Ask Toxic Draw

[Renfry]

Renfry had left Devaron and been back on her way to doing... whatever it was she was doing. That was the problem with having found the Sith. She now knew something about them and they seemed to appeal to a part of her that she was keenly aware of. And yet, she was uncertain of whether or not she wanted to actually join them in doing... whatever it was they did. She was feeling directionless, and she didn't like it.

A week went by and she found her mind once more turning to Devaron. Everything that had happened there. It had been an intoxicating experience that left her conflicted on every level. From her interactions with the Sith - Emryc - to the corruption of the Nexus. It stung her mind at every silent moment.

He was right about one thing, however. She did know how to find him. He would be able to sense the slight burning within his blood that foretold that she was tracking him. He'd already felt it once and that meant that her coming to him was no secret, nor was she trying to hide it.

She hadn't expected her path to lead her to Drall. A quick review of her data terminal told her that it was renowned for its record keeping. Their species was said to keep records of everything since the dawn of intelligence. Seemed like a bold claim. Was he here looking for something? Surely they wouldn't have records on the Sith, would they?

She didn't know. She simply followed the blood trail to a large building that said it was a library. So he is looking for something, thought to herself, quirking an eyebrow and twisting up her lips a bit.

She braced herself for... whatever was going to happen as she made her way inside.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Her path would take her to a grand library. It was an impressive building, and it seemed like one would need a map to navigate it. And in other circumstances she would need one, but now Emryc stood out like a beacon. He would have sensed her, but he was completely engrossed in what he was doing.

Her path would take several levels below by repulsorlift to the underground sections. She would have to use the Force to toy with the mind of a crabby woman to get access to the restricted sections. She would then find rows upon rows of shelves that led towards an area with various tables and chairs.

At the very back was one particular table with one lone occupant. It was a certain half Sephi, but he was adorned in loose fitting sweats and a hoodie. There were four empty cups of caf near him, and his eyes looked slightly sunken.

Speaking of his eyes, she would immediately notice that he actually had glasses on. He also had a pen hanging from the corner of his lips while he actively typed away on a datapad. He also had hand written and drawn graphs and calculations. The table was a complete mess, sheets of paper and many books open all around the surface.

He would only notice her because he figured it was the librarian coming to tell him to leave. He glanced up and was caught off guard, but none of it displayed on his face. While he hadn’t anticipated her seeing him like this, he also was entirely comfortable with who he was in every side he had to him.

Without a word, one of the chairs across from him slid out on their own accord. He silently returned back to what he was doing, now typing things into his datapad while the pen was still between his lips.

 

[Renfry]

She didn't wait outside the library for very long. She could feel him both through the Force and through the blood binding. She began picking her way through the rows of bookshelves with surprising speed, noting just how convoluted this place was. She'd never seen so many data records in one place before, although that wasn't really saying much about a poor girl from a backwater world.

When she was stopped by a crotchety woman she tried to reason with her for about thirty seconds.

I have authorization to go in, she finally said, continuing to walk before the woman had even finished repeating the phrase. She wasn't patient enough to deal with that.

She found him quite quickly and... well, it was not what she was expecting. This was like a completely different person than who she had met on Dathomir and Devaron. He was in sweats with glasses, a pencil, and smudges all over his face. He looked exhausted but also engaged with whatever he was doing. She just assumed he was always the demanding, possessive, violent person she had seen, but here... it was almost difficult to imagine him as that, though she knew it to be true.

He looked up at her and seemed equally as surprised to see her. She couldn't fully suppress the smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. He pulled out a chair for her and she moved over to take a seat.

She leaned forward to look at what he was working on. She thought she recognized some of the symbols here and there, but couldn't be certain what he was investigating.

Whatcha workin on? she asked, eyebrows up and taking a look at one of the books he wasn't looking at at the moment.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t answer for a moment, but he also knew that wouldn’t faze her. She would simply start to rifle through his things and find out for herself. The pen floated from his lips to his fingers in one fluid motion as he drew a circle on a chart he had been drawing.

“I’m trying to find a Holocron,” He said finally, leaning forward in his seat. He looked very different with glasses on. He actually looked incredibly human. Like someone that could learn to love or care about another. It softened the edges he had where his eyes displayed a void normally.

“Do you know what a holocron is?” He asked, sliding over a book towards her. Privately, he was impressed she could even read. As far as he knew, Nightsisters were more tribal in nature and likely didn’t interact too much with the galactic education system.

Emryc didn’t ask why she was here, and he still didn’t know her name. Truthfully, his mind had been solely on the holocron and the potential for alchemy. The nexus they had corrupted could be a breeding ground for the arcane arts that Kravos crafted.

 

[Renfry]

Her eyes followed the circle that he drew on the chart, grazing over what it showed. A holocron? She had no idea what that was but if he was so consumed with finding it then it had to be valuable.

He pushed the book over to her and she started reading about the history. An Empire? An "Empress Andraste" and her husbands. There were lists of planets contained in the Empire at the time. A check of the date told her this was not the Empire of only a few decades ago, but much, much older.

No, she said, pausing a moment before adding, what is it? She half expected that if she hadn't actually asked he would have simply not explained. She supposed there was still a chance of that.

She didn't like not knowing things or looking stupid, but she was also fairly confident he already thought she was stupid, so she might as well capitalize on learning something.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t answer for a long time, but he was mulling over his thoughts. He watched her begin to read about the history and he saw the genuine interest she showed. His fingers drummed on the table for a long moment as he silently pondered. At the end of it, he rose from his seat and used the Force to bring over a Holo projector.

He then dimmed the lights and projected the map of the galaxy, “A long time ago, the first Sith were a species that originated from this section of the galaxy,” He pointed, “They were known as Pureblood Sith,” He explained. Renfry had made a huge mistake asking him a question when it came to history and knowledge. She had made a huge mistake expressing interest in what he was doing.

She was now subjected to him giving a massive history lesson that would span a few hours. Through it all, she would see him speaking with more excitement than she would ever see in him otherwise. He used his hands when he spoke and he switched up the models he projected. There was a glint in his eye that was almost childlike as he touched on the history of Andraste and the first Sith Lords.

It wasn’t till much later into the evening that he had finally linked all of it to what he was doing here. By then she would know about every Holocron created by the old Jedi and the Sith. He pointed to his papers and drawings, “... And I want to harness the knowledge that Kravos once possessed.”

 

[Renfry]

He began speaking and once again she was surprised to see him light up with excitement. He might be surprised to find that her attention was rapt. It was one of the things the two of them actually shared in common: they were both ravenous for knowledge.

She drank it all in. This was precisely why she had come out into the galaxy: to learn about other Force sects. She wanted to know more. She wanted to know all. She wanted everything just as she had said in the cave.

After he finished speaking she was silent. The cogs were turning within her mind but she didn't rush to speak.

Instead she stood and started pushing through the books. She was as interested in this as he was. Well, perhaps not quite as interested, but it was clear she was quite engaged.

You've checked his tomb already? she asked. It was obvious that the holocron wouldn't be there anymore, but that didn't mean there might not be clues to be followed from it.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc shook his head at her question, “It is no longer in the tomb,” He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. His feet pressed against the edge of the table. He lazily spun the model of the galaxy before pointing to the Unknown Regions of space, “I’ve put the pieces together countless times and I keep returning to coordinates in a sector way out there. Somewhere that can’t be plotted on the map.”

Even then, it was only an educated guess at best. He didn’t even know how he could realistically fuel a ship to take him out that far. He chewed on the pen in his mouth, glancing up at the model. The journey could take months, and he wondered how detached he would be from the events of the galaxy.

In his mind, all of it was worth it. Emryc turned to look at Renfry then. It almost looked as if he were about to ask a question, but then he thought better of it.

“I don’t have any information beyond this. I will leave in a few days.”

 

[Renfry]

Renfry wasn't surprised to hear that he had already checked the tomb. He wasn't a complete idiot, but sometimes she was surprised at people in the worst way. She had low expectations of them.

She started looking at the star charts and the navigation data. She was no expert pilot or navigator, but she was learning and she was a quick study. If she wasn't mistaken, charting the course he was saying was borderline suicide. And all that for a lead? Not even a definitive location.

Her first instinct was a "well that's stupid," but she restrained herself. She continued to look at the charts before looking up at him.

You're going to go out there and possibly die on such flimsy information? she asked, giving him a look that said that wasn't very bright.

And what if I told you that I could get you something more solid? she asked. Divination. One of the most terrifying rituals of the Nightsisters because of the risk associated with it to both parties and the difficulty in performing it. But it was a pathway to incredibly difficult to obtain knowledge.

She looked at him for a moment, wondering why she'd even bother to put herself at risk for him. But it wasn't just for him, was it? She gained from this was well. The memories of the Nexus still lingered in her mind. She'd learned about the Sith from him. And there were definitely not any other... fringe benefits.

But I want you to ask me my name first, she said, smiling sassily.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared at her as she asked if he planned to go into the Unknown Regions on such flimsy information.

“Yes,” He answered curtly. He heard her out, still leaned back in his seat. She had a smug look after her demand. He took note of that smile - she wore it well. It almost made him want to smile, but he did not. He instead stared at her, those same cold, calculating eyes even when they looked friendlier with the glasses.

“Are you wearing panties right now?” He asked calmly as he brought the pen to his fingers and began to twirl it between them. He eyed her for a long moment before leaning forward again and meeting her gaze for a long time. He said nothing else, letting the question sink in and remind her exactly who was in the position to give commands.

He glanced down at his calculations and graphs, “I will need to find an adequate ship...hmm..perhaps I can take this trade route to jump out somewhere near..” He muttered to himself and didn’t even look at her, returning to reading one of the chapters in his book.

 

[Renfry]

No, she answered without missing a beat. If the reminder was intended to force her to recoil or act ashamed he would be sorely disappointed.

But you could have found that out for yourself, she said, pulling slightly at the waistline of her pants and then releasing them, letting them snap into place.

As he went back to his books she let out a sigh and shook her head.

It's a shame. I was hoping for at least one more good taste before you died of stubbornness, she said, shaking her head before moving over to him. She knelt down as if to grab a book but instead moved to touch him.

She removed the outer most piece of clothing and then the next. She didn't even expect him to stop his planning and reading. That was fine with her, she simply wanted to give him a little parting gift. She knew he had self-control, but she also knew that if he was going to be stubborn, she wanted to linger in his mind. Perhaps she wouldn't. Perhaps he'd never wonder what her name was and they wouldn't see one another again, but as it turned out she was taking a note out of his playbook. Well, that was something. She was learning from him.

She didn't stop for some time, alert to his state and ensuring that he wouldn't actually have the satisfaction as she stood once again and wiped her mouth.

I'm going to find something to drink, she said, turning and leaving the room to search for something else to drink.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t visibly react to the sound of her clothing. He was as difficult to read as ever, entirely focused on the documents on the table. He didn’t look up as she walked over and moved as if to pick something up. What came next took him by genuine surprise. He was suddenly thrown into a battle.

His nostrils flared and he tried to keep writing, and he noticed the pen kept trailing off. He noticed his fingers were digging into the papers, crumpling up hours of work. He noticed his breathing shifted, and his body worked against him. He kept looking down at the pages of his book, reading the same words over and over again.

His mind was clouding over, and he shifted and moved in his seat in all the ways he didn’t want to. He tried his best to stay silent, releasing a grunt as he gritted his teeth together. By the end of it, or lack there of, he simply exhaled slowly to temper himself. He stared into the pages, watching the way the his writing on the page went from words to a long, squiggly line that completely ruined what he was writing. The page he was gripping was crumpled and torn.

She rose from where she was and he didn’t move. He didn’t even bother fixing his state of attire. He simply gazed ahead, not bothering to make eye contact. He heard her leaving, and he finally spoke.

“What’s your name, you w-” He stopped himself, uttering the word as a whisper, “...bitch.”

 

[Renfry]

She was nearly out of the room when she heard him speak up. She turned back, actually genuinely surprised to hear the question. He even managed to hold his tongue from calling her a witch! Even the other word she didn't care about quite so much. She couldn't expect him to be entirely "kind," after all.

Why, I'm Renfry. It's lovely to meet you! she said, flashing another wide smile. She stepped out of the room in search of something to drink. She was quite satisfied with that entire encounter even if it had still left her wanting a bit.

It didn't take long for her to find a vending machine and the Shadow bent to her will as she wiggled her fingers and the drink floated down to within reach. She popped it open with a crackle and drank something that had to have been 90% sugar. She smacked her lips together in satisfaction as she returned to the room.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

By the time she returned, he was back to being dressed and with any remnants of his 'problem' gone. He was already back to his books, rewriting over where the page was ruined. He had already smoothed out the page he crumpled up earlier. His generally neutral face was back on, his eyes betraying mild curiosity as he poured over the research again.

He didn’t look up when she was back, though he did file her name away into his mind. How often he planned on using it was another story entirely. He was entirely engrossed in the work again. She would learn he had an almost inhuman ability to shift gears. The fact that he had been in a compromising position mere minutes prior wouldn’t even register.

“Tell me this other way you have for more information,” He said quietly. He was genuinely curious about her methods. He wasn’t arrogant enough to think he couldn’t learn from her. She had her means of using her powers that he didn’t understand yet.

He slowly looked up to meet her gaze. He would understand it one day. She would teach him herself. Everything she ever knew.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry came back, happily sipping her drink but disappointed to see that he had resolved himself in her absence.

Killjoy, she muttered with a sigh as she shook her head and sat back in the seat. She grabbed one of the books again, kicking her legs up onto the table and putting her eyes back to the book as she drank.

Ah yes, the ritual. She took a deep but quiet breath as he asked the question because the ritual itself was dangerous and uncomfortable and then sat forward, setting the book back down.

His face was immovable but his eyes betrayed him. She looked into his eyes and could see the lust there. Not lust for her, but for her knowledge. That was all he actually cared about when it came to her. It stung on a certain level that she didn't admit, but she knew they were both using each other. She knew it in her soul.

Divination. It's one of the oldest and most dangerous rituals we have, and it can only be performed on Dathomir, she said. She stiffened slightly as she continued to think through the process. In order to do it she would have to return to retrieve - or rather steal - the chalices from her village. That was not something she wanted to do.

It requires two willing participants to drink from directly from the ichors of Dathomir, she said. We'll be able to see its location, she said. This was an awful idea and she was already beginning to regret bringing it up, but there it was.

The cost is unpredictable and can be incredibly high, she warned. Historically, the spirits liked to possess those who performed the ritual. Renfry didn't like that idea.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

After Renfry finished speaking, his nostrils flared slightly again. This time, it was for entirely different reasons. Her ideas sounded completely half baked, and possibly even less viable than the research and estimates he had done. He looked at her as a surge of anger coursed through him. The desire to backhand her right off that chair and across the room was almost overwhelming. His fingers twitched just a bit, but he simply exhaled to reel himself in.

“This sounds like it needs engagement with the tribes on Dathomir,” He said through almost gritted teeth, “And I’m sure they will be very willing to let us waltz in and do this,” Rage burned in his eyes. No desire. No passion. Just rage. She had done all that song and dance for a crackpot idea that likely had no merit. He was a methodical man, and this sounded like fairy dust and even more guess work.

He closed his book and stood up then, preparing to go, “The cost will not be high,” He glared at her, “Because you will be the one taking the risk.”

It was time for her to put her credit where her mouth was.

 

[Renfry]

She could sense the anger popping up within him and it triggered a moment's fear in her, but that was almost immediately eclipsed entirely by confusion. It was... well, it was illogical. He was a bizarre one. Sometimes so ruled by logic and planning - yes, stubbornness too - but then there were moments where he seemed utterly driven by instinct and emotion. She realized just how deep the split within his went and wondered if he even realized it. She doubted he did. He was always a terror, but there was something else within him that was far beyond. It was that that she feared and also what she craved.

No, it doesn't. But you let me worry about my sisters, she said calmly. It simply required Renfry to steal the chalices, which she knew she could do without issue. It wasn't like she was going to bring him with her for that anyway.

Or if you don't think it'll work, then don't go, she said with a shrug.

Follow your charts and... she caught herself short of telling him to pray to his gods and hope he got lucky. Somehow she knew that such a thing would be stepping over the line she loved to walk.

She barely missed a beat as she kept speaking to cover over the comment. ...hope for the best. You take a risk either way. One has a guaranteed payoff, she said.

She ignored his comment about her taking the risk. There was no point in arguing with him about it and if he'd bothered to ask her about the ritual he'd have known that, but he didn't, so she didn't offer it.

He started gathering his things and she stood to leave.

I'll meet you at the temple with what we need, she said. He had no reason not to trust that she would live up to her end of the deal, but she half-expected him to try to force her to come with him. She couldn't tell with him half the time.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

And it would hold true that she couldn’t tell with him half the time. She would be at the temple and have no clue if he was arriving or not. It was a few days since the library, enough time for her to do her part and for him to simply make his way over. He had parked his ship a short distance away, doing his best to avoid running into any locals.

He found his way back to that same temple, and it brought within him a flare of anger. It was where he had been cursed, and where he had revealed a weak side of him. His fingers curled into fists. He slowly exhaled then. He had already punished himself for that lapse, and it would never happen again.

Emryc walked in through the entrance to spot Renfry. He was adorned in casual civilian clothes, and it was clear he had been frequenting the city life. His hair was perfectly gelled, and he wore his trademark cologne. If she paid enough attention, she’d catch a few marks along his neck that suggested he even made time to have some fun.

His hands were in his pockets as he walked over, “Let’s get this over with,” He grumbled.

 

[Renfry]

Dathomir was an endless source of both joy and pain for Renfry. She loved her homeworld, but the memories of this place felt more sour each time she returned. The darkness inside of her had been growing and festering in recent days. She knew she wouldn't ever be the same again.

As per what she had told him, she had managed to get the goblets from the Shaman's hut in her old village without anyone being the wiser. And all that without even having to speak with any of her former sisters. Was she really so willing to work against her own people? She'd return the goblets, but the principle...

She shook the thought from her mind, though the tightness in her chest didn't abate.

She sensed him before she saw him, and from the feel of things, he didn't seem happy either. No doubt this would mean sparks would fly within... what, the minute? She wasn't sure she had it in her to argue today.

As he made his way inside she was surprised to see... how made up he was. Not that he didn't typically seem to be put together, but there was something else about him today. As if he was... ready for something. Or had just come from somewhere.

She shook the thought from her mind.

It doesn't take long, she said, turning and heading deeper into the temple to the Well. She had already drawn some of the ichors of Dathomir into a small puddle within it. Compared to what had once been there it was now a joke, but it was all they needed.

She filled the goblet and handed it to him, offering no further explanation of what would happen.

Drink it all, she said, filling her own goblet and preparing to do the same.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared at the goblet she offered to him and then looked back at her. He quirked an eyebrow and didn’t budge for a moment, “If you recall, I said the cost will not be high for me,” He said flatly, crossing his arms. He had been down the road of potential possession already and it resulted in the nagging voice that constantly battled against his principles.

“I will not drink it,” He said stubbornly, not at all concerned that this was holding up the ritual, “You will make someone else do it, and then I will extract the information I need from their mind,” He said matter of factly as if it were the simplest suggestions ever, "If you volunteer yourself, even better."

Emryc had no regard for the people of this planet despite how curious he was about their magic. He would rather put someone else at risk for mental poisoning than himself. Having strict control over his mind was something Emryc worked very hard to achieve, and that was already being threatened from the last incident here.

He stared at Renfry calmly, making it very clear that he wouldn’t shift on this.