It Gets Complicated

[Darth Valravus]

❅ THEME ❅
​

Here she was standing with the water half way up her calves as Zan stare out across the picturesque view of the Dorumaa ocean. The whole beach had been reserved for this event and was devoid of any other beings at the moment save for the noticeable hovering camera droids.

Her eyes drifted down to the water to peer through the clear waves as they moved trying to find a rock. If she did the Crusader was likely going to YEET it right into one of the camera droids that she would catch zooming in on her too closely. At the moment she was wearing a simple teal sarong over her two piece athletic swimwear. It was what she wore when she played beach ball games and was the closest thing to a skimpy bikini she owned. Normally she would feel perfectly comfortable among her peers but now she knew that millions of eyes were probably watching her now.

Aside from her clothing her hair had been braided and made to not be so rough and care free like it normally was. Zan was planning on getting submerge at some point so it was just classic Deucalian braids. The hair fell down in nearly to the small of her back. Behind it was numerous tattoos that were also matched along her arms. Criss crossed scars that were slightly lighter in color than her already fair skin sometime breaking up the ink. Today she did not have any of her normal war paint on either. Instead Zan just allowed the dressers to give her simple touch up to make her not look like she had just wrestled a shark.

If she could throttle that woman without hurting herself than Zan would have probably done it long ago. Days, weeks had gone by with lost time and now Zan had come to in time to learn that she had technically not only joined the Emperor In Paradise holo net series but she was actually in the last two.

The other contestant was Aadya and at the moment she was still processing how she felt about all of this. On the one hand, both sides of Zandrali had somehow applied to join the show but for different reasons it would seem.

Zan had watched the reruns of the dates that had happened between her and the Emperor. Now she was stuck wondering whether she should intentionally goof this whole thing up just to get out of it. That idea was quickly pushed aside though. The Deucalian was confident in herself and was not about to throw a fight, even if it was the fight for a man's affection.

The only question now was how she was going to go about conducting herself on this date. Technically this was her first actual date. The Emperor was a powerful man, definitely a good mate to have potential children with and from what she had observed seemed like a decent individual as far as men went. Zan had always had higher standards fro men than she did women.

All the same Zan had forced herself to pour over her other half's date like an avid student before exams. Not only did she need to know what had happened like it was her own actual memory but if she was going to pretend to be more than just Zan then she would need every bit of help. Apparently Dorumaa was where this date had been set after the last one. It was a nice planet and Zan would enjoy herself. Spear fishing and perhaps some running up and down the beach would be good. But that was also probably not what Varyn would be interested in. Until the Emperor arrived she would contemplate what sort of activities would be fun for them to share. The Deucalian was not really one to fake enjoyment so if she was going to get something out of this it was going to be an honest experience.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn had enjoyed his last date with Zandrali, and they'd managed to make it to Dorumaa after all. It was beautiful, and the scenery certainly didn't disappoint. He'd taken to beach clothing with his normal face-obscuring get up on, but she would be able to see him well enough. Not that she hadn't already seen him in their first outing.

With careful steps, he moved into the water up to his calves as well, looking over to the woman whose date he was on. Good to see you again, he said with a genuine smile on his face. He certainly hadn't realized the personality swap that had happened since the last time he had seen her, leaving him potentially in for a rude awakening. For the time being, he was actually surprisingly happy to be here.

We made it out to Dorumaa after all. Is it everything you'd hoped? he asked, alternating between looking over to her and out toward the water. Glad to see you back, he said honestly. He had some limited say over who moved forward, but most of it came down to the popularity of the women in the holonet community poles. That left a great deal of the event out of his hands., but thus far he wasn't disappointed with the communities decision. @Darasuum

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

The gentle breeze of the air and the soft lapping of the waves was calming. The Deucalian felt at home close to the water despite being land-bound for so long. The travels between systems had not diminished this in the slightest but she felt some comfort being clsoe to the ocean and large bodies of water.

When a familiar voice reached her ears her head turned quickly. Zan had been lost in her thoughts when he had approached and straightened her posture a little. She smiled slightly at his greeting and then turned to look back out towards the water to take in landscape. She had never seen his face. The cameras had not been able to capture it but she had not read any left over notes from her other half about it being hideous or anything so it must not be that bad. Even an ugly man could still be attractive and Zan was one to prioritize accomplishments over physical attractiveness anyways.

"This is my first time but it supersedes any expectation." She moved her leg through the water so that it bubbled and rippled, adding to the disturbance the calm tide already provided. "Happy to be here." which was partially true. The woman would prefer a more descrete date, one away from cameras and no pressure from the masses. The two of them were fully capable adults with the ability of deciding their own fate. They did not need others to judge them as they carried on with their romantic antics.

"I um...am not sure if you wanted to go swimming or not or if you just wanted to eat or...handout I guess." He broad shoulders shrugged and gestured to a beach blanket with a single cooler. It was far more meager than the one that had been there before. There was only one bottle of alcohol, a single sandwich for each of them and some chips. That was about it. Zan would have packed the pragmatic sustinace of some energy bars or something but even she knew that was far from the romantic setup one expected.

"Otherwise there's some gear I brought so we could snorkle, record some pictures and uh, fish if you want to." There were some simple spear guns that were good for smaller fish off a little bit to the side of the picnic blanket. There was also the crackling embers of a low fire that Zan had prepped in case it was cold or if they wanted to actually cook anything they found. The Crusader pursed her lips and looked around to try and find something to focus on while she waited for an answer. Ultimately she ended up just kicking the sand beneath the water until it just made a soft sand cloud in the water.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn sensed something different now that he was here, as if she weren't entirely honest in her... enjoyment. She didn't seem to be entirely up front about what she felt, but he said nothing about it at the moment. Instead, he followed her over to the spread of food and took a seat. While the food was more meager than last time, he didn't take any particular note of it. He was used to living on a simple diet, and he didn't have a problem with that.

Thank you, he said, looking through the food and taking some for himself. That sounds like fun, he said, as she mentioned going in diving, and then he caught sight of the spears guns hidden away and his eyebrow rose.

Are those spear guns? he asked, with a genuine half-smile on his face. You know how to use those things? he asked, though he figured he knew the answer. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that was different, though. He didn't know if it was in the Force or the way she carried herself, but something felt... off. @Darasuum

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

She smiled as he seemed to notice the spear guns. However his follow up question made her face turn to a mock expression of offense. Like the idea that she did not know how to use one was insulting. "I'll have you know that I am an expert aquatic marksman." her tone was used in a matter of fact fashion.

"What's really difficult is whaling or sometimes shark hunting." Big game hunting was always fun. Testing her mettle against a worthy adversary, learning her own weaknesses and overcoming them. "I prefer the simpler methods mostly. It takes more concentration and effort and the reward is more savored." The Deucalian wondered if the Emperor felt the same. Zan took a bite while thinking of what to say next. Normally her conversations were bar talk with some fellow warriors after a battle. But that was mostly it. Commanding troops was not what the Crusader would call social interaction.

At least hunting was a subject she could talk about. She "Do you have any good hunting stories? Anything, even how you learned how to spearfish." She did not want to come off like she was looking for the man to prove himself to her though. Zan had been told her presence was a challenging one, like she was always looking for a way to prove herself or conflict with those around her. In this moment she just wanted to maybe develop a bond over some shared interest.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn found it rather interesting that she seemed to have so much experience with hunting. Not just conventional hunting, but things like whaling and aquatic hunting. HIs repertoire of tricks didn't include that, but he was interested in giving it a shot. It was the kind of thing he would not only enjoy, but probably be quite good at.

Actually, I've never tried spear fishing, but it sounds like a hobby I wouldn't mind taking up. Most of my hunting... he said, pausing and trying to figure out a non-edgy way to say the truth. Nope, better to just divert away from the topic of killing people all together. After all, he'd fought wild animals before.

...well, I don't know if you can really call it "hunting," but I've had some tussles with animals in the field before. Tukata, for instance. I had a job once where an entire Imperial facility was overrun by predators, he said, shaking his head. It had been a mess. Anyway, led me into conflict with nature and all that, he said with a shrug. Big game hunting wasn't something he had done a great deal of because most of his time was spent on the job, which was trying in and of itself.

Maybe you want to show me some pointers? he asked, pointing over to the spear gun and pushing himself up to dust the sand off of his clothes and making his way over to the weapon to inspect it with the eye of a professional.

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

Putting Zan's sense of self consciousness to rest Varyn responded better than she could have expected. A genuine smile and sense of respect was displayed by his answer. She both detected and understood how he chose to answer her question. While the Crusader had not meant it as any sort of bating of the subject she did realize the implications of a certain wording depending on the answer. Truth be told if she had been asked the very same question on the spot she would have been far less eloquent and just blurted out the straight forward response. That type of response would be fine ordinarily but even Zan knew that it was not good when broadcasted to millions of holo-projectors galaxy wide.

When he asked his question she looked down, forgetting he was actually talking to her. When people asked for advice or really anything other than a professional command she assumed they were talking to other people around her. This setting was definitely not what she considered workplace environment. Her hand traced around on the ground for a moment before it stopped in time with her eyes realizing that he had been speaking to her. Who else is he talking to you lumpsock.

The Emperor of the... well The Empire....was asking her for pointers. She was not only surprised by the fact that someone was just asking her for advice but the fact that it was the Emperor doing it. Such a strong and influential person would be asking her for advice. Part of her wondered just how strong he could be if he did not let his ego rule him. Actual strength and then reputation tended to muddle one another and did not mix well when added in with one's own ego. Still, Zan had to acknowledge she hadc come to accept the reputation that preceded Varyn yet with all of that he did not seem to think so highly of himself he would not ask for some help.

However, all beings, even Zan had anxiety. With all of this realized in but a singular panicked moment even she, the Deucalian Sith Crusader managed to second guess herself. I'm overthinking this. Maybe he's just being nice and asking for conversational purposes. Oh no, is this what spiralling feelings like? She wondered, realizing her other side was dealing with a whole other sense of stress that normally the toughened Deucalian did not have to even think about.

Meanwhile, outside of her own mind it looked like she had frozen in her sitting pose with her eyes staring at the ground for a few seconds. Raising her eyes, even to the point of starting to utter her first syllable of the following sentence, she realized that the whole idea process from what had just made her look like a complete idiot on the holoprojector. You're an idiot for even wasting the time to worry. Her toughened mind urged her. "You...you mean right now?" Had Varyn meant now, or in a I'm already liking this night so much we should go on another date. sort of deal. No, it was not the second one. It could not be. The date had barley started. Zan tried her best to will her face to not blush at her own internal embarrassment.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn thought he sensed something in response to his question. Was it confusion? Was she searching him out? There seemed to be an intangible exchange of thought. It was something only capable of being conducted through the Force, and he knew that it would be lost on the other viewers across the galaxy. It was as if she were probing him, whether she intended to or not, hoping to determine if he was everything he said he was.

That was the real question, and the one the galaxy wanted answered. There were many parts of him that the galaxy never saw. They saw what he wanted them to see, and what was projected to the media. It was part of what made this event... so odd.

As she searched him, her own anxiety was projected into the Force clearly. There were things she was nervous about, and he once again had to remind himself that the majority of the galaxy wasn't used to having their every move scrutinized. He was far more used to it, however, and although he hated it, he was more or less comfortable with it, fluidly moving away from the concept without missing a beat.

He set the spear gun down and casually moved back toward her. The Force wrapped around the bottle of alcohol and lifting it up to pour into a glass for her. This was all done without even moving his hand as he sat down across from her. Or not. We could stay here if you'd prefer, he said, pouring himself another glass as well and sipping it. @Darasuum

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

Without knowing it she had reached out to try and feel Varyn through the force. It was only when Zan actually detected his abnormal senses turn towards her that she had been doing it. It was like Zan had been staring at him without realizing it and only when he looked back at her did she notice she had been looking.

Normally sensing and communicating through the force was a no go for her. The inner workings of her own mind were very personal. Darth Tagus had telepathically communicated something to her on a mission once and she had just reflexively used the force to push him away. Her mind was off limits.

Her beverage filled once again as Varyn returned. "Oh, thank you." After he offered to not hunt and just stay there she quickly set the glass down and shook her head like the opportunity was disappearing before her. "No, I want to fish." Though she had to admit maybe sitting and talking would not be bad. Hunting was just more her strong suit.

Walking over to the spear guns she picked one up and made sure it was in decent condition. Zan made a point to always make sure her gear was in working order before using it. Grabbing a snorkel, even though she knew she was going to be able to hold her breath, she afixed it to her head. As Zan waited for Varyn to get ready she took off her Sarong and placed it with the rest of the food for now. Heading out into the water until it was up to her thighs the gentle current moved past her. A hand going up to a stray strand of hair to push it behind her ear. Small fish danced around in the clear water, unafraid of her.

The Deucalian wondered how the Emperor was going to swim with his mask on though the snorkel gear was probably going to obscure it enough anyways. The drones did not function underwater either as far as Zan knew but maybe the production crew was going to swoop in with a camera man in swim gear or something weird just to get a half decent shot of the two of them swimming..

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

This sounded like a fun activity at least. He moved toward the snorkeling gear and slipped his hat and glasses off before sliding the mask and snorkel into place. He took a deep breath to ensure it was all clearing well before wading into the water. His hand reached out and a spear gun snapped to his hand as he moved in further, heeding the call of the Force.

He slid into the water, sliding under the surface. It was amazing and thrilling to see the fish swimming to and fro. The cool water covered his head and he kicked his way through, following her lead. He pointed ahead at the fish, watching to see if they were the particular type she would have liked to hunt.

He glanced behind to see... wow, the camera crew really had slid into the water after them, cameras slung over their shoulder. Their persistence seemed comical. He reached out to Zandrali's mind, not pounding or forcing his way in, but if she allowed it his voice would ring out quietly in her mind.

They are committed to the cause, aren't they? it said, a hint of humor in immaterial tone. They were determined not to miss a shot, and Varyn could only hope that the pair wouldn't miss a shot on the fish. @Darasuum

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

Varyn came along soon enough. At the same time so did the camera crew. She stared at some of them, somewhat impressed with their camoflage attempts. But as she began wading deeper out into the water Zan felt the presence of the Emperor enter her mind to speak.

When he did this she still stiffened. Her fair skin along the backs of her hands turned even whiter as she gripped the speargun even tighter. A fair amount of stress filled her mind. If the two of them had not been gently sensing one another earlier than the Deucalian would have perhaps seen the new presence of the man's telepathic words as more of a threat as Zan had in the past. Not only had he not meant any sort of harm by it, which she could tell by not just stabbing his words into her mind like some people did, but this was also the Emperor. There were at least a dozen cameras on them and if she did anything drastic with the force or the spear gun in her hand just out of instinct it would not be good.

But there was one more reason she did not like people pushing into her mind. It was not just her's. I hope they aren't watching too closely It was a thought accompanied by a feeling that made Zan dread what was coming next. The thought had not been meant to be telepathically cast but the Crusader was not particularly in control. It was a trigger and this time, one she could not fight. The picturesque landscape, the relative peace of the event, this was not Zan's element any longer.

Her whole body tensed for a moment as if she had gotten stage freight. Then a rapid series of blinks and the woman looked around. Her two different hued irises settled on the masked head of Varyn with a look of mild confusion. Then she looked down at the speargun in her hands and her own body wearing the bathing suit. <"Damn I look good"> The woman said in Deucalic. She flexed and smiled a little.

This was not the first time the Drali had come to the surface out of the blue. It was always scary but apparently she was on another date with the Emperor. Quickly gathering her thoughts she stammered with her words. "uh...shall we...keep doing what we were doing then? Sorry, got a little light headed there. Maybe it's just the breathtaking view."

Drali had no idea what was going on though she assumed that this was Dorumaa. Not waiting for a questioning response for her obvious faltering at action the Deucalian dove down and began swimming ahead of the Emperor. It took her a few seconds to actually start focusing on the spear fishing aspect of the event. A few times she wondered if she should try to use the force to toy with some of the larger fish. There's camera crews so this is definitly still a date. Who else has made it this far then? Can't believe I missed the rest of the date so far. Stupid Zan. Maybe she would draw a mustache on herself before going to sleep just in case it was Zan that came to the surface over night. The woman needed a good prank.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn didn't mean to pry into her mind, but their minds had already been bridged, and Varyn didn't know what he was feeling, but it was some sort of internal conflict or... distress. He really couldn't tell, but after a moment she was rushing up to the surface, breaking the water top as he flicked his hair back and let the snorkel free of his mouth.

You okay? he asked between breaths taken from his mouth. She explained it as lightheaded and... that made sense, he supposed? Why would she lie to him? Or maybe she didn't like him poking around in her head?

Before he was able to ask, she was back under water again, swimming down and he was following her. He kicked down into the warm water and let it consume him as they went searching again for fish.

He wasn't really sure what he was doing, but he was at least smart enough to know not to point his spear gun at Zandrali. As they made it to the lower waters, he could see for the first time, amazing colors of coral and bright underwater creatures that swam around in every direction. It was one of the most beautiful things that Varyn had ever seen, and he paused for a moment to take it all in, wondering if she would stop and do the same. She didn't really seem like the type to stop and smell the roses, although... she had on the last date? How weird. @Darasuum

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

The more Drali swam the more she recovered from the disorientation it seemed. The water was refreshing and the training she had recieved of settling her abnormally troubled mind came into play. The pretty sight of the multicolored fish, the reef and coral all made her smile. The current had her long hair flow behind her and out of her face well enough to see.

Slowing down from time to time Drali pointed out specific ones that she found interesting. There were fish and crustaceans that were utterly alien to her. The perks of having intergalactic travel was that one might never see the same species twice. After a moment of watching the fish she rose to the surface again.

Getting a breath of air she tread water for only a second to make sure her breath was caught. Then diving back down she readied her spear-gun. They did not have much range, around 5 meters, maybe less so the Deucalian wanted to get nice and close.

Waiting a moment she gazed at the reef, wondering which fish to pick until something caught her eye. Some slight movement down on the sandy ocean floor. Her eyes searched trying to find the cause of the motion. Then after a little bit Drali realized that a fish, roughly one meter long was colored the same as the sand around it. It nearly blended perfectly with the ground around it. Slowly swimming over it and then down she fired her spear at it. The animal jerked as the spear penetrated through the other side. It began swimming away but the woman used her free hand to grab the line. It was causing her to drift with it but Drali jerked the line a little, causing the spear to wrench inside it and leak out a little bit of blood. But it slowed its attempts at fleeing.

In their swimming the two had made it a ways away from the beach. Now was probably a good time to take the fish back. Happy with her catch she was pleased to start scaling and filleting the fish. Hopefully the fish was naturally tasty and Varyn was also just as good at hitting some sea life. As the Crusader got back to the beach she wondered if she should grab a crab or two but then shook her head. This was more than enough.

When she got to the walkable depths Drali pulled the reel in and picked the still quivering fish and then brought it over to a boulder like. Opening up her hand she shot forth flames onto the rock, flash sterilizing it and making it clear of any sand in the short burst. The rock quickly cooled but was warm from the sun and the action. "Now where did I put that knife."

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn followed Zandrali down further, watching as she managed to abruptly spear one of the fish, soaking the water with blood. Most people would not have found that romantic in the slightest, but Varyn didn't find it all that distressing or worrisome. He had a lot to live up to now...

He kicked down into the depths and found a fish of his own, preparing and firing the spear. He was a pretty good shot with a blaster, and landed the shot right where he aimed. The problem was that the spears didn't travel as quickly as a blaster shot, which meant that where he intended the spear and the fish to collide... wasn't anywhere near right. The fish was long gone by the time the spear got there and impaled nothing but sand.

Good thing her fish seemed big enough for both of them...

He kicked his way back up to the surface and broke the top, moving over to where she had set up the fire and peeling away his dive mask before slipping his hat back on over his wet hair.

Spear guns don't travel at the speed of blasters. Noted, he said, holding up his gun and spear that clearly didn't have a fish attached. But this I can help you with, he said down, starting to gut the fish. So how long have you been hunting? Did you ever just live out in the woods? he asked, noting how comfortable she seemed with the work.

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

Drali watched out of the corner of her eye as Varyn exited the water. She glanced his masculine figure, dripping with rivulets of water. Only after he made it halfway to her did she realize he did not have a fish since she had been so entranced with his body. Clearing her throat she returned to focus on the fish before her.

A giggle came from the Deucalian at hearing his admitance towards failure. "Was that your first time spear fishing?" A few more precise slices by Varyn carved the fish up before her eyes. She set some of the chunks aside or otherwise set about making sure the fire was going for them to cook the fish.

"Thanks. I used to be terrible actually. It takes some getting used to." She answered in turn. Truth be told she only remembered the more primitive swimming and fishing from her time on Atrer III. Back then she had not been so conflicted and was more cohesive. Despite it being a helish planet it was simpler times. A feeling of melancholy set in for only a moment as she grabbed a towel while he continued to fillet the fish.

"I grew up in a pretty wild place." When she said wild, she meant untamed and not just weird or crazy. "Every day, every week we focused on survival. There were times when I was sure we'd perish. But we surived." A slight smile creeped along the edge of her mouth as she stoked some coals. The toughness of her mother, the stubbornness of her father, it all helped fuel the community that did not exist today. That was what Drali really wanted, the true happiness that both her parents had experienced despite the hardships. At least they had eachother.

"More than just the woods." She continued. "We were nomadic. Lots of hunting and gathering. It all depended on where we were. Sometimes we had nothing but small varmint for weeks. Othertimes we had to fish from streams for months. There were times where the game was too dangerous to be worth the effort." All of this she was sure she had told to someone at some point. The origin of her life was no mystery. Her present secrets were entirely different from the norm.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

As Varyn exited the water he had that distinct impression that he was being watched, but then he remembered he was on Holonet so of course he was being watched. That was when he noticed where her eyes were, and he was a little surprised. He probably shouldn't have been, and he didn't linger on it long as he sat down next to her.

Yeah, first time, he said with a nod. While you couldn't expect to be good at everything on your first time, Varyn certainly would have preferred to be.

He listened to her talk about her past as they prepared dinner, and he couldn't help but wonder how many of the viewers were squeamish about their work. They'd probably gone to a commercial break or were strategically not allowing the "work" to be shown on the television.

It sounded like she had had a dangerous existence before finding her way to the Sith. In many ways it may have been more dangerous than being a Sith. Still a survival of the fittest, but not one where you were fighting an enemy. It was one where you were fighting hunger.

How'd you find your way to the Empire? he asked. It sounded like a life that was difficult to escape from, although he could also see how some might find it appealing. Most didn't find the Sith appealing either, but here they both were.

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

Glancing around she still saw cameras. No doubt there would be editing and angles, cut parts of their conversations and activities to make this whole date more entertaining for the viewers. Drali was a little worried about what everyone would think of her and how she handled herself.

Taking one of the towels she finished drying herself off and clearing any of the muck that she had collected. A little rinse in the shallow water but not drifting too far from Varyn so they could keep talking. "I would not say that I found my way. We made it off Atrer III and had a hypspace miss-hap. Our ship was drifting for...a while." That had been the whole event that had caused the division of her mind. The emptiness of space. The silence. It was an abyss that only held pain for her. Ironically she liked flying in ships now. What did that say about her.

"...but our distress beacon was picked up and by none other than a couple of Imperial scouts. We were rescued and they recognized my...affinity." A smile came over her face as she swirled the water around making globules of the clear liquid that hung in the air before having it bloop down into the ocean.

"And the rest his history." The Crusader said, turning away from her playing to look towards Varyn and make her way back. "What about you Mister Emperor, man of mystery. How'd you find your way to the Empire's service?" An equally curious and playful tone coming with her words.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

That seemed to make sense. Her story probably could have been the same as hundreds of other Sith. Through circumstances or fate of the Force they found their way into the Empire's borders, and the Empire took them in to train them as Sith.

He wondered if she actually enjoyed being a Sith or if it was just an obligation. Or like him, if it was just all she ever knew.

He thought back about what had brought him to the Sith, and the truth was there were many things that he questioned about the Order. He was a loyal Imperial, and had always fought for the peace and order that the Empire provided, but that wasn't the same as the Sith.

I was more or less born into it. Found by a Sith Lord and trained up under his tutelage from there on out, he said with a shrug. The story didn't sound that exciting, but there had been many twists and turns along the way for the Emperor.

I maneuvered my way up the ladder until I got here. Not really anywhere higher to go, he said, again exercising his ability to massively understate all the twists and turns along the way. The manipulation, cunning, fighting, and maneuvering that had been required to get here weren't things he was overly enthusiastic about discussing on holonet, however.

The Emperor began to eat their hard-won fish, and was surprised by how good it was. The "fishy" taste was all but absent in a catch this fresh, and Varyn glanced down with a raised eyebrow. I think this might ruin all other seafood for me, he said, amused and without complaint.

 

[Darth Valravus]

___________________

The woman listened to him as he explained. She set some of the fish pieces around the fire so they would begin to cook. Raw fish was not so bad and many a time the woman had tasted fish that was not really sushi grade fish. But she would wait until he began to eat before taking any for herself.

"Maybe the point of being at the top isn't to keep going up. Instead maybe it's about going outward, spreading and sharing what you've got. But I can see you already doing that with how you take care of the Empire." Having the power of an emperor and actually using it properly were two different things. She had witnessed both in action and Varyn was doing a good job.

"Oh no is it that bad?" She asked hurridly but then realized he meant it as a compliment. "Oh...you mean it's that good. My bad." A slightly embaressed smile crossed her face and she returned to eating.

The rest of the evening the two would small talk. It would be pleasant and last for awhile. A few other times they would try their luck at other activities, going to try spearfishing again, making a sandcastle even. But all good things had to come to an end. With the sun setting the two would end their date. Drali was feeling pretty good about herself though. She felt like they had really connected.

❅ END THREAD ❅​