Let Your Indulgence Set Me Free

[Retroboy]

Apophe had returned from her visit to the jungles of Zakuul a changed woman, revitalized by recent events in such a way that scarcely anyone could not notice it. Her dynamic personality had returned, banishing the tired, irritable woman that had briefly replaced her. The bags under her eyes were gone and her youthful vigour had returned. She looked like herself again, clad in her hodge-podge armour and her hair flowing freely. It had boosted the morale of the men around her, despite their uncertainty when she had chosen to briefly depart so that she might recuperate.

Now she stood amongst the remains of a battlefield, wind fluttering her crimson cape as she walked. Another battle had been won, the Zakuulans routed and the field claimed by the Void Serpents. Rather than having to press the attack, the enemy had been so thoroughly defeated that now was a time for celebration, the men partying back in the camp while Apophe surveyed what she had won for herself. Not many had died in this battle on either side - though more than half of the enemy had surrendered or been taken prisoner. It added a strange serenity to the place.

The field had been a small town, one combining elements of old and new. Though speeders, now charred and damaged, rested on the sides of the street, most of the buildings were either adobe or wattle-and-daub. It added a certain 'out of time' quality to the town that made her almost nostalgic. She wandered down the streets and alleys, thankful that the town had mostly been spared damage. When all was said and done, Apophe thought to herself, she might have made a summer home here.

In her wanderings, she came upon a tavern with a sign that had been ruined by blaster fire. Not that she could have read the name anyway. She wandered inside, pushing past the door to find an interior still warm. Though the lights were off, it was early enough in the day that light still filtered in through the windows. Still, Apophe felt the need to flick on the lights. To mild surprise, they worked fine, illuminating the place. It was a rustic sort of place, everything paneled in genuine wood and the kegs being proper old fashioned manual ones instead of the electronic kind found in the Inner Galaxy. Apophe grinned, fishing out a tankard from below the bar and then pouring out beers until she found something dark enough to suit her fancy. She chugged it quickly, and then looked around again.

All life had abandoned the bar, save for a single old cat that sat in the corner in a booth, watching Apophe. She wandered the bar, picking at things, looking over an old menu for food. She wondered if the kitchens still worked... if they were still stocked, even. Perhaps she might cook something for herself. Then, her eyes fell on the middle of the room. A raised platform with a microphone, a guitar and a stool sat there. Apophe couldn't help herself. She wandered over and took a seat on the stool, which creaked under her. She picked up the guitar and strummed, but found herself uncomfortable.

Grunting, she promptly stripped off her breastplate and the guarding underneath, leaving her in her sports bra. She cracked her back, and then began strumming again. A radio in came from her commlink.

"Imperatrix? Do you think perhaps you should debrief with Palatine Morgana?" the voice asked.

"She can come find me," Apophe said. "My commlink should be broadcasting my location. Thanks." She gave the soldier no time to respond as she set the commlink to no longer accept any incoming calls.

She grinned, and then began strumming again, before finding a tune she liked and beginning to sing into the microphone to an empty bar in an abandoned town.

"I once had a notion
To teach a fish to fly..."

 

[Baobhan]

'The week thus far had been an interesting one.'​

... With many of the traditionally leading positions of the Order covered, the Arch Chaplain, a Grand-Master and a Heirophant at the reigns, the ranks of the Order had quickly begun to swell as the Serpents had gained ground on Zakuul. While slavery was much of an option for many of the men and women who still dared to resist the Serpents, many saw the favor of the Order as an out, not to mention that with their rise to the forefront, old alliances never forgotten had been rekindled by the old ways and the revival of the church. Hundreds of men was quickly in the process of becoming thousands, Eris found herself having to delegate tasks and relinquish control, least she spread herself too thinly. Today, for the first time in a while, Eris felt like she had earned herself some respite, and in doing the rounds had found herself looking for Apophe, in her hand one of the traditional drinks of her people. One that the Palatine much enjoyed herself... as she progressed down seemingly limitless hallways, an attendant asked her purpose as Eris hastily moved past before the attendant could receive Apophe's instructions... To such an extent by the time Eris arrived at her door, she heard the final whispers she had muttered to herself.

I had once a notion, to teach a fish to fly.​

... Knocking on the door before entering, Eris would greet Apophe warmly, looking well apart from the few bandages that Eris was wearing under her armour, showing that she had not gotten out of some of the more recent battles unscathed, but, they seemed to look fresh, and with high spirits showing across her face, one would doubt that they were too serious in nature to begin with. “I hope I'm not intruding...” Eris would speak warmly, holding up the bottle “Though, I come bearing recompense... it's probably one of my favorite, we call it honey'd wine. It's smoother than meads, not as thick, but it has a decent kick without tasting it. We brew it pretty strong too. ” waiting for an indication to come in, she would enter upon hearing one, making herself welcome on a chair should one be available or simply choosing to stand if directed otherwise.

Such was her way​

... The palatine would pour the two vessels of the potent wine as she would take a sip of it, feeling the sweet yet alcaholic near liquer pour down her throat, making it feel increasingly warm due to the alcaholic content. As she sighed in relief at the sensation, she looked to Apophe with a cunning eye. “I hope in your metaphor, we are not the savage fish you hope to teach to fly Appophe, because I feel after all we've been through already, I had hoped we'd be remarked on as something, a little more... prominent. ” She said with her usual smirk feigning offense in the hope for a reaction, though she doubted that she would receive one. Eris noted in this instance, that she had never really had time to get to know Apophe on a personal level... perhaps now would be the best time to remedy that mistake.

after all, it would be nice to have some time with Apophe, as people.​

 

[Retroboy]

"Oh, Eris," Apophe said cheerily. "Come in, please."

Apophe smiled brightly at Eris' entrance. It made her glad to see her fellow commander again. The two had lead in many battles together, and what had started as a healthy respect for an enemy who had stood up to her had turned to admiration in Apophe's heart. Eris truly was a brilliant woman, and one of the best tacticians and strategist in the Void Serpents. There were few people Apophe felt she could trust as much she trusted Eris outside of her own family. Still, this admiration was largely intellectual. She knew she could rely on Eris in battle, and to be unafraid of her, but she didn't know much about Eris as a person. Not what her childhood was like, not what Eris likes and dislikes were, not much at all. She hoped to fix that.

Apophe snorted at Eris' little comment, accepting the glass of liqueur and taking a sip, making a pleased cooing noise at the taste. "It's not a metaphor," Apophe said with good humour. "It's a kid's song. My mama used to sing it to me when I acted like a li'l knowitall. It goes like..."

"I once had the notion
To teach a fish to fly
So I went down to the ocean
When the tide was plenty high
Found a fish, we talked
And I pointed to the sky
But he didn't even try
No, he didn't even try

No one listens to wise old me
And I know how things ought to be
I ain't blind but sure don't see
Why no one listens to wise old me"

Apophe beamed. She was particularly proud of her singing voice, though these days she didn't get to share it with many people, given that they had been battling and apparently some members among the Void Serpents thought it was 'improper' for the big, scary Imperatrix to go around singing about things like teaching fish to fly. For some reason, though, Apophe felt that she could afford to be a little musical around Eris. Hopefully that decision wouldn't come back to bite her. She knew Eris could be a little serious at times.

"You did good today, by the way," Apophe said. "I'm really glad to have you leading with me. Wouldn't have anyone else."

 

[Baobhan]

'The palatines mood rose higher and higher, but could she touch the sun?'​

... Eris entered the room and took a seat at the table in Apophe's room, looking to pour a glass each of the drink she had in her hands, though as Apophe explained the nature of the song as something for children, and that it wasn't a metaphor, an almost glazed puzzling look crossed her mind for a moment as if she were confused. It took a moment until Eris finally clicked and began to chuckle slightly awkwardly.“ OH! I see, the song is fiction! ... I get it now... ~” She could not help but feel quite the fool, in her short time of researching the outer galaxy, songs for entertainment with vague stories based on no events or ideals. Fabricated stories of mythical people were read for entertainment and not the annals of past historical warriors and their own great deeds. These were newer things to Eris, even had she spent more time on the main planet of Zakuul rather than her moon, she would have known more about this common fad in more developed nations.

“Haha, I'm sorry, im, uh, still learning a lot of this. Most of our songs are either odes or limmericks, usually about past events or people. I'm still getting used to a lot of this stuff, but, i feel like I'm getting there!”​

... While she didn't feel bad, she felt kinda silly explaining herself probably more than she needed to, each passing moment made her feel a little more awkward. But the singing voice of Apophe somewhat calmed her down, singing in front of her must have been equally as uncomfortable, and after a few moments in silence after Eris stopped explaining, she couldn't resist herself any longer and simply burst into laughter. Showing in not so uncertain factors that she had been drinking a little already. It was soon enough that Apophe's compliment came to pass, thanking her and raising her glass to Apophe's comment, Eris drank to honor the truth of what she said as her cheeks began to redden from the combined alcohol as well as the strain of her laughter on her skin.

“I thought the lot of us did well, though, the enemy are getting a little stronger these days. But, they will crumble. With your strength, my brain and our people, there's no way they can win! ”

... Another drink, vanished down the hatch of Eris as she began to pour herself her second since she walked in Apophe's door, tilting her head lazily to a side as she observed the wine as she poured it. “So now we relax, we revel in winning, and we let our bonds be strong as iron. Nothing is forgotten!” she said, not quite bad enough to slur or have her speech impeded... however close she may be to it. Ending on the note of the famous saying of her people. “So, what now for you Apophe? ”

 

[Retroboy]

Apophe took another sip of her wine, amused at the idea that even someone like Eris could get drunk and bubbly. She hadn't seen this side of her before, where she seemed positively human. Sometimes Apophe forgot that she and Eris were similar in age, and that she could cut loose just as easily as Apophe could. Seeing that made Apophe relax greatly. She could approach Eris as a friend rather than an ally, right now.

She downed her drink, and accepted another.

"Well, I was thinking I'd sit here in this bar," she said. "And now that you're here, hang out with you, play some music..."

A grin quirked across her face as she got an idea. Now that Eris' inhibitions were down, she might be able to get her to do something she might not do otherwise: get her to sing. Eris had a voice pleasing to the ear, and Apophe loved being able to worm the music out of people. She wondered what sort of songs Eris might sing. Probably some sort of epic or power metal. The idea of Eris singing bubble-gum pop crossed Apophe's mind, and her nose wrinkled as she fought back a giggle.

Apophe looked over at Eris.

"Would you like to try your hand at some singing?" she said. "Like to hear what songs you know."

 

[Baobhan]

'Some Catastrophe's were worth watching.'​

... Eris smiled honestly for the first time in a while, the drink had managed to go to her head a little, but singing? Now that was something that she would not do normally without a couple more drinks in her gut. But for Apophe? There was always an exception to every rule, and for the love of diplomacy, she felt like she could indulge this one wish... but the question was, what song was there to sing? Many of the songs she had grown up with were centered around her faith, oral history and tellings of great heroes and warnings. Some were fairy tales and others songs of celebration and mirth, but much of them were so formal. There was little music in the Order of the Outsider that was for the sake of pleasure without something more behind it, but, Eris could remember one of the songs that she heard one of the mercinaries in the civil war singing, the words of the song were somewhat haunting, but there was a romanticism within them that Eris could not quite ignore, smiling and hesitant, she would wait for a moment before giving the task a go.

The pressure was like a toxin.​

“Is it lonely where you are...In there...?
Does the darkness know your name..? Does He?
What's it like? Can you feel? When your blood, turns to ash...Laughing men...
Do you know, what you've done, this time to me?

Oh,

Did you have that dream again...? Release...Breathe...
You're receiving what you said, Said she, Never mind
Emptiness, dead eyes till you've found what you've lost
Maybe there on the edge is your light
But you don't look down...Why?

Burning eyes can't forgive you, Howling moon drives on
And deep in me, Your illusion... What you see in me
Is... it hope?”

... As she sang, it would be noted that Eris did not have a fantastic singing voice, her voice was course from shouting and commanding men on a daily basis, much like that of a smokers, but there was a saultry nature to it like that of a country singer or other folk singers. As she finished she would look up for approval, though she would not exactly perform the song exquisitely, rather, Eris seemed tense and awkward as she was pushed out of her comfort zone and into something else entirely. But for now the Palatine was in good company, staying silent for the mean time, and throwing back another drink in its entirety, she would attempt to hide any further comment behind the act of drinking, giving her some time to formulate a plan on what they hoped to talk about next.

Whatever it may be.​