The First Bastion

[Hailey Sosis]

It was a wednesday night curry night at [member="Darth Carnifex"] place, which Harley managed to get off doing. Harley had been busy all day, she been in torture room, talking to the prisoners, they had confessed everything. Yes these prisoners, have been whipped and beaten, stretched, and had wet rags put down their throat. Though all took to make them spill the beans, was harley and her inane chatting to make them confess. She had also spent her months swag on a new dress, well killing and butchering had to have a few perks. She been busy since to shut her the guards had agreed to take her shift, it more to shut her up, as she been pleading all day. She had a date, and this was almost unheard of for, sure she had the odd thing, but a date never. She was really excited, especially when her dress arrived. She had to get ready, she had long bath to make sure the smell gore was off her, as those torture rooms did not have stink and got into all your pores. She even had a bath bomb, it was her first bath bomb, and little upset their was no explosion. Though it did help her smell nice, and then she started getting ready.

After she finished getting ready, she went to place back door, to wait for her puppy dog just outside. She was playing on her phone, her current new game was [member="Gorba the Hutt"] in a blender. She given selfies to [member="Isabella Fonti"], though she was busy, something to do with daddy again. Now unknown to him, she had access to Emperors Library, and seeing he is on curry night he would not be going in. Then after wards, she had a table booked at Transgalactic Cuisine, run by [member="Aver Brand"]. She also had a credit card, some idiot gave her credit card to help pay for tonight, well this was her treat after all. She wonder how it would go, she was nervous and this was very unlike her. So she waited for him to come to her back door, well palace backdoor same thing as she lives their too.


[member="Vereshin"]

 

[Vereshin]

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A draft blew through the wooden floorboards of Vereshin's apartment as the candles surged with the sudden breath of wind. Nose immersed beneath the bathwater, he regretted he would be without lights for a while after the dinner he treated to his lady tonight. He washed his hair while his cat sat on floor, curled up on top of his clothes and resisted the urge to stay beneath the warm water as the hour proceeded. Braving the cold, he rinsed and stepped out carefully, chasing Exar away and grabbing towels to dry.

Wrapping a towel around his bony waist and flinging one over his shoulders, he stood in front of the dated mirror and shaved. Huge, yellow candles melted over a stool and across the shelf above the sink. After rinsing, Vereshin slicked back his hair and dabbed a cologne over his neck baring the logo of [member="Aurelius Morday"]'s alchemy industries. He gripped the towel around his shoulders and huddled in the cold, quickly drying and choosing clothes to dress. Selecting a beige jacket and suit pants, he wore polished shoes and a scarf slung casually around his neck and over his shoulders. He slid his glasses on and fed his cat, before locking the door and leaving for the corridor outside.

The speeder taxi waited for Vereshin a short distance away from the apartment block and he scaled the elevator and stares to leave. A damp surface coated the buildings and road after a downpour, city lights and street lamps glistened in the wet surface. He found his taxi and slid outside as it left in haste for the palace of the Dark Lord in the main center of the capital city. A rising fear built up within the chest of Dark Side physicist and he secretly prayed that Carnifex was not at home or at least too busy to encounter the nervous sorcerer. He enjoyed a cigarette inside of the taxi on the way to palace, deciding to smoke before he met his date.

They closed in on the spires of the palace and stopped around an obscure back entrance. While the driver waited, Vereshin discarded his cigarette in the ashtray and stepped outside to greet the bright face and blonde ponytails of his date. The woman intrigued him. Harley could hardly be called intelligent, without the heightened focus of a keen mind, she also did not have the sensitivity to the exterior world and could receive pain and land blows with inhuman strength. She was also the only woman in living memory who desired to go out with Vereshin and he appreciated that alone.

"Hello, you look charming." Standing in front of the taxi, he took both of her hands and leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheek. He caressed her hands with his icy touch as he held them and linked his arm, offering her to take it. "Shall we go inside?" He slid around her back and hugged her waist while she lead him into the palace.

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

Her date had finally arrived, [member="Vereshin"] he did look a bit weird in suit, and she never been with anyone in suit before. Then again she never really been on date before, most guys never wanted go out with her, just stay in. Then he said she looked charming, it was a compliment, something else she was not use to. She smiled at him, and put her hands behind her dress, and gave him a twirl so he could see the dress properly. He then kissed on cheek, she was little put out it was not on the lips. He then took her arm, boy where his hand cold. She wonder if he had put them in a freezer, well they better warm up later she thought to herself. Then he asked to go inside, oh may be this is going to be a normal stay in. Then she remembered she said show him [member="Darth Carnifex"] library, then smiled said Oh yer, this way. She lead him up the stairs, and down the east wing corridor, in the background you could here the dark lords enjoying their curry. Boy was the plumbing going to be backed up tomorrow, She thought to herself as she saw some where having a heat off competition, of who can eat the biggest chile. She then took him into the library, kaines personally library. She then sat down on a chair, so he could have look around. She was nervous as this was naughty, chop your head off and do nasty things to rest of your corpse naughty, as this was his personal space. She relaxed on the chair, and leaned back against one the rests. She been here before, sometimes giving him a drink. She always wanted to sit on this chair.

 

[Vereshin]

The woman twirled around coyly, letting the hem of her dress float on the air. Vereshin smiled and only blushed in response, the garment was not too his taste but he offered her diplomacy. She lead him up the stairs and inside through a corridor lined with red carpet. They entered a massive library of gold marble and decadent paintings, books lined shelves and towered to the dome ceiling. His gaze drew to the endless titles and spines sprawling across the hall as his heart began to quicken with excitement. Holding Harley's hand, Vereshin scanned over the sections of philsophy and history, science and magic and shifted his view over where to start looking.

The Sith scientist almost forgot the reason for coming to the palace in the first place and he let go of Harley's hand and unintentionally dismissed her. As his date sat down behind him, Vereshin wandered through the philosophy section and scanned over titles bearing interpretations of the various Force codes and selected a few nihilist texts. He followed the sections through history and politics, to conventional and esoteric science, and found some interesting topics on advanced arcane formula and conducting planes to other dimensions. He selected the the two books and suddenly remembered Harley, glancing over the woman through the space of the shelves and watching her sitting by herself on the lounge.

Vereshin carried the books over to the ornate lounge and sat down beside her, baring his blackening teeth gleefully in a smile. He set the books on one side and picked the first, flipping through pages and quickly immersing himself in the forbidden equations. One page caught his immediate interest.

"Oh! Spells for creating dark matter, I need to copy these!" He exclaimed with excitement and reached inside his coat for his little black maths book and a pen. Vereshin began to fervently scribble formula from the page into the notebook while peering deeply over the numbers on the pages. There were spells he did not even recognize and they were written in the form of mathematics. Suddenly, he felt the strong caress of Harley's hand on his thigh and he looked up at her, interrupted and almost disoriented at where he was in the moment.

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Vereshin"] [member="Aver Brand"]

As she knelt down and caressed his thigh, he turned and looked up at her, she then kissed his neck, and whispered in his ear We can't stay here puppy, but make a note of books you like, and send you pics of them after cleaning up. She smiled at him, and wonder what he saw in her, she no idea what these books where about, why did he want to date a dumb silly girl like her. She was happy he liked her, he obviously had future with the sith, and she reached the pinnacle of her career. She was just a minion, a hard working a useful one as well as loyal, but still just a minion. She took his hand and said We have tabled booked at Jagged Crown, and we got a taxi booked in twenty minutes. She then helped him up, and went to plant one on his lips, just to bring his eyes back onto her, instead of the books. Getting a table at his place was not easy, she had to find some who boasted of having a table booked, force book was useful for this. She perused other people profiles, until she found someone booked a table for two, and broke their jaw. Then booked in his table when he cancelled it, as only way to get a table in such notice. She then waited for him to lead the way, she liked him to lead the way, it might build his confidence and make him the sith he should be with that brain of his. She maybe mad, but even she could see his potential.

 

[Vereshin]

The slide of Harley's hand across his thigh caused him to jolt and he arched his neck in the opposite direction of her face while she kissed him. Leaning back around, he sighed nervously and took both of her hands. The events at the Time Foundry happened almost instantly and he disapproved of her behavior more than a few times. She was not intelligent or tasteful. Courtesy however, permitted Vereshin to stay with Harley for the time being. Swallowing a gulp, he parted his lips in a smile of discolored teeth and rose to his feet with her hands in his own.

"Let's go then, shall we?" He allowed her to kiss him on the lips, before taking her arm and leading her outside of the back door. They arrived at the speeder taxi and Vereshin opened the door for Harley and slid in beside her. "Excuse me, I have to smoke before we arrive." As the car accelerated off the pavement, the sorcerer slid his cigarette case out of his pocket for the second time and clenched the white tube between his teeth, lighting the end with a snap of energy from his fingers. He blew smoke out of the open window while slowly moving his thigh away from Harley's touch, instead focusing on the cigarette while relaxing.

The speeder arrived at the Jagged Crown and Vereshin quickly moved to open Harley's door and take her arm. They walked down the red carpet and strode through the revolving doors. A member of staff appeared and showed them to their table, two chairs awaited them beneath a secluded painting on the side of the wall. Vereshin pulled out Harley's chair and let her sit down, before taking a seat himself and plucking the menu from the center of the table. Coy smiles were delivered towards his date while the sorcerer focused on the words before him.

"So tell me Harley, what are you interested in?" Vereshin set his menu for the time being and waited for a server to arrive. He unfolded his napkin and placed it gently across his lap. Mutual interests remained the deciding factor in any affection he held for another. He piqued Harley's mind for any possible connection between them.

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

He seemed a little distant during the cab ride, instead of talking he moved away from her touch, and smoked instead. So she gazed out the window instead, as smiled as she saw the night sky, she loved the twinkling of stars, and how she made shapes out of them in her mind. The taxi soon pulled up at the restaurant, he quickly moved to open her door, this made her happy. As he behaving like one men she reads about in her books. This thought made her eyes light up, then they walked into the restaurant, and where escorted to there table. He pulled out her seat to let her sit down, it really was like one of her books. She felt like she was in heaven, no one is ever just nice to her like this, it normally Harley kill him. Harley clean up this mess, Harley make me some more those delicious cakes. [member="Darth Carnifex"] liked her cakes and cookies, she really good at cooking.

He then asked her question, what did she like. She said Well reading, she neglected to say it was trashy romantic novels, Oh and I like looking after animals, she neglected to say this was Emperors pets, and she feed them slaves and condemned prisoners. She then paused as the menu came, as well as the wine menu. Whew she thought saved by the waiter, he has to order the wine, it say so in her books. she then slid of high heel shoes, as they where not the most comfortable thing she worn. So what do you like, she asked as [member="Vereshin"] looked at the menu.

 

[Vereshin]

The moments passed by painfully and Vereshin grew more aloof, combing his thoughts for any possible conversation topics. His leg shook beneath the table and he fidgeted with his fingers. Gazing over the menu, he looked for a light meal and eventually settled on something listed as an entree. He glanced towards Harley and noticed her beaming smile, which he returned with a smile of his own.

"Oh wonderful! I like reading too, Nihilus is my favourite scholar of the Old Republic. I enjoy Vitiate, though he is heavy on the mathematics which makes him a better source for studious days." He began and found himself speaking quicker than usual. Reaching forward involuntarily, he held Harley's hand in his sweaty palm in the center of the table and tried to caress her fingers gently, applying more force than he intended. "What do you like to read?" Vereshin asked while a waitress soon arrived. She probably asked if they cared for drinks, which Vereshin ignored outside of his nervous state and answered before he even heard the question.

"No thank you, my dear." The coral skinned woman furrowed her brow and nodded, before turning to Harley. Once she left, Vereshin shifted his attention back towards his date. "Well, I like sorcery, obviously, eh... physics and philosophy and mathematics." He stopped for a moment to think. "I know that sounds strange, but I like to do it for fun." He chortled slightly regarding his enjoyment of mathematics. "But I do like animals as well, especially cats." He finished with a smile, a forced and regretful smile.

The sorcerer's anxiety continued to amount as he only remembered Pom, the darkly sorceress who had treated him when he fell ill. Unable to fully comprehend his own emotions, Vereshin never realized his attraction towards somebody else until it was too late. His hand trembled inside Harley's and he held his breath for as long as he could before releasing. He felt greatly confused and at a loss for what to do.

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Vereshin"]

She did want drink, Can we have jug of water and two glass please, she asked before the waitress disappeared. She skip the question of what she liked to read, as after all she was not as well read as her date. He then talked about things he liked, he went on about books, okay she got it he liked reading. He said something harley knew about CAT'S, she loved the furry little beast, those little cutie killing machines. I love cats, I been meaning to get some, since leaving coruscant in a hurry, been unable to get any due to work. Also my room is a little too small, so no where to keep them. Oh have you heard of Night Cats, so alchemist combined a cat and a bat, they have been barred from bastion castle, as they eat sith spawn. She then paused as the water arrived, and she then poured her glass. She then carried on I always wanted to go to Daoria, to see some sneer cats, they can apparently breath fire. She smiled and then asked, ​So out all the types cats in galaxy, which is your favorite cat? Harley did not much about many things, but cats she knew a lot about, as they wonderful. The food menu them came over, he was given one first then her. She then accidentally on purpose seeing he got her onto her favourite topic of cats, stroked his leg with her foot. She loved them fluffy little killing machines, and anyone else who did was worth listening to about all the books they read. She then looked at the menu, to see what to have, but she not sure, as she did not want to screw this up, so waited till he decide what he wanted.

Spoiler

Daoria
Sneer Cat
Night Cat

 

[Vereshin]

The woman avoided the topic of reading material and completely ignored Vereshin's description of his interests. As she chatted about cats, he sighed gently and glanced over the wallpaper like a lost dog. Harley was simple. He tried dearly to avoid behaving like he noticed. Her description of the violent beasts who breathed fire and mangled things did not please him and he only smiled in response while thinking of something to say.

"That sounds terrible, I can't imagine how painful that must have been for the cat and the bat." Speaking calmly with a tone of mild disapproval, he raised his eyebrows in response to her description of the alchemist's creation. Vereshin did not like alchemy. Alchemists such as Pom used their craft to create medicine and heal, the more depraved kind degraded animals to breed beasts. While he reserved no mercy for humans, the idea of cruelty towards his favorite creatures did affect him. "I like regular cats. I own a tortoiseshell with long hair." As much as he liked cats, the topic of them for conversation was not an interesting one. The waitress soon arrived and asked to the orders for their meals.

"The soup, please. No entree for me." He stated while staring at Harley's hand in his own. As she brushed her foot up against his ankle, he returned the gesture. A moment of silence overcame them as the sorcerer blatantly ran out of things to say. "I am sorry if I sounded harsh." He began. "Alchemy is a branch of magic I do not care for, nor practice. It is a visceral and chemical art, a science which transforms matter." For the second time, he began to trail off on a topic which only barely related to what Harley had mentioned. "A sorcerer can compress or destroy matter, but he cannot transmute an element like an alchemist can." His eyes wandered to the ceiling as he watched the lights flicker.

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Vereshin"] said that was not nice to cat or the bat. She thought erm you have met my boss [member="Darth Carnifex"], that's nothin. He then said he just liked normal cats, I like all cats. This was true they remind her of herself, as they where cute killing machines. I have the lasagna, please. She after he told the waitress as she he order the soup, and no starter. She then removed her foot, as she was getting nothing from him. She had brought a fancy new dress for this as well, he then went on to tell her about difference between Alchemy and Sorcery. He disapproved of alchemy, but approved of destructive sorcery. His eye then wander upward, and where off her. She liked him but not enough for this, so she decide to be honest with him. ​I did not know their was difference, nor do I care. I paid to do I job I like, that is to kill things that displease my boss, and look after his pets, and yes lot them are sith spawn. I like trashy romantic novels, and shopping, and if I get chance eat out, and I been looking forward to this all day. I am highly emotional and that gives me my one true force strength, I go into force rage and kill Jedi or who ever else stands in my way. I can also burn things with my eyes, which I think is cool, but I doubt you do. I like cats, all cats as they are like the sith real cool predators. All I wanted tonight was a nice meal, and possibly getting to know nice person. She was not angry, she sound defeated, like nothing was going happen. She was not allowed nice things, so why should expect to get them. She waited for him to scold her on something. As she finished their meals arrived, as she finished talking, it smelt really nice.

 

[Vereshin]

The Dark Side physicist shifted uncomfortably as Harley spieled off in response to his explanation. His glasses fogged up before his eyes and his leg shook beneath the table as she retracted her toe from his ankle. Vereshin did not understand. He only assumed she might be interested to know the true definition of alchemy and how it differed from his own field of sorcery. Breathing heavily, his eyes shifted all around the room and failed to make direct contact with Harley's own.

Women were a mystery to him.

"I..." Vereshin tried desperately to think of a polite response to her words. He did not want to tell her that he believed they were not right for each other, even though he painfully realized the fact. Vereshin was generally tolerant. He simply could not commit himself entirely to somebody else so different, especially one who could not talk about the things he liked! "Have to use the lavatory." He said plainly with a straight line on his mouth and wide eyes before darting away from his chair and dropping his fork on the floor with a clang.

He found the door to the men's room and burst in, running to the far end of the room and planting both hands against the wall. The material beneath them began to ripple and shift in hue as he dissipated the mass and stepped directly through the fabric of reality and outside. He left the restaurant without paying and ran down the street.

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

As [member="Vereshin"] went off to use the lavatory, his soup arrived with her luasange. The food smelt gorgeous, and the garlic bread smelt nice as well. She decide not just took in but wait for her date to come back from toilet. She waited and waited, then waiter came up to her, he had a pale complexion, and looked barely old enough to shave and he asked Is everything alright mademoiselle? His voice was pleasant and nice, she replied yes I am just waiting for my date, though he has been some time, do you mind checking on him, he nipped to toilet? The waiter nodded, and head to toilet, she sat in chair and drank some water, the waiter had come back, and then gave her bad news. I am sorry but I think your date has done a runner, so will you be paying. She was shocked, genuinely shocked, she turned and told him ​Look again! Her voice was angry, he was lying to her, he had to be. He went away, but the manager came over, I afraid your date has gone, this is the bill. She burst into tears, how could he just do that, he was her puppy dog.........