Ask Picking Up The Pieces

[Emryc Thorne]

He had been submerged in a bacta tank for over two weeks. It was a miracle he hadn’t lost his right arm with how bad the break had been, and he would be wearing the brace for a while. It would some time before he was cleared to leave. In that time, he had to adjust to being completely blind. There had been nerve damage and the doctors couldn’t say one way or another if his vision could ever return.

Emryc had been moved to the rehab center to be coached on how to operate blind, and he also used the time to temper his rage. He was given modest quarters, and a nurse came by to guide him through operating without vision. Even with the Force, operating entirely without sight was a difficult adjustment.

He was told he had a visitor, and he was sitting on a bench outside staring vacantly off in the direction of what was the beginning of a stunning sunset. Emryc could feel the fading warmth against his face so he could still picture what a setting sun looked like. How long before his memories of things faded too?

He had a cane next to him that was mainly to help him balance with the horrific leg injury he sustained. It would be a while before he was fully mobile again.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The recent weeks had been a test of her patience; for someone who demanded answers at the time her questions were asked, she was forced to wait. No level of a display of force would give her what she wanted, healing was a process, even for the most powerful of Sith. The shock of his state left her pacing in her own quarters for days and it was a slow process for her to find any knowledge in the comfort of knowing that things were beginning to progress. She paused in her own research to meditate more, even looking to the gods that he worship for guidance for herself and to watch over him.

When she received word he was moved to rehabilitation and he could have visitors, Tiamat was delighted in the news, but that was the only good news, the rest she was uncertain how to process.

Upon arrival to the center, Tiamat was relieved the place was not crawling (literally) with old people after joint replacement surgeries like the rehabilitation centers she knew on Corellia. A nurse guided her to where he would be and the anticipation to see him was reminded with a fleeting memory of his cologne, thinking for a moment she could smell him next to her. Instead he sat alone on a bench, the nurse announcing he had a visitor. Tiamat paused, seeing the arm brace, his cane, how hallowed his cheeks were, his vacant eyes...her fingers clenched the box she was holding, and the slight pop from the corner told her to stop. The nurse turned to leave and attend other duties.

Tiamat tried to grin, but instead she just sat down next to him on his left to avoid bumping his right arm, letting the silence settle around them before speaking, "I had a lot of things I wanted to tell you, but none of them seem right now."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc smelled her before he even sensed her presence, recognizing the perfume he had given her. He didn’t react or move when she arrived, and for a moment it was not so different from his usual nature. He felt her sit near him, his face still trained forward. Though he smelled as nice as usual, his hair was more unkempt and he had more facial hair. Emryc wasn’t too keen on letting anyone get too close or touching him.

Silence hung between them for a few seconds before he spoke, “Don’t say any variation of ‘sorry’ or I may prove I don’t need my eyes to kill someone,” He said flatly. His tone had a rougher edge than usual, but she would know it wasn’t directed at her specifically. Emryc looked far more detached than normal with his eyes vacantly gazing out. The silvers were just as beautiful as ever, but they completely lacked the subtleties they held normally. The pupils didn’t constrict when the rays of the sun shined on them, and they were no different than eyes simply painted on.

The half Sephi could hear her fidgeting in the silence, but he said nothing about it. Without the aid of his sight, he could sense the plethora of emotions pulsing through her.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He spoke and it didn't matter what he said, Tiamat felt calm and relief wash through her just to hear his voice. It was unmistakable the edge he held in his tone, but it made her curious as to how many sympathies he had received so far. She glanced up at him, catching the corner of his eye as he kept his gaze on the sunset, unmoving, just stillness, but she knew he couldn't be that still on the inside. Just the sheer fact that he could no longer see would have been causing him turmoil, but she did not think he would ever speak of that to her.

"I had promised I would bake something the next time I saw you." she started, peeking into the box to make sure the treats were not squished by her own doing, "They're chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes, so the cake is strawberry, chocolate frosting accented with thin strawberry slices." Tiamat described for him, "And I put a fork in the box so you won't even have to touch them with your fingers."

Tiamat looked at him again, trying to gauge his reaction, realizing how much she had relied on his eyes to hint if there was interest in what she was talking about. They were still a beautiful silver, but it was evident there was something wrong with his vision to anyone who looked at them.

She relaxed, leaning back on the bench, drawing up her knees to sit with her legs crossed, "You don't have to eat them now, but they are here." she set down the box beside her unless he wished to take it himself. There was silence again, but Tiamat did not feel the need to fill it with her own talk.

"If you need to get angry Emryc, you can. I can take it."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc sat in silence when she spoke, though the corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly for a grin. He didn’t wait for her to finish speaking before his hand reached over towards the box to open it. His head, instinctively, turned to look in that direction, but he saw nothing but black as usual. He instead simply stared in Tiamat’s direction, eyes vacant and hollow.

His fingers failed to find the fork and instead grasped the top of a cupcake on accident. He withdrew his hand away, grimacing as frosting got on his fingers. Emryc held up the fingers, unsure what to do with them as it was not in his nature to lick them, and he had no idea where any napkins were, “Can you…” He muttered, asking for her help with a napkin or some way to wipe the frosting off. He despised asking for help.

Emryc said nothing in response to her comment about being angry. He would wait till he was set up with a cupcake and a fork so he could properly eat it. The half Sephi took a few bites before he spoke, staring vacantly towards the sunset again.

“My ship was confiscated,” He stated simply. She heard him in pain when he was pulled from the debris in Denon, but even that didn’t compare to the subtle hints of pain in his voice when he said those words.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat's eyes widened in surprise as Emryc reached over where she was sitting and before she could warn him, his fingers grasped the top of a cupcake, her plan to keep him from getting his fingers dirty, thwarted. He looked disappointed as he held up his hand and his chocolate covered fingertips, but for Tiamat, the simplest thing to do was to lick them clean. Knowing Emyrc though and knowing what he won't do while he struggled to ask for help, she set down the box beside her and gently took his hand. Bunching her sleeve around her palm, she used it to wipe off the frosting from his finger tips, clearly unbothered by the large chocolate stain that now patterned along her arm.

"Here..." she grabbed the fork and set it in his left hand and unfolded the paper around an untouched cupcake to catch crumbs, setting it in his right palm for him to eat. He didn't respond when she invited him to be angry, but she always knew he was listening even if she didn't think he was and let the silence return until he was ready to talk again. She picked up the now botched cupcake and licked off the frosting, wiggling in delight to how good it turned out before moving to the cake portion.

When Emryc did speak, Tiamat froze. At first she was uncertain if she had heard him right, but it was the way he said it. There was agony behind his words, more than she heard on Denon and his pain sparked a fury, "WWhhoo??" her voice clearly echoed with shadow. The redhead closed her eyes and set down the cupcake, breathing in deeply to center herself. "Who?" she asked again her tone now with edge; she didn't care for the reason, she just wanted to know who did it. That ship was a part of him, it held his livelihood and it was more important than anything in this blasted galaxy.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was far too blind and, even without blindness, far too oblivious to appreciate just how thoughtful Tiamat’s gesture of wiping the frosting with her sleeve was. Nevertheless, he was happy to finally have the frosting off, and he took bites very carefully to avoid a mess. Normally not a fan of too much sugar, he was pleasantly surprised at how good this tasted. The fact that he went for second and third bites was the biggest clue she needed that he enjoyed this, as he was unlikely to say much about it.

He didn’t miss the rage in her voice in response to his words, and he remained silent as he ate. While there was pain in his words, Emryc kept a calm resolve. He reached to take another bite, but he realized she had lowered it as his fork poked at air. Emryc lowered his hand, once again irritated at having to rely on others for things.

“The station. They granted me the ship in the first place,” He said simply, “I’m considered unfit for duty,” Emryc muttered with a shrug. He looked down in the direction of the fork, running his thumb along the length of it and attempting to trace it with his gaze.

“I suppose I don’t qualify as your master anymore either," Emryc muttered quietly with a half grin, "Bet that's a relief."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She caught the falling fork from the corner of her eye and realized she had moved it out of his reach, "Sorry!" she moved the cupcake back to where it was, turning slightly to face him. She took his fork hand and guided it back to where the rest of the cupcake would be as she listened to him explain who took his ship. Her brow narrowed, trying to better understand who this was that took his ship away and now there were just more questions flooding her mind. The Station? Unfit for duty?

However, all her questions came to a sudden halt when he suggested the relief she must feel knowing he would no longer qualify as her master. "What?" Tiamat scoffed, "Nonsense, you can't rid of me that easily." she stated flatly and took a bite of her cupcake, to keep herself from saying anything else on the subject, but that didn't stop her from thinking about the station.

"What is this station?" she asked, unable to recall him ever telling her anything about serving under anything other than the Sith Order, "You're a Darth, a rank rightfully earned, you should be the one to determine if you're unfit for duty or not." she set down her cupcake, but continued to hold his. "Grant you the ship? That's your kriffing ship. Where is it? The station?"

 

[Emryc Thorne]

A single eyebrow rose as she mentioned he wouldn’t rid of her so easily. His thoughts went briefly back to Tatooine, but he said nothing on the topic. He calmly took another bite from the cupcake, and this was possibly the most he had ever eaten from a sweet dish that she would have witnessed. For him to enjoy something sweet, it had to be just the perfect flavor.

Emryc realized he hadn’t exactly divulged much about the station or his past before. He was silent for a few seconds before speaking again, “Sith Station. They will likely strip me of the rank too,” He shrugged again, “The Eternal has been wanting an excuse to remove me as a threat and this is the perfect means to do so,” He explained as he finished up the cupcake much to both their surprise.

He tilted his head towards Tiamat, but his eyes couldn’t meet her gaze. He simply knew the direction she sat based on focusing on her energy. He hadn’t relied on it to this degree and it still wasn’t entirely accurate. His gaze landed somewhere along her forehead, “It is done. Now I must find tranquility again.”

Emryc didn’t operate on vengeance, he only worked to enhance and grow from situations. It was one of his more frustrating qualities. He tilted his head away towards the setting sun again. There was a tremendous amount of rage that whirled within him, and it would all need to be tempered or he would simply see red and do something foolish. He had already made up his mind on what he would do next, and it wasn’t something he would share with her or anyone else because they would wish to stop him.

“I have something I wish to teach you,” He stated, “Perhaps the last thing I do,” He added, “The means of building your mind into a fortress. The teachings of Darth Kravos.”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Her eyes kept on the fork, making sure to move her palm ever so slightly to ensure he would get a stab at the cake and not her thigh or fingers. She took another bite of her cupcake, making a mental note that the recipe she used would be a keeper and would have to make him more later. Despite the circumstances, she was excited to see he was enjoying the treat, especially knowing he was not too willing to indulge in sweets unless pressed or if it were his idea. Silence fell between them as they ate until Emryc started talking again, elaborating more about this Station and the likelihood of being stripped of his rank too. It took restraint on her part not to clench her fists and squish the two cupcakes when he explained about the Eternal's decision.

"Sith spit!" she blurted out angrily, watching him take the last bite. She felt she was more frustrated at the lack of affect that was in his tone about this. She decided to blame it from being concussed, and set down the paper wrappers as he turned to look at her, or at least in her direction. Her own gaze focused on him and she took his hand, removing the fork before placing his palm against her cheek as he reassured it had been done. She shook her head, her own blue eyes move between his eyes as they were unmoving, but still as beautiful, reminding her of the shimmer that glazed the top of the ocean, "Nonsense, you can say its done, but its not over."

Her own gaze returned to the sunset when he did, unhappy with the things he was telling her, the frustration stemmed from not having the control she would like to make it better for him. Nearly lost in her thoughts, she was quickly pulled back when he spoke of teaching her something, feeling it was dramatic to add it would possibly be the last he would and as she opened her mouth to interject her disapproval, she stopped, curiosity piqued, "D-Darth Kravos? A mind fortress? You mean like..." she paused, thinking of legends that surrounding his power and then there were thoughts that started to tie together as she glanced back at him, "Is that why I can't read far in you?" her brow narrowed.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was silently glad that her rage-filled reactions at least didn’t cause her to drop the cupcake he was eating. He checked around his lips several times almost like a manic person in case any crumbs or frosting was left behind. The half Sephi didn’t quite understand her strong reaction to his situation, but he was generally oblivious to matters such as these.

He offered nothing in response to her declaration that this wasn’t over. Emryc wasn’t the type to refute or debate principles with others, and he remained silent with his face towards the fading warmth of the sun. He felt Tiamat’s soft skin beneath his hand, and he didn’t move to pull it away. His thumb moved along her jawline absentmindedly, but he paused at her words.

He intended to confirm that this was the mind fortress, but he instead had a slightly bemused expression on his face. That expression slowly broke out into a grin, “You’ve always been able to read me, Tiamat,” He said flatly, “There’s not a whole lot going on in there beyond what I’ve shown you. I’m a far simpler man than people wish to believe,” He even managed a wink when he spoke the words. At least he could still do that. Nevertheless, his words rang true - he had always been an open book with her from day one. She simply needed to learn to read the specific language.

“I can teach you the basics, but you must draw the rest from the Holocron,” He planned to be far away from here by the time he finished the basics, “Don’t share the knowledge with anyone else for it is sacred. Don’t waste time with silly revenge plots and,” He paused for a moment, “Do your damn katas,” Emryc said. Everything he said had a tone of finality to it, as if he intended to fade away in some shape or form. It was how she had lived her whole life, and now it was being done to her.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Her eyes closed, relaxing against his touch as he caressed her jawline with his thumb, only opening them when he paused, speaking with humor as he reassured she had always been able to read him. Then her eyebrows raised in skepticism to him stating there wasn't a whole lot going on inside him; though if he were comparing to her, she guessed it was a bit more still than the constant flame of emotions that burned within herself. When he did wink, Tiamat smirked, finding it unusual to see him this open with her, but she liked it and would take it before he was feeling better, "Your simplicity is complicated for me." she smiled and sighed, taking his hand into her own.

He continued, mentioning about teaching her the basics, but the rest would come from the holocron and then listed off his stipulations to learning the rest of the technique. Which she thought sounded a bit odd, hearing the finality in his tone, she broke her gaze from the sunset and glanced up to him, "Revenge plots?" she frowned, thinking about how nice it would be to have revenge on the Eternal for taking his ship and rank. However, it would mean nothing if Emryc disapproved, but her thoughts came to a standstill when he emphasized her need to practice her katas.

"Right...ok..." she let out a long sigh, "I promise." she stated sincerely knowing as humous as well as odd he sounded for the moment, she would follow what he has requested...even if she preferred her dance drills over her katas.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc sat in silence after their exchange, the sun finally disappearing over the horizon. It made no difference to him that darkness began to fall around them, but he could feel the air getting cooler without the sun’s warm rays. He slowly moved to stand, extending a hand for Tiamat to hand him the walking stick. It was clear that he was still straining, pain jolting through his body as he rose. Part of him feared he would carry a permanent limp.

“Lead me back to my quarters?” He posed as a question, his tone grumpy enough to suggest he despised asking for help. He would take Tiamat’s arm and allow her to guide him back towards his room. He had enough of that nurse’s help for today, and Tiamat was a refreshing change.

He was set up with nice living quarters that had a small living room and a bed. It was deliberately sparse to minimize him bumping into furniture. Emryc honed in with the Force in an effort to get his bearings, but it was a whole new means of learning when his sight was gone entirely.

He walked over to sit down on the floor, encouraging Tiamat to sit across him after asking her to grab a bag of his. She would recognize this bag - the one that usually held his figurines and the clawed whip. He drew a hand in and pulled out the Holocron.

“Do not let stubbornness drive how you use this power,” Emryc warned as her first lesson, “Don’t block your mind off simply because you want to be difficult. Respect this power and set up the fortress against true enemies that seek to harm you.”

He gazed in her direction for a long moment, “You’ve come a long way, but you still have a lot of growing up to do,” He said quietly, his tone lacking any patronizing undertones. It wasn’t in his nature to take jabs for no reason, and she would know he spoke with purpose, "I'm not always going to be around to show you the way."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was a point in her life that she was unable to handle silence; it was unnerving and had stirred fears of what could be in the danger that tended to accompany that stillness. Now of course was different, no longer did that danger lurk, she held more power than she attributed to herself to where she could fight back and conquer what came after her. But having Emryc beside her made the silence something else entirely, a sweetness in the sea of bitterness. It was a content and peace she was unable to find anywhere else.

She closed her eyes, using her other senses to feel the world around her, knowing it wouldn't compare, she could at least be not as tempted to vocalize something he would not be able to observe. Emryc would eventually stir beside her, standing, and she stood also, already placing his cane in his hand while she scooped up the box of cupcakes to carry the rest back for him. Again, he struggled with asking for help and she could hear it in his tone, feeling she could relate in some way. She did not like asking for help either, and was certain most individuals she met she was certain it was more common than believed to be. Taking his arm in her free arm, she lead him back to his quarters; a slow walk, one that required her own patience as she learned to move at his pace.

Once back in his quarters, she noted the simplicity as she set down the box of cupcakes on a table and retrieved his bag, one she had seen many times over before sitting on the floor across from him. She watched him as he pulled out the holocron, feeling the power behind the artifact; she had thought the only thing he managed to find was Kravos' armor, but upon seeing the device, she couldn't help but grin. Her own mind rushed with lessons on Kravos but quickly quieted as Emryc spoke.

He warned of her stubbornness and knew her quite well in a less mature Tiamat would use such power to be difficult. It wasn't to say she would never be difficult, there was certainly other ways in doing so, but using this power to be difficult would be...unwise. "Yes, master." she nodded and spoke from instinct, the lesson bringing back a refined discipline within the Sith.

He looked in her direction, her own gaze falling on his silver eyes as she studied him closely. His tone was quieter when he spoke next, almost as if he was reminiscing in the progress she has made over the years and continued to make. Though when he reminded her he would not be around forever, she felt taken aback some by the statement and she shook her head, "I know, but you're here now." Tiamat stated softly and paused as several thoughts ran through her mind. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as if she were linking ideas together, but she brushed away her thoughts, finding it rather irrational for him, "And even when you're not around, much of you is still a part of me." she brushed her fingers over heart, her blue eyes glancing over his shoulder and resting beyond any object in the room.

"You will be ok, Emryc. You'll get this figured out." she shifted in her seat, crossing her legs and resting her palms on her knees.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc nodded in approval to everything she said, but he paused at her last sentence. He had been reaching over to open the holocron, but he briefly stopped. He was silent for a moment before a faint grin graced his face.

“I will be okay, Tiamat…” He said, letting the rest of his sentence hang vaguely. He didn’t dwell on it too much longer, finally opening the holocron. Almost at once, the imposing projection of Darth Kravos appeared before them. The Holocron contained his teachings as described by him, and it came with meditation and concentration techniques.

Emryc actively worked with Tiamat to help her find that centered focus. It was no different than the early days of her training where she would fail several times before getting it right. Just like back then, Emryc was patient through it all, stern with her but never to patronize.

Hours melted away as they worked on the beginnings of the teachings. The hours would only be to learn the basics, but she would have to take it and practice it for hours every day for months to master it. The nurse brought over his food at his door, but he sent her away, focusing entirely on teaching Tiamat this very important skill.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

I will be okay

And she knew he would be, her own thoughts drifting as she recalled how she saw him when he was lifted from the debris and rubble by Morgan. He was close to death, but not dead, his body mangled broken, his spirit just as crushed and yet here he sat. She had wondered in the weeks after if she were capable of enduring such pain, the answer often came as yes, but what Emryc was going through now, she was uncertain how she would handle herself.

Tiamat...

The redhead heard her name and her attention returned back to the present, a faint grin, and Emryc's eyes still unmoving but beautiful as the Force turned in his palm, activating the holocron. The girl's eyes widened as the projected image of Darth Kravos appeared and as much as she wanted to admire in awe, there was much work needed to be done.

Everything begun with finding her center, there wasn't anything in her lessons throughout the years that this was not the starting point. It would be what she did know that would be dismantled, to become anew, she must find the pieces that make her stronger. Emryc would push her and she would fall, centering herself over and over, and each time she would fail, but gained a bit more understanding. It did not get easier, in fact it became more difficult as she fought against her own instincts, the core of the self that reveled in the comfort of patterns she had forged in habit. It would be in this discomfort she would find her strength to progress where Emryc pushed, and where she wanted herself to be.

Time had trickled by, but Tiamat would not notice, only to move when she shed her jacket, letting it drape around her waist where she sat. She was covered in sweat, but her skin cool to the touch as she continued to meditate; she thought she heard someone announce their presence, but their voice was so distant, she could have mistaken for hearing things that were not there. Besides, there were many things she was hearing inside her head as she worked to tame and refine. The Force was unusually calm and serene though in her presence. A breath in followed with a slow breath out, a rhythmic pulse of the waves crashing and withdrawing from her being.

Tranquility had to come first, then her strength and control would follow.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could only push so much before exhaustion began to take over him. He was still not fully recovered, and the Force could be taxing. He remembered how many grueling hours he had spent mastering the teachings. However, he had taught her enough for her to take it from there. It would still take dedicated effort.

The Holocron was closed for now and Emryc closed his eyes instinctively to meditate, still sometimes forgetting that he saw nothing with them open. The half Sephi centered his mind before his eyes opened again. For a moment it almost appeared as if everything were back to normal. And then he saw more darkness.

With a sigh that was almost uncharacteristic of him, he flopped onto his back on the ground. His eyes vacantly stared up towards the ceiling. Emryc’s entire body hurt, and his leg still throbbed painfully.

“I liked your cupcakes,” He muttered out of the blue after a long moment of silence. His voice was slightly strained. Emryc said nothing further about the holocron or what he was teaching her. He simply laid there on the ground appearing as if he were simply looking up at the ceiling and pondering deep in thought.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat would feel his exhaustion as the Force shifted, but she remained in stillness of her meditation. Her breath deepened while she slowly returned to the present, nearly forgetting where she was to start. The waves still calmly pulsed from her, eagerness replaced with patience; it was like a slow rise to the surface, careful not to move too quickly and undoing the work she had put in so far. The sounds of the rehabilitation center finally reached ears and soon she could smell the sterile air of the room before opening her eyes and seeing Emryc in his own moment of meditation.

She sat quietly, observing him as her eyes traced along his face, his ears and along his healing body before settling on the brace on the arm that had the break. Her thoughts begun to wake, stirring up memories of Denon as she slowly looked at her own right arm, recalling the pain and numbness she had felt. Instinctively she closed her fingers into her palm, tensing her arm as a reminder it was still there, and it was fine. It would be his sigh that startled her attention from her arm.

Her brow furrowed in confusion and worry as he flopped backwards, laying on his back as his gaze took to the ceiling and Tiamat moved closer to him to make sure he was ok. She could feel the thread of their bond, there was still pain that accompanied the his exhaustion; she gently reached over, running her fingers slowly through his hair hoping it was the one area on his body that wasn't in pain. She instantly smirked to his cupcake comment, not nearly believing she had heard him correctly from the strain in his voice.

"I'm glad, there's four more. I placed the box on table by the door." she said softly, "Fork included." Tiamat added, her eyes settling on his vacant gaze.

"Your eyes are still beautiful you know," she said, "And everything else, even your bruises, are perfect."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc felt her shift over towards him, but he didn’t move from where he was. Her fingers ran through his hair and he exhaled slowly almost in contentment. While he normally was picky about having his hair touched when it was styled, it hadn’t been styled for a few days. The half Sephi heard her words with a blank look on his face.

“The galaxy around me isn’t so,” He said quietly, “I can’t see vibrant red of your hair. I can’t see you doing that strange hair twirling thing you do. I can’t see that look you get on your face when you’ve kriffed up your calculations for a hypergate. I can’t see when you think you’re being slick, but I know exactly what’s going on in your head. Can’t see the way your eyes light up when you finally figure something out,” He paused before adding, “Can’t see the way your eyes light up when you look at me,” A lazy grin spread across his face, “But at least I don’t have to look at your fashion choices.”

Emryc’s hand fished around for a bit before he reached into the bag, drawing out an electric cigarra. It was far easier to manage than a real one, and he worked it out before placing it between his lips. A cloud of smoke escaped him a moment later, the grin fading from his face to be replaced with a pensive look.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat's gaze softened while she combed her fingers through his hair, finding the rhythmic movement just as soothing for herself as it seemed to be for him. He spoke again, countering her comment on his perfection, but he did not stop, going into detail about the red of her hair, her quirks and by the time he mentioned how her eyes light up, she had found herself to pause, her hand momentarily held just over his head. There was a surprise that overtook her, he absolutely did not sound like the Sith she knew, but the comment about her fashion choices, that of course sounded like him.

She withdrew her hand, "Ha, ha, I guess that's one blessing that would come from this." she retorted, watching him pull out an electric cigarra; she half expected a nurse to run back in to take it from his lips and throw it into the trash. Her own thoughts when back to what he said about her, listening to his words repeat in her mind until she noticed his features suggested he was thinking about something. Tiamat shifted, laying on her side next to him and propped her head with her palm, "Well, maybe I will have to improve my fashion tastes and wear something with finer cloth for you to touch." Tiamat suggested.

"And perhaps wear the perfume you got me more often, and keep conditioning my hair..." she continued, "And bathe in sandalwood so my skin stays soft to the touch." With her free hand she gently traced along his shoulder with her finger tip, "At least along with my frumpy fashion, you never again have to look at the wretch I can become. Her gaze hardened for a moment as she remembered how she left him on Tatooine, some guilt still gnawed her as she still worked through the failings of her own.

@Sreeya