Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private Nice To Meet You


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Alina slowly sat back on her knees, watching Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn closely. Was it a ploy that she'd fallen for completely? No, didn't seem to be. Whatever was happening to the boy was real. A smirk settled on her lips after a moment. Regardless of what happened, it seemed he surrendered to her win. She pushed herself back up to her feet as he did, nodding a little. "I'm always up for a rematch when you're feeling a hundred percent." She was teasing a little, but there was truth to it. It was important to fight at full strength to show who was truly the strongest.

"You'll have to show me where you get food around here. Still new and all that." The end of their fight wasn't as violent as some of the other acolytes seemed to think it should have been. Her eyes narrowed on them. None seemed to want to approach yet. That'd likely change soon. She let out a sigh, turning her gaze forward.

"Wanna tell me what's going on? If I cared to use it as an advantage I woulda beat your face in."
 
And that was that.
The end of the first spar he'd had in a long time, the first slice of combat that involved a fellow being and not some savage animal. His time on the edge of the Galaxy had certainly honed his reflexes, ordinarily he would have ended up with every strike of his opposition meeting its mark. Progress, yes... Definitely progress.
"Well, there's the mess hall," he said, with a very slight grimace, "But that's not where the good stuff's at. Honestly, there's not many options at all." He pondered on that for a moment as they headed out of the training room and into the hallway beyond. Away from so many bodies the air was cooler, easier to breathe. He took advantage of that.
"Could always make lunch, I suppose... If you aren't opposed to such?"
Still he mulled over the question she had posed, and with nothing more to say he was running out of room to simply avoid it. So he sighed, instead, rolling his shoulders and hearing each pop in unison.
"I uh, spent some time away. From civilization..." That made it sound as though it had been a conscious decision, but no matter. The details didn't rightly change a thing. "My body's still trying to recover, that's all. I'll be right as rain in no time, then we'll have a rematch."
 

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"Not many options, huh? Well, there wasn't before the Lords got here, so it's not too surprising." Yeah, that meant some bad news for their lunch outing. Then again, Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn was the one in charge of their meal. An amused smile settled on her lips as she watched her fellow, awaiting his idea for their mean. Making the meal? Her smile grew.

"That sounds good to me. And away from civilization? Must not of been easy on the stomach, then. Did you learn something worthwhile at least?"
 
"Yeah," he said in response to her final question, "Something..." Many things, but nothing he really wanted to drag up just yet. Truth be told the lad had barely come to terms with all that had happened, had barely adjusted to the fact that so much of the Galaxy and its timeline had been lost to him. Barely a year away for the boy, yet a decade had disappeared in reality. And that wasn't even including his own experiences inside that time warp. Nope, he was happy to brush over it for now.
"Anyway, enough about that. What about you? Got some crazy speed behind your movements, how'd you learn to fight like that?"
He led her through the Academy as they spoke, headed toward his quarters. Better than a simple dorm, but certainly not the space he'd had back on Bastion in Harper's Retreat. But there he'd had almost the full run of Maliphant's home, his options had been nigh on endless. This... Well, this would do. Certainly it was better than his days spent as a slave, that was for sure! He appreciated what he had far more than most would, both in terms of material belongings and general freedoms.
Maybe that was why he wasn't so quick to grasp for power. He'd clawed his way up from nothing, child Thesh would have seen himself as having made it either way...
 

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"Matukai, though a more.. Sith variant of it. Controlled rage, instead of balance." The young woman shrugged her shoulders. It was the absolute basic way to explain it, but that was the point. She wasn't going to give away all her secrets, especially to a stranger. The fight was fun, but it didn't exactly breed trust. It was a decent enough room that Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn led her to. Certainly not like her families estate, but better than her room in the Bastion academy.

"So what are you gonna make me? Hope it's not something basic. You did loose fair n square, technically."
 
As the door to his suite slid open, Thesh kicked off his shoes and set them by the doorway. He walked inside a few paces before standing aside so that Alina could enter too. Directly across from the doorway was a desk, a project half-finished taking up the majority of the space as usual. Above it a window out to Korriban, though given the location of the suite that made no sense. A projection then, a screen which gave the illusion of a window.
To the left of the entry was a small living space. Sofa, arm chair, bookcase which almost covered another screen that was turned off. Clearly this one hadn't been used in a while, if the stacks of books covering it was any indication. Not that Thesh had been back in the known Galaxy for long either way. Truth be told that screen hadn't even been used once. He had no interest in it.
The right held the kitchenette, with all the basic amenities squished into its small space. An island stood between it and the door, just enough space that two could sit and eat at it.
Beyond the living room, on the lefthand wall, two doors lay. Presumably to the bedroom and the bathroom. And that was it. Most of it was crammed into the one central room, but it was more than enough for someone such as Thesh. Most of his time was spent at the desk anyway. That much was obvious.
It was clean, well organized if one looked past the stacked books and the desk. Didn't hold too much personality beyond those. He was still waiting on his belongings from Harper's Retreat, after all.
"Matukai?" he said, without skipping a beat, slinging the robes he'd been carrying over the arm of the sofa before padding toward the bathroom. "Interesting..." Definitely a word to sum up the woman. "Two ticks, gonna freshen up before I get in the kitchen. You're welcome to do the same while I cook, if you want."
He shrugged though, not really caring if she chose to or not.
"I'll see what I have in, and go from there. Nothing too simple, honest!"
And then he was gone, presumably freshening up as he had said he would. Nobody wanted a dirty cook, after all, and sparring tended to make one gross.
 

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Alina followed in suit after she watched Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn remove his shoes. For whatever reason he chose to do that, it was only polite to do the same. She let out a soft chuckle and nodded in agreement. No one liked a dirty cook. "I'll be sure to. No one likes a dirty guest, either." Then he was gone. She hummed curiously as she looked about the room, noting the mostly hidden screen. Not much of a movie goer, then?

She didn't sit anywhere, not while she was sweaty. It'd be ride, after all. And she hated the idea of being rude to her host. "So what exactly happened to you? I'm awfully curious."
 
It didn't take him too long to shower and pull on a fresh set of clothes. Too much time was wasted doing menial tasks such as that, so Thesh had worked out as many ways as he could to be efficient and ensure it was over as quickly as it could be. Time was precious, after all, and while he like all beings had great shower thoughts which could lead him to resolving some issue he'd been having, he found his time better spent doing legitimate research instead.
In this case, however, it was simply that he did not wish to be a poor host.
He made his way back out into the living space and styled his hair out of his face with a quick brush-through with his fingers. It gave him a moment to ponder Alina's question if nothing else, as he padded barefoot across the room and into the kitchen.
"A ship I was in was pulled off course by a space anomaly" he offered, with full sincerity, as he rummaged for ingredients and set them down on the side, then washed his hands and any of the vegetables which were in need of a quick clean, "Crashed on some world..." He'd never gotten its name. Didn't know if it even had one. Probably not, it was a pocket on the edge of the Galaxy with no signs of civilization ever having graced its surface, after all.
He prepped the vegetables as he spoke, not looking up from the cutting board as he mulled over the rest of his answer.
"I was only there for a few months. Or so I thought. Turns out time's tricky..." He shrugged on that one, he'd forgotten just how long they said he'd actually been gone but it was more years than months. He knew that for sure. "Honestly thought I'd never get out of there. One of the few times I'm glad to have been wrong."
He turned to her then, shooting her a smile, and waited to see if there was anything more she wanted to ask.
 

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Alina nodded slowly as she listened. Lost on a world from a space anomaly? Certainly sounded like quite the tale. But she didn't need the specifics to understand that it was why he seemed so weak. Likely only recently got back to actual civilization. She'd already started to make her way to the bathroom he exited from, already pulling off articles of clothing before she even reached the door. "Well, it's good you're back."

Then she was in the shower, getting clean and letting Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn handle the food as promised. She took a much lengthier shower, utterly shameless in wasting his hot water. When she re-emerged she at least put the clothing back on before heading out, though certainly down a layer. Her shirt was only going to be sweaty, so the sport bra would have to do.

"Food smells good. What did ya end up making?"
 
Her words seemed oddly sincere for one among the Sith.
He pondered that as he set the steaks to the already sizzling pan and seared them up. The room around them became consumed in various aromas as he continued on in much the same way, vegetables were grilled, a sauce simmered, and by the time Alina returned from the warmth of the shower he was just about done plating up.
Years spent in constant servitude had taught him a thing or two about cooking, and presentation. So when he turned and slid her plate upon the island the contents of it were arranged in a rather aesthetic manner. Cutlery followed soon after, before he walked around the bench and took a seat at the island.
"Nerf steak, and assorted veggies," he offered with a shrug. He'd been given a decent stock of protein to help get him back to weight, vegetables to deal with some of the deficiencies. Ordinarily he doubted he'd find anything of the sort in his kitchen, unless he found ways to afford it himself, so for now he'd cherish the opportunity to work with it.
"Be sure to try the glaze," he insisted, as he cut into the meat and revealed a medium-rare center.
As much as he tried to pace himself, to seem like anything other than some glutton, Thesh found his plate emptied at quite the rate. He never really got to enjoy what he ate these days, one day he was sure he'd be able to take his time again.
 

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She took her seat at the table, settling into her chair with a faint smile. Food was always something that made her happy. Well, good food at least. Alina was much calmer with her eating, though a brow raised as Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn quickly finished off his meal. She knew all too well the kind of hunger he must of had to deal with. Needless to say, it was quite delicious. It was odd though, to see her eat so calmly. The poise of nobility that never left. Bare knuckled brawler that she was.

"You certainly know how to cook. I might have to ask for a lesson or two." Not that she was a bad cook. Necessity demanded she learned how to cook, and a kind chef in her families kitchen helped her to cook well.

"But, that's not now. I will say, your room is very clean. I doubt any of the other acolytes have a place like this."
 
Compliments.
Thesh was not used to being on the receiving end of compliments.
He sat there for a moment, plate empty, and pondered on what she'd said. Eyes flicked up and around the room, before settling on her with a rather lazy smile. "Well, to be fair, most Acolytes have dorms not suites." Much easier to keep things tidy when there was space to move and grow, when there was storage for items collected.
Not that most collected all that much. Certainly not as many books as Thesh had unearthed or been gifted over the years.
Jokes aside though, he leaned back in the chair and hummed. "I guess I can teach you a thing or two, if you really want. Never really enjoyed cooking until I had to get creative and scavenge. It was that or eat the same chit."
He shrugged, then slid out of his seat and took his plate with him. If Alina had finished, he'd take hers too. If not he'd leave it for now. He'd noticed that air of nobility about her for some time that day, but her eating habits had certainly solidified the idea in his mind. Was it rude to pry?
Maybe directly.
So as he set about cleaning the dishes and the kitchen he considered a more roundabout way of doing it.
"So, uh, what's your story then? How'd you end up at a place like this, Alina?"
 

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Scavenging for food certainly didn't sound like fun. She gave an understanding nod before handing over her plate as Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn went to collect it. She ate slower, but not too slow. Alina leaned on the table, resting her chin in her palm as she watched him clean up after the meal. A brow raised at his question, but it was only fair she say her piece after prying out his.

"My family are accomplished Alchemists and Sorcerers. Neither of which I can exactly do myself. So, being the heir of the family, my mother wanted me dead so my younger brother, who could, would take over. She sent me to the Sith to die, and instead I've thrived. Now I'm here to learn everything these Lords of the Sith can teach."
 
"Good," he said, with a glimmer of amusement in his eye, "Show them how wrong they were to undermine you, Alina. There are many paths to strength and power, that they can only view one would be their own undoing."
Truth be told, Thesh could not recall much about his family. Heck, he didn't even remember his name before he became simply Thesh, and later Arcturus - a name he still rarely thought to use - much less anything else of his years on Ession. If not for the recollections he'd been presented with back in the Netherworld, of an alternative path of how the day he left might have gone, he might not have even remembered having had a family.​
Dishes finished, he turned back to her and leaned on the island. Between their spar and the food he was ready for a nap to be sure. But he didn't want to rush her out either, that was rude. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't enjoy her company.​
"So, what are you hoping to get out of the Sith?" he inquired, "Forget the fact that your family sent you here, what's in it for you?"​
 

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"I already have, by not dying immediately." It was an idle muse. She understood what Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn was getting at. As a Sith, she should strive to overthrow those who sought to put her down. His question brought another raised brow. It was a question she still didn't have an answer for. What were her ambitions? To learn everything she could, but for what reason? Why amass any power?

Eventually she just shrugged.

"I'm still figuring it out."
 
It felt good to know he wasn't the only Sith who lacked great and grand ambitions.
As she shrugged and answered he walked back around the island and returned to his seat, elbows propping up his head as he settled his chin into his hands, staring at the wall across from them for a moment, before turning just enough to look at her.
"I feel like they expect us to just... know. You know what I mean? I don't think it's that simple, though. Everything we do effects the next thing we do, and so on. That far off, distant ideal... How is it even really achievable? Even if you get it, then what? It's not going to be what you thought it was, it's going to leave you empty and longing for more. Just an endless grapple for power, and then... Death? Subverting that in search of immortality? To keep doing the same thing..."
He exhaled a slow breath, realizing far too late how much of a rambling tangent he'd just gone on, and turned to face the kitchen again with a frown.
"I already got what I wanted, Alina. Maliphant, he rose me up out of nothing. How could I possibly strive for more than that, and risk losing it?" He laughed but it felt rather hollow. Another shake of the head followed soon after. "Mostly I just want to learn. I spent so long ignorant, unable to read, unable to grow. But so many here would laugh at so small an ambition. Why? Why is that?"
Yes.
Quite the tangent indeed.
He didn't even know why he trusted her enough to be so blunt about it, either. They'd only just met, after all. Perhaps it was simply that, she didn't know where exactly she was headed either. He wondered how many among the Sith felt that way too, but were too caught up in the rat race to admit it.
 

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"Perhaps it's not that they expect us to know so much as they expect us to reach for the top. It should be every Sith's desire to rule. But us, it's hard to even imagine that right now. You're right to focus on learning. Only when we have can we start reaching for the top." It was nice to find someone with a similar mind among the Sith. Especially here, where the Lords promote infighting. To defeat those in their way was Sith, but they didn't need to put everyone in that path.

Alina let out a sigh as she leaned back in her seat, cracking her back against it. "If we're to become the next generation of Sith, we should strive to be better. Smarter."

Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn
 
The insight she brought to the table, or well island he supposed, had the boy nodding his head. Slowly beginning to understand another side to it. She might have been correct, it might have simply been a vie for power that was expected. To be the best at, well, whatever the heck it was you wanted to do.
So then, what was stopping him from simply following that pursuit of knowledge?
Nothing.
Nothing was.
And if any sought to stop him, then he'd put that knowledge to good use.
He was always happy to hear the views of others, to talk philosophy, even if they differed from his own. Knowledge was knowledge. Didn't matter what form it took, did it?
"Yeah," he said, with a languid nod, "Learn from the mistakes and achievements of our forefathers, and transcend..."
 

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"That's the lesson I keep hearing here. How true it is, well. That depends on the student, right?" She flashed a kind smile before standing up from the table. "Lunch was good. I think I'll leave you for now, unless you'd like to go another round for dinner." She smirked wide, glancing over her shoulder as she made her way to the door. In a way, she found an ally within this Lords of the Sith. Alina gave Arcturus Dinn Arcturus Dinn a simple nod before slipping out of the doorway. She herself didn't want to go another round.
 

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