little details in the cookie. He went through the rest of the gifts, pausing at the whiskey and then fruits. Emryc’s face returned to be a bit more stoic then as he surveyed it all.

Silver gaze flicked up towards her, “Are you this thoughtful with everyone you give gifts to?” He didn’t linger there, walking over to open the whiskey to pour himself a glass. He offered her a glass, though he doubted she would be interested.

“What brings you to Tanaab?” It wasn’t exactly an exciting planet in any sense of the word. It was agricultural and full of farms. Most of it smelled like manure.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She watched him closely, her smile relaxing before her lips pursed with the concerns that floated through her mind. When he opened the gift, she watched his eyes widen and something clicked for her as she recognized the surprise, but a mild amusement in the gesture of accepting the gifts she had gotten him. The corner of her lip turned upward into a subtle smirk, relief that he was able to figure out what it represented. His gaze returned to her after he took it all in, her own smile returned, a heaviness that had been sitting on her shoulders relieved.

She let out a small sigh, "I like to think I am," she glanced to Jaikus' gift, hoping he would like his when he received it. "I just don't get the opportunity to do this too often." It had been ages since she gave gifts for Life Day, she didn't really know anyone's birthdays, nor did she think much of Sith even valued such celebrations and gift giving unless it was a rise in power and rank. He offered her a glass of the whiskey, but she knew better, shaking her head to deny the offer; never enjoying liquor herself, she wouldn't dare waste a glass of something so rare.

What brought her to Tanaab?

"I haven't seen you since..." she lowered her voice, "That Gus' House..." she started, still a bit worried of the house just appearing out of no where. Though, she that wasn't completely true, not seeing him, it was the social, but that was clearly different. At least that was what she was telling herself. "I was going to suggest something festive to do, but it smells like a Grub out there." Tia grimaced and paused waiting to see if he liked his drink.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc quirked a brow as she explained she would give gifts like this to others.

“Who are we kidding, you don’t have friends,” He said quite casually as he sipped from his whiskey. The glint in his eye betrayed amusement, a reminder of how the two teased one another. He took another sip, clearly enjoying the drink. He was particular about his whiskeys - if he disliked it, it would be set right back down and the entire bottle would be drained down the sink.

“Haven’t seen me?” He said as he looked over at Jaikus’ gift, burning with curiosity, “Have you tried switching on Holonet?” His mug was plastered almost across every news channel at all times. His Mon Cala efforts made his approval rating shoot way up, though the corporations funneling bacta from Thyferra weren’t too pleased with him at the moment.

Emryc walked over and sat down on a chair, sinking into it, “So it smells like your apartment,” He responded to her complaints about outside. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, the whiskey glass hanging loosely from his grip. For a moment, it was difficult to tell if he just dozed off right there, but Tia knew he wasn’t the type to fall asleep around others.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Switching on the holonet...

Well...duh... she glared at him with a look, unamused that he clearly missed the point. However, she was not surprised, if she had a crown for every time something went over his head, she could buy a second lab for her work and maybe a new ship. "When are you not on the holonet?" she sighed, quickly commenting before letting him continue. It was not the same though; there were certainly subtle gestures she only saw when they were together, and it was those small habits that she often missed and those that the Eternal's spirits had been trying to root out from deep in her psyche. When Emryc sat down, she followed, occupying the overstuffed chair adjacent from him.

A small smile returned when he compared the smell to her apartment, as though he had ever visited as far as she could remember, "Luckily you won't ever have to smell it since I sold it." she explained and shifted to rest her palm against her cheek as she propped her head on the arm of the chair.

She watched him quietly, to most he looked as though he fell right to sleep, but she knew he didn't sleep around her, in fact, she felt it was impossible for him to do so. She could certainly have the curiosity and the destruction of an unsupervised toddler. A silence would fall, but her thoughts weren't quiet, and her presence was never the tranquil state Emryc hoped she would accomplish. And now there was something that seemed to further interrupt it.

"They said they are impressed with your work. They said if you weren't my Master, I would have perished in the cave." Tia softly spoke, her gaze leaving him to rest on the blinking lights on the city rooftops.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s eyes opened when she mentioned having sold her apartment. That was interesting news considering she had gotten quite cozy there. However, he said nothing about it, not the type to pry. If she sold it, there were good reasons for it. He guessed she simply moved into her lab so she could live at her job. It was barely a step above his own living preferences in his own ship.

When she spoke next, there was a moment of silence. The half Sephi blinked a few times before recalling the cave dialogue they had when they last met. She hadn’t wanted to divulge much then, and he didn’t ask. He even pondered on whether to say anything here or not, but it was different this time.

“What happened in there?” He finally asked, and it would be the only time he would.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

"I am certain the script on the walls were warding spells." she said, her thoughts still toyed with the what-ifs of that day as she recalled warning Renfry and the caution they should take to avoid violating what it said. However, just because it could not come out on its own, lead to it calling each of them inside until it called her. She glanced at Emryc, his tone different, but she recognized what it implied if she chose not to speak of it now. Her gaze returned to the city rooftops, the buildings losing their shape as her eyes seemed to focus on something beyond this system.

"I don't even know if I was in the cave the whole time, everything was just shadow, and when they spoke, they sounded like everyone I knew, even me. I couldn't tell where I started or where it ended, they showed me visions as they hungered, exploring what they could in my mind." explained Tiamat, "Then Siris appeared." she paused, rubbing her hand on her chest where the blackened hand was imprinted, "I wasn't understanding what was happening, or they were making it so I couldn't." Tia shifted in the chair, sinking back as she pulled her knees in while her gaze now rested on the ceiling.

"They attacked every part of me." she continued, "Its hard to forget the sound of my bones snapping and the sensation of blood flowing the wrong direction. They made Kravos' walls fall like sand, I was certain I was dying. No one heard me, but I know I cried for anyone to help me, even you."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was silent as he listened to everything, though he wasn’t looking at her. Through their years of knowing one another, Tia would know that Emryc appearing detached and not making eye contact didn’t mean he wasn’t drinking every word. He was silent for a long moment, his face difficult to read.

“Did it tell you to turn from me?” He asked after a very long time. He was parsing through all his knowledge of the mask and the intricacies. Very little actual literature was covered on it, and he only knew what he did from Morgan’s personal records of past Drast tomes.

“Specifically me?”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The silence settled in the room as she felt herself drawn back to the memories of the cave. Emryc remained in his usual silence, but she was comforted by an instinct that he was still processing everything she described. Though there were times that silence was used by the spirits when they spoke from the mask, reminding her of when she wanted him to say something and the pain that tore at her otherwise. They were efficient at finding those moments or making up their own with pieces of her memory.

She opened her mouth to continue her story when he spoke, asking if they told her to turn from him specifically. The woman lifted her head slightly, turning to look at him, feeling the confusion, as though it were obvious and he should know the answer.

"You, Renfry...others" there were others such as Byron before Telos and Crix, but she was uncertain if she wanted Emryc to know, "Others...but they don't just tell me Emryc, they show me," Tia pursed her lips, reels of the selected memories that were pulled by the mask ran through her thoughts; it was near impossibly to push them away at times. It took so much effort to string through the fog when she wanted to challenge them, "But, that's the problem, sometimes it feels off, I can't tell, I feel like I am going crazy. There are voices that sound like you, Renfry, now Jaikus and Amon and I want to know what's true." the woman took a deep breath, feeling herself beginning to spiral as she shifted suddenly, sitting up in her seat, and dropping her face into her palms.

"I don't know why this is happening to me."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc eyed her curiously as she rattled off other examples. Anyone close to her appeared to be named. It all began to add up, and he knew perhaps it was strongest against him because of how Tiamat felt about him without the mask. The half Sephi looked away, staring at the Holo for a few moments before he glanced back at her.

“Because you made a choice,” He stated flatly, “The mask can never force itself upon another. You have to allow it,” Emryc’s eyes narrowed, wondering why she acted like the victim when this had all been her own doing, “Don’t you relish the darkness that courses through you like poison now? Don’t you savor the way it makes you feel more powerful? That it allows you to rise above emotions and feelings that have only caused pain before?” Emryc knew full well how conflicted she had always been about him. It had been there for years. And he also knew how the mask worked, how it played upon those that struggled emotionally so it could find an easy hook.

“You’re using it as a crutch because you fail to center yourself and sort through your own mind,” Emryc said curtly, looking back at the Holo, “Get rid of it if you wish to be free, or embrace being its servant. Whichever you choose, commit to it and never look back.”

For a moment, he stopped sounding like just casual Emryc, and more like her teacher again. His tone was different, the look on his face was different, and he was right back to being more distant. It was clear he was disappointed in her choices, but he wouldn’t advise her one way or the other. This was her path to walk and choose. He had trained her enough to make choices for herself, and that’s where it would end.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She let her head rest in her palms, unmoving as she stopped herself from falling into her own workings of what she believed to be uncharted chaos within her own mind. Emryc eventually spoke, his tone changing from curiosity to the shortness she quickly recognized from her days as an acolyte. Really, now? Surely she wasn't inviting him for a lecture, but she didn't interrupt him, letting him continue as he emphasized finding her center.

Tiamat sat up straight, her own features hardening for a moment, before she relaxed, releasing her fingers from digging into her palms. She could feel herself retreating inside herself as she decided it may had been best overall not to have told him about the cave. The sliver of peace she did have now overshadowed by the piercing of his tone. He always made it sound so easy as a choice in life, like it was the most obvious and simple process and yet perhaps for him, it was.

"Sometimes I do envy you, Emryc." Tiamat stated quietly, "I wish I had the ability to turn off my emotions to find something resembling balance, but I don't. I never have." She stood up and walked over to the glass panes that overlooked the city, hands sliding into the pockets of her trousers, her gaze focusing on the blinking lights, "I don't relish it, it's not my power." Tia firmly stated, she started to open her mouth to add, though instead stated, "But forget it," and he probably would, "I greatly misjudged this opportunity to allow for some understanding."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc wasn’t surprised to see her get defensive yet again. It was clockwork, and he had grown used to it. The half Sephi was quiet for a moment, silver gaze following her as she rose up and walked over to the window. He kept his eyes on her for a while, drawing a glass of the whiskey to himself to quietly sip from it.

“You’ve known me almost a decade, Tiamat,” He stated flatly, “I am not who to go to when you need someone to coddle you or pick up the pieces of your fragile ego. I have never been that, and I never will be that. Not for you. Not for anyone,” They went down this many times before. It ended with either her storming off as usual, or she buried it aside and dragged him to her bed instead. Clearly the latter was no longer an option.

Emryc exhaled and focused back on the game, drinking from his whiskey. He was never someone to offer words of comfort, nor did he ever expect them from anyone else. Nevertheless, his gaze drifted over to the gifts she had made for him, the little model of Ship and himself.

“I don’t want you to keep the mask,” He said very quietly, almost inaudibly, after a long moment of silence.

@GABA