Private Beneath a Passing Evening

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Tower Vandiir
New Kaas City
Dromund Kaas

For a moment, it felt as though the whole world could breath, taking a deep sigh of relief as evening began to set in, and while the sun had refused to sink below the ground just yet, the sky was a menagerie of wildfire orange and vibrant purple hues, indigo twilight showing on the opposite side of the horizon. Tower Vandiir’s location was prime for standing out in the sprawling planetary capital, and while it wasn’t the only one of its height across the nearby region, dozens of other buildings sat in the shadow of the prestigious Sith establishment. Equal parts apartment complex and center for relaxation, business, science, and partying (the last one thanks to the inclusion of the club Passion), it was an ever-shifting hive of faces, and the residents of the Tower could claim to see more than hundreds of different people each day.

For Telis, being one to remain at home when not working on the Capital, much of his little amount of spare time was spent in the various different places of the tower. At some points he would sit in on business suites, at others he would journey to what labs remained open for his access to see what was planned next, and some days, like today, he preferred the quiet of a cafe, a place to sit and drink and watch the sunset over the city’s skylines. Telis could admit that the bonus New Kaas City had over Galactic City was the truth that the sun was far more visible for far longer in the sky. The ships above were still just as crowded as at home, and the taste of the fine life was of the same stock as the tastes of Coruscant, even if shrouded in different silks and filled with different flavors. To Telis, the abstracts were enough to make him comfortable, after everything that he’s gone through.

Today the abstracts had Telis’s footsteps leading him into the establishment of a small cafe on the lower levels, a quaint place directed to be a hotspot for the “less wealthy” who passed through the Tower. To say it wasn’t beautifully kept would be an understatement, and while it wasn’t busy nor grand, the size of it only lent itself to the charm of the establishment as a whole. Wearing a simple, loose black shawl that hung over one arm more than the other as Mu amount of ‘stand out’ clothing from Telis’s tight base, Telis would take a moment around to observe, watching the small groups of people chatting, some turning to look at him and quietly bow their heads, while others continued on as if nothing had happened. In turn, Telis would give a single nod to the establishment, gracefully continuing his sashay towards a window, taking a seat at the long table that allowed patrons to look out across the city below.

Hands folded, synthetic with organic, Telis waited for something in the quiet of the evening. There was some small modicum of sadness that had filled him; he couldn’t quite place it, between the war and the world, but it was there, present, but not uncontrolled. He couldn’t allow himself to be dulled by the emotions that bring one down, and so Telis took what feelings he had, and spun them into focus and contentment. That was why he was here, waiting for something - waiting to see what it was that he would spend his focus and commitment on in the quieting hours of the day. He sat with all the same regality as ever, never faltering in his position for a moment, until he slowly turned around to truly get a good look at the cafe.

With the cafe’s simple style, there was not too much interesting to look at as part of the background, bringing the focus to really two things: what there was to order, and who was there to talk with. It was a style Telis had grown accustomed to with many other cafes and things of the like, though often he had wished there was just a bit more that sparked his curiosity and drew his attention. Perhaps time in battle has made him yearn for more exciting moments than his past self would’ve, though his training and fighting as of late have also helped in honing a skill he hadn’t thought he would learn more in: perception. In battle he had learned to pick out details that others would dismiss as unimportant.

While there weren't any pressing details that meant the measure of life and death, there was something that had almost melted into the background had he not paid attention to the edges of his vision. Alone in a booth in a corner of the cafe would be a face unfamiliar yet not unknown, outside of the Empire yet known all too commonly amongst the higher circles due to the enigma of her status. Ingrid had caught the attention of many of the members of the Council, and, only all too recently had Telis learned, even the heart of one of the Councillors. At the sight of her, Telis’s eyes lowered into a dagger-thin squint, not aggressive, but inspective - a wordless interrogation of what she was doing here, and why she was in this place beyond the obvious reasons of her affiliations.

It was a moment’s passing squint, before Telis found it in himself to allow his curiosity to get the best of him. Sliding out of his seat smoothly, he would calmly move up towards the woman by her lonesome. While they were both here informally, Telis could foresee some good being drawn from being introduced to Ingrid, getting a better perspective on who she is and what her aims are. It would also be a way to pass the time, something Telis wished for all too readily in the moment, and as his leather black shoes clicked up to the table and Telis stood looking down at Ingrid, the man would wave a hand to the seat across from her own, a sincere and impassive look on his face. ”I don’t suppose you would mind me sitting here? Seems that you were free for the moment and I wouldn’t mind having somebody to talk with.”

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Tower Vandiir, Dromund Kaas
Equipment: Elegant dress | G1 OmniLink | Datapad
Tag: Telis Taharin-Zambrano

Ingrid used her own appearance in the Sith Empire only if she was with Adrian or if she was in Tower Vandiir. Now she was in the tower, right below one of the cafes. Fortunately, she was not such a well-known person that anyone would get to know her. The Eternal Empire was not large, yet, and in spite of being the most influential and the most powerful person there, only certain high circles recognized her and not everyone. Sometimes she had the advantage of coming from a small empire.

But now, anyway, she was present as the CEO of the HPI Consortium, just for business. That was the simplest explanation for why she was here. After all, only a few knew about the role of the double agent. Anyway, for the HPI also had interests in the Sith Empire, nothing more, so this “fairy tale” was perfect. Since Tower Vandiir became her second home, AMCO gave her a suite here to have a place to live when they were not together. For convenience only, of course. However, Ingrid wasn’t really there for the concubine role, the ship she received as a gift from him was already plenty enough, and since the woman had the money, so of course she paid the price of the apartment, she didn’t expect to be able to use it for free.

She was an independent woman anyway, and that was part of her independence. Although she could be quite conspicuous because of her red hair, she still liked to examine people and mingle between them. She was alone now anyway, so as usual, she went down to one of the cafes under the tower, which was open to everyone and belonged to the Passion. After all, only this nightclub was open to everyone, the tower itself was a private place. So here she was, sitting at one of the more distant, more private tables looking at a datapad while drinking coffee.

Meanwhile, she watched her surroundings as unobtrusively as possible, who arrived, who left, what higher-ranking people were here, or just richer public citizens. It was a purely professional harm to always know what to face. That’s why it became striking to her too, as Telis Taharin, one of the Dark Councillors, arrived. She didn’t know him personally, but of course she read much about the man. And the Sith Lord soon noticed the woman sitting alone.

Of course, Ingrid pretended not to notice the man, only when the man arrived at her desk. She was already looking up at the sound of the shoe. There was no emotion on Ingrid's face either, which couldn't be too surprising, as she was notoriously cold and distant. This is why she also got the nickname “Ice Queen” for a reason, there were very few in the Galaxy who she could be more direct with, AMCO was one of them. There was a realization in the woman's eyes that the man knew. Without looking there, she turned off the datapad and then signalled Telis with an elegant gesture to sit down.

”Welcome, my Lord, I must confess I did not expect to meet such a high-ranking and influential person down here.” she said respectfully in her voice. ”What can I do for you?”

​

 

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Telis would smile in return to the modesty and politeness of Ingrid L'lerim , his eyes shrewd but the rest of his face full of some semblance of reserved passiveness. It didn’t pass his mind, however, the small humor in her choice of the words with which to call him by, since while it did play straight into the well-known ego Telis (like most Sith) had, Ingrid was not of the Empire, and so Telis truly had no lordship over her. Instead of pointing out the choice of words, purposeful or accidental, Telis merely resigned himself towards taking the seat across from Ingrid, gently relaxing back with still needle-straight posture, smoothing out any wrinkles that had appeared in his shawl.

”You flatter me with your kindness, Lady L’lerim. None to often in these types of places do you find people who both maintain an air of humility and approachability, nor do you often find individuals who prefer the more quiet places to sit and think and watch, as opposed to the raucous clubs and what other dens to find cheap and immediate ‘satisfaction.’” Telis would gently shake his head, not-so-subtly referring to Passion, one of the main attractions to Tower Vandiir, and one that Telis avoided as much as possible. It was of course inevitable that the elite of the Sith Empire would be far more prone to displays of passion and emotion, though Telis still held himself to the more ‘professional’ expectations of Coruscanti politicians back in historical days of old.

”It’s so unfortunate that nowadays people tend to act before thinking. Events as of late have proven that even Imperial leaders are capable of doing rather senseless things, as I’m sure you have witnessed with this conflict between the Eternal Empire and the Sith Empire, not to mention a few of the more… distasteful disagreements that seemed to have, ‘coincidentally,’ coincided at the same time.” Once again, Telis would shake his head with disapproval at the state of the galaxy, taking a deep breath as he sat up once
more in his seat, smiling casually, before rolling his eyes to himself. To Ingrid, it would become increasingly obvious that Telis loves to hear himself talk.

Motioning to the cup of coffee that Ingrid had with his rather disfigured, synthetic hand, Telis would allow himself to rest back in his seat just a little bit. ”Here I am rattling away about politics and things that we all wish to escape from, and interrupting your evening coffee while I’m at it. Hard to help myself - I know that we are neighbors, but there’s just so much about you that greatly intrigues me. So many known-unknowns and even, I’d wager, some unknown-unknowns. Perhaps I’m not allowed to spill, but Adrian isn’t the only Councillor who has had you on their mind. Granted, all others thinking in fully professional manners, but the fact, Lady L’lerim, is that you are an anomaly.” The man in the black shawl would lay his flats out flat on the table, his smile turning to something of a smirk before fading, swiftly, back to his casual and polite grin. He was digging at Ingrid, but it wasn’t to fully dissect the woman in front of him, merely to see what might lay beneath the surface, if it can be divined at all.

He would stop himself for a moment, thinking with an intrepid thought, before sitting back once more, crossing his legs and truly kicking back, not a care at all at who saw him in the cafe speaking so ‘freely.’ If he was human to them then it would mean those who wished to see him undone would underestimate his capabilities. To be thought human and be higher than such is a boon more than it is a bane for those that can keep their pride in check. ”Of course, I apologize once again for rattling on before even giving you a chance to speak or asking about smalltalk subjects. How are you doing? What brings you here tonight? How are you and the Councillor AMCO ? How is your drink? And please, feel free to call me Mr. Taharin, there’s no need for too much formality here, and feel free to ask any questions you might have about me, aside from the obvious ones I can’t exactly answer, what with you being both an enemy and not an enemy to the Empire and all.” Telis would once again smile politely. There was a cold exterior to him, frigid as ice, but there was an air about him: he genuinely did seem to want to know how Ingrid was doing, but there was still the sharpness that accompanied his questions. Telis was equal parts the scalpel and the hammer, but he was something else entirely at the same time.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Tower Vandiir, Dromund Kaas
Equipment: Elegant dress | G1 OmniLink | Datapad
Tag: Telis Taharin-Zambrano

Fortunately, Ingrid was able to read well in the body language of others, in their eyes, in the slightest gestures. This is how she saw in the man's eyes that the flattery - which for the time being was really just politeness on the part of the woman - had hit the Sith Lord perfectly. The Sith have never been too hard to impress in this regard. Knew exactly that the ego was the target. It is true that she always had to do the same for men who aroused her interest at all. Like say Tubrok Ragal, or just AMCO . Ingrid continued to watch the man as he sat down in the chair. The man behaved completely militarily, the woman used to see this behavior from her father, and so on herself when she was in just such a situation. Say on duty, but this condition is not met now.

”Sometimes, in proper company, they both have their own charm, my lord! But just sitting in silence, alone, watching everyone else, guessing from their movements, words, deeds, who they are, what brought them here to this place and why, can often be a lot more fun than getting into the night alone, hoping to someone will find and entertain you for a few hours.” she smiled for a moment.

Not to mention that in a place like this, no one talks to anyone else without back intent. Back intent, of course, can be good or bad. But she no longer said these out loud. After all, the man was a Sith, Ingrid was similar, and of course a spy. They’re both great shadow players, so she didn’t really grasp the situation any differently. About the place... Anyway, she didn’t have a problem with one-night-affairs, although she hadn’t used these opportunities for fun long enough, only if she worked and had to seduce someone.

As Lord Telis continued to speak, it became clear what the other wanted. Since the woman did not involve Adrian in her own task, she never asked her lover how much her actions were mentioned in the Dark Council, or just herself. It really occurred to the woman that the man liked to hear his own voice because he talked a lot. It didn’t bother her all, she loved that if she didn’t have to lure the words out of a man. Since this was not a topic she would have discussed out loud in a place like this, she leaned closer to the man.

”As one of the members of the Dark Council, I think you know exactly that I was there at the PL that day, as well as that I was the one who rescued AMCO from there before my people could capture him. You should probably ask Taeli Raaf about everything else, my Lord. Or I can answer your questions in this direction if we continue this part of the conversation telepathically and not in spoken words.”

Whispered these, then leaned back in her chair again in a militarily stiff motion. For now, she put the words carefully, she didn't want to reveal too much. It wasn't her habit anyway, and even months after the start of their relationship with Adrian, she just started sharing information about herself with the man. If Ingrid was above average in something - among many other things - it was how to keep secrets and not talk about things she shouldn’t. Even if she is tortured for it. By the way, she maintained eye contact throughout her words, without blinking.

”Well, now you're trying to flatter me, my lord!” This time she allowed herself a seductive, flirtatious smile at the man. ”I think sometimes politics is a good starting point for a conversation, even if the interlocutors do not know each other at all. Who knows, we might already find common ground in each other, which would make it easier to find another topic for conversation. Would that really be the case? I almost aroused your interest, Lord Telis?”

She whispered the last two sentences almost audibly, in a slightly deeper voice than usual. A wicked smile appeared on her lips to mention the anomaly. Knew exactly how he understood why and how she could be here in the Sith Empire despite her position within the Eternal Empire. But she replied directly that she did not answer that aspect.

”Anomaly, eh? You probably know how the saying goes. A lady should always have secrets then it counts as a much more exciting partner than just spreading her cards to everyone.”

Her real thoughts were not revealed by her movements, her gaze, the Sith Lord only saw that she thought the conversation and Telis were interesting. She laughed softly after apologizing and countless questions. Her laughter could have the effect of getting a man to kiss from his lover and add a nice, pleasant caress along his spine. Only this laughter was not intentional, but could actually, instinctively elicit such an effect, the woman did not strive for it.

”You don't have to apologize, my lord. I really like when a man talks a lot, especially about more interesting topics and not just openly targeting, ignoring everything else, just keeping in mind that he wants to see me in his bed. But to answer some of your questions. Adrian is not home today, so I have a free night, thinking about taking care of my Consortium’s cases as long as I have the opportunity. But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy about your company. As for Adrian and me… If I could say anything about it, I think a lot of people would be embarrassed and blush if they heard my answer” she laughed softly again. ”I can try, though, that I feel so much respect for you and the position you hold that I still feel more comfortable calling you a Lord, my lord. At least until we get to know each other better.”

In the end, it made it seem that she was really serious about respect, but that was only for a few moments. Afterwards, she also hid her thoughts and emotions behind the usual mask, so that her real thoughts and intentions could not be read out again. She bit her lower lip for a moment and thought.

”Well, you might think I asked the questions you asked me as well. Except for Adrian. However, none of us should be in this place. The strange grimace of fate is that we met right here” she smiled again.

​

 

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Telis would listen to Ingrid L'lerim with curiosity, his hand drifting slowly up to his chin as he rested back, allowing himself to rest back casually with the noblewoman. He couldn’t help but agree with many of the sentiments spoken, especially the first - Telis could never turn down the fact that watching, deciphering, and observing those around him in quiet peace can be far more pleasant than senseless noise and passion. Passion with direction, however, was a whole different story, and one that Telis was all too fond of.

As Ingrid spoke on and on about and replied with witticism to each and everything that Telis said, the dark-robed man continued to nod. Ingrid was a rare type of individual, one who was able to speak almost as quickly as they were able to connect ideas on their head. She was somebody who had direction, and followed through with that direction, and applied drive behind it. She was somebody who spoke politely, understood eloquence, and still didn’t let that interrupt the chance to make a clever comment. She was, in short, the same kind of person as he was. They were two people of the same stock, the sme mindset, and the same drive - to be powerful without any of the drawbacks.

At the mention of telepathic speech to hide their own conversations, Telis would sagely nod in reply, in complete agreement with the use of mental communication to ensure that passerbys wouldn’t pick up too much more than they should. However, the both of them were fairly well suited in hiding unspoken intentions, much to both Telis’s annoyance and respect. Ingrid spoke as though she had nothing to hide and he could read on her that she did well to purposefully conceal anything that might suggest a fault or otherwise. She was simply there to be there, talking to be talking, and yet he felt that she was doing the same thing as he was - she was playing a game and trying to decipher the person across from her.

{I do agree heartily that the suggestion of switching to unspoken messaging is both exquisite and most wise. I also must say that you are, for once, somebody who I rather enjoy talking with, a change of pace from most others that I have to deal with. Surely you can see that most of the ‘elite’ of this great Empire lacks the sort of charisma and refinement that people like us share. Some would call us ‘shallow,’ but they’re simply not smart enough to see the picture beneath our words.} Telis would gently give a flick of his rest, looking down at his fingers as his voice continued in Ingrid’s mind, while his mouth remained unmoving. He had decided to be bold and somewhat more forward about the concept of the similar threads of personally that he and Ingrid shared, albeit did his best to play it off as a talking point.

{Adrian is lucky to have such good taste in character, that’s for sure, and I’m certainly envious of him and you… for different reasons, respectively, of course. For places of ‘first meetings,’ you could do far worse than this place, and I must say that I would love to hear that story sometime. I’ve not known Adrian to be the type to talk about these kinds of things with too much detail, though I feel like you’d be the type of person who’d be more than happy to recount the story.} Telis would smirk somewhat at the comment of his own envy for both Ingrid and Adrian, though the larger part of his envy was directed at Ingrid and less at Adrian, though he attempted to portray it as the opposite to the best of his capabilities.

{You did mention secrets, however, and while I know that many people see old sayings as good as gold, I’m quite fond at hearing what some of these secrets might be… not to dig too deep, of course, but you’ve caught my curiosity with what kinds of secrets you might hide.} Telis would lean back in his seat, his smirk melting to a coy smile. Secrets don’t mean as much in the Sith Empire as they do in other places, since every Sith worst their salt has at least a dozen and one secrets that would be seen as abhorrent to those beyond the Empire should they ever get out. Telis leaned back a bit more in his seat with a small sigh, crossing his thighs one over the other, his synthetic hand reaching up to gently tap a rhythm against the table, starting at his pinky and ending with his index finger, before starting again.

{Doesn’t have to be anything huge. Perhaps we could make something interesting out of this - for every secret you share, I share one in turn. Building a little bit of mutual trust and openness is never too bad of a thing for people like us in our positions, even if at first meeting this is a bit ‘direct.’ I’ve found that many people like directness more than dancing around the subject, though if the idea of this offends than it is with my apologies that I talk of such a possibly ‘risky’ activity. Trust is valuable, but then again, so are secrets.} Moving to the back foot metaphorically once more, Telis once more did his ‘dance’ of moving forward and then moving back, two steps forward and one step back, his mental speech more blunt and aloof than his words spoken verbally. Telis played so often between being formal and being cold that they often bled into one another, though when he offered to tell secrets in return, for once, he truly seemed genuine.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Tower Vandiir, Dromund Kaas
Equipment: Elegant dress | G1 OmniLink | Datapad
Tag: Telis Taharin-Zambrano

Telis probably didn't even know how correctly he thought what he was. Thanks to her high intelligence and studies, Ingrid was able to think on several threads at the same time. It was like just a machine, so it was hard to read anything from her if she didn’t want to. It was, in fact, that her thoughts were faster than what she had said, for the same reason. But as the woman watched the Sith Lord, she also noticed that they were similar. One quickly understands this, especially when one can actually follow her line of thought and not just play it.

It was a pleasant surprise on her part. She really didn’t expect that to happen today. However, she knew that was exactly what made the other very dangerous. Same as her herself. Precisely because, no matter how good they were, they left no vulnerability on themselves. Even if they could have sat against the other in this way for days, they could have played with each other, then nothing would have turned out about them. Not even for the other. The man was exactly the opposite of Adrian in this respect, who in turn did not hide what he felt and thought, it was an open book for Ingrid. Although it may be just because she was training at Tubrok and the two men were so similar to each other.

The man agreed to the telepathic conversation, so they switched to it. Or at least the man, Ingrid, was more careful than that. She never let them see her talking telepathically to someone. So even now she did not intend to make such a mistake. For now, it seemed to her that the man would be able to follow her to speak in words at once about nothingness, and at the same time telepathically about the essentials. Hoped she wouldn't be wrong about that. Smiled at the man's "words." The moment she began to speak out loud, on a completely general topic, just bringing up the constant rain, how horrible the local weather was, she also responded telepathically.

~ This isn’t just true of the Sith Empire, in my younger years, while I was an agent in the CIS, I toured countless points in the Galaxy. Everywhere I met just silly and arrogant people who were infinitely stupid on top of that. It’s also a pleasure for me to meet someone who can pick up my pace. Really great refreshment. But in order not to be too conspicuous, I suggest that if it is not burdensome for you to speak in words and telepathically at the same time my Lord, we should continue the conversation in spoken words, about the weather, and topics that may make us look boring nobles, nothing else ~ she "said" telepathically.

At the same time, she was really talking out loud, which seemed like a simple chatter to nothing more. Which made her look like a person of average intelligence not what she was. Nothing that would have been too flashy in this crowd. There were more and more smiles on Ingrid's face as she listened to the man's "words." For a moment, her eyes also widened as the man said he was envious for “various reasons”, but then smiled again. That was the moment when she understood and realized that the man was more “jealous” of her than Adrian. She spoke out loud again, this time bringing up the horrors of the kitchen at Dromund Kaas.

~ You don't have to worry, we're in a completely open relationship, so even you may have a chance… with him, but if you decide that someone else is interested, well perhaps with me as well. ~ winked at the man playfully. ~ I know him as one who likes to talk about his conquests in great detail. Perhaps it reveals too much to the tastes of many. But in our first encounter, there is nothing extraordinary. Lanteeb volunteered to join the Eternal Empire and invited us to festivals. Adrian represented the Sith Empire and didn’t let me get bored during the evening. Since he heard what I had done for the Sith Empire, that I had fought on your side several times, I helped free the imperial diplomats, so he came to me. We talked, danced and flirted. As incredible as knowing him is, so much has happened, nothing more. We didn’t really think we’d ever meet again… the rest was history. We both found the other more interesting than just being a one-night-affair ~ he lied nothing, it really happened that way, it wasn’t special, in fact, maybe weird knowing them. However, she tried to be careful, she didn't want to intentionally hurt the man, not even if she asked that.

Another smile appeared on her face as well, until she received an answer to her previous “words” as to whether the man was interested in women or not, until now this smile was less flirtatious, more of a plain smile. If the man wasn’t interested in women at all, then the man wasn’t here to feel uncomfortable, so it was nothing on the part of the woman not to look so pushy. Secrets, yes, everyone always wanted to know. Although the woman was aware that this was not surprising in their circles, as it was among the Sith, that everyone had plenty. This time, she didn't speak out loud during the telepathic message, just sipped her coffee, but still maintained eye contact.

~ Secrets, even the smallest ones, can be used to shatter empires. Especially when they fall into the wrong hands ~ “said” mysteriously. Of course, there was no such thing in this case, well, but she also knew secrets like that. Occupational hazards. ~ You see my Lord, I have already become interesting to you, perhaps better than before. I basically love it when it takes months, years for someone to figure out any of my secrets. ~

Another smile at the man. Continued to sip her coffee as she listened to the other. Unlike the man, Ingrid was telepathically nowhere near as cold, her words and thoughts almost vibrating. To the few in whom she is entrusted, she even sends emotions, not just thoughts. AMCO was one of them, not so long ago. When she ran out of coffee, she set the cup on the table. In words, she asked Telis about sports this time, but her message of thought was much deeper than that.

~ I love the dance where you have to decipher the other and figure out their secrets. Surely you are also doing this, my Lord like I am that most people are open to books and do not challenge you. You are different, just like me. We are the ones who read easily in others, but we show them almost nothing of ourselves. Last but not least, we are soldiers, for us this dance, this “game” is at once a war, something we can both really enjoy, and that is our part. Something most people don’t understand. And that’s why trust is hard for both of us. But there is nothing against me trying out what you suggested. On what subject do you want to hear a secret first, Lord Telis? ~ there was interest and anticipation in her “voice” this time, she was really wondering where they were going to go.

​

 

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Telis was still ever as intrigued as Ingrid L'lerim kept up her end of the game - it wasn’t a simple task by any means, it only balancing keeping up with Ingrid but trying to find a slight fault to gain an upper hand in the scenario, but part of him wished that he never would - it was exhilarating when he could find somebody to match pace with him in a battle of wits and intrigue, and to him, the outcome was only rarely more satisfying than the chase. Ingrid proved to be a more than ample partner for talking, and, with the way she spoke of using telepathy and balancing it with mindless conversation, it was obvious that she had done this many times before.

Replying to the mindless chatter with short-lipped and brief replies, Telis still spoke with the liberty of a man who knew exactly what he had to lose and exactly the right things to say to ensure he never lost. The weather, in particular, was one Telis harped on rather gregariously as it was brought up, even going so far as to try and outline to Ingrid how some of his finest days happened on the dreariest of mornings… but again, it was all mindless. No hidden messages nor revelations aside from making a point to the people in the room that even he wasn’t beyond indulging in pointless conversation… or at least they thought he wasn’t. Beneath the veil, Telis couldn’t help but laugh in the telepathic bond, a small smile growing on his face as the story of Ingrid and Adrian was brought up.

{Leave it to Adrian to find the most unexpected way to accomplish a task… seems almost fitting that with the life he leads, he’d find a partner in the most mundane of ways, though I believe you two are a good match, from what I’ve gathered of you and him so far, and truly - I am not as fond of the concept of ‘open relationships’ as many of my colleagues are. Too much of a chance for favoritism to blossom and envy and scorn to spike up out of it… though the idea of being the one sought after is rather tempting, but again, I feel that it would end up with you and Adrian as is and me stepping in where I’m not wanted. Send Adrian my regards, though, and the best of luck to the two of you and your romance. I truly do hope it ends well for the both of you. Heartbreak is a terrible thing, speaking from experience.}

Telis would wave over to the barista, ordering whatever was most expensive, bitter, and sweet on the menu, turning back to Ingrid with a somewhat bittersweet expression in his eyes, before bowing his head once more as he raised his wall and resumed talking on senseless subjects beneath the psychic facade. At this point they were words from his mouth without thought, nothing more than him trying to portray only a fraction of himself. Beneath the mask, though, there was a new glint in his eyes as Ingrid spoke of secrets and the weight behind them. Once again, he found himself in complete agreement, and rather than going straight for the kill as he might’ve done another, when he was allowed the chance to dive deeper with his questions, he veered away from true depths; not out of defensive measure, but out of some semblance of respect.

Going on and on about the ‘recent political gossip’ amidst the higher families, Telis’s speech within the link softened just a bit - a bit of humanity in his mind. {Nothing too malignant, for all the reasons you just specified. I am truly curious, however, about the tastes you have as a person that you might otherwise keep for fear of judgement or ‘scandal.’ No sexual scandals or that like, feels distasteful to talk about those kinds of things as, again, we’ve just met, but things like… a favorite drink or food that you keep secret, or a favorite place to visit that others would never expect you to go. Something about yourself that you hide less for your career and more because it’s not what others would expect you to have.}

As Telis’s drink arrived and he paid off the barista with a nod and an offer of a chit (“Keep the change, please, thank you”), he would take a sip and nod slowly. {I believe there are better ways that I could’ve framed that, but I hope at the very least you understand what I am trying to say, or at least trying to do. Start shallow, test the waters, all those other metaphors that could apply here. ‘Create good company’ as some might go so far as to say.} Telis would sit back once more with the cold drink in his hands, enjoying the peace of the moment and the conversation at hand, even if some portions of telepathic speech made communication awkward.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Tower Vandiir, Dromund Kaas
Equipment: Elegant dress | G1 OmniLink | Datapad
Tag: Telis Taharin-Zambrano

Ingrid noted with satisfaction that, after all, the man was capable of what she was doing. She knew exactly that not many people were able to do these two things at once. Especially so that it doesn’t show up to others. However, Telis seemed very talented in this. Although he was a little awkward at first, at least Ingrid saw it that way, but he managed to make it run very quickly. As soon as that happened, she nodded contentedly. Indeed, she used this many times, she needed it. It was one of the first things she learned after she became Force Sensitive. Ingrid still thought telepathy was one of the best things that existed, especially in her work.

As they progressed in the conversation, the discourse was a great experience for Ingrid. Indeed, she rarely met a man - or even a woman - like Telis was. She no longer knew the time when she was waiting to talk to someone like him. By this was meant a person who did not know her very much. After all, such people so far have come out of this circle. In strangers, she very rarely met a person blessed with such talents. Of course, she continued to respond verbally to what Telis had said, and persisted in the conversation about essentially nothing. Ingrid did the same, continuing to do so while pursuing the substantive part of the conversation, just telepathically.

~ For me, this is called occupational harm. Not to mention where I come from is accepted when someone has multiple wives or husbands. Adrian is exactly the same as my husband. Essentially, they both have or had a harem. But after my emperor ~ her "voice" wasn't too enthusiastic and happy about it ~ he had to order me in front of my husband to seduce someone for information… So a man's daughter is forced to adapt because of her job and her choices. But, since I met my husband, AMCO is the first person I’m with not for work, but for myself. I accept open relationships, but in addition to work, just for fun or myself, I didn’t live with it until Adrian. I am a loyal type whose heart is hard to get. And I respect those who are loyal and persevere with a chosen person. Thank you for your good wishes, my Lord, of course I will tell it to him! ~

Just nodded seriously to the last part, she knew perfectly well what it was all about. Like Telis before, Ingrid let the other see that she knew exactly what the man was talking about. Very well. The information she told was pretty well known, there were no secrets, so she shared it with the other one. She even thought it conceivable that Telis already knew about it anyway. When the waiter arrived, Ingrid also ordered a cocktail from her, preferably of the more concentrated variety. She endured alcohol well enough. Meanwhile, she continued to have a great conversation with the man, but she didn't show more than she needed. For the time being, it was enough to be a soldier and have a little taste of her other, more dissolved half. Now she wasn't trying to flirt anymore, at most as much as what stemmed from her character, but she wasn't trying to seduce the Sith Lord.

~ Well, these really don't hurt anyone, at most if your stated intention is to get me drunk ~ laughed only in the telepathic connection. ~ But of course I have no reluctance to share such information with you, my Lord, especially if, as promised, you “pay” for it with the same information ~ she really had no problem with all this.

Although she’s always in the game at times like this to disappoint the other, because it turns out that under her disguise, she’s also just an ordinary person, nothing more. Meanwhile, the waiter also arrived, Ingrid got her cocktail. Nodded at the man's "words" as she sipped her cocktail and leaned forward slightly in her chair. Ingrid watched the other with interest, not only his eyes but also his face, his body language. She was interested in every move, though she knew they wouldn't reveal much. She continued the conversation about all sorts of nothingness, not stopping. This disguise persisted throughout.

~ I'd rather start with a cruelly honest secret, my Lord. Returning to the broken heart mentioned earlier. I know exactly what you're talking about. I was still a teenager when the enemies of my family wanted to use my first love against me and my family. I killed him with my own hands so they couldn't do it. Did it hurt? Did it break my heart? Yes, but I did what was my duty, what I have to. ~ her voice was now grim and serious. Then, as if they hadn't sounded, she changed the subject. ~ Let’s see what almost no one knows, I love sweets and I really like spirits when it comes to alcohols, not the kind that are on the table right now. I will answer the choice of the favourite place, if you reveal some secrets, Lord Telis. ~

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