After the Unity Celebrations

[Scherezade deWinter]

It was a pleasant walk. Neither parties had said much while they made their way from the festivities towards the Nutcracker, the ship that was also Madalena's home. On the outside, the ship looked… Well, like a ship. Good condition. It was clear that it had been cleaned not too long ago, as Madalena took care of all her assets, and her ship was definitely one of them. The only time it ever showed bad dirt was after missions that required actual use of the ship to maneuver through fields, and Geonosis had great ship cleaning services to offer.

They'd been holding hands the entire time, as the silence reigned between them. Yet it had not been a silence of awkwardness, of not knowing what to say. At least on Madalena's end, it was a silence of comfort, of knowing there was no need to fill it in with words simply for the sake of having words said. Occasionally, a soft smile decorated her face.

"We're here," Madalena announced as she let go of Cardinal's hand and pressed hers against the sensor. The doors wooshed open but before a word could be said, a giant wolf of a creature moved swiftly, jumping on the woman.

Madalena laughed as her arms reached around to hug him. "Cardinal, this is Baal," she explained, "Baal, this is Cardinal, I work for him. Baal is a Loth puppy." Puppy might have been too small of a word. While Baal was indeed a pup, he was enormous, reaching past Madalena's hip at this point. As a Loth wolf, he would end up growing to over five feet in total height, though he was still far from it. "I found him during a mission I was on with Diana Vi'Dreya. Baal's brother is with her," Madalena said as she motioned for Baal that it was safe to come close to Cardinal. Baal did, though waiting for a signal from the large man that it was indeed all righto come even close to be petted.

"Now if Baal would be kind enough to actually let us in?" she asked her Loth pop teasingly. Baal moved aside, leaving the entrance wide open.

The inside of the ship though, that looked nothing like the outside. The outside showed a standard ship, but he inside had been entirely painted by Madalena with murals. The hall that led them in was covered in thick forests, the leafs looking so realistic that sometimes they appeared to be moving as one inhaled and exhaled. Creatures could be found lurking in the forest as well. Black owls usually sprung to people's sight first, but there were also cats who looked like their fur was made of twigs, and wild horses far away. The skies were a shade of blue that couldn't be seen anywhere within Confederate space; the waters of the rivers and distant lakes looking inviting even though they were painted on metal.

Soon, they would venture deeper and Cardinal would see more of the murals. For now though, she only had one question. "Hungry?" Madalena grinned. There was meat in the kitchen.

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

It had not taken them too long to arrive to Madalena's shuttle. He seemed to merely be enjoying the night as it passed, and when Madalena released his hand he glanced down at it for a fraction of a moment. He had all but forgotten they had been joined, yet he did not mind it. His arms crossed over his chest as he watched the woman access the main entrance. As the doors flew open Cardinal could see a shadow move inside the ship. His muscles tensed noticaebly as he eyed the shadow closely. It leaped from the ship and Cardinal's eyes narrowed. However, once he saw it was merely Madalena's pet he immediately relaxed. A smile came over his face while he looked over the young pup. "Loth Wolves are exceptional animals. I hear they're actually pretty managable too, considering their size."

Cardinal fell to a knee, holding a hand out to the pup so it could catch his scent and hopefully accept it. Once it did he would brush his hand along it's fur with a happy chuckle. "Baal. Good boy. Are you keeping my partner safe?" He asked with a teasing tone towards Madalena. When Madalena mentioned Dianah Cardinal nodded a bit. "I didn't know my niece had a loth wolf. I'll have to go and see hers as well."

Once Baal moved out of the way, Cardinal followed Madalena in. Once they entered the main hall, Cardinal was captured by the murals that spanned the walls. The man ran a hand along the walls, soaking in the murals of the forests and trees as if he was within them himself. They were captivating. "Wow..." He muttered, moving into the next hall and taking in all of the art. It was so different from any ship Cardinal was used to seeing. How long had it taken Madalena to paint all of these? "You made all of these yourself?" He asked, wondering just how one person could be so talented.

When the question of food came from Madalena, she was met with a very open smile. "Always."

As the night continued Cardinal realized something. He was enjoying himself. Outside of being a warrior and a leader he was enjoying an evening with an actual friend.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"He is more than an animal," Madalena said with a soft smile. There was no anger in her voice; it was an explanation she had given before, as creatures that did not walk on two were often regarded wrongly, "Loth wolves are sentient. He is my four legged companion rather than a pet, though the line is currently blurred since he's still essentially a puppy. I have a duty and a responsibility to him."

Hearing that, Baal gave a happy bark before turning around and leaving the two alone.

"Dia's Loth can usually be found on Krant," she grinned. Krant. She'd yet to go see one of her best friends' house over there. But made now a mental note, ensuring it would happen soon enough. There was a wedding to prepare for, there was a child to visit, and there were more experiments to run. And since it was Madsy and Dia, it was going to be incredibly fun.

Looking at Cardinal as he reacted to seeing the murals, Madalena said nothing at first, but merely nodded at his question. She had started with the all, with the general portrayal of… No, she was going to use words to explain it.

"I started with the entrance," she told Cardinal, "I wanted to paint the world that my brother and I had invented over many nights, over many years. We'd hide under blankets and while holding each other's thumbs, craft stories about a magical kingdom hiding far away in the Unknown Territories. The inside parts of the ship have some of the stories painted on them."

As the two made their way towards the kitchen, more paintings would be revealed the Cardinal, still covering the ship from top to bottom. After the first turn into the hall, a building could be seen, surrounded green fields. "That is the Forbidden Temple, where the Royal family ruled the kingdom from," she smiled, "it was built of ore and bones over the centuries."

A few more steps, and the Princess was revealed. She was standing among the green and the background, her long brown hair billowing in the wind. Her body was made of soft curves, yet the paints made it clear that her muscles beneath the softness were strong, able to handle things of physical prowess. But her face… Held no distinguishing marks. There was no nose, no mouth, no detail of the eyes. Only the green glow.

"That's the Princess of the Kingdom," Madalena explained, "I've yet to paint the Prince," she added quietly. The painting of her brother. She'd tried to start it so many times, standing by the Princess. But it came out wrong, every time. There were layers and layers of trees and sky covering the failed attempts. On the opposite wall, in the distance, was a painting of two wolves; a white one and a gray one, with their backs turned to the viewers.

The kitchen was a break from the paintings. The walls here were metal, and bare, though perhaps bare was the wrong word to use, considering the lines of thread that went from side to side in the corners, all of them having various forms of meats dangling from them.

"The experiments," she grinned, and motioned for Cardinal to sit down, "I usually start with Bantha meat when I wanna try something new, since that's relatively cheap. When I have something perfected, I prefer to start using game meat from my hunts."

Her hands worked swiftly, her moves within her own kitchen flowing with natural easiness that was rarely found anywhere, especially with people who often preferred to wield blades and be outside. Within seconds, Cardinal would find himself with two platters; one that held various sorts of meats – dried, smoked, fried, preserved, and a few cutlets – and a tray of various hard cheeses as well.

"These cheese are bought though," Madalena said apologetically, "my last batch went bad while I was waiting on them to age, so I had to throw it out."

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Cardinal watched as the Loth wolf sauntered off, likely finding something to entertain itself within the ship. They were not an easy breed to deal with, it was actually quite a feat to befriend one. Cardinal would continue through the ship with Madalena, keeping his eyes locked on the murals she had painted. Every time Madalena spoke about her brother she always seemed to hold the man in some esteem. It was interesting to see a relationship so strong, the galaxy always seemed to have a way to rip these connections apart. His hand washed over the murals as he silently gazed at the story they told. They'd wander closer to the kitchen and Madalena continue to explain her paintings. The forbidden temple, an ominous name for an ominous land.

"You and your brother certainly built a world.” When it came to the Princess of the Kingdom Cardinal arched a brow when he saw her face was completely blank. He looked to Madalena and glanced beside the Princess where the paint seemed thicker, as if covering previous attempts. Across the hall was another duo, yet these two were wolves, whose backs faced Cardinal and their faces could not be seen. The man glanced from one painting to another before simply gazing at Madalena searchingly. It truly seemed her mind was occupied, thoughts dragging her from one mural to another there was no telling what all she could draw, but one thing was apparent.

“You’re very talented.” He said, walking over to the woman and placing a large hand on her shoulder. “If you ever decide to leave the Knight’s you’d certainly have a promising career as an artist.” He said, before following her into the kitchen.

Moving into the kitchen Cardinal was actually a bit surprised there were no such murals inside. Of course, a kitchen was not an ideal art station. What the kitchen did have was various meats hanging from one side to another. “Wow.” He let out a soft chuckle before looking to Madalena with an impressed expression. “You have some amazing hobbies, you know?” Cardinal sat down while still looking around the room. His stomach let out a slight groan as he realized it's been several hours since he last ate. He cleared his throat to drown out the sound, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

“So you hunt your meat?” There was a subject Cardinal was more versed in. He chuckled softly, although it had been many years Cardinal had once been an expert tracker. The moment the platters were placed before him Cardinal began to pig out. Quite literally… Although he started slow and paced Cardinal's manners began to slip and he was obviously more focused on enjoying the delicious spread than he was on his appearance. Half way through he caught a hold of himself and held up an apologetic hand. “Oh uhm… Sorry. Sometimes I get a little…” He trailed off before flashing a kind smile to the woman, in thanks for the meal and hopefully excusing his bad manners. “It's delicious Madalena. I really love meat and cheese combos so this is like a dream come true for me.”

Using the back of his hand to brush a stray braid back into place, Cardinal gestured to a seat across from him. “Here, have some with me? I'd hate to just eat all of your food.” He grabbed a jerked piece of bantha and chewed it down before glancing over to Madalena. It just occurred to him how particularly odd this situation was. He was in one of his soldier's ships eating a spread of meat and cheese during a planetary celebration. Although it was odd he could not deny he was enjoying himself. Cardinal had not honestly socialized with anyone in years, it was refreshing to have someone to speak to, not just command.

“So do you remember when I interviewed you for the Knight’s?” It was actually a miracle that Cardinal remembered. Each year he had to interview at least a few hundred applicants, not including the Knight’s he personally saw through outprocessing.

“You've done well since then. I'm always reviewing reports on how you do in the field. One of our better Knight's you know? It's why I picked you to be my partner. Although if I had known you were just as amazing outside of the Order I would have spoken with you a lot more. Well, I don't know. It takes a lot for me to talk to anyone.”

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"I don't think I could handle the life of an artist," Madalena answered with a smile. She had considered it before, back when she didn't know what she wanted to do with herself, back when she did not know how amazing she was on a field of battle, "I can do this because when I'm not doing this, I'm fighting. Droids, cultists, evil buttholes… I don't think I would be happy with just a brush in my hand, just like I wouldn't be happy with just a sword."

Grinning, she continued, "I met another Knight Obsidian a little while ago. She told me that the planet she came from, the warriors were more esteemed when they were also bards and could entertain around the campfires at night. The planet itself sounded dreadful otherwise, but that bit… I liked that bit."

As Cardinal complimented her hobbies, Madalena almost beamed. It was too rare of an occurrence that she managed to get people to come visit her on her ship. Usually her social interactions outside of the endless barrage of Confederacy parties usually dealt with being outside and stabbing things. As he ate, she took a seat across him. There was undeniable joy spread on her face as she watched him feed on the meats she prepared; few compliments were better to anyone who made food.

She laughed when he offered her to join in. "How do you feel about eggs as part of this combo?" she offered a she rose up and headed from fridge to stove top, cracking quite a few of them alongside strips of fatty meats that resembled bacon. It was prepared within moments, and she tossed a platter of all of that onto the table as well with some small spicy sausages before grabbing a plate for herself and joining in on the feeding.

"Some days I feel like I could devour an entire bantha by myself," she laughed, taking the first bite, enjoying the explosion of meat juices and spices in her mouth. "And don't worry about it. You're far from eating all my food, and I have some normal rations in the storage bay for when the good stuff runs out, which I usually make sure never happens. There are enough planets that offer game."

She nodded to his question about hunting. "It's relatively recent though. There wasn't anything to hunt on Coruscant, so I only picked it up during the last year. But I absolutely adore it. I even tried a few times using old fashioned bow and arrow, combined with stealth."

He asked if she remembered her interview. Madalena nodded. It hadn't been too long ago; she still remembered how nervous she had been, texting her best friend while she waited, heart pounding at the thought that she might not get accepted at all. There had been seventy other people waiting in line with her, and she'd been called in first, and accepted almost immediately.

It was still hard to believe that it had actually happened.

When he finished speaking though, there was little she could offer other than a smile. "You don't socialize much," she noted, "but you're always welcome to speak with me outside of missions, Cardinal. My door's open. And unless we're just getting back from a really long mission, I'll always have meat and cheese to offer you as well."

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

It was true. Cardinal really did not socialize much. Why would he? His work always kept him busy enough and when it did not his plants were there. As that thought went through Cardinal's mind he was beginning to see a flaw in his reasoning. It was not like he was hiding from the world, just massively indifferent. As Madalena made a few eggs to go with their meal he could not help but wonder just what all this woman could do and where she found the time to learn it all. He digged in when Madalena brought some eggs over as well, he was actually enjoying her food quite a bit. "It's all delicious." He assured her. Using a small napkin to wipe his mouth, clearing his beard of a few pieces of egg and meat, he cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Thank you. It's nice to have some good food every now and again." Since Cardinal ate eclusively in the Knight's Obsidian barracks he was used to far blander food with less excitement. Nutrition was never a worry, however going crazy eating the same rations over and over was a very real fear of his. He pushed his empty plate away before running a hand through his braids. "So I meant to ask you when we went on our first mission. Your eyes, what makes them that green?" He asked, arching a brow in pair with his question. Cardinal found himself growing more conversational, however he also found himself growing more and more curious about Madalena. "I know my eyes are not exactly natural. But yours a beautiful, I've never seen eyes like those."

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Madalena beamed as her food was complimented again. It was so rare that she got people to come over and taste any of it. Come to think of it, she could only think of two individuals that had done so at all since she'd joined up with the Knights Obsidian. She might have had a lot of social calls to make when she was not working, but it seemed to her now that it was not completely the social life she wanted… Yet. She would have it how she wanted it. Step by step.

She'd almost been lost in it for the briefest of moments, when Cardinal suddenly asked her about her eyes. It was not the first time Madalena had been asked about them; but now the question came with a compliment, and for the span of a heart beat she found her mouth going dry at the same time as her lips curling into a smile.

"I'm not entirely sure why they are like this," she admitted, "they were always green. Then when my brother and I started training they started to sometimes glow. When I came into my blood hound abilities it seems the glow became permanent."

Taking a sip from her glass, Madalena took a good look at Cardinal. "What's the story behind your orange?" she asked, "Ancient Sith. I can scent that. But is it natural or something that happened after your birth?"

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Cardinal was surprised to head Madalena did not know the story behind her own eyes. He had expected some story of a scientific operation or perhaps even an interesting bloodline that caused that green hue to come from her eyes. "Are your brother's green?" His curiosity seemed to ask the question before the rest of his mind could catch up. Perhaps it was that they shared an odd trait or maybe just Madalena's openness about it, however it made his own eyes not seem quite so odd. Though humans had a wide range of eye colors, both natural and unnatural, his was certainly rather unique.

Madalena posed a question about his own eyes and for a moment it seemed Cardinal would tell her. "That... Is a long story." His hand idly rubbed against his chest, as if searching for something but the moment he realized what he was doing he set his hands back on the counter in front of him. He felt, odd. Slightly awkward. It was no fault of Madalena but now he could feel that cold emptiness in his chest. He'd felt it for so many years and still it was as if it was a fresh feeling. He could still feel that needle, pressing into his chest and draining him of his humanity. His mouth was dry and his palms had the slightest sweat to him, perhaps Madalena was the first person to see him in a state other than composed. He was quite obviously agitated, by something unseen. "I uhm...Thank you, Madalena. I think I should get ready to go. My hotel is on the other side of the city and it's getting late."

Cardinal stood up, rolling his neck a bit before glancing down at his emptied plate. "The food was amazing, I hope I can try some more sometime." He said, offering a slight smile before wiping his mouth so he could prepare to leave. "I enjoyed this evening." He admitted.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"Yes, but he has a different hue. There's a touch of silver in his eyes, but they glow all the same," she said. The last time that glow had been directed at her… They had fought. He had told her that things were not the same, would never be the same because they were no longer children. Never in her life had Madalena imagined that the reason they would grow apart would be because one shoved the other away.

For a heartbeat, she hoped that Cardinal's story would distract her mind. Whatever the story was, she was certain it would be an interesting one. But Cardinal was not interested in telling it, even if for that span of a heartbeat it seemed like he was. She nodded, saying nothing for the moment. You couldn't force a person to reveal something like that about themselves, much as she wished it was otherwise for the moment.

What felt slightly awkward to her though that this appeared to be the ending chord for the lovely evening. Madalena was careful to keep the disappointment off her face, and offered Cardinal a gracious smile. "You are always welcome here, Cardinal," she said softly, and somewhere inside of her, was willing to admit that she hoped he indeed would, sooner rather than later.

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]