Private Embroidery

[Thelma Goth]

"I want to make it so that you can't even see the stitching unless you look very, very closely."

Thelma patiently threaded the floss through the tiny eye of the needle. Her eyebrows rose.

“Does that mean that you’re going to have to get married eventually?” she asked. “Like an arranged marriage?”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

That was quite the lofty goal for a beginner... "Maybe try a single strand if you're looking for dainty. And, yeah, one of those small needles..." Had he ever done something so delicate? Not that he could recall, but then he never claimed to be the best embroiderer in existence. Pretty damn average actually.​

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Still he had something in mind. He began to fetch a few different bundles of floss, the colours varying, and hummed softly to himself. Then his brows furrowed, and he raised one hand to drift a piece of paper - actual paper, not flimsiplast - from beneath the coffee table. He pulled a pen from his pocket, and began to swiftly sketch something, eyes drifting to a comic book of Starlin's which was laying around.​

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Her question caught him by surprise, and he fumbled in his drawing to gawp at her for a moment.​

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"I, erm... I don't know." His heart sank a little, he'd been pushing off learning more about Teta and home ever since his return to Coruscant, and he wasn't sure that thinking on it now with present company was necessarily... wise. A whole variety of emotions flooded his expression before he looked away. Gave himself a second of grief... And then looked back her way. This time he was smiling.​

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"I don't have much to offer, not like my brother, I imagine he's the one who'll be set up. Nah, all of this was before they realized I was Sensitive."​

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No arranged marriages, at least he hoped.​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

On Eli’s advice, she removed the two-stranded thread, exchanging it for a single strand. Instead of pink, this time she went with yellow—and she seemed to have an idea of what she wanted to embroider now, as she took to the task with more certainty.

Her question, which she had been reluctant to voice, was met with an awkward response. He didn’t know. For a moment he looked so sorrowful, she started to sputter, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it—”

But then he smiled reassuringly and played it off. Thelma blinked, then felt foolish. “It’s just that—I was wondering, because where I come from that sort of thing is considered very old-fashioned. Arranged marriages, I mean…” She ducked her head down, hair covering her face as she focused on her work.

Roughly a minute later, Starlin entered the room, ostensibly to get a drink from the fridge. He tried not to look like he was staring, but he did walk noticeably slower as he passed within view of Eli, searching for anything amiss. He had sensed that second of grief in the Force, and felt compelled to at least check on his Padawan and their guest.

“You ate all of it?” he asked upon seeing Eli's empty plate, a little surprised but pleased. “Ayyyy, good job.”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

"So, you can draw on the fabric to give yourself guidelines to follow, or you can freehand it," he explained, peering over at her as she switched to a yellow floss. "I like to sketch whatever it is, so I have a point of reference, but I don't usually transfer the drawing onto the fabric itself." Typically he just kept it close by.​

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When she began to sputter Eliphas felt his heart sink, and a brief jolt of guilt washed over him. She was quick to move on, to further explain what she had meant, leading Eli to softly smile again. "Back home on Teta it's not unheard of, at least amongst the nobles. It isn't necessarily the first port of call, but if someone deemed important is struggling to find a good match their parents are likely to step in eventually..."​

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He shrugged a little. "Either way, there was definitely a focus on being desirable." ​

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Starlin passed by and Eli could feel his gaze lingering upon him. He almost turned his gaze away, somewhat bashfully, but instead he glanced over at his Master, and as though reading his mind he simply nodded in hopes that he'd reassure him he was fine.​

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"Yeah" he said insofar as the food was concerned, skipping over the fact that he didn't actually remember eating it, "Can I have some pudding now..?" He of course did a good job of hiding the one cup he'd already eaten.​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

Thelma took a piece of paper and sketched the outline of a rubber duck. She wasn’t sure why, but the seemingly random image was the first thing that came to mind.

Eli’s voice drew her eyes back up to him. “You’re not already considered desirable?” she asked, then looked like a deer caught in headlights as she realized how that sounded.

Before she could explain herself, Starlin walked in right that second. Red-faced, Thelma stared guiltily at the empty plate like she expected it to fly up and hit her in the nose.

“Sure.” None the wiser, Starlin gave Eli another pudding cup, lingering a second or two longer than he needed to before heading back to his quarters.

“W-What I meant was, aren’t you already desirable if you’re important?” Thelma mumbled after he had left. “Are you somebody important?”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Her question left him wide eyed and pink cheeked, and for a moment it very much seemed as though he was struggling to think much less breathe. Thankfully Starlin's interruption helped to cut the weird tension which had formed, and with the passing of a fresh pudding cup the pair found themselves alone once more.​

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He waited a second, just to make sure Starlin was gone, before looking back to Thelma.​

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"Would you like some pudding?" he offered, as his brain scrambled to catch up. Then he chuckled, and shook his head. "No, I put the titles of my family aside when I joined the Jedi. Besides..." He looked down over himself, atrophied, weak, bound to a hover chair, he grimaced slightly then shook his head a second time, "Either way, I doubt many would be lining up for me."​

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Either way he'd have probably pushed back against it all the same. Eliphas wasn't even sure what he looked for in a potential partner. Didn't know if gender was specific, or species, or... well... anything, really. He'd had a few heartthrob moments but the first had ended in death, and the second was way out of his league and much older, just a puppy dog crush and nothing more.​

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The two were miles apart too, other than the fact they were both human-looking.​

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"What about you? Where are you from, Thelma?"​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

"Would you like some pudding?"

Thelma nodded mechanically, taking the pudding cup gingerly.

At his self-deprecation over his infirmity, she was moved to compassion and rushed to reassure him. “There are people who won’t mind that. I mean, I’m not talking about arranged marriages. If someone truly loves you, the hoverchair won’t make any difference.”

Besides, Eliphas was kind and gentle… and he was one the prettiest boys she’d ever seen. All very attractive traits.

“I’m from a planet called Dahrtag,” she replied, the specificity of her answer revealing how obscure her homeworld was. Most people had never even heard of it. “It’s a graveyard world. People from all over the galaxy bury their dead there. It’s very gray and dreary and foggy most of the time, but there’s a beauty to the landscape. Especially up in the mountains, where the evergreens grow out of the mist. I lived in an ancient fortress called the Citadel, with a bunch of other families like mine. We had our own little community, almost completely self-sufficient…”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

She accepted his offer of pudding, so with a slight amount of straining he freed a spoon from within a kitchen drawer and hovered it over to her, before pulling another cup from the fridge for himself. He'd need to find a way to replenish their pudding stocks, before Starlin made note of just how many he was sneaking... Either way, they soon both had pudding to enjoy.​

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Eli had barely taken a spoonful when Thelma spoke next, and he almost snorted it out of his nose in response as he coughed in surprise.​

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"Oh, um..." Love. It wasn't really something he'd ever actually given thought to. Being a love-sick puppy and being in love were two remarkably different things. He wiped his lips, and then shook his head softly. "I'm not bothered either way, really" he assured her, "I mean, I'm a Jedi right? Or, I hope to be one..." Plenty of Jedi got on in life without all of that.​

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As she began to speak on her homeworld, Eli paused in his eating and in his embroidery thoughts to listen. A graveyard world, dreary and foggy. When she spoke of the mountains though a brief faraway look entered his eyes. "I'm from the mountains too" he remarked wistfully, "It sounds lovely, honestly. Almost self-sufficient... So few can say that these days..."​

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He gave himself a minute to scoff down the pudding, and then returned his attention to the fabric, pulling it taut with his right hand while securing the needle with his left. After checking the picture he'd scribbled one last time, he made his first stitch.​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

Feeling a little awkward over her earnest but well-meaning response, Thelma let the subject go without another word.

“Well, we had to be able to take care of ourselves. In fact, the one time we slipped up and relied on a… a new food source from the outside, it wound up being our downfall.” She had already begun embroidering the cloth by the time he made his first stitch, her fingers working astonishingly fast as she spoke without thinking, saying things which, had she not been sewing, she never would’ve uttered.

“People didn’t like our kind. They saw us as dangerous… But only one of us hurt somebody. My mother hurt someone. I keep telling everyone she was sick, but really she was mad. Insane. We kept her locked up, but she escaped. There were witnesses, and they called the hunters in. So many of them, I never would’ve thought there were that many just waiting for us to slip up… Master Koschei saved me. He told me to run, get on a ship, go to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and wait for him there. Then he went back for the others. I never heard from him again…”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

As Thelma delved into embroidering what looked to be a rubber duck, she began to divulge plenty of information he felt certain she otherwise would not have shared. Talks turned specifically to her people, to her mother, and the events which had driven her to Coruscant and the Jedi. Eliphas did not interrupt, and he tried to keep his visual focus on the slowly forming visage of Bright Knight he was working on. Progress was admittedly slow, but he wasn't in any rush.​

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Even so he listened, and listened well.​

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"He sounds like a good man... A true Jedi" Eliphas remarked. It was admittedly a great shame to know that they'd lost such a Master. To what exactly he didn't know for sure, she'd been a little vague about her species after all. Dangerous, different, but all he saw was a timid girl. "I'm sorry you went through all of that."​

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Pausing mid-stitch he peered across at her. "Do you miss the mountains? I know I miss mine..."​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

“He was the best Jedi I’ve ever met,” she murmured. “So far, at least.”

She finished the outline of the duck, then began to work on the inside details of the body. “You speak as if you know what it’s like,” she said. There was something in his tone, his manner, his aura in the Force. A deep grief.

“I miss all of it. Not just the mountains.”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

"He definitely sounds as though he embodies what it is to be a Jedi, selflessness and sacrifice and sanctuary... A strength of will and resolve that most couldn't even dream to achieve. I'm glad he found you, and got you out of the situation. Even if it means being away from home for a while." For a while, or forever? Eliphas didn't know, couldn't claim to know, but he didn't like to deal in strict absolutes if he could avoid it, especially when it came to the unknown, to someone else's life.​

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"I, uh, guess I do," he retorted softly, as he returned his needle back through the fabric and continued on his merry little way toward building the form of Bright Knight. "I left home and everyone I knew at a later stage in life, too. It's not easy to adjust, especially when you're not sure how things are without you."​

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He wasn't ready to delve into more than that, of course, wasn't prepared for the Teta talk. This wasn't about him at any rate, it was about her.​

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"I miss it too. All of it... Not just the mountains." He really, truly, did miss the mountains though. "Maybe, uh... Maybe we could visit some time? If you're allowed to, I mean." It took him a moment to realize he'd said we, plural, not you. Oh well, no use taking that back.​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

“I… probably won’t ever be able to go back,” Thelma said softly. “At least, not for a long time yet…” And she wasn’t sure she’d want to return. What was there for her, except ghosts and memories? Everyone she had known, everyone she had loved and grown up with, was gone. Perhaps even the Citadel itself had been destroyed. She didn’t know, hadn’t been able to check.

Eli seemed reluctant to talk about himself, though he alluded to some uncertainty about the fate of his home. She could empathize, and knew better than to push the subject.

Thelma was about to shake her head automatically at his suggestion, but his phrasing gave her pause. Maybe we could visit some time. “You want to go with me to Dahrtag?” she asked tentatively, wanting to make sure she understood.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

He nodded his head to her answer, empathy laying over him heavily as though it were a blanket weighing him down. "Is it something you've come to terms with?" he asked softly, afraid that he was perhaps prying too much. "It's difficult when the choice is made for you, isn't it..?"​

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Eliphas' gaze lowered back to his work, and for a moment he was quiet and thoughtful. When he next pushed the needle through it accidentally struck his index finger on the other side and coaxed a slight gasp from him. Barely a single droplet of blood formed on the surface, and he quickly placed the offended finger within his mouth to stem it from becoming anything more.​

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It was in his mouth when she asked her question. His eyes widened slightly, and he took a second before freeing his tongue to respond.​

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"I mean, sure... Why not?" he asked, "Unless you wouldn't want to, I mean, which I'd understand. I was a cadet of the Navigator's Guild before I joined the Jedi" he explained, "Exploring's in my blood. I like learning about other places, and people. Dahrtag sounds interesting, I've never heard of a graveyard world before." Plus he knew well the anxiety inherent in even thinking about returning to a place of trauma, potential or otherwise.​

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Though she'd already stated she probably couldn't return, so all of this was just figurative he supposed.​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

"Is it something you've come to terms with? It's difficult when the choice is made for you, isn't it...?"

“Yes,” she answered, her voice practically a whisper. “If I hadn’t been forced to run, I don’t know if I ever would’ve left home.” She was not naturally adventurous or ambitious. All she wanted was a place where she belonged.

The scent of Eli’s blood drew her attention. She watched as he put his finger in his mouth to stop the blood flow, her gaze fixated on him. Those full lips, that soft skin, the little moment of hesitation before he removed his pricked finger from his mouth. Oh, but it was wrong to think of him that way! He was so weak and frail, and what if his master came in and found them…?

“Maybe,” she answered. It was all hypothetical, a potential trip to her homeworld at some undefined point in the future. “What’s the Navigator’s Guild?” she asked, hoping to distract herself from less than noble thoughts. Then, just to be sure, she added, “Are you still bleeding? I have… band-aids.”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Eliphas couldn't imagine being stuck on one world for the entirety of his life, but then again he'd been adventurous from the start. There was a reason he'd joined up with the Guild, he was going to help chart routes through space and see all that existed out there...​

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Her voice was so soft that he almost didn't hear her, but when he did he felt his heart ache. Being forced away like that, made to leave behind everything she knew, he wanted to be sympathetic, but he knew it would only come across as pity and that never helped anyone. So instead he pushed himself up, back into his hoverchair, and came to a halt beside her.​

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Then he offered out the cloak of embroidery, and pointed to one symbol in particular that pertained to the Guild.​

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"The Hyperspace Navigators Guild of Empress Teta. They work toward forming new hyperlanes, safe routes through space." They weren't alone in that, of course, there were plenty of other worlds which had such Guildhouses, but the one on Teta had been his. "I learned to pilot ships and chart courses through them. I was going to be a Navigator myself, until my Sensitivity was discovered. I did manage to see parts of the Galaxy first, though."​

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As for the blood...​

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"Oh, it's nothing. Just a pinprick, look," he showed her the teeny tiny speck of blood that remained, then shrugged, "You're a quick worker, aren't you?" he said when he noticed the progress she'd made on her little rubber duck, "There are plenty of different stitches which help you to achieve specific looks... I have a holobook around here somewhere which shows the most well known..."​

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He directed his hoverchair back and around as he scoured the space in search of it.​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

"The Hyperspace Navigators Guild of Empress Teta. They work toward forming new hyperlanes, safe routes through space. I learned to pilot ships and chart courses through them. I was going to be a Navigator myself, until my Sensitivity was discovered. I did manage to see parts of the Galaxy first, though..."

Thelma tried to focus on his words. She almost succeeded in distracting herself from the scent of his blood—that is, until he held up his pricked finger to show her the wound.

In an instant, she seized his hand. There was a moment of strangeness, of hesitation almost, as her eyes made contact with his. Pinpricks of violet light now visible at the center of her pupils, her gaze became hypnotic, her species’ natural talent for mesmerism kicking in to lull Eliphas into complacency.

Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, revealing a glimpse of her descended fangs. Then, slowly, she began to lean forward, her other hand cupping his cheek and tipping his head back to bare his throat…

Lief​

 

[Lief]

He didn't get a chance to turn the hoverchair around before his wrist was snatched. Curious, his eyes fell upon hers and almost as soon as that happened a trance-like state fell over him. Her eyes were hypnotic, and even when he saw her fangs descend he couldn't help but feel remarkably calm and placid.​

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"Oh" he mumbled, blinking once, then twice, as she leaned in toward him. Her hand was cold on his cheek, and what little movement he mustered up was simply to shiver in response to her touch.​

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She continued to lean in, and he found his head gently tipped back. His breathing was slow yet heavy, heart thumping noisily against his chest. It was as though his mind was going in slow motion, failing to fit the puzzle pieces together quick enough to respond to the inevitable.​

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At least the confusion regarding her species had been more or less cleared up. The mystery as to why her people had been hunted.​

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Huh... Did this mean it was the end for Eliphas Dune?​

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Thelma Goth ​

 

[Thelma Goth]

Thelma’s lips had barely brushed Eli’s neck when she sensed Starlin approaching. Hastily she reared back, the spell broken—but rather than have to come up with an excuse or risk Eli blurting out the truth, she quickly pressed her lips to his.

“Hey Eli…” Starlin trailed off, his eyebrows rising. “Oh. Sorry.”

Thelma retreated back to her seat, her face beet red. She didn’t have to pretend to be embarrassed as she looked at Eli with pleading eyes, silently begging him not to say anything.

“I just wanted to mention, it looks like I’m going to get a second Padawan,” Starlin continued, trying to hide his smirk. “I’m hoping to train you both together soon, if you're feeling up to it.”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

That mesmerizing spell broke all at once, leaving Eliphas thoroughly confused. What made matters worse was the fact that Thelma hastily covered it up with a kiss most unexpected. The Tetan just sat there stiffly in his seat, eyes wide with astonishment. This was... not... how he expected his first kiss to go. He wondered idly if it counted, he didn't really return the kiss did he? Just sort of sat through it.​

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Mostly that was due to shock. It didn't help that Starlin had entered the room. As red as Thelma was, Eliphas was equally so. His cheeks burned fiercely, and when she'd retreated back into her seat he finally blinked and glanced over to his Master.​

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Coughing lightly into his hand, he nodded his head.​

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"Uh... What? Yeah. Erm... I'd like to, uh... Meet them..."​

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Eliphas pulled back his seat some, hoping that Starlin would leave to make things less awkward. Or... Maybe it was best he remained.​

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After all, he had the distinct feeling that kissing him most definitely hadn't been on the agenda for Thelma. Damned either way, right?​

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Thelma Goth ​