Private Of Rapture & Respite

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Mauve du Vain //:
//: x //:

On the private shuttle headed to the resort world Alakatha, Quinn had sent a small message to Mauve.

<: Hey Mauve, I hope you're doing well… It was great seeing you at Kwenn Station, you looked well. :> ​

She paused, wondering if she should invite the woman. Quinn remembered Weilu and the Kwenn station. Musing, Quinn figured the Zeltron could have used a vacation away from the wars and the underworld. Her eyes lulled as she sighed, wondering if this was a good idea or not, but Quinn did miss the Zeltron's company.

<: I'm taking a small vacation on Alakatha. I feel like, after everything, you need a vacation as well. My treat. I'll forward you a pass through the wall. Hope to see you soon ~Quinn :>
​

---

//: Alakatha: Jungle Resort //:
//: Secluded Sanctuary VIP //:
​

After a few days…

The resort had been recently renovated, and Quinn had fallen in love with the seclusion of the sanctuaries. She could understand why Corisanti nobles frequented the planet before the time of the Blackwall.

Leaning against the ivory coloured balcony, Quinn tried to remember a time before the Blackwall. It was unfortunate how the worlds of the Empire were closed off. A time before, she would defend the concept of the Blackwall, but now… after seeing the other worlds and how they flourished. She didn't know anymore.

It was another reason she reached out to find a friendship with Black Sun.

Her mind drifted back to Kwenn Station, and her chest tightened. Everything weighed on her; she hated it. Hearing about the fallout of Weilu and the planet's decision to stay within the Republic was frustrating. Quinn blamed herself.

Enough.

Shaking her head, as a hand threaded through her silver hair. Tightening her fist with her bangs, she refocused herself. She had come here for a respite. Quinn quickly grabbed a towel from her resort room and headed down to the private beach.

The beach was warm, the sand white against, even more than her porcelain skin. Everything felt right in the galaxy, even from behind the Blackwall. Quinn could pretend the wars outside of the Empire didn't exist. Even the war with the Imperials was worlds away.

Finding the long beach chair, she unraveled her towel onto the chair and sat down. Slowly, she massaged in the sunscreen. Thankfully, she had been able to avoid any sunburns on her fair skin, and maybe this time around, she would tan.

Gently, she lay back and sighed. She tried not to think or wonder if her invitation would even be taken; either way, she was going to enjoy herself.

 

[Mauve du Vain]

Bare feet whispered through the sand as Mauve made her way down the shoreline, her sarong blowing about her legs in the slight breeze. A reprieve from the heat of the sun. A cold drink already in hand from one of the resort staff, Mauve tried to spy where the Sith princess had sprawled herself out.

It didn't take much convincing to get Mauve out here. Anything with the words "all inclusive" and "resort" were basically a guaranteed yes. Especially given everything that had happened over the last few weeks. She didn't want to think about Wielu. Quinn Varanin might bring the subject up, given she had almost died, but Mauve figured she could let that one pass. Hopefully that subject would wait until after Mauve had started on her third drink.

Thankfully, behind the black wall and under the Princess' protection, Mauve did not have to worry about bounty hunters - for once. Too difficult for them to pass through the black wall and, what's more, the Sith who were bounty hunters would likely rather cut out their own entrails than incur the wroth of the Empress' adopted daughter. So, Mauve had taken some precautions, but did not feel overly anxious about wandering through the sandy beaches of Alakatha, mostly unarmed, to meet the woman.

The water was so blue. She wanted to swim out into one of the lagoons. Maybe later.

Violet eyes roaming the shoreline, she spied a gleam of white and smirked, finding her way down to where the Echani lay stretched out in a beach chair.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find a sultry princess to sweep me off my feet?"

Mauve smirked and plopped down in chair beside Quinn, toes digging in and out of the warm sand.

Quinn Varanin

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Mauve du Vain //:
//: x //:

The familiar voice broke the ambiance of the beach. Quinn had been close to falling asleep. Something that she wouldn't have done if they were outside of the Blackwall. Perhaps the gaudy isolationist strategy had its benefits.

But wasn't that the point? To protect the citizens of the Empire. Another conflict.

"Depends on who's asking."

A soft, genuine smile spread across the Echani's face as she let herself feel happy to hear the Zeltron. Slowly, Quinn sat up, a hand running through the underside of her ashen hair.

In the light of the sun, she looked more blonde than anything. Only lending to the notion that she was Spencer's splitting image. Something she hoped no one would point out.

Quinn was already a twin; the last thing she needed was to look like another Echani.

Her hand fell from her hair as she leaned back on the chair. She faced Mauve. Tilting her head, she let herself, for one brief moment of indulgence, admire her friend.

"You settled in quite easily, I'm glad." She didn't want to bring to light everything that she had been thinking of. This was a vacation, a moment to just forget how shitty the rest of the Galaxy was.

Quinn nodded towards the drink in Mauve's hand, "Alakatha is known for its hospitality, and this part of the continent is more secluded. If you go further south, you'll have more resort areas -- shopping and such."

Her eyes looked towards the water. While she preferred to stay away from the crowds, she didn't want to hinder Mauve from experiencing the entirety of the planet. Access to worlds like this was something that the woman would gain with the agreements.

Better to try to sell what was behind the wall.

"We can plan to go either tomorrow or later if you want to do a more public dining. We can do whatever you want, you're my guest." She let her words as she remembered her wording on the ship the last time they were alone.

She felt like a salesperson trying to sell a timeshare to the Zeltron. A small laugh as she grabbed the sunscreen and offered it to Mauve.

"If you need it," she paused and let her gaze meet the other woman's.

"I'm happy you came. It feels like I haven't heard from you in a bit." She stopped herself.

"What have you been up to?"

 

[Mauve du Vain]

The Zeltron didn't answer at first, closing her eyes as the sunlight beat down on her and just enjoying the moment. She adjusted her chair so that she could sit up enough and took a small sip from her cocktail. Refreshingly cold, sugary, sweet, just a hint of sour. Mauve licked the salt rim and took another sip.

Quinn's nervousness bled out around her, a halo of anxieties around what looked like a golden hue of happiness at being around Mauve. Hm. After their last few meetings, Mauve hadn't been so sure the woman would be so... welcoming. They'd had a hard conversation, bumped into each other on Kwenn under... awkward circumstances Mauve supposed, then the next time they spoke they'd been brokering a deal between two of the galaxy's most powerful entities. There just hadn't been time. And she basically ran away from Mauve on Kwenn Station.

Well. Excusable, perhaps, given the circumstances. Mauve thought she understood, had a working theory. Quinn had someone else, but could not deny a want, and told Mauve as much. Watching Mauve and Mercy and Anathemous all together, knowing she wanted to join in but trying to resist? Probably too much for the poor girl.

No reason to try to dive into the deep end. After everything with the Underlord, Mauve preferred to bask in the shallows as long as possible.

"Oh, you know, the usual: meeting with staggeringly beautiful Hapan Duchas, fixing Razmir's mistakes, and so on. Opened a new casino on New Vertica, you should come some time. When you're not spoiling me with a beach resort." She shaded her violet eyes from the sun for a moment with a hand to look over at Quinn, "What about you, poked anyone with your new saberfish nose yet?"

Quinn Varanin

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Mauve du Vain //:

Quinn listened, taking in every word while also partially listening to them. She had a terrible habit of trying to read people's faces, understand them without a touch. While in most cases she was able to do so, something about Mauve didn't allow it.

She couldn't pin down what it was, but she wondered if distraction was one of the reasons. As Mauve spoke, the Princess had to force her eyes away, focus on the crystal blue waves that crashed in the ambiance around them. Her mind was jealous of a cocktail cup.

When the woman finished, Quinn looked back and smiled. "No, not yet, though I've given it a few swings. Expert craftsmanship -- could rival some swordmakers I know on Eshan."

As she sat trying to think of something else to say, Quinn felt that wretched need to feel something to help anchor her and the swirling emotions of her mind.

"I'll have to see this new casino of yours, I'm sure its opulence is something words cannot do justice for." She paused, and when she couldn't fight it anymore, she stood and sat herself next to the woman's legs on the chair. She had sat up enough, which gave the small Echani a space to tuck herself in.

"I'm glad you like the resort." Quinn started, still not looking at Mauve.

"I promised you planets and armies -- would this world suffice for the promise?" She looked to the woman now, doing her best to let the anxiety she had felt previously begin to wash away.

There was honest fear that Mauve wouldn't have shown up.. Quinn didn't have the best track record with her. Why would she show up?

Still, the Princess was happy that she did.

Yet there was just one more thing that Mauve had forgotten back on the ship at their last meeting. Something that Quinn had kept and regretted. She was reminded of it, seeing what happened at Kwenn station.

Exhaling, she brushed back her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

"I'm sorry about leaving like I did at Kwenn. I had been happy to see you, but I was worried I had upset you after what had happened the last time we had been alone." She shifted, sliding off the chair and stepping closer.

Quinn leaned and hovered slightly over the Zeltron. Her voice was soft, letting the waves be the only thing louder than her on this secluded beach.

"You forgot something back on my ship. My apologies for letting you leave without it." The Princess leaned in, and their lips were close enough to touch, mirroring the meeting on the ship. A smile crossed her face as she enjoyed the closeness, the gentleness of jasmine, and the beach dancing across her senses.

"I will understand if you slap me after this, but I don't like leaving things owed." A single finger would gently caress the curve of Mauve's chin, hopefully guiding her into a gentle kiss.

It didn't linger long, and as quickly as it would happen, Quinn would begin to pull away.

 

[Mauve du Vain]

Forgotten? What did she forget?

Soft lips pressed against hers, muffling a surprised, very small, "oh."

Mauve melted into the kiss for a moment, the finger under her chin pulling her in just enough so she could taste everything she craved. For a moment, the space of a heartbeat, Mauve softened, drinking in the scent of her. Honey and roses. Quinn started to pull away. Mauve's unoccupied hand found the back of the woman's head, fingers threading through her hair, and pulled her closer in the moment, feeding the hunger until Mauve dragged away, teeth tugging at Quinn's lip, and caught her breath.

Confusion and desire blurred together in a whirlwind.

"What," she said, half-dazed, thoughts and emotions coalescing together.

So much for the shallows. Shoved right into the deep end of this emotional puddle. A spark of anger flared in her and she held up a finger in front of Quinn's face to stall any answer. Mauve tilted back the cocktail and drained the entirety of it, then pointed the glass at the woman.

"First you tell me there's someone else, then you can't even look me in the eyes on Kwenn, now you're throwing yourself at me?" Mauve scoffed in disbelief.

The more Mauve thought about it, the more they fed those sparks of anger, fanning to flames. Oh, she wanted the princess, to run her hands and her lips across every inch of that ivory skin. But the kiss felt like... like what? Mauve swallowed. Like a taste of a drug that she desperately needed. All so sudden.

"Why."

Quinn Varanin

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Mauve du Vain //:

The Princess was caught off guard. She hadn't expected the hand through her hair — or for Mauve to hold her there until she was done. The finger lifted in front of her face as the Zeltron finished her drink was a first.

No one silenced Quinn Varanin. She was royalty, heir to the Sith throne. And yet, she stayed still, letting that finger stop her long enough for Mauve to speak and ask her questions.

Had she misread things? Did she miss her chance? Nothing had changed, but Quinn in this matter.

Slowly, she sat back down on her own chair, a hand covering her face as she let the questions sink in. Quinn did her best to ignore the flare of anger bleeding off the other woman. If the Echani had been in her shoes right now, she'd feel the same.

"Well," she began, lowering her hand, hoping the flush on her cheeks passed for sunburn. "I don't have a good answer for you, my Veluthiel. I am a Princess, and — " She cut herself off. It was a weak excuse, one that might only make things worse.

"I wasn't lying." She finally looked at the woman, doing her best to remain focused on her face.

"I'm complicated and I'm not simple. I wanted to kiss you back on my ship — but I couldn't just give in, I'm stupid."

Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose. She probably shouldn't have done this right away. It had been gnawing at her since the ship meeting, and Kwenn had only made it more apparent.

"On Kwenn, I wanted to, but you didn't even bother looking at me either, I thought after everything you were just done with me."

Quinn hated this — hated saying any of it. With others, she could bury her feelings deep enough to forget them. But Mauve had carved her mark, dragging those desires into the open where they couldn't hide.

"I won't do it again, if that's what you want. I'm often scolded for waiting and not acting on what I want. So, I was done pretending."