Private Needing A Hand Or Two

[Alina Tremiru]

Only a quick glance was given as Darth Strosius rushed out. Part of her scolded herself for even feeling embarrassed in the first place. The rest? It felt nice to feel like this. Excited. Sheepish. Feelings she should of had. When she heard the door click behind her she sank to the floor of her bathroom. Her heart was still pounding in her chest. How did he feel? This was completely new to him. Her smile faded as the voice she'd pushed down thus far came back. She was doing too much.

No.

She shook her head quickly. She hadn't done anything wrong. And Ali seemed to really enjoy it. No, he did enjoy it. That much she could at least tell. The smile returned as she looked up at the ceiling for a moment longer. She was actually really looking forward to this date. Alina hopped up from the floor. He'd be back.. At some point. But there wasn't a reason for her to delay. She hopped into the shower, getting clean quick. They'd both taken a shower earlier.

And the real challenge was going to be what she was going to wear. Soon as the shower was done she was back in her room, wrapped in only a towel and scanning through the various bits of clothing she had. Really, she didn't have much. Lots of pants. Lots of sleeveless shirts. A frown settled on her lips. Was this really the best she had? Well, did she need something fancy?

He did set a reservation.

Panic set in once again. Ali set a reservation. There was no way she could go in this kind of clothing! It was street clothes! Panic turned to dread as she ran a hand through her hair and turned her gaze towards a closet. She actually whimpered before she finally went over and opened it. She really didn't want what was inside, but there was little choice. She'd put her all into this date, that was for sure.

 

[Darth Strosius]

As much as Alisteri would have loved to say that he had gone back to Saket's room and done something productive for the date ahead, that would be a lie. The first three minutes in the room were spent in sheer disbelief, the next two were spent trying to recompose himself from the variety of thoughts swirling in his head. Finally he just decided to say 'feth it' and take a quick shower to calm his nerves.

Of course, shower time was always the best place for him to think. He was still nervous and hectic once he got out of the shower, but he had used the time to get his thoughts in some sort of order. Planning out what to wear, what route to take to get to the restaurant, even what to say during the date, all of it had been played out in his mind. As such, he realized that trying to plan out everything would get him nowhere so he scrapped most of what he had come up with before he even left the shower.

Just breath Ali. No need to stress. She likes you, so she'll like the da-oh where have my accursed pants gotten of to?!

Well...most of his plans had been scrapped anyway. Mostly out of convenience and his own sanity than anything else. Soon enough he found himself striding out of the room and back towards Alina Tremiru 's. He had given the both of them plenty of time to get ready, and in his case calm his nerves a bit with a few minutes of meditation, but he didn't want to wait too long. Couldn't seem like he was too scared or embarrassed to face her again after all, that wouldn't be the best start to their first date.

He still loved the ring of that.

He knocked on her door and quickly pulled his hand back, clasping it behind his back with the other as he took a breath to calm himself. He had dressed up a little bit, but nothing too fancy. Mostly because he didn't have anything too fancy just yet. He did spring for wearing a slightly Sith-like outfit still, with long sleeves and a bit of an overall coat-like appearance.

If he was honest he was rather proud of it, it was a gift from several members of his congregation. Now though, he just hoped that he didn't seem too dressed up.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Just a-fethin stupid.. A minute!" The extra time it took for Darth Strosius to get back had been put to use for Alina, but she found herself wishing for more time. All manner of things being thrown around could be heard from within the room, along with more cussing from the young Sith, before finally the door opened with Alina standing in the doorway.

She had never liked wearing dresses or anything of the sort. Thus she never went out to buy them. It was born from a disdain of the posturing her mother had tried to force on her. 'A Tremiru was always meant to look regal.' Despite her mother's constant attempts at taking her life, Alina was always given dress after dress that her mother wanted her to wear. And they had always been stuffed away like a dirty secret in the cabinet she was supposed to use for her own clothing.

But for Ali, she'd use what she was given. Her hair was done up in a loose bun, far more neatly combed than she ever bothered with. Alina was never good at makeup, either, but she had broken out that dusty case. A light shade of red was on her lips, a bit of blush. She went for the minimalist route, but it worked for her. The dress she'd settled with was a similar style. Minimalistic in design. Black for the Sith, as there was no hiding who she was wherever they were going that needed a reservation. She tried not to look too dressed up, but even the simplest dress she had made it all too obvious she was a noble.

It was pretty clear from the mess behind her that it'd taken some time to find what she wanted to wear. Where she looked neat and proper, the room was in complete chaos. She stepped out quickly, giving Ali a sheepish smile. "I'm, yeah. We can go now."

 

[Darth Strosius]

He blinked in surprise at the response, wincing as he heard the sounds of things being thrown around. As well as more cursing of course. Oh he knew all about cursing whilst getting dressed. For a moment he idly wondered if he should've just taken more time to get ready himself, if only to allow her to have had more time. Oh well, nothing they could do about it now.

When the door opened however, Alisteri felt his breath hitch.

The mess behind her was hardly even noticed, his gaze busy with running over Alina Tremiru in surprise. Well, it was surprise at first anyway. His next couple of glances...well he didn't waste time trying to understand why he did them. He was content to label it as 'appreciation' and move on. She snapped him out of his staring when she spoke however, clearing his throat as he realized that his mouth had been a bit open that entire time. Hopefully she didn't notice. Or, wouldn't comment on it at least.

"Right! Let's get going then shall we?" He did his best not to stare to long at her mesmerizing smile and offered his arm for her to take. "If I may...you look lovely Alina." That remark was whispered, a light blush heating up his cheeks for a moment.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

There was no way Alina missed Darth Strosius 's slack jaw stare, but she certainly didn't bring it up. Asides from the bright blush it brought on, it made her feel good. That trashing her room was worth it. She took his arm once it was offered. Quickly so. That's what they were supposed to do as a date, but there was far more to it. Since he left she only wanted to run after him to be with him again. It was a feeling she never felt before, about anyone. But the time apart wasn't permanent. And it was only a couple minutes really.

It was a feeling she absolutely adored.

Her blush had faded now that she was beside him, though his compliment brought back a slight tinge to her cheeks. "I.. Ah. You look lovely too, Ali." She hadn't really thought to look over his outfit, but now that he brought attention to her own she couldn't help but continually glance his way. He did look good. Handsome. She cleared her throat after a moment, turning her gaze forward again.

"I uh, dunno where we're going. So lead on."

 

[Darth Strosius]

As she took his arm, there was a visible release of tension in his shoulders. He hadn't even thought of how much he missed her touch, but it took a lot of effort for him to not just lean into her. It was odd to him, but the warm feeling that she gave him more than made up for it. She has such an affect on me already... Not that he was going to complain of course.

He compliment caused him another small blush, but he was quick to recover. They had places to be after all.

"Right of course." With that he set off, doing his best not to look as nervous as he felt. He lead her out of the academy and into the city, idly humming something under his breath as they made their way to...well wherever he was taking them. "So...I-I hope you enjoy this date." He cleared his throat as he realized that he had stuttered a bit, knowing that they were just about to round the block and get to their destination. Were he in a more observant position, he would have noticed that he occasionally shivered.

Nervous was an understatement for the poor boy.

He could only hope that Alina Tremiru would be impressed enough to go on another date after this one. Finally they rounded a building and before them sat a surprisingly fancy restaurant. It wasn't exactly high class, but it was the type with an implied dress code for dining.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

It was odd, surprising even. But the more nervous Darth Strosius got, the more nervous she herself felt. Not a bad kind, though. The kind that made her excited. Made her want to know more about where they were going. What he had planned. All of it. She gave him a small smile after a moment, her gaze drifting to him. "I hope you have fun too. You can relax, y'know. I'm not going anywhere." Alina leaned over, briefly kissing his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

The restaurant was a surprise for her. Made her feel so much better about her choice of clothing. Though, how was he paying for it? In that moment she decided she'd help pay, regardless of his protests. She had her families money that was never used. So why not spend it on something fun for them both? "So, why here? Been here before?" Small talk. That was something people did on dates, right? They weren't in the building yet, but might as well get some sort of practice.

 

[Darth Strosius]

He almost couldn't help but relax slightly at her words, but the kiss helped too of course. Even if it did make his cheeks go slightly pink for a moment or two. Evidently he hadn't gotten as used to this as he thought. Oh well. Alisteri glanced at her at the question, a small yet sheepish chuckle leaving him as he looked back at the building ahead.

"Well...let's just say that I owe the owner a favor or two instead of the other way around for once. Shocking, I know." Admittedly, he was reluctant to tell Alina Tremiru that he may have promised the owner a favor in exchange for them hiring some of his congregation. More than once. Probably for the better that she doesn't know that... He cleared his throat and straightened up a little. "Anyway, they were still kind enough to allow me to make a last minute reservation for us." With a quick wink he lead her into the restaurant.

Sure enough the lunch crowd had cleared out, leaving the restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere as the pair were lead to a table shortly after their entrance.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You're gonna spread yourself thin if you keep taking on debt." A teasing sort of smile had formed as she nudged him with an elbow. "We're Sith. Won't look too good if you start owing too many people favors." It should be the other way around, but she didn't need to tell Darth Strosius that. They weren't new to the Sith anymore. She followed him in eagerly, glancing around. He was right, the place was mostly to themselves.

Good. That at least helped her nerves.

No, wait. It didn't. People were an easy subject to talk about. She could make fun of the other customers to at least keep a conversation going. But there weren't any people to make fun of. Inwardly she panicked. Alisteri hadn't been the only one to search up advice on the holonet on how to do a date. Small talk was the only thing she absolutely feared.

Once they were sitting she glanced around the room. Just to make sure. Yep. No one. Kark. She smiled regardless, her eyes falling back to him after a moment. "So.. How'r you doing?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Don't worry, I find myself paying them off rather quickly." A smirk flashed across his face in return, but he knew that she had a point. If there was only one thing that Alisteri couldn't stand, it was owing someone. As such he hardly allowed himself to be in debt to anyone for long, even if that did occasionally cost him a good few afternoons. Better to get them done and over with before they accumulated after all.

He sighed in relief as he slid into his seat, his gaze landing on Alina Tremiru with a small smile. This was the moment that he had practiced for in the shower; the dreaded small talk of the first date. The guides on the holonet had been....well less than helpful in this regard, but he had scavenged some decent tips from it. He could only hope that they worked.

"Me? I'm doing alright I suppose, can't complain really." He shrugged, doing his best to look nonchalant even as he shifted in his seat nervously. "What about you?" Something in the back of his mind told him that he was failing at small talk already, but he disregarded it.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I'm doing okay. Much better than before." No, wait. The guide said to avoid negative or downer subjects. She frowned for just a moment as she looked about the room, trying to think. So much thinking. Then she ended up laughing. A pure hearted laugh that was the closest she'd get to a giggle. A coy smile formed on her lips as she leaned against the table.

"So, I can't do small talk. It's admittedly boring. All the date guides I've read talk about how important it is, but we're really not normal, right? Do we have to do small talk?" It was obvious she wasn't planning on doing small talk. She just watched Darth Strosius , her smile ever present. "What did you think of the kiss?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

"I should hope so, yes." There was a hint of levity in his voice, but the frown on her face caused him a moment of pause. Had he done something wrong already? Was the restaurant too fancy for a first date perhaps? Right as he was about to speak again, she began to laugh. A blink of surprise was his only response, well that and the fuzzy feeling that bloomed in his chest at the sight of that smile of hers.

Alisteri sighed in relief, reclining in his seat slightly with a small chuckle. "Thank the Force that we agree on that then!" He adopted a much more relaxed posture, although the slight smirk on his face was wiped off by the question. Heat colored his cheeks as his gaze snapped to the table rather than at Alina Tremiru , but a small smile did slowly work its way back to his face. "Honestly?" His tone was soft and hushed, meant for her ears only. "I'm sure you've felt it before but for me...it was..."

A pause, a moment of hesitation, as if he were a bit embarrassed by what he was about to say. "...it was absolutely intoxicating. My only regret is that it didn't last longer..."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

The coy smile didn't fade, but there was visible relief when Darth Strosius agreed with her on the subject of small talk. They were friends. Why did that part need to change? They could be both, right? Best friends and lovers. The later thought brought a small blush to her face. As did what he said. How he described it. She glanced away, trying not to let her cheeks heat up anymore than they already were. She cleared her throat after a moment, smiling back to Ali once again.

"My first kiss I don't remember. I don't really remember any of them. I was drunk, heavily so. Yours though. It's the first kiss I don't want to forget."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Although he did his best not to look too excited or amused by how red her cheeks had gotten, a small smirk did slip through. It was always nice to make her blush instead of the other way around every once in awhile. "Well, I'm glad that we both had a memorable first kiss to start our...relationship then." Alisteri did his best to downplay how hot his face got at the mere mention of the word 'relationship.'

Right after that, a waiter came to give them their menus before quickly departing. However, the waiter did give the young man a wink behind Alina Tremiru 's back. He did his best to look nonchalant in return. "Ah, I was wondering where those were..."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

At least he wasn't blushing as much as he had been. Alina's smile remained soft as she watched Darth Strosius , happily leaning back in her chair. She hadn't even realized there wasn't any menus until the waiter brought some over. She seemed surprised at first, then she laughed. She could see it on Alisteri's face. "That a friend of yours?" There was a little bit of a teasing in her voice, but not truly that much. It was good to know he had friends.

She flipped open the menu, glancing through idly. "What do you think of the Empire?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

A small laugh left him at the question, his smile turning a but sheepish as he glanced at the menu. "I wouldn't say a friend just yet, but I know him from one or two of my activities. He donates a lot to the charities." Alisteri had only spoken to him on one occasion, to set the reservation actually, but he seemed like a decent person. If nothing else, he liked the cookies that his congregation made.

The question surprised him, glancing between Alina Tremiru and the menu with a shrug, "It's the Empire. I guess. Why do you ask?" He smirked, looking over the menu once more. "Planning to run off to Coruscant or something?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"No, certainly not Coruscant." Alina snickered a little. She set down the menu, turning her gaze to the window to watch some people who happened to walk by. She leaned her chin in her hand, the smile faint but still there for the moment. She seemed to be mulling over something, and eventually the smile faded completely. "There are other Sith organizations cropping up everywhere. The Empire is.. Dying. What do you think we should do?"

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri was content to let the silence sit, for the time being at least. He was preoccupied with discerning the various items on the menu regardless, idly wishing he had asked for a recommendation or two before comin. The question brought him pause though, setting the menu down with a confused expression. "Well...I think that 'dying' is a bit of a pessimistic perspective first of all."

His tone was genuine, honest. It almost always was when he spoke to Alina Tremiru . "All of these other Sith groups are just vying for power Alina." A shrug and a dismissive wave accompanied his words. "They see the Empire going through a rough patch and want nothing more than to further their own selfish ambitions. While we wage a war of survival, they seek to divide and weaken us at this crucial time just to gain what they want."

"Feth them all, that's what I say."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Sith vying for power is nothing new, but it's.. Our Empress is gone. Our Dark Lord is absent. The Pillars that are supposed to hold us up are betraying us. What if the Worm Emperor is right? That the rule of Order is just another chain that binds Sith from their potential?" She had been thinking some time on this. But actually saying it aloud wasn't something she'd been able to do. Alina's gaze stayed outside, but it was clear she was worried on a number of things more than this.

Chief among them being what Darth Strosius thought about what she was saying. "There's already so much death. What do we do if the war ends up on another front?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

There was a long moment of silence as Alisteri thought about what Alina Tremiru was saying. He did think it over, she did have some decent points. However, he was tough to move. "Alina, even if this 'Worm Emperor,'" Finger quotes, of course. ", is making a decent argument, he isn't doing what he's doing for the good of the Sith." He was not swayed by promises of power like most Sith were, and he had little faith in an enigmatic and mysterious being delivering said power anyway.

"This Worm is no better than the traitors of the New Imperial Order. He sees blood in the water, and he's going for it. No matter how small the wound. He seeks only to gain power for himself and his chosen few, of that I am certain." It was not the first time he had seen empty promises. "Even if we are to wind up in another conflict, we are Sith Alina. We are eternal, no matter what such a rabble-rouser would have us believe. The Empire is stable and strong, I would not hedge my bets on a bunch of whining Sith Lords not getting their way."