Private Bound by Blood

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Lysander von Ascania​

Throneworld was, without a doubt, the biggest monument to a single person's ego Lily had ever seen. It suited Mercy to her core, but that wasn’t who she had come to see. She wasn’t entirely sure how to find him without reaching out, searching for the familiar mental signature that had embraced her on Abregado-Rae.

But every time she did that she brushed the minds of the Graspborn and had to retreat back to herself, she didn’t like the way their twisted minds felt. So she wondered almost aimlessly, letting her feet carry her where they would through decadent halls that made her feel immensely small.

She passed another door, peering to find another throne room. Was that the third one she had passed? Or was it the same one? Actually, now she thought about it, she couldn’t remember which direction the hanger was that she’d docked in in the first place.

She stood on the threshold biting her lip, staring at the empty throne within.

Yep, she was definitely lost.

Fuck.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes​

His thumbs passed over bands of skin where restraints had been before. One wrist turned against the balcony rail, testing the range of motion, then the other. Three weeks without his regimen left him feeling misaligned. No running nor the endless katas. In the cell, he'd done whatever he could, but improvisation was just a rumor of discipline. Perhaps it left him soft around the edges somewhere deeper.

Lysander was still famished, and sleep arrived in scraps rather than hours. The former emissary's mind had become an overfilled room.

Thronesworld was impressive, he could admit that. The view from this balcony alone was fairly persuasive. But the atmosphere still operated under someone else's power. Before the capture, he'd grown too comfortable spending days on the Lyrandar station, or his condo on Byss. At the same time, he did find appreciation for little things again. Taking the long way because no one could control him, seeking out balconies such as this one just because he could stand there and not be told to move.

Was he a Knight again? Or just a guest? Was he being watched? Was this another inevitable conversation waiting to happen the moment he let his guard down?

Then, a stranger thought, really, Lysander had gone without a proper smoke since the Badawan days back on Korriban. He knew a connection existed with the Weave between him and Madrona A’Mia , but truthfully, he'd never really used it outside of battle coordination. He wasn't sure if he'd become desperate or what, but.. he reached out all the same, letting the thought slip down that portal.

<<Sister, how fast could one acquire a joint?>> A little levity helped if nothing else. The chances were slim; if he had to guess, she was probably out there somewhere doing some profoundly creepy shit with Sithspawn.

After, he turned toward the entrance; Lysander thought he recognized a familiar face, but fell silent. His braids looked awful, half-undone with stupor written across his youthful features. He just stared for a moment, mouth slightly open.

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

​

Calm as anything, like the intervening time had been merely a blink rather than a grueling departure from Lysander's normal routine, A'Mia responded through the Weave as casually as if they were standing beside eachother.

Lo, Little Sprout — I might be able to send a small boon through the bracer, if you wear it still. Or else you must send specific coordinates and wait longer.​

The woman continued to fiddle with something delicate in her subterranean lab on Brosi.

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Lysander von Ascania​

Movement within made her turn away, the fact that she was lost in Mercy’s station of hubris was embarrassing enough, without being caught. She’d keep walking until she figured it out, or she’d find a control panel somewhere to crack and find a map or something. Yeah, that would work…

She’d barely taken a step when something made her stop, a pull in her chest that told her to go back. For a moment, she didn’t move, caught between the desire to escape this hellhole and curiosity. Curiosity always won, it would probably get her killed one day too.

Lily turned back, stepping quietly over the threshold and into the throneroom properly, trying not to look at the throne that made her deeply uncomfortable. She couldn't put a finger on why, maybe because she’d been on the bottom rungs of society most of her life that being this close to something that represented absolute power scared the shit out of her.

Discomfort evaporated the moment her eyes fell on Lysander. He looked awful, haggard even. Normally perfect braids were frayed, great shadows hung under his eyes and there was an air about him that reeked of anxiety.

Keeping in the loop of things wasn’t exactly Lily’s strength and Arris was not the most forthcoming with…well, anything actually. Getting anything out of Arris was like pulling teeth unless she made the decision to give it to you herself. But she had heard he’d been captured…beyond that?

Lily didn’t say a word, crossing the room in several quick steps and threw her arms around him in a tight hug, because feth he looked like he needed one.

"What the fuck happened?" she asked.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes Madrona A’Mia​

Lysander didn't move from where he stood as his cousin stepped away. His mind was busy handling too many things at once.. the uncomfortable chain of events that had led him to Thronesworld. And now, A'Mia's reply coming through the Weave ahead of any reasonable expectation. Faithfully wearing the bracer in combat became habit from the moment it was gifted to him, but he never really considered it useful for anything beyond sharpening physical prowess.

Lily stepped back into view, and he froze as she closed the distance. A slow exhale left him before his arms came around her in return, both hands at her upper back.

That was the strange part, that the story wasn't that complicated. Piece by piece, it was simple. "I'm not even sure where to start."

The Sith's gaze moved toward the entrance before returning. Telling her the full story was not something he opposed. If anything, part of him wanted the relief of setting it down before someone who knew him. Still, probably best to gauge her reaction first before just unloading everything at once.

"I was captured on Jakku," he began. "Detained me a while on Naboo. After that.." One hand reached into his pocket. "Things got messy."

Thronesworld wasn't terrible per se; he just hadn't expected to run into a familiar face here. "What are you doing here, Lily?"

The bracer slipped into his palm. He worked it over his sore wrist; once it connected, he tapped back into the Weave. <<You badass, horrifying fucking shrub, you. Send it. Please.>> Greatest Sith innovation? If the boon actually arrived, he was never taking it off again.

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

​

Distracted again from the detailed chemistry she was overseeing, the neti's normally serene expression shifted to one of mild amusement. A'Mia realized she'd missed the scoundrel.

A brief pause on Lysander's end, then a mirthful response with instructions. In his minds eye, she helpfully projected her own hand to talk him through the small sorcery.

Well you are my favorite silver tongued delinquent.
Focus, turn your hand over and back again thrice​

She mimed the act and with each pass, a precisely rolled joint appeared. Three joints with her distinctive long, diamond shaped style to them, packed fat with aromatic herb.

It was a tidy little trick, calling on her precise familiarity with the item he wore and her ability to generally sense Lysander anywhere in the galaxy provided he was on the same plane of existence as her.

That done, A’Mia returned to her work with a smile on her face.

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Lysander von Ascania​

Lily took half a step back when he released her, hands slipping into her pockets as her head tilted, listening with the barest of frowns. Trying to recall what she had seen, there had been a trial, that much she knew, but between Jakku, Abregado and everything else since…she felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t looked into it, but then her relationship with her family was not exactly clear cut.

It was complicated.

Then he asked her what she was doing here and her gaze dropped to the floor, feet shuffling. “Looking for someone. I um...” she lifted her head back up though her eyes slid to the throne not to his face, not because she had any interest in it, but because she still bore the guilt of Abregdo-Rae.

“I think he’s Mercy’s brother?” she said finally looking at him “but I’m not entirely certain. All I know is I need his help. I can’t… I’m not…” she shook her head letting out a hollow laugh as she shifted on her feet.

“Things have been pretty messy here too.”

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes​

Splitting attention between the projection and a cousin standing right there in front of him was its own small battle. Brows pinched and silence got a little long. But his concentration didn't slip. There wasn't any doubt about the joints appearing; funny to think it was Madrona A’Mia who taught the proper way to roll one back when still just an acolyte. That lesson arrived right before they went on to assassinate Ukatis' king together. Probably would have sounded pretty strange to anyone else.. which was fair.

Following the instruction, Lysander's hand turned over thrice. With each pass, something materialized against bracer. Glancing back toward Lily, a lopsided smile appeared. "Well, I don't imagine he'd be difficult to miss," came out lightly, while one of the joints turned over between fingers. "But.. I've only been here for a day. I'm still figuring out some of the place myself."

Somewhere tucked away still lived a part that'd been spontaneous and hungry for adventure. So, lifting a hand, the question slipped out before it could be second guessed. "I know this probably sounds terrible but.. want to just burn one of these and grab lunch?" Smoking had been a thing he'd left at the door when he joined the Covenant. Amid anxiety and a piling list of problems, perhaps something to just loosen up again wouldn't hurt. "I don't know. I'm sorta stuck here for now." Embarrassment warmed the back of his neck from the admission. Srina had technically grounded him on Jutrand too.

"I mean, I can't imagine the Empress tolerates shit food in her own capital, ya know?"

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Lysander von Ascania​

Lily’s head tilted, studying her cousin. He seemed different, less together than he had been during their last conversation, like someone had snatched something from under him and his confidence had been shattered. It was subtle but Lily had spent a lifetime reading people before her connection to the force had been ripped wide open and she had become a walking radar for everyone else’s thoughts.

Her gaze dropped to the tightly packed joint in his fingers and she let out a breath of a laugh and shrugged looking back up at him. “Avoidance and food?” she grinned, “Sounds like the perfect way to spend the day.”

Worst case scenario, Cruelty would find her. Actually, now that she thought about it, that was probably the best case. Lysander’s words drew a small frown, why was he stuck here? Was he a prisoner?

“Come on,” she said, moving to take his arm and tugging him towards the door. “Thrones creep me out. Let’s find somewhere that stinks a little less of Mercy’s hubris, if that’s even possible in this place. Then we can exchange tales of misery.”

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes​

Between a surprise bit of good luck and the sudden arrival of a familiar face, maybe the day was finally starting to turn around. Honestly, it couldn't have gotten much worse. Keeping to themselves and finding something good to eat suddenly felt like a pretty perfect plan.

Lysander let himself be drawn after her into the hallway, one joint already between his lips. His fingers hovered just shy of the tip; pyrokinesis coaxed a tiny lick of flame into being until the ember caught. He took a slow breath in, smoke filling his lungs, and then let out a cough that completely ruined any chance of looking smooth.

On the other side of the corridor, a handful of Graspborn stopped to look. Not staring, exactly.. but observing with that particular sort of scrutiny he'd come to know too well back in the Mid Rim. Now, after weeks of being measured and found wanting by strangers and systems alike, it hardly registered at all.

He recovered enough to offer the joint outward, held between two fingers; a hint of mirth softened his expression. "Okay, real question. What even counts as comfort food when an Empress is your host? I'm so hungry I could eat a whole bantha." Hopefully they were at least going the right way. "Oh.. why do you need Mercy's brother, anyway?"

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Lysander von Ascania​

Lily didn’t like the way the Graspborn watched, she felt like they were trying to peel away the layers and look at what she hid underneath her skull, she tried not to shrink away from it, fighting the urge to make herself feel impossibly small, focusing instead on her cousin.

The cough drew a grin, the thick earth smell of the herbs packed within filling the space around them almost instantly, she plucked the joint gently from his finger, a frown crinkling her forehead at his question.

“Something deep fried, like nuna wings in a sweet spicy glaze. Oh,” She grabbed his arm excitedly “and bread, like, fresh out of the oven warm crusty bread, that the butter just melts into.”

With a smile she set the joint between her lips and inhaled, the smoke filling her mouth before she drew it deeper. The smoke hit her hard, burning in her lungs as she fought to contain the cough, eyes watering.

“Fuck me.” she wheezed, as she offered it back to Lysander, his question lingering for a moment.

“Because I need someone to teach me the things Arris can’t.” she answered finally, “I can’t keep losing control like I have been.”

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes​

The two of them moved down the corridor under all the watching eyes. Lysander fixed his gaze ahead, refusing to allow the Graspborn any sort of reaction; none of it deserved his energy.

A sluggish haze clung to the mind's edges. Every step felt a hair slower than usual. Funny, really, that a single hit could unbalance him like that. Then again, it had been a long time since he'd smoked, and apparently his tolerance had abandoned him without a farewell.

Lily's excitement over food drew his focus back toward her; warmth seeped through the fog. "Oh, I could totally go for that," he said, matching her grin. "Even a nerf burger sounds pretty dank." There was something really refreshing about speaking without that Emissary veneer in place and not needing to inspect every word before letting it fly.

He chuckled as she took the next puff. "Yeah.. we're definitely related." Not that he'd ever questioned her being his cousin, but the carefree enjoyment was invigorating. Too many uptight assholes studied the Dark. Since his journey began on Korriban, Lysander found them unbearable. Granted, he'd always been erratic. Enjoying himself one moment, perfectly capable of plunging a dagger into someone's heart the next.

At the end of the corridor, a registry panel appeared. He took the joint back, pinching it between two fingers for a deeper draw. This time, he held the smoke properly, letting the earthy flavor settle across his tongue. The heat spread through his chest. When he finally exhaled, a thick cloud unfurled before him.

The grin remained practically glued to his face, though her answer tugged a thread of concern. "Well, what are you wanting to learn?" One shoulder lifted in a shrug. "I taught at the Coruscant Academy for a short while. Mostly saber instruction and alchemy, though." His brow creased. "Lose control? Of what?"

Arris, mentioned so casually in that sentence, unsettled him more than he let on. Subtler ways of asking probably existed. But at the moment, they eluded him.

Reaching the registry, the blonde began scanning the map for anything resembling a food court. The index digit tapped across the screen while he held the joint out toward Lily with the other.

"Let's find that bread."

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Lysander von Ascania

Lily leaned on the wall beside the registry, taking the offered joint from Lysander as he tapped away at the screen, for a moment she said nothing, her expression distant as she tried to find the words to explain, bringing the joint to her lips and inhaling deep.

Her head tipped back against the wall, smoke searing her lungs before she let it free, watching the swirling cloud she’d made above them.

“I’m a telepath.” she began. “If I don't have a constant mental barrier, I can hear…everything. Every surface thought that crosses a person's mind. Crowds are awful, battlefields are even worse.” She took another drag, shorted this time, before holding it out for him to take, feeling the haze beginning to rise at the edge of her mind.

“I can build a web between multiple minds, I did it on Humbarine though that was mostly by accident and then Abregado…” she trailed off a shadow passing over her face before she shook herself, shoving the memory away. “When emotions run high it’s impossible to work out where I end and other people begin, I start feeling and hearing everything, every thought, every injury.”

Every death.

She didn’t voice the last one, pushing off the wall, peering at the screen over Lysander’s arm. “He helped me on Abregado, so I’m hoping he can teach me more.”

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes​

Fingers continued tapping against the registry screen, brows occasionally furrowing at the density of information. Thronesworld's sheer scale made the search a fucking tedious undertaking. Luckily, having burned half a joint turned the search for food into a quest. Entries upon entries passed with each swipe. Corridors and sectors and sublevels were all competing for attention that was.. rapidly leaving orbit. No wonder Lily had been lost earlier.

A hum of consideration accompanied the process as he reached for the joint in an unhurried motion; after, one finger tapped lightly to clear the ash onto the floor.

"What you described, feeling and hearing everything at once, it’s like.. hm, carrying an entire city without ever being given a door to close.." A breath was taken. "Frankly, that sounds beyond exhausting. The idea of carrying everyone else's thoughts as well is difficult for me to even conceptualize."

Eventually attention returned to the registry, another hit taken from the joint with cheeks puffing, testing his lung capacity and then releasing. The Graspborn, at least, seemed kept at bay by this small ritual.. though some distant, more sober part of him did note that Mercy would likely hear of it eventually. But for now that consequence felt like a problem belonging to a future version of Lysander.

Glassy eyes eventually returned to his cousin. "Found it!" Nearby, several halls converged. A step was taken in the correct direction.

“Would practicing small intervals of shielding be manageable.. or having some signal someone close to you knows to watch for when it gets too loud?” Did that even make sense? Part of him was just assuming; not being able to help was never a pleasant feeling. He was a pretty good listener, though.

"Yeah, plaguing myself with my own thoughts already feels like enough of a crowded room," the Point Emissary admitted. "Cannot imagine hearing everyone else in there too.” Then again, actually believing in 'diplomacy' while serving as one of the faces of the Covenant was quite possibly, among the dumbest things he’d done to date. Why else would he have spiraled into an existential crisis at the ripe age of eighteen?

"Hey. At least we've got one thing going for us. How many people can say they got high in the Empress' palace?" He offered the joint back to Lily while laughing, the sound echoing off the walls. "We are so getting beheaded. Totally worth it though. I mean, look at us. Regal as hell."

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Lysander von Ascania​

It occurred to Lily that Lysander was the first person to empathise with her, to truly take a moment to actually understand what it meant to hear everything. Everyone else had simply dismissed it, ignored it or simply didn’t want to comprehend what that meant for Lily. She suddenly felt a wave of affection for her cousin.

She fell into step beside him, a small but sad smile pulling at her lips as he offered suggestions. “I don’t…” she didn’t have anyone close. Vess was gone. Arris she didn’t believe would actually be able to notice even if she wanted to and that left no one. Saying that out loud felt far too depressing. She shook her head, chasing the thought away.

“I can shield myself fine on any normal day. Just when emotions are running high, or when I build these webs.”

She reached to pluck the offered joint from his fingers, gently tapping the ash away before drawing a longer hit, his comment drawing a snort which hastily turned into a cough as the smoke went the wrong way and made her eyes water. She held the joint back to him, laughing and coughing.

“Oh we’re definitely in for it.” she wheezed. She linked her arm though Lysander’s, wiping tears from her face. “You wanna talk about Naboo, or do you just wanna pretend there’s nothing to give a fuck about beyond getting high and food?”

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes​

"I could give it a whirl, though my experience with webs is non-existent," the words came out slow, like he was examining each one. "I mean, like.. well.. there'd be someone in the room who actually gets what you're after, right?"

Would that make him a training partner? A test subject? Some combination of both? Lysander wasn't entirely sure what practicing something like that would actually entail. But there was another data point floating through the haze: he'd already outlasted so many other ideas; by every law of probability, he really ought to be dead.

The fog swirling in his skull was deepening, some woolly thickness that made everything more pleasant. Further down the corridor, his head tilted toward Lily, laughter escaping right after her cough. "Worth it. We'll either die fed, or if we pull through, neither of us carries the full blame."

Time seemed to decelerate. Without thinking, he mirrored her stride. His brow pinched as silence took over. Then his nose wrinkled.

"Fuck Naboo," Lysander exhaled with a chuckle. "I spent weeks in a cell thinking myself into circles. They herded me into some courtroom so others could cast votes on who I'm supposed to be."

He lifted the joint and inhaled a milky plume before releasing it. "At one point, I.. actually craved that exit.. ghost the Covenant, sign any deal they dangled. I even daydreamed about building something else. So there I was.. stay and look like a coward, leave and wear the traitor badge. Then Srina showed up, slid me an exit strategy.. and I walked."

Lysander glanced sideways. "Well, that's the abbreviated version. Apparently getting high makes me worse at pretending I have my shit together. But.. coming back? That's one truth I'm sure of."

The food court opened into view, and he offered his cousin the joint's last ember.