First Reply Don't Talk To Strangers

[Darth Empyrean]

By the grace of the Blackwall Empress, Srina Talon , Darth Empyrean was allowed to stay in their home again. Most nights he still slept on the couch, but what was a man to do after being dead for 20 years? He uttered no complaints, filling his days with chores and a constant, vague smile at the joys he could suddenly entertain. Cleaning without the Force seems like a chore, but for a man who knew nothing but pain and anger for so long, it felt like a warm bath on a cool night. The Dread Emperor hummed to himself as a classical song played on the sound system of their royal apartment. It was one of his favorites - a solo Alderaanian piano suite called 'The Kilik Variations', a relatively obscure but beautiful piece that held the sensation of deep, remorseful sadness layered under a bright hint of hope. Every dark note was matched or followed by something several keys higher - and it tickled his ears and sensibilities to no end.​

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He was adorned in an apron unbefitting a man of his reputation, but all the more fitting for the man he wanted to be. Food moved beneath his deft fingers as the rhythmic and almost concerning speed of his cuts echoed on the chopping block beneath it. A heavy enameled pot boiled on the stove near him, filled with a fragrent bone broth he made from scratch. The joys of being alive, he could go to the upper markets and not be recognized - at least not yet. He intended to enjoy that time while he could.​

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The cutting board was emptied of it's vegetable carcasses directly into the pot. Empyrean covered it, letting the simmer roil in its own flavor as he began to care for the Coruscanti Wild Fowl. There weren't actual wild fowl on Coruscant, but the rich on that world were exceptionally good about raising their own, and there was some marketing game they played by calling it 'wild', like an in joke nobody but a sufficiently high bank account holder would understand. A few cuts and it was cleaned, stuffed with the spices he bound only moments before.​

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A second pan was used to sear it, carefully cooking the skin of the bird so that the juices were trapped inside of it. Not that it mattered - it was more a texture thing than anything else. The braise itself would hold the flavor well enough, if not ingress it directly. Resting the bird into the stew, he covered it and moved to wash his hands. Just as he was drying his hands, he heard the familiar sound of a guard entering their abode. His smile faded as he glared at the trangressor into his peace.​

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"Speak.", he said in cold, sneering command.​

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"My Emperor. A guest has arrived looking for the Empress. Should we send them away?"​

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He contemplated exactly that for a moment, but he knew Srina Talon needed him to be some of the Emperor he was. With a heavy, exhausted sigh he motioned without a word for the man to send them in, while getting the feth out of his apartment.​

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(OOC: I assume people would come to see Srina on Jutrand from time to time, so I'm offering up a chance to meet with revived Empyrean. If you got ideas about the situation, let me know. or you want to come and try and kill him, that's cool too - just let me know what you got planned!)​

 

[Revna Marr]

Tag: Darth Empyrean ​

It had been way too long since Revna had last found time to actually sit with her favorite Echani and near-mother figure, and enjoy a nice hot cup of tea. The last time she had seen Srina Talon , had been on Brosi for the second battle to fend off the now fallen Imperials. The battle had taken so much out of the Empress, out of them all, and yet they kept pushing forward. It was during that brief interaction, before the fighting pulled them apart, that Revna sensed that something was… off with Srina.

Duties had kept them both apart and busy, as it always tended to do so - but Revna still had it on her mind to make time to see her Dread Mother. If only to forget about duty and exist as two women, for a short period of time.

When Revna saw Srina at the celebration held at Councilor Lechner’s estate on Jutrand, she made a mental note to free some time and actually follow through for a visit. She had always been told she could come by whenever - a privilege that Revna never took for granted, and never abused. She came by for advice, for interaction, to see where or how she could be a support in her own small way. She could have used her visits to gain favor, to manipulate for her own ends. It would have been the Sith thing to do.

But that was not how Revna operated around or with Srina. Not after all the Empress had done for her.

Her request to meet with Lady Talon was taken once she entered the Imperial Palace, and now Revna waited with patience to see if her request would be accepted or denied, her every move watched by eyes both seen and unseen, and the weight of immense power pressing down upon every inch of the space she dared to tread. The sensation of that power had shifted between her last visit, and this one. She sensed it, as one could sense the subtle changing of the weather or a coming storm. The little Vahla took note of it, as she took note of many things, and filed it away.

Perhaps it was something she could discuss with Srina, should their conversation lead them there. ​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Tag | Revna Marr

Empyrean imagined he would have to put on airs, act tough, cow a would be politicking Sith into behaving like he always had. There was even a touch of trepidation that he was too pretty to intimidate like the corpse could. When Revna Marr was brought in and turned the corner, he gave her a dangerous stare that held for only a moment before he let it go and gently tossed his knife into the cutting board. It stuck with a thunk, point down as it wobbled.​

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"I expected someone dangerous. Or with motives. I don't know.", he said throwing his hands up with a sigh. For a moment he rubbed his brow with a thumb like he had to figure something out, then just shrugged and moved on. His hands quickly went back to working on the food he was making - while a delightful smell filled the entire royal apartment.​

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"Have you come to eat? Dinner isn't for a while - and I'd hate to serve anyone before Srina Talon gets a chance to try it first.", he said - almost ignoring her, but obviously not telling her to depart. He just seemed to not care as much that she was there as he did a moment before.​

 

[Revna Marr]

Tag:
Darth Empyrean ​

The wait - thankfully - wasn’t too long.

The guard returned and gave her a curt nod, before she silently followed him towards the door that would allow her into the private abode of Lady Talon. Revna did not thank the man as she passed by him and over the threshold.

The door closed behind her, sealing her into a place where - perhaps prematurely - Revna let the tension slip from her shoulders. She was not one to jump up and down with exuberance, but she was nonetheless looking forward to seeing Srina again.

Maybe they could confide in each other - about the loneliness that came when their other half was… gone. It was certainly different for Srina than it was for Revna, but the empty place left behind by the absence of a soul-bound lover was a whole different kind of pain.

Revna stepped foot further into the private living quarters that belonged to the Empress, her ember eyes searching her surroundings. Usually, Srina was already seated on a couch, a tea pot and cups on an ornate table in front of her. But this time, the Lady was nowhere to be seen. Revna wondered if, perhaps, she would wait here for Srina to arrive, but she decided to push past that formality and simply wander until she either found the white haired Echani, or she was forced back to take her seat in the lounge.

Noise from a nearby section drew her attention, so she drifted that way and turned the corner, half way expecting to see Srina or maybe a servant.

What she saw instead made her stop dead in her tracks and stare.

It was a man - tall, slender, white haired, who embodied ethereal grace. He regarded Revna around the same time she appeared, and his sharp gaze upon her was rather menacing - if only for a moment. Then he tossed the knife that had been in his hand upon the cutting board, the point sinking into the wood enough for the blade to stick and wobble. Revna eyed the knife for a heartbeat, before her attention slipped back to the man.

He spoke, saying how he had expected someone dangerous, or perhaps someone with motives. The silvered haired Vahla almost snorted in a measure of humor, but she refrained. “I’m almost offended.” She said lightly, with a faint smirk tugging at one edge of her lips - clearly not offended in the slightest by his assessment of her. Revna continued to watch the stranger, who seemed rather comfortable within the private quarters of the Empress - making her own assessment of the man, the situation, her mind working to try and connect the dots that were laid out before her.

He seemed… familiar. But how, or why, was not entirely clear to her yet.

Whoever the man was, he seemed to have decided that Revna was not a threat, for he returned to the food he had been preparing before she had interrupted him. The mouth-watering scent of cooking food filled the space around them, and for a moment Revna lingered at the doorway into the kitchen almost awkwardly, before choosing to lean against the wall in an almost casual manner.

She was asked if she had come to eat - but that dinner wouldn’t be a for a while, and he really didn’t want to serve anyone else before Srina had the chance to eat what he was preparing.

“I came to drink tea with Lady Talon and gossip and talk girl things.” she replied bluntly after a moment. “It would be rude of me to assume or expect to be fed.” Revna watched him a moment longer, before her eyes narrowed somewhat. “...I recognize you. You were the man who danced with the Empress at Councilor Lechner’s estate. Quite the show the two of you put on."

Her ember eyes drifted from the man, to the rest of the kitchen and the food he was continuing to prepare. A thought came into her mind and she opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. She weighed her thought a moment longer, then decided to speak it anyway.

"Would you like some assistance? I rather enjoy preparing meals myself. Beats standing here and being a waste of space."
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[Darth Empyrean]

Tag | Revna Marr​

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"No offense meant - there simply aren't that many people that pose a danger to me.", he said with a passive shrug.​

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"But it would be rude of you to show up and not eat. Be a better waste of space and sit."​

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He motioned with the knife he had just tossed a moment before, wiping some vegetable juices from its blade with a small rag in the front of his apron. There across the kitchen's island, were a few high chairs gilded like half of the things in the apartment. The apartment itself had a main room that seemed to encompass the kitchen, dining area, and living room all at the same time - with stairs winding upwards to a balconey overseeing the entire main room. There were hallways elsewhere that diverted into this room or that study, but the main room itself took a very open-air motive to its architecture, while large panelled windows showed the city-scape of Jutrand.​

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"I'd let you help, but I haven't been able to cook in a long time, so I'd prefer you not steal this little joy from me."​

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He hadn't actually looked at her in a bit, he seemed to focused on the food that he hadn't been given a moment to even offer her a glance. By the smell, and by his fluid movements, he was extremely adept in the kitchen - he seemed to move through this station and that, stirring, flipping, cutting, washing things with such a fervor it seemed like he was running out of time. He spoke, however, like he had all the time in the world.​

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Before she even realized it, he had lifted an electrum plated tea pot from a nearby stove and poured for her an aromatic tea, dark and flavorful by the smell alone. It was a heavier tea, layered with a mix of berries and fruits, but earthy in a way that spoke to its quality. Another movement, and he had placed a full charcuterie board before her. Gracefully, he stole some of the food as his hand retracted from it - as though it was all one fluid movement before he went back to cooking.​

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"Yes, little Marr, you recognize me. I was dancing with my wife. I'm glad you could enjoy it - I assure you I enjoyed it more.", he said with a quick, almost devilish look up towards her, then back to his work.​

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Revna Marr​

 

[Revna Marr]

Darth Empyrean​

Revna moved from her place leaned against the wall and towards the high chairs that had been indicated to her, and she took her seat without argument. She had noted the stranger’s comment about others not being much of a danger to him, but she said nothing about it.

If anything, it only pushed her suspicions into something more closely resembling true certainty.

Once seated, Revna took a moment to cast her gaze over the rest of the apartment that she could see; the main room itself contained the kitchen, the dining, and the living room all in once space, and there were stairs that led somewhere else, likely a bedchamber and space for a refresher, or whatever else. The overall design of the place was open-air, with views of Jutrand’s skyline beyond the panelled windows.

She returned her attention to the pale haired man as he continued his food preparation, and to her question on whether or not he wanted help with preparing the meal, he declined - explaining how he had not been able to cook for a long time and he would prefer if she did not ‘steal’ this little joy from him.

A genuine but small smile crossed her face. Far be from her to take away the joy of something from someone else - especially if it was something they had not done for a long time, as he suggested. She dipped her chin in acceptance and said, “As you wish.” and left it at that.

In the short period of silence that existed, Revna found herself content to simply watch him work at cutting up or preparing various other ingredients for whatever meal he was preparing for Srina…a meal that Revna would be partaking in as well now, it would seem. Not that she was complaining, of course - she loved good food. But a small part of her did feel a twinge of guilt for even intruding upon this moment. She pushed that guilt aside for the time being, and allowed her natural curiosity to surface as she continued to observe, making mental notes along the way with how he chose to prepare certain things, or what spices or seasonings he chose to use.

While she was watching, she noticed just how effortlessly he seemed to move through the kitchen - as if this was his domain, and he knew it like the back of his hand. With smooth ease, he was pouring her a cup of tea from a kettle, the scent of it drifting over her senses as he did so. It was aromatic, richly layered and Revna’s mouth watered just from the smell of it alone. When the tea was poured, a charcuterie board was placed before her, filled with little tid bits to munch on while the main meal was still being prepared. The man stole a few morsels before going back to cooking, and Revna picked up the steaming cup of tea and gave it a sip, taking a moment to appreciate the earthy, floral notes with the tart tang of berries layered within.

It was the best tea she’d ever had the pleasure of sipping on.

After her sip, she snagged a piece of cheese with a slice of cold cut meat, happy to enjoy the little snack. As she did so, she waited for his response to her prior statement, about her recognition of him from Gerwald’s party. She was most curious to hear that response - not to gossip, that was not her way - but because she genuinely cared about Srina and wanted to know who the hell was making moves on the Empress like that.

"Yes, little Marr, you recognize me. I was dancing with my wife. I'm glad you could enjoy it - I assure you I enjoyed it more." The white-haired stranger said, casting her a brief devilish look that made Revna grow very still indeed.

His…wife?

Revna blinked at the man for a moment, letting that sink in. No wonder why they had appeared as if they had known each other for a long time when dancing! When the surprise of that revelation had settled in, she reached for another slice of meat and a cracker and popped it into her mouth as if this was a completely normal thing to do in the presence of the Emperor.

Was he still the Emperor? After all that had transpired and happened? She hadn’t heard a word about it throughout the Empire itself. The people did not know, or those that did, had not breathed a word about it. She didn't know, and she wasn't about to bombard him with a million questions. The answers would come in due time, but for now - she carried on as if everything was casual. For some reason, she doubted Empyrean wanted groveling or grandiose words from one of his subjects. If he had wanted it, he would have demanded such a thing.

“I imagine you did enjoy it more.” She said softly with a small, knowing smile - cupping her tea cup for a moment. This was Darth Empyrean - but he looked nothing like he once had. He was…living. Whole. A man, and not a god on a throne. The 'little Marr' could only imagine what that must have been like for both him and Srina. They had each other again, once more.

“Well, now everything makes more sense - the comment about me not being much of a threat to you, the dance, the familiarity with Lady Talon, being in her apartment making her dinner. Though I suppose it belongs to the both of you.” Revna paused briefly, before she asked more curiously: “Do …you still prefer to be addressed as Empyrean, or do you prefer something else now?” ​