The Give & Take [Avicus]

[Quietus]

Kuat Planet
Darke Estate Manor

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

The owl hours. Kuat slept. Somewhere within the quiet Darke estate manor a grandfather clock's cogs wheeled on. Time never ceased, never stopped, never waited. It continued on with faith, without mercy, the ever reliable and yet elusive power of the galaxy.

Tick.

Tock.

The rarest of commodities for so many, and yet for some as common as the sand on a sprawling beach. As water in the ocean. As stars in the night sky. Lorelei watched from where she lounged in the darkness of the sitting room, two acidic green eyes glowing balefully in the black.

Tick.

Tock.

Time had forever been on her side and it always would be. As her ally she'd kept it quite close for as long as she could remember. Closer than friends, and closer still than her enemies. She'd cared for it meticulously; watching, knowing, feeling every moment pass by. Filling each one with as much purpose as she could to direct a seemingly endless life in what manners and divinations she saw fit.

Tick.

It was 13 past 3 and she was one whole year older. As the needle counted the seconds, she felt every single one of them. Time had begun to drift away from her within the last few years, and though it had taken her a while to realize it, she'd encountered the existential realization only very recently.

Tock.

Her time here would soon be up.

There were so many things to do.


"Sovereign?" a gentle voice, a tired voice, called into the darkness of the room.

"Emmit," she answered back, eyes maintaining their focus on the clockface.

"Mr. DuSang has arrived."

Tick.

A letter sent, she barely recalled when, with the briefest of remembrances of times long past. Centuries ago a Sith Lord and Lady had called upon one another with affection and perhaps even care. Such a fleeting thing it had been for them, where tides insisted on changing and evolving. She remembered it with bitterness and trepidation, she looked upon it with nostalgia for the what ifs and the could have beens, but she could not live on any of those things. No one could subsist on looking back, there was only forward.

And there was only one avenue forward that she knew of for him where their family was concerned.

"Let him in."

Tock.

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

The blanket of night wrapped around him like a forgotten lover. The one constant that stayed with him. Moments, allies, enemies, even time itself was fleeting. Coming and going as they'd like. But the darkness was always there. Ingrained into his very DNA. From his conception until now, the darkness never left.

And it never would.

A lighter was produced, the white flame illuminating the Sith Lord for an instant as he lit his cigarette. He took a long drag, the crackling of the burning paper and tobacco filling the silent air. He breathed the poisoned smoke deep within his lungs, exhaling through his nostrils. As the lighter went back into his pocket, he straightened the jacket of his suit. Fingertips moving along the crimson silk shirt that rested underneath.

This version of the Galaxy was new compared to the Galaxy he left behind. And where had the Dark God been haunting his estate on Zeltros. The pink planet of sin was where he could truly lose himself in his hedonism. But the booze, spice, and women took their toll on his body. After receiving the letter, he took a long, hard look at himself in the mirror. He had greyed, his skin plagued with wrinkles. His innards were a wreck, addiction nearly crippling him.

He had to undergo the restoration ritual.

Old magick that he had uncovered forever ago in the uncharted wastes of the Ancient Sith Empire's territory. By consuming life, he regained his stamina. Because of his hedonism, four children became forever lost in the Hutt slave trade. But when the ritual was complete, he had grown young again. His hair it's strong blue. His olive skin flawless stretched over youthful muscle. No longer depending on the substance. Once again, he was in control.

He made the flight out to Kuat, out of necessity and want. There was much that needed to be set right. What better place to start than with his own family? So, like the proper gentleman, he waited outside until he was called. The servant slowly opening the door. "The Sovereign will see you now, Mr. DuSang."

"Lord DuSang." he hissed, flicking his cigarette off of the balcony, stepping forward.

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

"Strangle your ego," came the drawling voice from within the sitting room, the sound of glass as it settled upon polished stone tabletop accompanying the words, "Lord of what."

Lord of Nothing, so far as she was concerned. He'd wasted away on Zeltros, living off his debauchery and bad habits. Lord of Waste, maybe. All those brains and all that power and what good had it done for anyone? The woman in the darkness gave a derisive snort.

"You've been asleep while the galaxy marched on. You no more deserve the title Lord than you do the title Grandfather."

Green eyes watched him arrive, his silhouette still cutting a handsome figure as it always had. His presence still saturating as it always was. And as ever, surrounded in his aura of smoke - that peculiar state of fog seemed to be as much part of him as it was all-encompassing. Fickle, wispish, content to roil and flow where the currents did take him. In some ways she envied his lack of anchor and in many others she loathed it. Of course knowing what you were getting with a handful of fog was half the battle and she had always known.

"I digress...you don't need me to tear apart your self worth. You do that to yourself well enough. It is good to see you, Avicus."

The more things changed, the more they ...well, you know.

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

"Lord of what?"

Her words pierced the silence, cutting right through the darkness. Cut through him. Her servant beamed, enjoying the Sith Lord getting knocked down a peg. Black tendrils of the force wrapped around the servant's heart, and began to constrict. He panicked, gripping his chest. "How about of vanity? Perhaps lust. Pride. Greed. Really, just the Lord of Sin. The Lord of Debauchery. Of Indulgence.

"On Zeltros, they worship me like a God. It wouldn't be a difficult task to remind the Galaxy of the power I hold..." The fear the gripped the man was sweet, and he savored the taste. It had been far too long since he took a life, his very soul yearned for it. But, he'd be damned if it was someone under her employ that met their end at his hand. With a wave of his hand, the tendrils released their grip, and the servant dropped to a knee, clutching his chest and taking deep breaths. The air tasted sweeter to him, he valued every breath. Something he had once taken for granted.

"Of course, I was also born into nobility, and am the current Lord of House DuSang in the Hall of Lords on Coruscant. But most importantly, I'm a Lord of the Sith, a Master of the Darkness. No amount of sleep will ever change that." He pulled a platinum flask out of his jacket, taking a quick pull. The liquor burned as it traveled down his throat, warming him from the inside out. The only warmth he had received since his arrival on Kuat.

Yellow eyes moved towards the Lady of the house. She scorned their time together. And looked down on him for his laissez-faire attitude. But, it wasn't all negative. That same attitude she shamed him for was something she almost yearned for herself. Additionally, they shared quite a few pleasant memories. However, he would never blame her for the resentment and bitterness. He frequently made monsters of the women he loved.

She was correct, though. He didn't need her assistance in gutting his ego.

The smoke of Chaos enveloped him as he merged with the plane. The essence of the dead enveloping his senses, and for a brief moment, he was at peace. A luxury rarely afforded by the Sith. In a blink, he was by her side, kneeling. His lips lightly traversed the smooth skin of her knuckles before he rose. "As it is good to see you. Now, what did you mean by Grandfather?"

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

Lorelei watched him unsmiling, unamused, and equally unimpressed with him for the vanity of Force tricks employed upon a man who could in no manner defend himself against them. Such antics were the things of young Sith too full of themselves to use their powers wisely. Supposing he'd been asleep on Zeltros for as long as she thought, this really came as no surprise - his regression. Indulgences such as his were not necessarily a sin, merely wasteful. How she loathed waste.


Pale human flesh gave way to silvered skin etched with lines of corruption at his touch; the illusion of normalcy driven away by his otherworldy essence to reveal the true canvas of centuries steeped in the Darkside. That which so few had witnessed in the last lifetime of her worldly days; if the Spice hadn't managed to ruin his mind again he might recall the blackened knotwork of her Mark of Darkness sprawled across her figure from their last encounter. Lorelei regarded the man, acidic green eyes standing as the only source of illumination in the room.

"Merovign is set to become a father," her gaze left him, lingering off to the side where her free hand gently clutched the crystalline tumbler within which the night's sole dose of Whyren's Reserve awaited her. Thus was her routine, her ritual, as she reminded herself of a bond created and once more abandoned to the whims of the universe. A way to sate the want when its provider wasn't here.

"He intends to propose, and to marry here on Kuat."

One more child married and gone. One more family started. One more line of legacy begun anew.

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Perhaps he had regressed a bit. The ritual had a tendency to make the mind younger as well. Or perhaps he always had a bit about him that was like a perpetual child. That was something that he always had to deal with, especially as an Emperor. It was easy to indulge. The trick was trying not to give into temptation.

But that was awfully hard for Avicus.

As his touch exposed her skin, he could only smile. In her corruption, she was beautiful. A beacon of darkness that he once worshiped like a moth to the flame. Her Mark of Darkness whispering into his mind. It was a comforting sound. His thoughts traveled back to when Lord and Lady held such affections for one another. No amount of drugs and wine could really erase his memory.

The news of his son was a bit of a surprise. "Merovign? Good for him. I always knew he was a charmer. Though, a Kuat wedding? Truly, we could splurge on a more luxurious wedding." He eyed the glass, his mouth salivating. How he yearned for just a taste. Or, perhaps for the satisfaction that came from draining a bottle. But, more pressing matters at the moment.

"I trust you approve of his intended."

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

"We?" Lorelei intoned disdainfully, "The absent father's opinion holds no merit here, I'm afraid. The wedding locale was intended for the pleasure of the Bride who is a Kuati native. Merovign wants for small and quiet but she wishes for the dream fairy-tale all young girls seek. He is never neglect to indulge her wishes it seems, though I am sure he'll get what he wants as well."

All things Avicus would have known...had he actually played the role of a father. The Sovereign's lip twitched at the thought of the man imposing his own greed and necessity upon such things, but- "He asked me to inform you. Thought you had a right to know at the very least. He's even extended an invitation to you for the Kuat wedding." More than he deserved, she thought, but she was overly critical and she knew it.

"The girl is not one I would have chosen, but she has proven herself and he is stubbornly insistent. Reminiscent of someone, I wonder who..." those green eyes strayed upwards at the man for a moment, nails delicately chiming along the rim of the glass within them.

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

His hand snapped forward, grasping hers to prevent her from circling the crystal once more. "I'm aware of how much I've let down our son. How much I've let you down. Mistakes were made, and I've never been one to try to dodge them with a frequency of excuses. I wish there was a way to turn back time, but there isn't. I can never make right all of the wrongs I've done."

He paused, collecting his breath. "During my absence, all I could think about were my mistakes. I made foolish moves for personal gain, and those I loved suffered. Those that loved me suffered. I'm a terrible father. I'm even worse at being a significant other. I don't need to be constantly reminded of these facts." His grip lightened.

"I've been cut deeper from those who stood on less advantageous ground. If you want to hate me, that's fine. My shoulders are broad enough to carry the weight. However, before I become your whipping boy, it'd be chivalrous to pour me a drink first." His fingertips danced over the back of her hand before he rested his digits on his slacks.

"A local girl, you say? Well, if it makes him happy. Give him my thanks for the wedding invitation..." His voice trailed off, as he took a step or two away from her. It was difficult for him to admit fault. Humility was never his strong suit. He breathed in sharply, and exhaled in a long sigh.


[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

Green eyes narrowed sharply on those of pale saffron, the Sovereign's fingers did not give up their clutch of the crystal. She guarded it with a fierce intensity that later on would puzzle even herself, but in the moment of flared tempers there was only instinct. Her instinct was to keep what she cared for close, even the existential.

"I am not incited by words and promises, Avicus DuSang. Action is the only language that gains my respect. I don't hate you," hate was an emotion that took a great deal of time and energy away from far more useful avenues. Hate was a Sith's tool - rudimentary at its finest. Lorelei Darke was no Sith.

"But I no longer respect you in the way that I once did," she wished that she could.

Soundless, Lorelei drew from the couch as molten silk, the heat of situational sensation radiating from her figure with all the intensity of a volcano just waiting to burst. But there came no tremors, no rumblings of the danger. There was only absolute control and quietude in the way that she moved, crystal tumbler carefully retained within her fingers. Luminescent eyes marked her progress through the darkness of the room and over to a small sitting bar. The gentle tinkling of glass announced the pouring of a drink for the man because he asked so nicely.

"I would encourage you to attend," though quiet, her voice cut through all the great distances between them, and presently she felt lightyears away, "it would mean a great deal to him."

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Passion was the real tool of the Sith. Hate was just the easiest form of passion to conjure. Hate was easy. It could easily replace all of those other passions so fluidly. But it was all consuming. More corruptive than the Dark Side itself. Wrath. That sin that he tried so desperately to avoid. So destructive. So barbaric.

And Avicus still incited great passion within her. Even if the only passion conjured was anger and disdain. "It'd be easier to perform these tasks I speak of if I wasn't constantly reminded how much of a letdown I've been. Although, the warm Kuat air has been perfectly chilled with your avarice." A light smirk crossed his lips.

"I can live with that. Hell, I'm not even sure if I respect myself as much as what I've used to." The ring of the crystal was like a dinner bell. The Dark God seemed to float over to her, olive fingers dancing around the glass before picking it up. "Most people who know me only respected me because they feared me... Seems so trivial now."

The liquid circled the glass as he inhaled it's scent. He took a sip, the flavours rolling over his tongue as his senses began breaking down each individual note. "Mmm... Tres belle. C'est magnifique. Merci beaucoup." His native tongue slipping as he smirked to himself. He took another sip, savoring each moment.

"Attending would be a nice way to start the journey towards making amends. I'll have to come up with some gift ideas. Perhaps a nice vacation home on Coruscant... Forgive me if I sound cruel, but I find it hard to believe that me being there would mean anything to him." He pulled a pack of smokes out of his jacket pocket, force of habit.

"Do you mind if I smoke?"

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

Wine for him, not her beloved whiskey. But good wine nevertheless. There didn't exist a bottle in the Darke estate that wasn't perfectly aged and balanced. Nonsense, given the fact that she didn't drink it; most of it was gifted to her and the rest Lorelei bought for the guests.

Turning to lean her back against the counter she listened to the man with a gaze of unwavering stone. The faintest tilt of a brow came at his thought on a gift but the woman said nothing in response. However the line following incited a twitch of her lip as she finished off her own tumbler and set the crystal aside, "Dissero values his family," she replied curtly, turning towards a row of floor-to-ceiling curtains. A tug on the drawcord pulled one side open to reveal a doorway to a private veranda beyond to which she indicated.

"You may smoke outside."

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

He could only nod in response.

"Care to join me?" he asked casually, gliding towards the veranda. Letting go of the glass, it levitated mid-air where he left it. Fumbling within his jacket, he found his lighter, sparking the cigarette between his lips. Taking a long drag, he plucked the glass out of the air, expelling the smoke through his nostrils. He took another sip, enjoying the moment.

Yellow eyes fell to the floor for only a moment. He took a deep breath, and looked back to his hostess. "I never wanted you for a mistress, Sila. I wanted you for my wife. When sh... When Sophie came back, I was faced with one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my entire life. Still to this day, I've yet to face a dilemma that was so fundamentally difficult." He took another drag off of the cigarette.

"I chose poorly. I know it doesn't excuse everything I put you and Merovign through. It doesn't excuse any of it. Especially with our son. When my children died, parts of me died too. Centuries later, I find out you brought him back... I wanted to end it. I brought back Viktor to secure an heir for House DuSang. And then I went to Zeltros to drink myself to death. But when I got your letter, I realized I was given a second chance to make things right. I have a chance to make amends for the mistakes of my past.

"I know my words are as hollow to you as the wine bottles I leave in my wake... But, for what it's worth, I wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting go of one of the few things that made me feel complete." A crimson tear trickled down his cheek as his gaze moved once more to the floor. He felt sick. It was so unnatural for him to bare his soul like that. It had been hidden behind so many walls, the Dark God often wondered if he had any humanity left.

But he brought it to Kuat, and spilled himself for her, and her alone, to witness.

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

The location had nothing to do with propriety and everything to do with the scent of his smokes, of him, lingering in her home as a distraction. Lorelei pulled a drawer open and from within it produced a small silver case. Within that: several perfectly rolled Garhallan Stens. It would help to keep her temper in check.

She shadowed him out into the open air to the transformative rays of the moon. There under its light her skin cast a pearlescent silver glow and her hair blazed a wildfire red. Green eyes reflected the moonlight, predatory and gleaming in the twilight hours. Sten placed to lips she leaned in towards the man for a light after his own burned in his teeth. A long inhale pulled the calming essence of irnroot into her lungs to sieve into her bloodstream, eliciting a moment of pause and internalization while the man spilled sentiments and words at her feet he'd likely never given to anyone else.

Sophie Maurow...

A woman after Lorelei's own heart in more ways than one. In her early years, her Sith years, she'd appreciated the younger woman for her intellect and wit. Even despite the turmoil of a relationship and future torn asunder, Lore could not hold contempt for the blond. Then there were their children. Handsome Viktor and young Ophelia. She could confess to watching the care he'd taken for them with a great deal of envy and jealousy, but if any children were to have the man's love it should have been them. Merovign had emulated the man in his first life, something of which she was almost glad to see non-existent in this one. Her current son held few of the same attributes as the original - in some ways he was a man evolved by genetic tampering and in others he was a man improved by a differing set of circumstances.

Releasing a plume of purple-hued smoke Lorelei turned from him to step to the edge of the veranda where she leaned to look out over the rolling country estate surrounding them. It was a life she had never envisioned but one she had come to accept and take control of, down to every last drop of blood, sweat, and tears. Conquered all challenges from the smallest of offenses to the greatest of galactic epidemics.

"We've all lost and rebuilt," said the woman as she lifted the sten back to her lips for another pull, "in our own way. Some of us lost Empires and family and rebuilt the walls that kept us safe. Others lost the walls and rebuilt instead Empires and families. You can't keep your walls if you want to have the family, Avicus."

A glance back at the man over her shoulder, keen and luminescent under the moon, "I'm trying to help you tear the walls down."

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Family...

The word was a difficult pill to swallow. A word that brought forth memories and feelings he had long buried. It was easy to ignore them. To give into the calming darkness. She was correct, of course. She was always correct. One of the things that he admired, as much as he found so overwhelmingly irritating at times. Wiping the lone tear from his cheek, his yellow hues locked onto her emerald eyes as she turned to him.

"If there was anyone in the Galaxy who was militant enough to assist with that task, it would be you." Her gaze moved back out to her estate as he approached her. The scent from the irnroot mixing with her own to produce a rather intoxicating aroma. He hopped up on the balcony, sitting beside her. He finished the glass of wine, setting it off to the side.

She didn't retort with any harsh words. For the first time, in a long time, she had showed him kindness. Olive fingers danced along the exposed silver skin of her arm. "Thank you, by the way, for summoning me." He paused, observing her basked in moonlight. She shone like a goddess, her divinity far exceeding the Dark God. He took another drag off of his cigarette. "I'll be there for the wedding. But I'd also like to be there for my son more often. I want to be there for our grandchild.

"And for you as well, if you'd have me, of course."

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

The huff of a derisive snort didn't quite conjure but it was felt there, lingering internally, seduced by the irnroot smoke in her lungs. Militant indeed. Lorelei felt like she'd spent seven lifetimes picking up after the men in all their glorious delusions and galactic messes. The Kuati Sovereign resigned to a small sigh instead, eyes lazily following the motion of fingertips at her skin.

"He lives on Rudrig now with his fiancee," her gaze abandoned the touch of flesh where the aura of his essence revealed once again the Mark of Darkness knotworked across grey canvas, drawn forth from hiding within her illusion by the intrusive corruption of the Darkside.

"I believe Amorella is staying with them for a time to help them prepare the home for the baby."

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

"That all sounds very..." The Sith Lord fumbled around in his mind for the word. "Domesticated..." Not the best choice, but atleast he put forth some effort. He hopped down off of the ledge as he stepped to the other side of her.

His gaze moved out to the lands she was surveying. "I've been thinking of joining the First Order. They have a rather impressive Navy. Viktor could join up with the Order of Ren, get trained in the Force. Perhaps if he has a kinder trainer..."

The Dark God's words trailed off. Memories of a bitter past swelling deep from within him. "But, enough about me. I have yet to hear much about you. How are the fates treating you?"

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

"That is the nature of taking care of ones family..." Lorelei intoned, eyes narrowing but failing to drift his way. Domestic is as domestic does. She'd raised enough children, grand children, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren... and she'd enjoyed it always. Children had proven to be the one shining beacon of pleasure and enjoyment in her long life. Where suitors and husbands had left much to be desired, her progeny had filled the void.

Now she was childless. Suitor and husbandless. A free spirit, some might say. She took a long, slow pull from her Sten, releasing a plume of purplish smoke through her fangs.

"The First Order has risen on the horizon watching the plumes of the One Sith's burning fields drift their way. I suspect they will prove themselves instrumental to the next great galactic cataclysm. A good opportunist would seed themselves in to the powerhouse while it's still on the rise..."

A pause of silence, the woman's gaze turned downwards as she pondered best how to answer his question without giving everything away.

"I am tired, Avicus."

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Domestication was a foreign concept to him. For centuries, the lifestyle avoided him. Or rather, he avoided it. It was one of the many regrets that he lived with. Perhaps he could learn to start embracing the word.

A sly smile spread across his lips. Avicus was, if anything, a golden opportunist. Relations with the First Order could prove to be quite beneficial. They had a lot to offer the Sith Lord. And he had much to give them as well.

He locked eyes with her as he nodded. "I know..." he whispered. "You've always stood firm against whatever the Galaxy threw at you. Raising many generations of your family has, no doubt, taken it's toll..."

He pulled her close to him, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Let me take you away from here... Anywhere you want to go. You can recharge your batteries. Kuat will remain as it always has." He took a deep breath, her scent flooding his nostrils as his lips grazed her throat.

His blood hot beneath the veins.

[member="Lorelei Darke"]

 

[Quietus]

"You think I am tethered here against my will?"

She did not reciprocate the warmth or the rising passion in the man. The Soverign of Kuat stood stoic and unmalleable in his embrace, a veritable statue of stone.

"That I am not exactly where I mean to be at any given moment."

A low voice replied to his invitation, one cut from the cold of years spent achieving her goals all on her own.

"Do not suffer any delusions that I am incapable of pioneering my own future alone, Avicus DuSang, I've spent my entire life doing it already. A holiday in the stars will not right the wrongs of the past or undue damages made, regardless of how well-intentioned it may be. I have chosen my own circumstances with purpose and I intend to see them through. Right here, where I am needed."

"Where are you needed for your own?"

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Her cold demeanor chilled him to the bone. Slowly, he released her, turning his back to her. He stepped to the ledge, olive fingers gripping the stone. His knuckles growing pale from the pressure he put on the stone. He tried to bite back the anger, but he had his fill. Slowly, he turned back to face her.

"Oh yes. As if you haven't constantly reminded us both on how superior you are. I'm very happy that you have so much ammunition to throw at me and choose to do so. Clearly, the bigger person. Clearly acting like the responsible one. Force forbid..." He paused, taking his breath.

"You know what? It's not worth it. Not sure it'd even register with how high atop the Galaxy you stand. You speak of me breaking down my walls, and yet you rest behind a mountain of ice. You want to be a hypocrite? Very well. Afterall, it's right where you want to be." Tossing the cigarette off the balcony, he walked back into the house, walking towards the front door.

[member="Lorelei Darke"]