Private A Veiled Invitation

[Raven Thystle]

VICEROY THYSTLE​

Location: Office at the Felacatian Senate Palace
Equipment: Outfit | Taozin Amulet
Tags: Muad Dib​

Raven stood by the window looking out in quiet thought as the sun’s raze shone through the clear pane to outline her alabaster white figure in a gentle, golden glow. Black locks with ends treated in the colour red, flowed down her back in gentle waves while chocolate brown eyes watched the movement outside of her window in quiet contemplation. Lightly clasped in the pale fingers of her right hand, was a wine glass full of what some would describe as, red wine. However, if only they knew better. Inside the delicate glass was thick, red blood. She lifted the glass to press against her red painted lips, to take a sip of the liquid and quietly, she noted the coppery taste and the fact that it was still fresh. It was almost as if she could still taste the beating heart within the vibrancy of the blood. The vampiress also noted that the blood was O negative, a universal type and a sigh parted her lips as she placed the glass down upon the ledge in front of her.

Fingers moved to clasp behind her back as she listened to the room of which she found herself in. Two bodyguards on edge, made her nervous. Not that she would tell the two that, for she could see from their point of view as to why they would be. Many times she had informed them that it wasn’t their fault, but they took the kidnapping as a sign of their lack of due diligence. Even the guards around the palace had been increased in numbers and anyone who wasn’t so much as a Felacatian registered citizen was scrutinized heavily and wouldn't have a chance to get to any places off limits to the public.

This invitation was one that she had sent and hoped would be accepted, but even she wasn’t so ignorant as to think that there wasn’t a chance that he wouldn’t accept it. It wasn’t an official summons but a mere request. After all, she figured that Muad Dib would be a little more concerned with the well being of Derek Dib. An unfortunate situation indeed, one she hoped would have a good outcome. However, she wasn’t naive as to think that Viceroy Dib had any large chance of pulling through, or pulling through without any consequences. Trauma to the head was tricky and tricky situations always had a way of playing out in the most unexpected ways. However, in any case, she hoped that Muad would accept her simple request of an audience.

Quietly she listened to the steady heartbeats of Nadia and Nala and finally she unclasped her hands to wave one to the door. ”Nadia, go meet Mr Muad Dib at the front of the palace and bring him in if he shows. The guards should know not to intercept his path, but just in case. I don’t want any issues.” Raven heard the Felacatian move to the door and exit as she followed her Viceroy's instructions while Nala quietly stood by the very same door. Nala’s tail twitched just slightly, but remained quiet. Strangers. Felacatians always had an extreme dislike towards strangers and it hadn’t changed, only upped since the kidnapping and should Muad make an appearance, Nadia would greet the male with a friendly smile. She would then lead him to Raven’s office, while the guards followed the male's movements with keen, watchful eyes.

Her right hand reached out once more to pick up the glass of blood and continued to quietly drink the thick, red, life giving substance as she waited. Waited for Nala to express the burning thoughts within her mind, but for now she remained quiet and so Raven returned to her musings at hand.

Today, she wasn’t dressed as she normally would be if she were entertaining officials or attending any meetings. Instead she wore a simple black pair of pants and a black top. Why? Because she didn’t send out the invitation for fun or diplomacy, there was another reasoning behind it. Her kidnapping had been the eye opening wake up call needed to show her that her hibernation for a little over a thousand years, had left her defenseless in a way the vampiress hadn't even bothered to consider. She was rusty when it came to the field of combat, when once she was a warrior in her own right. Now it seemed that while she knew the steps, she was out of practice and out of touch with it all. Politics had become her playground ever since she woke and she needed to sharpen the other end of the sword once more.

Raven needed to shape up, so to speak.​

 

[Muad Dib]

Tag: Raven Thystle
Wearing: This

Kaer 1​

One peaceful afternoon Muad picked up from the dropbox the strangest looking letter he’d ever seen, a chilling little envelope bordered with flying bats, and eerie serpents whose eyes were tinted green. The letter was addressed to Muad so as he opened it he froze. Interestingly it came from a viceroy of Felacat. With brows arched he flopped back into a chair and flipped through the elegantly simple request. Frowning slightly he stretched across and pulled a datapad from the neighboring table to look up this Raven Thystle. Black hair with red highlights framed a face on the screen. Flicking backwards he searched for older reports and files on the woman, seeking to learn more about her. Oddly enough the woman named Raven seemed ageless. Tossing the datapad away he sighed before calling out loudly.

“I need a report on Raven Thystle, Viceroy of Felacat. I have a playdate it would seem.”

Outside his office he heard the near silent scurrying of employees springing into action. He smirked slightly in amused thought, It was good to be the King.

Arriving on Felacat​

The ship settled upon the duracrete pad without incident, landing ramp lowering and offloading a single being. Dark shades blocked the brilliance of the sun from blinding him as he slowly meandered toward a set of guards there to guide him along the pathway and to the front entrance of the palace where he was to wait until another came and retrieved him. He casually smirked at the two men as they stood watching him carefully. Their attention was not lost on the man as he reached into a pocket of his grey jeans and retrieved a deathstick, tossing it from waist height to catch in his lips while still smirking.

“No worries, I brought enough to share.”

Lightly he tossed two more rolled smokes to the guards. One caught his reflexively as the other chose to allow his own to bounce from his chest and fall rejected to the ground. Muad grinned as he inhaled, the tip of the smoke flaring to life. Blue smoke escaped as he motioned to the guards’ own rolled smokes.

“Don’t worry lads, it's catnip. I know how your kind love it. I forgot the thermos of warm milk though ...”

It was easy enough to see the heightened state of the guards, rapt attention and rigid posture as every eye scrutinized each aspect of any new stimuli offered outside the normal routine. His ribbing of the sentries clearly rankled the already bristling guards from disinterested to clearly less than friendly. He plucked the deathstick from his lips and exhaled a large plume of blue smoke directly for their faces, seeking to stir the pot even more so. Rapid blinking and taut expressions were his cold reception. A half smile creased his unshaven face. The guards were susceptible to emotional triggering, yet they held to their professionalism and training, not quite breaking from their roles. He was slightly impressed.

“Mister Muad Dib, follow me.”

A silken voice weaved from deeper within the palace, drawing the darkened shades to turn to the source of the voice. Nadia Melia beckoned for him to follow. Turning he offered the sentries a saddened expression as he took a final hit of the deathstick before dropping it to the stone floor and crushing it with the heel of his boot. Shrugging he held out empty palms, the long sleeves of the white tunic falling halfway across his hands.

“Sorry boys, maybe next time we can play a bit longer. I’ll remember to bring along a ball of yarn.”

Smirking once more he skipped along until he caught up to the tall blonde whom’s long legged pace was quick and smooth. Still smirking as he walked beside her he arched his brows over the dark shades as his line of sight followed the swaying of her tail before settling on the blue shade of the bodyguard’s eyes. His lips retained the playful smile as he silently walked in tandem to the office where the door opened and he entered lazily. The second woman remained just inside the door causing Muad to turn and look her over. Both women possessed an air of danger which caused his smile to stretch even wider before he pointedly turned his back on the bodyguards to look at the woman who tendered the invitation.

Dark clothing contrasted to the alabaster flesh, hair darker than shadows yet possessing crimson highlights. Slowly he closed the distance between them with a meandering path that lazily followed an unseen serpentine course across the room. Leaning back against the balcony he eased forward slightly, shades turned ever so slightly to observe the duet of guards across the room, as he took in a deep breath with nostrils flared. A low growl of amusement escaped him as his smile widened.

“Muad … at your … service …”

His hand reached out, fingers slipping around the stem of the wine glass, to gently claim the flute for himself. Slowly he raised it and upended the goblet, draining the liquid within. Returning the glass to the balcony his head turned slightly as the shades traveled up his hostess’ body slowly until the line of sight flickered from her rich brown eyes to the ornate marking alongside her neck. His half smirk widened, highlighted by the crimson stain of blood upon his lips.

 

[Raven Thystle]

VICEROY THYSTLE​

Tags: Muad Dib​

The vampiress had heard the man follow Nadia into the room and had heard Nala as she drew in a sudden breath. The man’s actions had caused the two Felacatians to grow rather tense at his rather brash and forward actions when he approached the Viceroy. Every footfall was heard by the woman, yet her gaze remained upon those that continued upon their daily lives outside of the window to her office. So, he did come after all, she mused to herself as the male took up a position beside her and she could smell the lingering scent of a cigarette upon the man’s person. However it was when the man reached forward to pluck the glass from her fingers, that had her bodyguards growling. Had it not been for her right hand suddenly lifting to stop them, they might have grabbed the man.

Instead, they froze by the door at their Viceroy’s lifted hand and she turned her gaze to view the man known as Muad. She watched with quiet interest when he himself decided to finish off the rest of the blood and a brow perked just slightly before she looked to Nadia and Nala. ”You two may have the rest of the day off,” Of which protests could be heard passing their lips. A shake of her head was given then and she looked to the man beside her once more. ”I’ll be just fine with our companion here. He is a guest that I had requested the presence of, not an intruder.” With that, the two left and the door gently closed behind them.

Her right hand that had been raised, drifted over towards the man and the pale, cold digits lightly brushed over the man’s lips to collect the last vestige of the blood. Raven lifted her fingers to her lips and while her chocolate eyes never left his face, she licked them one by one and tasted not only blood but the lingering taste of his last cigarette. After many years, it was hard for her to ever be truly disturbed by any kind of movement that someone might make and so a smirk of her own was given then when her hand fell back to her side. ”Muad, you may call me Raven. I hope your travels were rather uninterrupted.” She said as she pulled away from her position at the window and moved to perch her figure upon the edge of her desk. ”I also hope that your brother is recovering, or in the very least, not getting any worse.”

She watched him for a moment, noting every move that he made, but for now the woman was not at all worried. Raven had heard the rumors, had heard that it was Muad who had led the attack upon AoC’s Scintilla and blown open a hole in something that they had called H.O.P.E. An action which had led to many deaths of supposed innocent people. While some people’s hearts bled for their plight, her heart did not. For that was just simply the aftermath of war and although she had been out of that particular game for a couple thousand years, one could never forget that simple fact. ”In all honesty, I didn’t ask you here to talk about Derek. I asked you here because I have a problem and you seem somewhat capable of being able to help me.”

A smirk ghosted upon her lips then as her gaze shimmered with quiet amusement. This man was an interesting fellow and she had made sure to do her own research on him before inviting him into her dominion. Raven would have been a fool not to, but so far he didn't disappoint her in the least. It was oddly refreshing in a way. Politics meant that one had to maintain a sense of decorum. Polite conversations and small talk was always on the table and yet this man held a sense of casualty about him. As her gaze focused upon the fact that he wore shades inside, she continued on with the reasoning behind the invitation that she had extended him. ”I need you to train me.”​

 

[Muad Dib]

His head turned, playfully grinning openly at the pair of ladies who viewed the liberties he took as an affront to their mistress. The tension in their bodies matched the expressions on their faces. When they were dismissed their frustrations became even more evident, his teeth flashing whiteley as the grin split his face. He resisted the urge to wave his fingers at them with an uttered, run along now lassies to aid in their retreat. Barely.

His attention returned to the woman before him as she drew delicate fingers over his blood smeared lips, his hidden eyes focusing on the deliberate motion of cleaning each long finger. The ease she wore in his presence may have disquieted any other man, but he wasn’t like other men. Or any man. His grin revealed slightly elongated canines, a lasting gift from the magiks of the ancient mandragora patrons. Doashim to be precise. He watched as she abandoned him at the balcony to make her way to the desk at the center of the room, leaning in poised relaxation against her desk.

She invited him to refer to her as Raven before giving her condolences for his brother, Derek.

Aware she watched him with the attention of a predator coyly playing with the desert mouse ensnared in her grip he, nevertheless, winced at the mention of his brother. The tightening of his face while the grin eased away combined with the low grunt that escaped his chest were a small tell to his fate. The condition of his brother was a carefully kept secret. The fact that he suffered a catastrophic injury in the attack upon Siskeen’s soil was no secret. His survival and lingering issues, should he continue to live, were unknown but to a few.

Raven’s admission to the reasoning of his summons eased thoughts of Derek from the fore of his mind. Slowly he traced her steps across the room to arrive before her, pressing into her personal space with the return of his eternal smirk.

“Thank you for your concerns for my brother. Derek was always, is always, too optimistic in the honor of others. I, on the other hand, understand the demons that dwell chained inside of people. A hidden aspect of their psyche that most try to deny, never understanding that the monster inside is a part of them whether they admit to it or not. Few ever acknowledge the monster, and rare is the one who embraces the darkness within.”

Dropping his chin he slowly removed his shades to hook them to the front of his shirt. Eyes were closed and his free hand lightly pinched the ridge of his nose as a half smirk flickered over his features in amused joviality.

“You say I am capable. The rumors and stories of my life’s journeys are varied and interesting, for sure. The files and dossiers of my history are even more entertaining, of that I am sure of. But never assume you know what one is capable of. Just as I am not sure of what you are capable of.”

His smirk was slightly self deprecating. He knew what many thought of him. Mad man. Monster. Sith. Killer. He was none of the titles and all of them. His chin lifted and eyes opened to finally meet the warmth of her chocolate gaze. Many assumed per his reputation that his own eyes would be streaked through with crimson or, at the very least, degraded by the yellowed presence of the darkside. Neither were true. Instead glowing blue eyes pierced her own as he placed his hands on either side of her hips and leaned in even closer.

“A requested presence of a companion does not negate the possibility of violence from an intruder. Just because one is welcomed does not mean they won’t intrude in unexpected, unwarranted, or unwelcome ways. Raven, a nice name. I was going to call you that even without your concession. As for training … always be ready for anything regardless if they be friend, foe, or unknown. Now, I wouldn’t be averse to a kiss.”

He grinned as he leaned in even further in an obvious invasion of her personal space. The mischievous grin returned with devilish intent sparkling deep in his eyes. And then he leaned in, the sudden thrust of his face not the traditional kiss but, rather, one of his people called a kov’nyn. The first lesson thus begun.

Raven Thystle

 

[Raven Thystle]

VICEROY THYSTLE​

Tags: Muad Dib​

Chocolate brown eyes had watched the grin fall from his lips while facial lines upon his face indicated a wince when she had mentioned his brother’s status. The vampiress had always known that it was always going to be a touchy subject with Muad, for she realized that family for many people was a sacred topic. However, she herself had never experienced a true family. For the Winterhalls had turned against her the moment that her parents had turned against them and she paid the price for that. The woman didn’t even have any siblings, so she didn’t know the true meaning of a blood related family member. Anyone that she had surrounded herself with on a daily basis, was about as close as she could ever get when it came to some semblance of family.

It was something that she was always emphasizing on with her bodyguards, but ever since the kidnapping they were glued to her like no tomorrow. It was suffocating to say in the least, not that she would show it. However, she hoped that one day, they might actually appreciate the time that she had given them. For their families wouldn’t be around as long as a vampire would be. Raven did think that she would actually have to replace the extremely, very loyal bodyguards at one stage. For now, she hadn’t bothered to think about recruitment, for these ones still had many years left in them. Although it wouldn’t hurt to have back ups, especially when they weren’t immune to death.

Another thing to add to her long list of things to do.

She watched him reveal eyes of the most vibrant blue and she could see how hypnotizing they could be and it reminded her of the Venus fly trap. If anything, it also reminded her of her own blue eyes when she was under extreme stress, but this was not one of those times. Muad, in fact, when he spoke reminded her of someone who was on the prowl and from the way he had initially entered, she could believe that. A brow was perked when he continued to follow the trend of pushing the boundaries, except this time he had proceeded to invade her personal space. When he leaned in, her left hand slid behind her to rest upon the desk to brace herself. All the while, a smirk curved her lips as he mentioned a kiss.

Ever since her banishment, she wasn’t above deploying any kind of means to protect herself. Since she had committed Parricide, the woman didn’t follow the same codes that she once did when in Winterhall. It wasn’t at all common knowledge that she had committed the act, that she had bathed in the blood of her parents after she had taken their lives through her own personal revenge. In that moment she had indeed indulged in her own inner monster and she kept that side of herself hidden to everyone. No one truly knew about the kind of monster that she kept hidden, for she had dressed it up and put on a mask of deception. Usually a mask of boredom, rarely did it ever get to play. Until today perhaps.

Muad, however, was everything she had hoped he was and more. Her lips parted to speak; to say that although she had sent her guards away, it was likely that they were not too far away if need be. However, it was his actions of suddenly moving in close that left no time for words. Raven used her vampiric gift of speed and her right hand shot up, palm upwards in a quick motion, aimed at his chin to redirect the energy he was putting forth into his actions. While at the same time, she leaned back to put more space in between her and the male to avoid his head connecting with her own. Whether or not her palm connected with his chin didn’t matter, for a corresponding knee was being brought up to hit either in the stomach or below the waist. That was if she managed to connect, either way she wasn’t committed to the end results.​

 

[Muad Dib]

Time was an illusion. Many never even considered the beat of their heart that kept record of every tick that passed them by nor the inescapable sands of time that cascaded away without attention to never be possessed once again. Only in moments of danger or as their years traveled into twilight did a being consider how fragile and utterly temporary their lives truly were. A vapor on the wind that could hang in immortal moments or be banished by a sudden gust.

He was mortal and yet the years of experience left their mark on his mind and body. He was born in a different era, hundreds and hundreds of years earlier in a mirror dimension. The freedom of irreverent youth saw him cast his life to the winds, daring the gust to attempt to remove the vapor that was his life. Yet strength, stubbornness, and luck saw him through. And even when he attained the clean slate of his people, fate saw fit to test and try him. A century playing games with a trickster god sharpened him, steel upon steel. Gods, spirits, ancient patrons, long deceased beings of unimaginable might, with men and women of giant stature and power tested him and sent their gusts to eradicate the vapor that was his life.

None succeeded.

His body honed by a warrior’s lifestyle, instincts sharpened by the hunter, and skill plied against foe by a man who followed Chaos and his own desires. He bore the scars within and without, signs and milestones of victory and defeat. And still he mustered forward.

Raven shifted her weight, adding a hand behind herself to gain an additional pivot point or fulcrum. His mind noticed this even as he drove forward in his headbutt. There it was, the tension and tightening of her core, as her right arm maneuvered between them, the flat of her palm striking upwards with surreal speed. His mind didn’t register the shifting of her feet however long years of training immediately identified the threat. His hips turned left with right thigh angling to accept the blow that sought to emasculate him.

Adrenaline spiked through his body igniting his nerves with hyper awareness while the Force began to trickle into his cells in preparation. His chin turned left as the blow collided with the underside of his jaw. The shift of his thigh and hips combined the power of the two strikes against him to turn his body away and to his left, bringing him out of line with the vampiress. Instinctively his right arm rose as he pulled his hand back toward his own face and drove his elbow into the space her head should inhabit with intent of returning a tit for tat. He continued his spin to his left (Raven’s right) to remove himself from the first contact of the ageless dance.

Spinning away with a step and pivot on his right leg, his left leg swept out horizontally in a spinning roundhouse kick in the general area his host was, mere moments before, inhabiting in an attempt to strike Raven and gain more space between the two as a cushion of distance. A bark of laughter escaped him during the initial contact which revealed the pure joy and revelry he took in a fight and conversation, eyes glittering and teeth flashing with his grin.

“My dear Raven, you are more than you appear.”

Raven Thystle

 

[Raven Thystle]

VICEROY THYSTLE​

Tags: Muad Dib​

Raven felt his body turn to her right, forcing his body away from his initial position in front of her. However, what she didn’t expect was the first follow through that followed his retreating form and she felt the elbow connect with her cheek bone. The force of the blow made her head twist to the right but it was her left hand, whose fingers gripped at the edge of her desk that steadied her form to avoid her entire body completely moving to the right. With quick movements, the muscles in her left arm tensed and she crossed her right leg over her left. She used the momentum of the action to flip her body off the desk and to her left, bringing her to the opposite side of the desk. The woman landed upon her feet in a crouch just as she saw the man’s kick fly through the air where she had been only mere seconds ago.

Blood was tasted upon her tongue from where she bit the inside of her cheek involuntary when the impact of his elbow had met it. However, when Muad spoke, the vampiress grinned and flashed him her own fangs in the process. Slowly, she could feel the broken skin on the inside of her mouth, begin to knit itself back together and she swallowed the blood that was upon her tongue. Blood was blood, but she didn’t want anyone attempting to get their hands on her blood. For in her eyes, the blood of a Greater Sanguinius Vampirika was sacred and not something to be easily discarded.

Chocolate brown eyes appraised the male on the opposite side of the desk then and she chuckled softly in amusement. ”Just because I asked you to train me, doesn’t mean that I am completely defenseless. I’ve had some years in training, its just been a very long time since I’ve had to sharpen my own skills. Many, many years indeed.” Slowly, she rose from her crouched position and her gaze slowly drifted over the male’s body in quiet appreciation. Admittedly, she wasn’t one hundred percent sure as to how he would recover from her own attack, but she also wasn’t sure if he was going to notice the second one.

It was one of the first things she learned while amongst the Winterhall family, was to use the first attack as a diversion and bring home the second one. The first attack was to disguise the tension in the body so then it’d be harder to detect the second, yet this man had identified the threat faster than some others she had fought with. This man had shifted slightly to avoid the full brunt of her second attack, a feat that could have left an untrained man unstable upon his feet. Raven had even noticed the shifting within the force when he had shifted to the side and smacked her in the face with his elbow. Better my cheek than my forehead, the woman thought to herself as her gaze drifted lower before looking back up into the man's vibrant blue eyes.

”I have to say Muad, while I expected that not everything important to be found would be on your dossier, you still manage to surprise me and I admit, you impress me. I can see now why Viceroy Dib had chosen you for the mission on Scintilla. I always wondered why he had chosen the people that he had deployed for such a delicate assignment, now I see why.” Her right hand rose so then the back of her hand could wipe off her own blood from her lips and smirked. ”Did you really think that I wouldn’t have expected such a veiled attempt at an attack? Besides, I’m not so easily distracted by looks and invasion of boundaries.” Although, she could quietly admit to herself that she did enjoy the view.​

 

[Muad Dib]

He smiled as her words rolled over him. Yes, she was uniquely interesting. A brow raised and the soiled sleeve of his right arm. The woman's blood from the strike absorbed into the cotton tunic. Absently he pulled the sleeves up his forearms to his elbows revealing no the gauntlets he wore. The vampiress was sturdier than her sleight build revealed. Her instincts were appropriate, the quick evasion flipping her from the spin kick and placing the desk between them. This was the beginning of the age old dance, always the most dangerous as each combatant tested one another seeking to find their weaknesses and strengths. Fraught with the unknown where anything could happen, the slow dance would slowly bring the two together.

"Well lassie, you made the right choice. Steel sharpens steel. I think you are not in as much need for sharpening as you believe. The mind remembers lessons of the past and the body retains muscle memory. All we have to do is bring what has grown complacent back to life. The sleeper awakens."

Once more he began to close the distance between them with a slow meandering pace. His eyes traced her form as he slowed near the desk. Tall and lithe, her build offered graceful speed and strength. Her palm thrust spoke of training, for when you strike someone along the jaw you risk breaking knuckles. The strike for his crotch would have incapacitated him of only it landed true. The athletic flip away revealed nimbleness and reasoning in separating from her for. Her body was quite impressive but it was her mind that seemed perhaps the more dangerous of the two. The two pronged attack displayed training. The uninitiated tended to utilize a single offensive objective. She, however, introduced him to a mindset more advanced than many common soldiers. And by dismissing her guards after knowing who he was betrayed an overconfidence in her abilities.

Slowly he plucked another deathstick from a pocket and placed it between his lips. An inhale flared a cherry into existence. With amusement he lightly rubbed his jaw where her initial strike struck. Shrugging he sharply turned his head in either direction with audible pops. A groaning sigh of pleasure escaped with blue smoke.

“Delicacy is not usually used to describe me. Unless I’m eating calamari with those sticks. Trying to use those things takes a delicate touch. Course I don’t eat with them anymore. Last time this waiter couldn’t stop heckling me. So I gave up trying to use them. Not because I didn't think I could master it but because I just can’t get the image of those chopsticks embedded in his eyes. He was dead but kept twitching. Something about wiggling sticks in his pupils … just can’t stop remembering it. I feel bad because he had beautiful green eyes. Oh well.”

As he spoke he continued smoking the hand rolled deathstick until all that was left was the butt. With a shrugging smirk of disdain for etiquette he aimed his hand at the desk and flicked it out his fingers. As the butt flew toward the desktop a wave of power hit the desk, effortlessly tossing it toward the woman. As soon as line of sight was blocked by the desk, he leapt forward in a bicycle kick to attempt to add more force to the desk flying for Raven.

As he flew through the air he raised his hands above his head and reversed the polarity of the repulsors to grip the ceiling and yank the ceiling free to potentially crash into the back and head of his host.

Raven Thystle

 

[Raven Thystle]

VICEROY THYSTLE​

Tags: Muad Dib​

Raven perked a brow when he called her lassie and it was rather humorous to think that he thought of her in such a light. Especially considering the amount of years she probably had on the male in front of her. There had been a reason why she hadn’t asked her bodyguards to train her, because their heart wouldn’t be in it. They didn’t want to injure the Viceroy that had given them a position at her side and would more or less let the vampiress dominate the training grounds. Then there was the reason as to why she hadn’t let them stay and it was the biggest one of all. If she had and the male before her had done exactly what he had just done, then they would be stepping in to fight her battles. Regardless of the fact that she had asked the man to train her and that wouldn’t benefited her in the slightest.​

​

Yet here he was, pulling out yet another cigarette and talking some more. She had to give the man credit where credit was due. He was correct in saying that sometimes a sleeper would need to be awoken and she felt like she had been sleeping for many years. Which was over two thousand years. Not that he needed to know that, because to go into details would mean that she would have to explain so much more and she wasn’t in the mood to talk about the parents that had betrayed her. Besides, if the man continued talking, then she would fall asleep for perhaps another two thousand years. Who knew, but he was trying to be repulsive as much as possible.​

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The woman figured that it was one of two reasons. One, it was to keep anyone from personally getting to know the male on a deeper level. The second, well it was to throw his opponents off balance with inner or visible disgust. Raven would give him no satisfaction on that front. Instead, she remained visibly calm as he spoke and carried on with his antics. She may not have been born in the stone ages, but she also wasn’t born yesterday.​

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Patience… At least, that was what she had been taught, many many years ago. It was also the same trait that had ensured her success, when she managed to hunt down her own parents that had gone through same training many years before her. Except Raven had something they didn’t. Determination. Which, when someone mixed it with Patience, provided an exceptional concoction. This man was going to find that out whether he realised it or not. He could continue talking. or they could stand here all day. Either way it didn’t faze her in the slightest. Yet her chocolate brown gaze followed the hand that stretched out towards her desk and she felt the rise in the force as the desk was sent flying towards her.​

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Both of her hands snapped out in front of her as she gathered the force; if only to reach out to grab the desk that headed straight towards her. Shoving the force against the projectile, she managed to halt it’s projection and hold it within the air, if only to gently place it to the side when another wave of force was felt. Except this time, it was aimed towards the ceiling…​

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As the sounds of the crumbling ceiling caught her attention, the woman drew upon her vampiric speed to shift to the side of the section of ceiling plaster. Crumbling plaster that crumbled where she had stood just moments before. Her bottom jaw dropped as she took stock of the damage within the room and she wasn’t going to be at all surprised if her bodyguards suddenly shoved into the room. So she reached a hand out towards the door and with a slight use of the force, locked it just as the two females banged upon it. The Vampiress’s right hand lifted her palm up towards Muad then, to halt his movements when she felt their minds press upon her own in telepathy and expressed their concerns. ”One moment Muad. You’ve caused quite a ruckus.” The woman touched upon Nala’s and Nadia’s minds then, ’All is well, go away like I told you to. Also Nala? I’m going to need you to schedule an appointment with a builder to get an estimate for redecorating, I just don’t like the design of my office anymore.’​

​

A shake of her head was given then as she looked to the man, before crossing over to an untouched cabinet. The woman opened the glass door to pull out a decanter and two whiskey glasses as she shook her head. ”Really Muad? Destruction of government property? What were you thinking? You couldn’t have waited till we had exited to a training facility?” The woman began to pour the two glasses as her mind turned from training to potential costs of repairs. How long was it going to be until her own private residence was going to be completed?​

 

[Muad Dib]

His words and cavalier attitude, combined with the details of story time, were authentic. Yet there was a design hidden within his traumatic portrayal. The benign reaction from Raven added several more layers of potential characteristics not readily seen in the majority of the galaxy’s sentient beings. Steady with demure features, Muad considered what it said of the woman. Perhaps she was desensitized to the gruesome detail which implied past trauma. Or she was a psychopath (which isn’t necessarily wrong he amusedly thought). Then again, mayhap she was a great actress. And who knows, it was possible she was tempered by experiences of an unnaturally long life. He well understood the different concepts of such basic realities such as time and space. A long life colors the way one looks at the brief existence of others. Muad grinned as the memory of a dimension that marched ever onward yet never proceeded forth. A continuous, never ending, loop.

And so he began the testing once more, relatively small challenges to see just how she would react. He was disappointed and impressed in equal amounts. Her deft skill with telekinesis that halted the repulsored desk was quick in reaction and suitably powerful enough to overcome the advanced systems of his gauntlets. This meant she possessed appropriate skill and seemed to keep at least a partial connection with the Force, a mistake most force users of any discipline lacked. You can’t be prepared for everything if your gifts aren’t actively used or, more importantly, passively. It took dedicated training to remain as vigilant as she was as second nature. A set of automatic responses that caused the body to act without governing. The skill set could be so ingrained that, even if the mind was unprepared, the body remembered.

Then the ceiling fell.

Once again the vampiress proved up to the challenge. This time he sensed no ripple of force which sped her from the path of debris. Extra gifts unrelated to a high number of midichlorians revealed with nary a thought it seemed. Though, feth, she was fast. With her speed Raven remained cool and collected, utterly unflappable by words or action. She was truly an interesting enigma. A woman claiming a need for training but was already trained. Perhaps it wasn’t the lack of ability, instead being a lack of upkeep. She appeared youthful which made things even murkier.

A single hand raised with the purpose of keeping Muad from more action or words. He smirked slightly as Raven barred her two guards from entering with what must have been silent, telepathic commands. The brief matter with the guards ended and the woman moved to an untouched cabinet, speaking as she poured two glasses of whiskey. Yet the unflappable woman finally revealed a crack upon her veneer. Surprise at the destruction the Madman caused. Considering this was government property he allowed that she had reasonable cause to be surprised, annoyed, and be aghast. With a smirk he slowly meandered to the window with a nice view. His left hand slipped into one of the many pockets and pulled out a device no larger than his thumbnail to press to the glass.

Moving across the room he took a seat in one of the unmolested chairs, unceremoniously flopping in a lazily relaxed posture. Glowing eyes observed her with no subterfuge as he lightly tapped the armrest with his fingers. She ended her question which had Muad stretching his legs out even further ahead of him as he sighed.

“Why in the seventh hell of Corellia would I wait til we got to a training facility? Expecting to have a fight in a gym every time? No. You have to sharpen yourself to be prepared not just in a training setting or a battlefield but in an office, at a political meeting, when you eat a nerf steak among friends, or even in the intimacies of your own bedroom. So don’t expect me to keep tradition and play only in safe areas.”

Absently he plucked another deathstick from the pack in his pocket and idly twirled it between deft fingers.

“You have talent, there’s no denying that. It’s not just your body that needs to be awakened, but your mind too. And you need to find where your line is in the sand. At what point will you stop? And what are you willing to sacrifice to get the end results you desire?”

He flipped the death stick up and caught it betwixt his lips.

“It's a failure of many warriors, soldiers, and leaders. Where is their line? Because if you wait until the moment it’s needed you may take precious seconds to determine for yourself how far will you go. Would you sacrifice your guards for your own life? Would you sacrifice a battalion of your military to save a hundred civilians? How far are you willing to go to achieve the goals you wish to attain?”

The end of the death stick sprang to life as the man inhaled deeply.

“Another point. Dismissing your personal guards is folly. Even if you considered me friendly and believed that in an event where I tried to murder you, that you would be victorious … Why take that chance? And your guards need to see you defend yourself. They need to see you hurt. And then, above all, they must watch you rise and continue the fight stubbornly until victorious. ‘Tis the only way they will stop coddling you. Also, decide what kind of air in which you wish to be perceived. Never show your hand until you’re ready to claim pure sabbac.”

Smoke rose round about the man in a vision of a smoke halo. He smirked lightly.

“Just the brief time we’ve shared has led to many assumptions and beliefs about yourself. You know how to fight, but it’s been sometime. Long enough that you lost your confidence. So I’m assuming you’re well beyond the years that your body portrays. You were born to position or power. The confidence you wield and the very aura you carry speaks of one comfortable because they came from it. Your guards are overprotective and the security in the building is still crisp, which tells me was implemented recently. Your quick reactions speak of a strong bond in the force … and abilities that raise your capabilities well above the average humanoid species. Quite fast. Oh, and in the not so distant past you were at the mercy of another. Hence the overzealous guards, new security, and the only plausible reason someone like yourself would request assistance from a stranger reputed to be loyal and deadly. I would ask who hurt you and how, but it’s frankly none of my business. “

Another drag paused his assumptions and conclusions. Whether they were right or wrong, it didn’t matter except for the fact you never wanted others to know your true weakness or real strengths. Others must only see what you allowed them to perceive.

“Tell me, what do you believe are your strengths? And what are your weaknesses?”

Raven Thystle

 

[Raven Thystle]

VICEROY THYSTLE​

Tags: Muad Dib​

​

Raven simply chuckled at the man’s words, while her gaze focused upon the drinks that she poured. Whiskey was one of the small things that she gained a little pleasure from and was in part the only thing that she bothered with when it came to food and drink. Oh, she would from time to time eat and drink other such things, but there wasn’t a need. Not really. For her it was all about the show, the imitation of eating and drinking whilst those that also partake in such things, would relax within her company. Eating and drinking didn’t provide any nutritional value for her. Only the consumption of blood and the man that she had invited, was more than happy to help her finish such a meal off. Her favourite blood type to consume was AB-negative. It was such a shame that it was such a rare blood type. Diathim blood was also a delicacy that she enjoyed, it was almost as if she was drinking sunlight; if that was at all possible.​

​

Pale hands placed the stopper back into the decanter and set it back into the cabinet, only to gently close the door. ”No. I don’t suppose you would keep to traditions of not destroying parts of the building, which is precisely why I asked for you. Well, not the destruction part, but the non traditional aspect of it all.” The vampiress paused for a moment as she turned around and smirked for a moment, only to follow through with a shrug. ”The guards are outside for a reason. They are currently too guarded and reactive right now. Perhaps maybe later I might allow them to observe, but now is not the time. Besides, I don’t consider anyone a friend nor foe. I don’t have friends, only acquaintances and contacts that are important enough to keep close. The rest is all noise.” The woman paused to add emphasis upon what she was about to say next. ”Besides, if you truly meant to kill me, then that is the chance I’m willing to take. The only ones who should kill, are those that are prepared to be killed.”​

​

A brow perked up at that as she turned to pick up the two glasses that she had taken out of the cabinet and filled with whiskey. Slowly, her steps carried her over to the man who seemed rather taken by his death sticks and held out a glass to him. ”And with your brother in such critical condition, I hardly doubt that you are prepared to die just yet and leave him in such a vulnerable state.” One might call it low, but she herself knew how to press buttons. Whether he took the glass or not didn’t bother her. If he didn’t, she would simply return it back to the cabinet and remained there. At least for now.​

​

With slow and deliberate movements from her position by the cabinet, she swirled the liquid within her glass as her head angled downwards just slightly. It appeared as if she was simply observing the liquor within her glass, but she used it for far more than just that. It was a simple tool. At least for now. ”You would be correct in saying that it is none of your business. Most of what people know about me, isn’t even written down and the only information that you will find is from my time here on Felacat. It must drive you crazy knowing that you cannot do your usual research on me.” Raven chuckled softly as she brought the glass up to her lips and took a sip of the golden liquid within. She then angled her head slightly to the left as her lips twinged slightly. ”It would be highly unwise for me to divulge such information to you. As you so plainly put it yourself, I would be a fool to consider you a friend and not consider you to be a potential foe. Either in the present or somewhere in the future. For clearly you do not intend on considering yourself neither friend nor foe upon this day.”​

 

[Muad Dib]

He took the proffered drink with his left hand, hir right still holding the deathstick betwixt fingers that idly swept designs into the air with the smoke rising from the end. His brows momentarily rose with slight amusement as he glanced at the golden liquid within. Raising the glass he sniffed lightly of the aroma within. It would be easy enough to poison an unsuspecting guest. Even easier once the woman allowed herself a small taste. Easy enough to poison the glass itself or have the anecdote prepared for herself. Or maybe she was already immune to the potential subterfuge that lay inside his glass.

There were many avenues of warfare, and not all of them were physical.

Making a point not to break eye contact, Muad took a swallow from his glass before once more returning to his smoke. He wasn’t overly worried about the chance of being poisoned or drugged. After all there were things about him that didn’t appear in files about the madman. And his first master dallied in subtle assassinations which incorporated themselves into his early training. Darth Yamato was a deviously minded man, at least until Muad found his achilles heel.

He nodded along to the woman’s words as he deciphered hidden meanings and innuendos cloaked in the verbose why utilized as well as any silver tongued politician.

“Rarely does life allow only those prepared to play the game of death to dabble upon that field. More often than not those who have something to lose attempt to join the field of battle. And too frequently do they lose to those unafraid of gambling away their all. But sometimes those with something to lose fight all the more because of this and, in doing so, prevail.”

He smirked slightly at her owned barb thrown against his apparent weakness due to the fragile state of his brother. Her careful words mingled with precise control of her body that sought to hide any revelations she may disclose. Amusingly, most looked at the two brothers and found Derek to be the more dangerous foe with words and cautious gestures while Muad was regarded as an impulsive, chaotic man of violence.

Again he smirked while he rose and crossed the space between them in a relaxed state. Quietly he looked into her eyes before offering her a subdued, genuine smile.

“My brother is indeed in a delicate state. However, he’s a big boy. He also has friends and family to stand by his side. He doesn’t need me there to coddle him, and I wouldn’t do so even if I was still with him. I do have love for my brother, but I have so many other obligations that I cannot deviate my focus solely for one being, my blood or not. I believe you understand that law that pertains to those that rule.”

He turned back to the view out the window and sighed.

“Another thing we know is that we are not necessarily what our files say. Sometimes there are gaps, sometimes there’s misinformation, and sometimes the truth in our files are derivative of a certain point of view. We are not the sum of our only our past, but of our present and our future too. And do not jump to such conclusions as per my intent. Many times I’ve surprised those with my choices, as well as myself a few times. I don’t base my opinions on what I read or even what others have offered from their experience. I like to draw my own conclusions myself. I don’t often make friends, but when I do they tend to be as sudden as a lightning strike and as lasting as the beat of my heart.”

The corner of his lips quirked up again as he stared out the window.

“You believe these to be part of your strength, but what of your weaknesses? What do you fear? And do you even know?”

Raven Thystle