Ask Heart Shaped Glasses

[Darth Arcanos]

Vibe Song

​

There was a calm after the storm as the city organized itself after the takeover. Arcanos had conquered the city fairly and there were no ifs and buts about his ascension. He had the beastmasters bound to him by rite of blood so they couldn’t betray him without losing their lives. As a result, he controlled all the terentatek even if he put a proxy leader in place. Arcanos never operated without contingency plans.

It was slightly past dawn when the Sith Lord was alone in the palace courtyards. It was a perfectly manicured area, complete with a refreshing pool. Water was a luxury across Korriban, and here it existed in abundance. Plants native to the planet lined the perimeter, a courtyard made for kings.

He knew he belonged here. He had transcended beyond anything even his ancestors had accomplished and he rose above even the Kressh name. While his name as Arcanos would be forged into history, the Kressh bloodline would continue through him. Already he had countless suitors for marriage waiting on a desk, beautiful women ready to continue his bloodline that suddenly became that much more precious.

The Sith Lord took a sip from his goblet of wine, speaking without even turning to look, “It was foolish of you to risk your life like that,” He said calmly. Access to him was restricted and only a handful could find him alone in a courtyard like this anymore. Arcanos was dressed in casualwear befitting of royalty, finally turning around to face the visitor.

“Do not be so hasty with your life,” He gave a tired, but affectionate smile, “You have your own destiny to carve out.”

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Normally, this type of weather would dry out a fish like Vossari rather rapidly. In one of his many miracles, though, Darth Arcanos had found a large oasis in the city's hold. This meant many things - fresh, potable water for the citizens of Murzana, a solvent through with rituals could be conducted, even just as a symbol of the respondent power Azar now held, it was meaningful. However, it had one added benefit that Vossari hadn't even considered before now: He could wear something besides his environmental suit. He took the opportunity to wear something a little more traditionally Wrean: A long, purple skirt with a short, matching sash on top. His normally-messy braids were tied into a bun.

He skated across the water to Azar's side, arms folded gently behind his back. Azar would see Acridia - now a permanent fixture of Vossari's ear - glow in the morning sun of Korriban. It had been days since the battle ended, the first moment they'd had alone since Vossari came to Korriban in general. Vossari plucked a ripe, orange fruit from one of the manicured trees of the oasis, offering it to Azar before he took a bite.

"Foolish of me?" Vossari's smirk rose at Azar's gentle chastise. Azar was the heart of the entire war, Vossari was just another champion. Without Azar, there was no campaign, there was no kingdom. He was unafraid to sacrifice his life for Azar's dream. He would do it again, in a heartbeat. Though, admittedly, not using the magic sword to save himself was a mistake. "You might be right. At least I didn't..." Say, dive off a tower and break all the bones in his body? "Fuck everything up too royally."

Azar looked exhausted, but now Vossari knew how much he would hate to hear that. A lot had changed since they last saw each other - Azar was now married, now Sith Lord, now ruler of Murzana. The fact that he made time at all for little ol' Voss made him feel special. He hoped he wasn't a charity case.

"The students miss you at the Academy, you know." Vossari emphasized 'students,' letting the sentence hang in the air to show that he was missed. "The Sisters of Sanguine have been begging for an audience on Tund." And, they seemed to hate Vossari. He needed to work on his people skills with them. "...and I've missed you."

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Arcanos watched as Vossari gracefully skated across the water towards him. There was no denying how far Vossari had come from being that petulant acolyte boy Arcanos met years prior. The Pureblood admired the display with a smile, drinking in the sight of him in more flattering attire. He was entirely used to Vossari almost exclusively wearing his envirosuit, so this was a treat to behold.

He took a light nibble from the proffered fruit before Vossari did the same. Arcanos floated over a second goblet of wine, offering it to the Wrean. When Vossari spoke of the academy, Arcanos smiled, a smile which only widened when he said he missed him, “How many times have you said those words in your life?” Arcanos pondered aloud.

“I plan on opening up the Korriban academy as a key location for training,” Arcanos explained, “So perhaps you will be seeing more of me after all,” He said as he finished up his wine. He eyed Vossari for a moment before reaching over to tug him close by his attire, “I meant what I said at that resort,” Arcanos said calmly, “I wish for you to become my partner,” Boyfriend sounded far too juvenile for what he desired from Vossari and lover sounded too superficial. No, Azar needed something deeper from Vossari, something to make their love official. Vossari was a Champion now, “Will you have me?” He asked, his tone almost timid. The Wrean could refuse, of course, polyamory was a foreign concept to most in the galaxy.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari pondered his request as juice from this sweet, ripe fruit dribbled down his chin. I mean, of course the answer was yes. Vossari wanted nothing more than to have Azar as his lover, his man, his partner at his side. Azar was still the only man that ever ranked in his eyes. He wasn't averse to the idea of polyamory, however the psychosexual chemistry and tension that existed between Azar and Vossari was par none. He didn't search elsewhere for it, because he knew he would never find another man like him.

There was always a part of him that wanted to make it difficult, though. Make Azar work for it a little bit. The jealous, embittered side of Vossari dreamed of solely owning Azar, being the only man in his eyes. Perhaps there was still a path towards that. Perhaps Vossari was thinking too...toxicly?

No matter which way he looked at it, the answer was always yes. The only answer was yes.

Vossari flicked his wrist out, and Azar would feel an intense tingling sensation in his shoulder, from his dragon tattoo. "From the moment I put this here, you've been mine." In truth, it was far before that. Vossari had had eyes for Azar since Saleucami, since that moment when he healed a wounded Azar from a sniper's blaster bolt. Azar was the only person, perhaps living thing, that had ever elicited such tenderness from him. In part, Vossari feared this kindness to be weakness, but with Azar, it was strength. Azar was his refuge, his confidant, and a person he looked up to, even when Azar physically looked up to him.

Vossari dropped the fruit and grabbed Azar's hand, running his fingers across his arm as he moved to straddle the Sith across his lap. When they were face-to-face, eye-to-eye, Vossari kissed him deeply. "My princess. Even as a king, you'll be my princess." Azar was a married man, now, with countless of other suitors lining up to have his baby. Vossari had to accept that they couldn't spend every minute of every day canoodling with each other. He knew their relationship was unique, and he no longer cared about the opinions of the outside galaxy. It didn't matter if it was strange, or if Azar had other lovers, he knew his place in Azar's heart.

There was no one else he'd sacrifice himself for so quickly. Azar trumped his own ambitions. Vossari would not deny himself the love he so deserved. "The answer is yes."

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

He felt the tingle in that tattoo, a familiar searing sensation that burned him the same time it burned Vossari. The gesture drew out an amused chuckle, a glint in his eye. Arcanos had asked for that tattoo, for the Wrean to mark him and stake a claim. Vossari reminded him of it every chance he got, clutching furiously at the control he so desperately craved. Their relationship was a dance of control, passion and delicious toxicity. Arcanos craved Vossari like spice and he needed his fix. He wanted that permanent fix, to have this pool to draw from to quench his endless thirst.

“So I have,” Arcanos smoothly responded, a knowing smile touching his lips. He eyed Vossari as he stepped closer and slid down to straddle Arcanos’ lap. After their kiss and the Wrean’s words, Arcanos smirked at him, his hand coming up lightning fast to clutch his neck. He pressed down just enough to be uncomfortable. Just the way Vossari liked it, “Do I get to make you obey me at last then?” He gave a throaty chuckle before he tightened his grip around Vossari’s neck enough to bruise, leaning in to lick the fruit’s nectar that ran down his chin from earlier, “Because you have been just so...undisciplined.”

Without another word, Arcanos rose up, lifting the larger Wrean easily up in his arms. It didn’t matter Arcanos’ smaller frame, with the Force he was a titan amongst men. He harshly pinned Vossari back against a column behind him. Arcanos may have had several lovers, but only Vossari saw these sides of him, the decidedly masculine demeanor that could unravel the Wrean into a purring kitten.

The courtyard was his domain and the grotthu guards would block anyone else from walking in on them. As King, Arcanos could sample whatever he pleased and for how long, and he took his time with Vossari. Once they were done and his desires were fulfilled, he didn’t linger to cuddle, already on his feet and dressing himself. Eventually he poured them both wine, glancing over as he watched Vossari glide around in the pool as if he owned the place. The sight brought a grin as he sipped from his wine.

“Have you been to the libraries in this city?” He asked, adjusting his clothing to cover up an unsightly bruise Vossari left on him in a place that was annoyingly visible. It was so unbecoming for a King and he knew Vossari knew exactly what he was doing, “There are methods the Murzana kissai follow that could allow you to enhance your particular school of the Force,” There was a unique advantage to Murzana being so ancient and secretive. It was largely untouched for millennia and kept a lot of original texts. As King, he now had access to it all.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari recoiled as their bodies congealed together. He had been quite undisciplined, and he needed Azar to help fix that. Azar would feel that intense need, burning brighter than ever. They had been separated far, far too long for Vossari's liking. Yet, he knew something felt different about this encounter compared to their previous ones. Not only because Azar desired to publicly join the two of them - he felt a new richness to their conversation, their movements. Both of them were constantly in motion, constantly changing and growing, but it felt like while they had been apart physically, they had grown closer. Vossari now saw and appreciated the literal fruit of Azar's ambition. As a Champion, he better understood the true risks it took to ascend, the perils Azar had undergone to get this far. Yet, there still remained that delicious ripeness.

The sun had settled from the burning light of an afternoon to the cooler, splendrous display of the sunset when Vossari finally got out of the pools. Like with Azar, he explored every inch of them. This moment was a true oasis for Vossari, a calm in the chaotic whirlwind that was his life.

Vossari kissed Azar's hickey before they both embarked out into the city proper. Over his skin, to protect it from the dry desert, he wrapped a long, green cloak of coarse, cool fabric. Vossari's journey into Korriban had left little time for exploration on his own, his preferred way to journey. In addition to acting as the coordinator for the Sanguine Sisters, who were surprisingly hard to corral and incredibly excitable. It put him in the odd position of acting as the sane one, constantly restraining them from touching, breaking, or stealing the ancient runic ruins that dotted the desert world.

"Not...yet." His Ur-Kittat was getting better, especially in reading and writing. But speaking it was a whole different problem. "The city's a lot busier than I expected. This morning, I thought I was ordering eggs, and ended up with a whole roast." It had involved musicians, and it seemed like everyone on the block came and ate from it. They all left him with the bill for it. "It's full of surprises. You ever have this like...holo-card image of how a place is going to look? It's so much more alive than that." Vossari knew of geography, the climate, the political factions, the economy, and the architecture...but so little of the people.

"My method? You mean hydromancy?" Azar already had enhanced his power with Acridia. It was a surprise that a desert people knew so much about water manipulation, but also, it was not. Vossari realized that control of water in a desert climate was essential. It would take great power and great finesse to use the Force in such a way, but the Kissai held ancient knowledge acquired over the millenia, rumored to stem from the time of creation itself. If there was anyone who could make water from nothing, it was them. "You and your people's powers in the Force astound me."

"Have you gotten a lot of time to explore since you became King, Darth Arcanos?" Vossari knew the campaign had drained Azar, and his moment of vulnerability near the end of the battle showed that the campaign had gotten to him. Azar deserved a moment of rest, but Vossari knew that Azar was always thinking, always one step ahead.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“Murzana was considered nothing but legend since even the times of my grandfathers,” Azar explained as they stepped out of the courtyard. Vossari would notice that the Pureblood entwined their fingers as they walked, making it clear to his court that Vossari was a partner. More than a few gazes panned their way, but Azar paid it no heed. He committed to Vossari and he would act like it even as King, “Until I saw the city of Ur for myself, I had also thought Murzana to be nothing more than a myth.”

Azar nodded in response to Vossari’s question, “Yes, hydromancy,” He repeated, “In order to use that kind of elemental Force, the source is needed. With such little water on this planet, it is not something the natives excel in. You, on the other hand, can conjure it from nothing,” Azar explained, “You have the potential to sway and influence the entirety of the desert tribes, my love,” He said with a grin as he grazed a nail along the underside of the Wrean's chin, wondering if Vossari had realized that fact. He had the potential to drive the entire desert kingdom campaign himself with the unique powers he possessed.

“It is difficult to explore anything as a King,” He said as they arrived at their method of transport - a royal litter manned by several grotthu and a full royal guard regiment. Azar slid in easily enough into the comfortable accommodations filled with soft pillows, throws and the scent of perfumed oils.

“Sorcery exists within this city in the form of nexuses that were formed millennia ago,” Azar said as they were carried deeper into the city and towards the grand old chapels and libraries, “Murzana has not seen offworlders for as long as it has existed. While it makes the locals wary of me, it does mean that the city has retained much of its original identity and creations. But there is knowledge here, little fish,” Azar said with a smile, “Knowledge that the Sisters would love to consume. Knowledge that could enhance them even more but bind them to us further.”

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the libraries. Azar was helped out of the litter by an attendant, Vossari offered the same. The Wrean had more than a few suspicious and curious glances his way when Azar wasn’t looking. The pureblood led the way towards the massive building encrusted with gold and fine jewels. Murzana was called the city of gems and it stood true to its name with opulent displays of wealth and prosperity.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

The combination of Sith magics and his natural skill with Hydrokinesis did give Vossari a unique command over water. He knew how to find water in all its sources, near the atomic level. More importantly, he was beginning to understand the unique power of water in the spiritual sense. Navigating physical oceans had given him the ability to traverse the astral ocean. Already, Vossari's mind was abuzz with the possibilities. "Water is the currency of life itself. He who can weaponize it can win a thousand wars." His smirk deepened as he thought of the possibilities, and his grip on Azar's hand tightened. Azar always made a place for him in his life.

Vossari could only imagine the living knowledge that this city's indigenous peoples embodied. Centuries, nay, millenia of life around worship and study of the Dark Side. As they walked through the streets, Vossari noticed that he drew attention. Like everywhere else in his life, he was an outsider here, too. Out of the onlookers, though, a young child with long, matted hair ran towards him. The guards stepped in front of Vossari with their sabers drawn, ready to protect their king and his paramour. But there was something in the way the child pointed at Vossari's head, cheerfully shouting something in Ur-Kittat that caught his attention.

Braids. She was saying braids in Ur-Kittat. Vossari recognized the word from when Azar had done his braids, what felt like centuries ago, on the way to Tund. Vossari stepped ahead of Azar's delegation to run a finger through the child's long hair. He remembered what Azar had said - that, on Korriban, hair was a part of the outfit. This child looked like she needed the help, like she had no one to care for her hair. Vossari recognized that feeling. His eyes pleaded towards Darth Arcanos, the king. "Are we in a rush?"

He ran his fingers through the child's hair, separating her knots to let free her curls. Vossari spoke to Azar as he braided through the child's hair. She giggled as Vossari glided his hands into her forming braids. "Tund requires a delicate hand, but there is none better than yours. You're the only man those Sisters respect." Vossari didn't take it personally, but he realized Azar's focus was on Korriban. He had been working with the Sisters more closely, who had more than proven themselves in the battle.
"And you'll gain the people's respect, in time. You're irresistible." The girl yelped as Vossari plucked a tender part of her head. "And Korriban longs for a unified throne. You can feel it, can't you? The whole planet, maybe the entire Order, looks to you for direction." Where had Darth Tempest been as of late, the Dark Lord of the Sith? Who could match Azar's accomplishments? Vossari knew that a part of Azar desired normalcy, to fly under the radar, but...his presence was a golden light of radiance. It drew people to him like moths to flame. To lead was simply in his nature.

As they conversed further, the girl's hair came together. When it was done, a delighted smile revealed gold-flecked teeth, as she scurried off back into the streets. "I won't lie, you've got me incredibly curious now." He pointed at a building as his Kissai attendant approached, and he swapped to his weak Ur-Kittat. <Magic? The arcane? Here?> Forming full sentences was still a challenge, but he knew the words that mattered to him. Vossari had heard tale of magics from conjuration, evocation, psionics, necromancy. Each of them excited him. But he was here to learn, not to dictate.

The Kissai nodded sagely and began to lead him within. The mysteries of archives well-tended and preserved for ten-thousand years sat before them. Vossari looked over to Azar. "Are you as hype for this as I am?" Certainly, their shared appreciation for history and magic meant that Azar had to be as alight as Voss was right now.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“So will you?” Azar asked with a smile, “Will you weaponize it and show me how you bring people to heel?” He asked, quietly studying Vossari. The Wrean always operated in the background and flew under the radar, but Azar understood his intellect and the calculating nature he kept hidden behind a thin veil of feigned stupidity. It was almost admirable and it allowed Vossari to reap the best rewards without having the accountability. It was exactly the kind of thing that drew Azar to this curious Wrean in the first place.

Once they stopped and Azar followed Vossari’s gaze, a faint smile appeared on his face. He gave a nod to let him do as he pleased, watching Vossari do the girl’s braids. It was a tender gesture, and Azar wondered if this side of him ever came out around others. A part of him wanted to be jealously possessive of it. He wanted Vossari to keep all these sides hidden away and only reveal the abrasive and cantankerous sides of him to others. Azar wanted to be the only one that Vossari held tight in his arms and called princess.

His thoughts were interrupted when Vossari spoke. When his words turned from speaking of Korriban to the Order, Azar smirked, “Careful there, love, that almost sounds like treason,” He said with a dangerous smile. As he said that, he casually flexed his fingers upon which was a ring that held the shard of Palpatine Tempest had willingly given to Azar, “Easy to be irresistible when you make them offers they can’t afford to deny,” He said simply as they walked into the building.

They stepped in and Azar gave Vossari a curious look at his question, “Hype… that is a word I heard often from the students on Umbara,” He mused as he kept walking, “I am..hype.. About you, Vossari,” He said with a playful wink before he walked right towards the more restricted sections of the library. Vossari would spot countless tomes and books about blood magic and other dark uses of the Force.

“There are many principles of sorcery covered in these pages,” Azar explained, “Force use that can allow you to create illusions, bring forth spirits to join you in battles, create spectral weapons, enhance your telepathic use of the Force and many others,” He turned to regard Vossari for a moment, “What do you wish to learn to start forging kingdoms of your own, my prince?” He asked with a sultry grin. But that glint in his eye was unwavering. Azar would teach and Vossari would come out of this more powerful than ever before.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari, indeed, did not share himself with everybody. He was a chameleon, almost like a Clawdite. Everyone got a different side of him. Azar would have, too, if he weren’t so easily able to see right through Vossari. Voss felt vulnerable in Azar’s eyes. And in that vulnerability, he was beginning to find strength and comfort, rather than just fear. He was starting to understand who he truly was. He used chaos to control, mania to subvert, and embraced his failures so proudly he could turn them into victories. “You think I came all the way to Korriban just to visit a library? Of course I’ll join the campaign.” The desert would make for a perfect place to test his skills. Already, his mind was abuzz with strategies to use water as a weapon, a tool, and a vehicle for Azar’s reign. If Vossari played it right, he could earn himself a permanent place on Korriban, by his King’s side. “Send a few of your Kissai to my chambers and I will teach them how to harness waters with fresh perspective and new understanding.” Even if they couldn’t conjure it, they could learn how to mold the little water they did have.

Vossari actually blushed when Azar shared his hype. His eyes shot away, then back to Azar, before he quickly pecked Darth Árcanos on the cheek. “I’m hype about you, too.”

As they walked through the library, possibilities existed in his mind. Endless ones. There were so many paths a Sith could walk down, it felt almost impossible to make the wrong choice.

Now was the time for the big questions, though. Who was Vossari? Who did he want to be?

“On Tund, when we fought Al-Arakim, you called on ancestral spirits to aid you.” Vossari wasn’t sure if Azar had been fully conscious to the powers he awakened, then, but Vossari had. He watched the Lich-like Sorceress get destroyed by the spirits himself. Both of their powers involved the manipulation of life and death, breaking beyond the cycle itself. And, Vossari had seen how the spirits rushed to Azar’s aid. They formed a community for him that amplified his power. Rumor spoke of the ability to raise the dead themselves and force them to serve.

“My realm will rise from the abyss itself, like the gnawing tide.” He was almost paralyzed with options, but he put a finger to his chin as he considered his choices. “And I will build it without compromising who I am.” Chaos personified, with a deep, sinister curiosity.

His powers were no longer his alone, he had an acolyte to share them with, now. What could he learn here to best benefit him and Nash? What could he learn to permanently enshrine his place in the galaxy? What would his legacy be?

Amplifying his own strength directly was an option, through conjured weapons and telekinsis. Certainly, Nash would appreciate the direct application of their power. But Vossari was a schemer at heart, not a duelist. Bigger than that, he trusted Nash to amplify her own skill set, as she already had. What Vossari provided was support, allegiance, and perspective. To actually give those, he knew he needed a power that would multiply his own, exponentially. A power that could make an army from nothing.

“The dead hold many secrets. There exist spirits older than sentient life, from the Dark Side itself. What I seek now is necromantic, Azar. The spirits of those drowned and forgotten.” His eyes burned with terrible promise. “Their knowledge. Their secrets. Their burdens. Their aid. I need it all.” He didn’t feel certain, though. While this power was great it wasn’t…him.

His look flitted back to Darth Árcanos, the King of Murzana. “What do you think?” He sought his counsel, but also, his curiosities. Azar had never steered him wrong before. “And what is it you seek, my king?” He referred to the library, but also to the generalities of this moment. Azar was on the cusp of his ascent to the throne. He was a Sith Lord, with all the power that entailed. Azar was not one to become complacent with his successes. “What is it that drives you? What will keep you going once you have united this land?”

Vossari longed to keep Azar by his side, forever, resplendent in joy. However, they were in a galaxy beset by enemies at all sides. The Sith had many emperors and empires since Andraste’s reign. Azar was different than any past emperor by Vossari’s measure, though. If he wanted to simply be Emperor, he could have easily claimed the throne. So, what did his love want? How could Vossari help him?

@Sreeya [/abox3]

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar listened to Vossari’s perspective, pleased to hear it was something far more complex than the basic schools of the Force. Most would have opted for elemental sorcery or simply a focus area on telekinesis or manipulation. However, Vossari didn’t need that because he had a natural affinity for manipulating scenarios to his benefit. He could play a wise man, he could play the clueless acolyte, he could play any role he pleased and slither in like a snake. He could bite with venomous fangs and his victims wouldn’t realize even as they succumbed to it. They would think it was something else that killed them.

His graceful fingers rifled through the spines of rows of books until he arrived at a section he sought. It was clear he knew exactly what he was looking for. After a moment, he took out a large tome, blowing off the dust. Azar walked over and placed it on a table, “The Force as we know it is too simple for the likes of you, my dear,” He said breezily, opening the tome, “There are ways of using it that are..unconventional. I discovered it as much when I created that artifact for you,” He playfully flicked the earring Vossari wore, “This is an ancient and forgotten way of using the Force..more weaving than projecting. I want you to study these pages,” Azar said, “You and I will learn this together.”

He pondered for a moment on Vossari’s earlier question, “I seek…” Azar paused, “To forge my own destiny,” He mused aloud, “I had my story written for me all my life. I wish to write my own now and I wish to write words that will be read for millennia after I’m gone,” Azar said as he smiled at Vossari, “Perhaps stories where our names are woven together.”

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari often wondered what Azar thought of him. He yearned constantly to be by his side. To have been invited to Korriban at all was not just an honor, but a show of faith in their bond. The love that Vossari had admitted to on the beach surged in his heart with every word Azar spoke, with every moment their fingers touched and their eyes connected. “You’re…” He thought back to every memory of theirs. Acridia, forged by his hand solely for Vossari. The Blood Scroll, an artifact that Azar had interpreted for Vossari. Saleucami, where Azar had saved Vossari’s life. Their dance on Nar Shadda, electric between them, pulled it all together. Vossari felt alive and appreciated by his princess.

“You’re so thoughtful. I’d be so lucky to be a part of your story.” Words felt inadequate, but it was all he had. Azar understood him in a way no one else did, saw the potential in Vossari when everyone else merely hated. Azar crafted things of amazing sentimental value and actual power for Vossari. “I…I just hope I do right by you. My love.” He wrapped his arms around Azar, his eyes filled with hope. His gaze followed Azar as he trailed towards the books.

The Book of Luminous Mist. Vossari had never heard of this before, and it certainly didn't seem like any necromancy he would have experienced. He glanced at Azar with curious confusion as he set the tome atop a desk. "Mist weaving?" A different way of using the Force. "Like the Blood Scroll, too." Azar and Vossari's journey through the Force defied convention. That was what made the arcane so seductive. It stretched far beyond the ordinary powers of telekinesis, or mind-reading. Those were simple tricks when compared to the vast power of the magical world.

“You’ll leave an impact on the galaxy. A bigger one than you could already know. You already have.” He had left an impact on Vossari, Karys, Trodai, Trael…and the sands of Korriban themselves. Vossari flipped through the book to study it.

The philosophy seemed light-sided in nature, but their powers showed a generous interpretation of the “Luminous Mist,” as they called it. They wove the force into art, power, cocoons. Their power was legendary, but their ideas greater still. “With this, we will weave the strings of fate themselves. We are no longer the subjects of history. Now, you and I, my love, will be it’s authors.”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Vossari did know just what to say. Azar only smirked as the Wrean had an emotional reaction to the school of Force he had selected for him, “It will test you past your limits,” He warned Vossari, “It will be unconventional because you need to center and calm your mind for these arts instead of drawing from rage and passion,” He said as he teasingly traced a nail alongside Vossari’s jaw, “And I know just how unruly you are.”

He let Vossari take the book, leading the way out towards a courtyard that was made specifically for Kissai to practice their arts. The Kissai valued their libraries and academies, always using them to craft their sorcery. Vossari would see a few Kissai glare at him as he passed, but the glares softened the moment Azar looked their way. Outsiders were seldom allowed within these quarters, but Vossari would have free rein on Azar’s count.

“Sometimes I wonder if I should have claimed you as an apprentice,” He said with a smile as he reviewed the tomes and notes from the book, “But I desired you.”

Azar said as he conjured the Force. As a Sith Lord, he had an easier time with the weaving, taking a few hours before he began to harness the threads of the Force to manifest in his hands. He marveled at it, spinning the threads as he wove the almost tangible, metaphysical twine into existence.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari smirked as he felt the slight tear on his skin from Arcanos's filed nail run across his jawline. "What? I'm perfectly rule-y, Azar." He smirked as they made their way outside, and Azar mused on their relationship. Vossari had noticed his keen intelligence, sharp as a knife, at their very first interaction. Azar had taught him almost everything he knew about his powers during his tenure with the Sith Order. Yet, every interaction of theirs had always carried a depth that Vossari struggled to put words to. 'Love' described a part of it, 'admiration' another, but there was still something that ran deeper than the seven seas of Wrea that existed between them. Tension and passion balanced one another in a delicate dance, carried in a tune now familiar that still demanded a deeper examination.

"The Force had another path for us to follow." He was Param's apprentice before he ever met Azar. And when Azar did deign to take an apprentice, he had taken Freyja. Their simply was never an opportunity for them to become apprentice and master, but frankly, Vossari wouldn't have made his choices any differently. "And it led us here. You've still taught me so much."

"Your teachings live on, too. I've taken an apprentice myself. I teach at the academy these days, too." Azar's new prominence and his campaign had kept him away from Umbara for some time. Irony, the most humorous of the fates, saw fit to make Vossari the master of Nash, whom Azar and Trael had saved some years ago. Would these two ever meet?

"The acolytes can be a handful." He said, with a devilish smile. Vossari wondered how much of a pain in the ass he had been, then. It couldn't be more than the collective headache that Connor, Arak, and Xo seemed to be, right? "But the next generation of Sith is strong."

Vossari's mind lingered on the political implications of the present moment. Azar's rise to power meant that the Order had a Sith Lord, for the first time since he had been a Sith. Karys's ascent to Master, and his constant incursions into enemy space, meant that . But there were questions unanswered and unasked - where did the line between the collective ambition of Karys and Azar end, and the Sith Order begin? Where had Darth Tempest been since Mustafar, in light of the changing galaxy? How did a ceasefire with the Empire and whatever the Jedi were up to change the equation? Did the Mandalorians do anything besides randomly dying while attacking the Sith?

"You mentioned a legacy, Azar. What role does Korriban play in your future?"

The work of Mist-Weaving helped to center his mind in the present. It was demanding in a way Hydromancy had never been. Yet, it was through his connection to water that he learned the Mist. The illustrations in the book depicted insect-like cocoons, abstract art, and the generalities of weaving fate in one's hands. Yet to do it, one had to go beyond the books and into themselves. They had to sense their innate connection to the Force, the Universe, and see the strands of fate before them.

When Azar made progress quickly, Vossari began to get frustrated, almost devolving into the type of temper tantrum he would've thrown as an acolyte. Instead, he reached inwards, and sat in the sandy grove of the courtyard to meditate. He thought back on those pivotal moments in his life as an acolyte - leaving Wrea, joining the Sith, meeting Azar, melting down on Nar Shadda. He thought of all those times he had been choked, beaten, thrown, hurt, by those Sith around him.

The Dark Side drew into him as he ruminated, and he could see echoes of those moments. Echoes of choices that could have been made differently. What if he hadn't turned on Param and Gemini? What if he had just stayed in his place as a silent acolyte, rather than antagonizing everyone around him? What if he had stayed silent at Cyu's boasting, at Ayomi's prodding? What if he hadn't directly challenged Karys's possessiveness towards Azar? Subservience and niceties would have gotten Vossari nowhere, he pondered. He had to chase what he wanted. Those memories floated down the river as understanding rekindled in his heart.

It came to him, then. There were no other alternatives, no distant fates, no 'what-ifs.' Vossari stood by every choice he made because he had always been himself. It was as if another hand guided him towards his destiny - his greatest learning moments were not his successes at all, but his failures. It was the Dark Side itself, the Force, that wove together the strands of fate for his choices, his decisions, his every move. In the darkness of his meditation, he could almost see them. Feel them. If he reached out, he could touch them - touch the living Force itself.

And he did. Vossari grabbed a spark of the Force in his hands and poured his essence into it, connecting with it. The fusion between wrean and the source of life itself produced a swirling, green vortex, chaotic as the roaring sea, between his hands. He smiled at Azar, boastfully and joyfully, when he accomplished what Azar had seemed to master hours ago.

"This energy...It's unlike anything I've felt."

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar gave Vossari a smile when he mentioned having an apprentice, “I hope the poor apprentice knew what they were getting into with you,” He said as he kept practicing his own version of the weaving. Ever the academic, Azar stopped to make notes and tweaks in parchment where he copied over from the book. Vossari would see that Azar rarely did things by the book, and it was exactly how he created Acridia.

“Korriban means everything,” He said as he casually wove tendrils of the Force that manifested from the spiritual plane to reality before disappearing again, “Oh Vossari…don’t you know how things are going to play out? Right now I’m playing this charade of taking these worlds under the Dark Lord’s name,” Azar said as he lazily conjured more threads, “Soon enough she will understand it is far more beneficial to give me complete authority over my kingdom if it keeps me happy than to risk a threat to her rule,” His gaze flicked over to Vossari, a smile forming on his face, “After all…the one that’s actually in power does not need to loudly boast it,” The smile grew wider as he gazed at the Wrean, “You saw the crown on my head well before I wore it, no?"

He watched Vossari finally conjure the vortex from the weaving. Azar visibly lit up and clapped excitedly, “Well done, love!” He exclaimed cheerfully, “This is an ancient practice that predates the Sith Order as you know it, but not for us,” Azar explained, “What makes this type of sorcery so intriguing is that it is pliant,” He wove the tendrils around his fingers, “Wrapping it in wisdom from other schools of the Force can shape weaving in entirely new ways.”

As he spoke, Azar traced a small circle in the air with the thread he had around his fingers. The result was a golden rim spiraling with the window through the circle shifting and taking on a blurred appearance. After a moment, Azar reached through that circle, but Vossari would observe Azar’s hand did not show up on the other side of that translucent ring.

After a moment, Azar drew back his hand and smiled at Vossari, extending what he had in it towards the Wrean. When he opened his palm, Vossari would see bioluminescent plants.

Plants that only grew on Umbara.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari bowed for his audience of one as he was applauded. And he considered Azar's words carefully. Of course, the kingdom of Korriban would bow to none. Vossari had always seen the crown. But to hear Azar's ambitions confirmed delighted him - it gave him grounding, purpose, and mission. Together, they could bring Azar's dreams to reality. He watched Azar's next display carefully. He couldn't comprehend what happened at first. It was a nice trick, a power of the illusions that Thread Weaving was able to create and conjure. But he touched it, and it felt real. A real, Umbaran plant here on Korriban.

No way. No kriffing way. "Wait. Waitwaitwait wait WAIT!" Vossari hastily grabbed tight onto the weave and copied Azar, drawing a circle into the air that etched and crackled with green energy. He stuck his hand through, and he seemed to struggle for a moment. His hand disappeared, momentarily, but the green energy scorched his skin. He hissed and pulled it out, recoiling. "It's..." Vossari was still too chaotic to control the winds of fate themselves. He looked to his partner, a Master beyond Master. A Sith Lord. That was the level of power he would need to bend reality to his whim. "You make it look so easy, princess."

This was it. The power that Vossari had so long craved finally came to form before him. But honestly, after all this training, he was exhausted. He laid on his back, gazing at the large Korribani birds that hunted across the desert plains. "Come, sit with me." He patted the ground next to him.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar could only giggle at Vossari’s reaction, closing the portal with a nonchalant wave of his hand. Even he felt tremendous exhaustion from the trick, knowing it was a secret he wanted to guard. He had demonstrated it, but it would take the strength of a Sith Lord to conjure up portals like that. Azar sat down next to Vossari, feeling drained from all the training. With an exhale, he didn’t hesitate to lie down beside him, gazing up at the open skies from the training courtyards.

“Would you love me the same if I ran out of tricks to show you?” Azar asked after a long moment of silence. He turned to his side, propping his head up on an elbow as he looked at the Wrean, “If I was just little old Azar and not Arcanos, King of Korriban and Sith Lord?”

It was a question that weighed on him now and then. His relationship with Vossari was complex and intellectually driven, but there was also a power dynamic that lured him in. What was the intersection between that dynamic and emotion?

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari sighed as he leaned back into the scrub grass of the courtyard. The golden glow of Korriban's distinct afternoon sun melted him, drying him out each moment as he lay beside Azar. Flecks of sweat dripped out of him, which he whisked his fingers around to promptly re-absorb. He should've brought his environmental suit, sure. But it was so nice to just lay and let the sun kiss him.

His brown eyes softened as Azar asked a hypothetical. He chuckled, and his hand stretched out to meet Azar's. "Princess..."It was difficult for him to explain what their relationship meant to him. Azar was, of course, a natural leader and teacher, and he educated Vossari about the Sith Order in ways that he would always appreciate. But there was something deeper there, still. A core being beneath Azar's power, one he had met that fateful day on Saleucami. When Azar had been shot by a sni[er's, Vossari saw him not as an all-powerful Sith, but as a person who he needed to protect. He had reacted the same on Tund, throwing himself in the line of fire so Azar would not be wounded again. The pattern repeated here, on Korriban, when Vossari almost (pointlessly) cast aside his life to save Azar. "It's more than power, than a title, than tricks. You could wake up tomorrow, without power or a throne, and I would still yearn for each moment shared with you."

That wasn't just it, though. Vossari celebrated every accomplishment he had. "Your character is part of why I love you, though. Part of why we're together. Your ambition is...it's intoxicating. And your mind. Sometimes I wonder if you're playing dejarik against yourself, in there." From within his robes, Vossari produced a slim marcan blunt, wrapped tenderly in the leaves of Korribani smokeleaf. His metal thumb retracted, revealing a lighter, and he ignited it. A guard caught wind of the scent and gave Vossari a distasteful glare, but otherwise said nothing.

Vossari passed the blunt to Azar, as shaped his lips into an O and exhaled, blowing out a perfect ring of smoke into the air. "I have tricks of my own, too." Vossari rolled over on the grass, lying flat on his stomach. He put his chin into his hands and he peered into Azar's golden eyes. "The crown you wear is proverbial, princess. I suspect, you have always worn it. Your wisdom, your insights, these are part of why I care for you." He thought to the moment on their flight to Tund, when Azar was frightened about hyperspace travel. Vossari had comforted him. When, in return, Azar had braided his hair, Vossari released that theirs was a relationship both of intense passion but of mutual care and compassion. They wanted the best for each other. They tried to help one another. While Azar often had the means and ability to be the more helpful one, Vossari cherished every moment the shoe was on the other foot, every second he could support Azar.

"And you?" Vossari returned the question. "I know I'm different than your other lovers. Will you tire of me, if I become a Sith Lord? Would you love me if I never advanced any further, never accomplished anything? If I was just a...little fish?"

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar lazily entwined his fingers with Vossari’s, smiling as the Wrean called him Princess. Why did he love that word so much? None of his other lovers had a name for him except for Vossari. The word disarmed him every time. Azar gazed into those emerald eyes as Vossari spoke, chuckling at the dejarik comment. When Vossari lit up the blunt with his new thumb, Azar rolled his eyes at the sight. He didn’t care who was watching as he took it and inhaled deeply, blowing a cloud into Vossari’s face.

The Pureblood listened as Vossari described his reasons, marveling at the depth of his words. This was not the same boy that wandered in with a boombox, this was a fully grown, self-confident man. When did that happen? Azar remained silent as he gazed at the Wrean, thinking back to all of those moments where Vossari risked his life for him.

When Vossari asked his question, Azar took another long drag, laughing in response as he exhaled smoke, “All this time and you never thought to ask me what kind of fish?” Azar teased, “For you are a stonefish. Deceptive. Unassuming. And yet one wrong step and it can release a venom so terrible it leaves nothing but agony, suffering and death,” He smiled, “You don’t need to be a Sith Lord in order to have my love, but you would sooner die than stall out on advancing,” Azar smirked at him, “Forward momentum comes as easily to you as breathing. You adapt, survive and strike when you have everything in the right place. But I love you for the quiet moments..for the ways you give me that goofy smile, the ways you can be so..dumb,” Azar giggled, looking at his thumb and revealing he knew the story behind it, “The way you have such a loud personality and the way you are so difficult and theatrical,” Azar chuckled, knowing how absurd that was coming from him, “You would be all of these things without ever being Sith. And I would love you the same. And you would be my little stonefish,” He winked at Vossari.

He rolled back to lie down on his back, exhaling, “I want to see your planet. But not as a King. I want to go just as your partner, just Azar...just as your Princess.”

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari did chuckle at the comment of theatricality. He was likely the only person who could keep pace with Azar in that regard. Vossari tried to take himself seriously, sometimes, but the lighter-thumb was a constant reminder of his core goofiness. He hated having koala syphilis, he hated not having a thumb, but he couldn't forget the fever dream of a memory that was the Acoventure. He longed for more goofiness, more stupidity, more levity, in a life he made increasingly complex by constant scheming.

"Your little stonefish. Less cute than I would''ve hoped..." He chuckled as his hands tightened around Azar's. "But I'll take it."

His princess, with him, in the coral-colored seascrapers of Wrea. It sounded like a dream come true. But there was a certain kind of shame - Azar had a palace on Korriban. Vossari had his Dad's shitty little ocean trailer in the outskirts of Clan Khaldun's camp. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he thought, for the first time in a while, about home. "My home...It's not as flashy as me, Azar." Wrea was a great ocean filled with possibility and wonder, led by its thoughtful seers, but Vossari had never fit into life at home. "I've needed to go home for a while. I haven't visited in..." Had it really been ten years? "Too long. I'll show you the sights. There's gonna be a lot of pretty wreans to see. None are prettier than me, though."

Vossari had seen Azar's bags packed for their two-day trip to a resort. He shuddered at the thought of how much luggage Azar would bring on this trip - with excitement! Azar had the best taste in clothing, and even though his clothes were like extra small, Voss thought he would look great in them.

"Bring that corset I like to see you in."

@Sreeya