Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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It's Raining, It's Pouring

There were very few who had this information.

In fact, the Dar'manda could number them with but a count of his fingers. Given how drastically he had been betrayed in the past, such a degree of caution was necessary. Isley Verd was not exactly a name beloved by the masses, and as such he made certain his main address was a veiled piece of information. So, imagine his surprise when the silence of the evening was shattered. Imagine the chill that ran down his spine as the thuds erupted upon his door. Once seated upon his couch, intent on relaxing for a chance, the Dar'manda practically jolted to his feet.

He didn't dare ask the stereotypical "who is it?"

Because frankly, the fact that he didn't know was problem enough.

With but a reach, his saber was summoned. It flew into his waiting palm and the Dar'manda rested his finger upon the ignition. He did not activate it yet, because the sound of a lightsaber was iconic. Even in the midst of pouring rain and thunder, someone standing outside his door would be able to hear it. So, he held off on giving away the fact that he was armed...but instead decided for a forward approach. With light steps did he approach the door before cautiously taking a peek out of the "hole". He wasn't worried that it would be gunned through or cut to pieces.

Why? Alchemist's house, take a wild guess.

What awaited his careful gaze came as a surprise. A mess of wet, crimson hair? It couldn't be. The door was wrenched open, all caution thrown momentarily to the wind.

"Lilith?

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
She was drenched through.. Of all the nights for it to rain. It had to be this night. Standing outside of Isley's home, she felt and looked like a drowned rat. So when Isley wrenched his door open, she would blow a few stringy strands of hair from her face before turning emerald hues into her employer, Lilith began speaking softly, slighty oblivious to how her appearance might affect Isley.

"Sorry for disturbing you... But, I'd like to return to work if that isn't much trouble."


Straight and right to the point with her words, professional as always even in the most awkward situations. Whilst she waited for an answer, Lilith would reach up and go about wringing the massive amounts of water from her hair, curious as to whether or not she would still be employed by Isley.

[member="Isley Verd"]
 
How long had it been? Years?

As CEO of Arakyd Industries, Isley once had a multitude of affairs on his plate. He attempted to juggle contracts, research, development, and all other corners of the business without delegation. While, of course, there was a fitting individual at the helm of the aforementioned divisions, Isley wanted to watch over them personally. Most companies delegated the task to others, who then delegated that to others. Not so the Dar'manda. So, while his desire for a personal touch in everything was not bad...it did result in a mountain of paperwork. So, an assistant was hired: the lovely [member="Lilith Engelis"]. The problem was, shortly after getting the job, she learned of a terrible truth.

He child, Cassia, had vanished. The Kaminoans blamed the Akala Crisis for her disappearance, as untold trillions had suffered similar fates. And that was enough to break Isley's assistant. He offered her the opportunity to take as much time as she needed to recover from this grievous loss...and given how much time had passed, he frankly didn't think she would return. Yet, here she was.

And Isley gaped.

"You didn't have to hunt me down, in the pouring rain no less." he said, motioning for her to come inside. "Come on. Get inside and let's see you dried off. Then we can talk business."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
She couldn't help but to chuckle at the sight of [member="Isley Verd"] gaping. Sighing, Lilith took his offer to come inside and dry off. It was then that she began speaking once more, her hands fiddling with the damp fabrics of her clothing that now clung to her due to being soaked through.

"It wasn't that hard for me to make my way from my Clan to where you are. I simply logged into the company by remote access and filed all the documents I had missed while away."



Reaching up, Lilith went about winding her wet hair into a tight bun, making sure to tuck any loose strands away so that they were out of her face. She spoke soon after having finished that particular action.


"While logged in I simply decided to visit you. It wasn't hard to find you seeing as I have been here before."


That said, she would watch him from the corner of her eyes, waiting once more to see what he had to say.
 
Damn.

It wasn't every day that a man opened the door to a soaking wet woman, but the Dar'manda sure wasn't complaining. While it was the definition of unprofessional, you'd best believe that Isley stole an appreciative glance. Lilith wasn't hard to look at. In fact, she was easy to stare at. Isley caught himself before his appreciation turned obvious and quickly continued to move into his home.

"I was curious as to why my paperwork seemed to be more tame. You have my thanks." he began, leading the way towards the frontmost restroom. There he briefly reached inside the door and produced a pair of fabrics. One was a thick, yet ridiculously soft, towel. The other was a bathrobe. If she was going to stay for a bit to discuss matters, he wasn't going to have her getting water all over his furniture.

"Here." he said, offering them to the woman. "I haven't been expecting company as of late, so your arrival...Well..." he then revealed the lightsaber in his grasp. "Had me on edge there for a moment."

And now onto the elephant in the room.

"You...are...well?" came his inquiry. He attempted to word it as carefully as possible, for it would not do to tear open a wound with bluntness.

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
Ignoring his blatant appreciation of her, Lilith took the towel and wrapped it around her hair, squeezing that water out. it wasn't long after that Lilith slipped the robe over her clothing. Following him further into his home, she would offer him a smile in thanks for his generosity before taking a polite yet professional shot at his organizational skills.

"There was a reason you hired me Isley. Personal crisis or not you aren't the most organized when it comes to important papers…"

Glancing at the saber in his hands and listening to what he said, she couldn’t help but to scoff out loud. "Umm, Isley. We both know you wouldn't expect company for two reasons. The first being very few know where you live and the second not many people are fond of you…"

In her time away, she had in fact been doing some checking up on Isley and the things she had heard made her giggle and like him even more. So much, that she decided she would keep the job even though her reason for obtaining it was now gone.

Lips twitched in amusement before he asked the question she knew was coming the second he opened the door to her.


"I am as well as one in my position can be.."

[member="Isley Verd"]
 
After the woman had slid the bathrobe over her clothes and situated the towel in her hair, Isley motioned for her to have a seat. By no means was the Dar'manda an interior decorator; nor did he have a woman's touch when it came to his home. However, his couch was one of the few pieces of furniture that he was proud to have purchased. In his "humble" opinion, it really looked good in the living room. Even more importantly, it was comfortable as all get out. As such, he was more than happy to invite his assistant to sit upon it. Proud to, in fact.

Assuming she took a seat, Isley would briefly turn his back to her. His attention was placed upon the "alter of liquor" adjacent to his "throne". The indulgences of home, no? He produced a pair of glasses, added a few cubes of ice, and broke out the Corellian Whiskey. Given where the conversation was heading, the two of them would probably need a drink. Or three. "Seems you've done your homework." he said, chuckling ever so slightly. Turning, his gaze returned to Lilith and he offered her one of the glasses.

"Sadly, I'm more suited for the battlefield than the office. I do my best, but..." he shrugged. "That's where you come in. And you've done a wonderful job thus far." The Dar'manda raised his glass: a polite toast to her efforts. "I'll see to it that you're duly compensated for the work you have done. Had I known you were still working this whole time I would have done so sooner."

Assuming that the drink was taken, Isley would sit down beside her. A cushion of distance would be between them, of course. Personal space and professionalism. Now, what could he possibly say about her loss? Would he reveal that he did some digging of his own? Would he inform her that Cassia truly did disappear without a trace? No. Lilith was intelligent. Lilith was a mother. There was no doubt that she dug deeper and further than he ever could. So what the kark could he say?

"You...You didn't have to disappear. My door was always open."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
She looked at him for a few long moments before taking a seat and turning towards him. Arching a brow she would stare at him openly. "Your hair. It's a nice change.." Compliment given, she would take a deep breath before lifting the glass to her lips and downing it in one long sip. Setting the glass down , Lilith would angle her body so that she was now facing him, pausing for a few moments whilst debating on what she wanted to say it wasn't very long before she would begin speaking once more.


" I apologize for having worried you. I needed to time to heal.. So I returned to Dathomir to my family and clan.. Yes, I should of reached out to let you know I was alright. But, I wasn't myself.. I felt the need to keep to myself until it no longer hurt anymore…"


Once more she had opened up to Isley and told him what she normally wouldn't of told anyone else. Leaning back against his couch, she would sigh softly, enjoying the comfortable feeling of both of the cushions and the warmth of the whiskey flowing through her.

[member="Isley Verd"]
 
He chuckled.

"Well, when you don't have to worry about wearing helmets any longer, all sorts of options open up. Figured I'd try for something a little different."

With the humor out of the way, the Dar'manda joined Lilith in sampling the Corellian Whiskey. The rich, flavor boldly rushed over his tongue and spread a wildfire of warmth throughout his being. For Isley, the sensation was most likely lesser than what Lilith was enjoying. The matter of fact was, she was drenched...and there was nothing like a few shots of whiskey to get the body warm. With that in mind, Isley reached out to the bottle and topped off both of their glasses.

That was when Lilith began to open up.

Isley could relate with her words. They both carried similar wounds, but went about dealing with them in different manners. For Lilith, escaping seemed to be the best remedy. Simply shut out all existence, surround one's self with family, until the pain stopped. For Isley, he tried to keep busy. He distracted himself with as many affairs as possible so that he would not think about Anastasia's disappearance. Different strokes for different folks, it seemed.

He reached out, breaking the barrier of professionalism, and placed a hand upon her knee. An intended gesture of comfort.

"What matters to me most is that you are alright. I'm glad you have support, family and a clan, to go to in times like those." he began. It was...difficult to put his thoughts into words. Frankly, he was terrible at this sort of thing. "Just know that, on top of them, you have me too. Alright? If you ever need anything, just say the word."

At that point he downed his glass.

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
"Isley, I appreciate that. Now, can we please stop talking about it. I am back. I am alive and well. I would just like to discuss what I have missed in terms of work and move on from there. What's done is done. No use dwelling on it…"


Once more her glass was brought to her lips, a slight nod of thanks being directed at him. She was tired on dwelling on something so bleak. Her daughter wasn't coming back, Lilith has both accepted this and moved on in a manner most would find cold. But, it was just logical for her to lock and feelings she may have felt away and feel absolutely nothing. She had more important things to worry about now days.

[member="Isley Verd"]
 
"Very well. Onto business."

At once, the Dar'manda removed his hand from her knee and rose. His freehand moved to the micro-datapad within his pocket, where he then pulled up summaries of the most recent, corporate developments.

"In review, you missed our brief contact with the Primeval, our sponsorship of the newly-formed First Order, and my own personal sponsorship of the Witchmasters. Of those three, you most likely are aware of the Primeval and First Order contracts. However, the Witchmaster affair has only just begun."

He paused, taking a sip of his beverage.

"An old friend and I are spearheading this endeavor directly. So, before you are two options. You can continue to assist me in the manner that you have without my knowing: remote access, background work, etc. Or."

He met her gaze.

"You can stick by my side. It's up to you."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
Watching him for a few long moments, she would purse her lips slightly as she thought over both options. In the past she would of opted to be at his service in the background. But, she had inadvertently changed. She now held the mindset that things were done head on. Dealt with right as they arose.


"I will remain by your side. You may be friends with this person. But, it doesn't hurt to have two friendlies in your court. Let me know what I can do.."


[member="Isley Verd"]
 
"I'll have you know that this path will not have desks or any such comforts. The Witchmasters are, at their core, conquerors. We will be seeing battle more than anything else."

Despite the warning, it was hard for him to hide the small smirk that was beginning to form upon his face. Suffice it to say, the Dar'manda rather enjoyed the company of the fire-maned lass.

"So, if you're certain that this path is for you...Then I'll have to see you trained. And equipped. Might even have to overhaul the Calypso..."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
"Isley, I'm not used to comforts.. I was after kidnapped and taken from my home and molded forcefully into the what the Sith Empire wanted me to be… I like comforts but I am used to war and the hard things in life."


This was said as if revealing a dark part of ones past was the most normal thing in the word. She was relaxed until his next set of words put her on edge. Arching a brow, she would turn and look him dead on, giving him a look that Said if he came near her baby he'd have some issues when he mentioned her treasured ship. "No. I'll use a junker. No one touches my precious. Not even you.."


[member="Isley Verd"]
 
"Well, unlike the Sith Empire, you'll be getting a cut of the spoils. And no one will ever be forcing you into a mold." he said.

At that point, Isley found himself chuckling. Apparently Lilith had grown quite attached to the Calypso. It was ironic, really, that she would be so possessive of the ship he designed.

"Oh come now, I designed it. Is there really any harm in a handful of updates?" he began, joining her on the couch once more. "Arakyd has come a long way. We've access to new hyperdrives, better weapon systems, the whole nine."

Then he grinned.

"Of course, if you really don't want her updated, then I respect that. But sate my curiosity...How come you are so protective of this ship, hmm?"

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
"No, my ship is fine. I don't want to tarnish her with updates. I'll just use the credits I gained from signing with you and buy a new ship if you want something to modify.."


She looked him dead in the eye, moving to set her glass down and facing him. Sighing she began speaking softly, daring him to say some smart remark. "Because..." Watching his face intently, she would soon give a slight shrug continuing on and sating his curiosity as he requested.

"My ship is the first and only gift I was given without any attachments.. So, Yes it means a lot that you went out of your way and crafted it for me. "

[member="Isley Verd"]
 
"No, no, that isn't necessary..."

Her words caught him completely by surprise. Isley was blissfully ignorant of just how much the Calypso meant to Lilith. To hear it said out loud...well...it made the Dar'manda grateful that he had a dark complexion to hide behind. Maybe it was the fact that he had some damn good alcohol racing through his system...maybe it was the fact that he had a thing for the redhead to begin with. Whichever the case, Isley felt heat race to his face: the sort of heat that would manifest as red if he were several shades lighter.

"I only mentioned it because I want you to have the best. My best. You deserve that. Hell. You deserve more than that."

And driven by an unholy combination of alcohol and "feelings", Isley reached out. His fingertips gently trailed along the side of her cheek whilst his gaze focused upon her eyes. He didn't dare move from there though, as there wasn't nearly enough alcohol in his system to warrant a dumb move.

Yet.

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
Lilith was one for details and seeing how her words affected him caused a slight smile to curve her lips. So when his next set of words left his lips brought forth a lovely shade of pink to her normally pale complexion.

"That is both flattering and kind of you to say that Isley.. I appreciate all you have done. I couldn't possibly expect nor ask any more of you…"

And then he had to go and touch her, It wasn't bad enough that he was kind and intelligent and a wonderful man to both be around and work for but now he had to offer up affection like she somehow deserved it. Swallowing back her pride it she would lean forward and press a light kiss to his lips, speaking against them softly.

"Thank you Isley. You are a wonderful breath of fresh air in this crappy life I've lived…"

Thanks given, the crimson haired woman would soon pull back and clear her throat, the air of professionalism returning after she had kissed her employer.

"Forgive my un-professionalism.. I shouldn't of done that.."
[member="Isley Verd"]
 
"You don't have to as-"

The Dar'manda could barely get the words out of his mouth.

It wasn't because he was flustered, or rendered unable to speak due to the liquor. In fact, his inability to complete his thought was entirely due to an outside factor. Lilith bridged the gap between them, after voicing her appreciation, and did something that completely shut Isley down. Her lips pressed against his own, admittedly for the briefest of moments, but that was enough to send his head spinning. The sheer surprise of it all prevented him from properly responding. He simply gaped as she spoke against his lips and pulled away.

Then she apologized, as if responding to the lack of a response.

"No...No...Don't apologize."

Finally, some of the synapses started firing again.

Isley, being the bold SOB that he was, then bridged the gap himself, His fingertips moved from her cheek to just under her chin, raising her lips so that he might greet them with his own. This kiss was far from the light peck that Lilith had given him; and when he was done he leaned back with a grin.

"I'm glad you did." he admitted. "And I'm glad that you're here."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]
 
She stilled for the briefest of moments the second his lips collided with her own. The lovely pink shade she wore formerly returned with a vengeance. Reaching up, she would touch her lips whilst drifting into a thoughtful silence for a few moments. Pursing her lips it wasn't long after that she began speaking softly, a her words holding a teasing tone.

"It isn't often I've seen you rendered silent. Perhaps I should kiss you un-expectantly more often.." Her words may have been to tease him but she thought about how she might like to act on those words. Shaking that particular thought away, Lilith began speaking once more.

"Careful Isley, you might get me thinking you like me more than you let on…"

Her teasing jabs done, she would offer up yet another smile, her sour mood at being caught in the rain completely gone.

[member="Isley Verd"]
 

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