Faction In Memoria

[Lina Ovmar]

A touch of sadness crossed Lina's soft smile. Atermis was right, that it was never truly safe, not for any of them. Her own thoughts drifted to her daughter. Lina would never see her grow, never see her become a woman in her own right. She wondered if Leilah and Sarlow would tell her of all the deceitful things she'd done, if she would grow to resent her before she'd ever get a chance to explain.

Had that been what had drawn her to the girl in the first place? The maternal ache in her chest at seeing her in pain? There was something in the girl's eyes that stirred recognition, a face she couldn't quite place. She brushed the tear aside, nodding in understanding.

It wasn't until she stepped away, Lina's fingers slipping from her chin that she uttered words that made Lina go deathly still. Was it possible…? If it was possible, it was not her place to know, not her place to pry…yet the more she looked at Atermis's face… she shook the idea away.

"By all means, carry it, little dove. Use it. But beware of those who might use it against you."

Lina tore her gaze away as Matteo spoke, the touch of a smirk playing at the edges of her lips. "Hmm, I'm keeping you from an evening of enjoyment. My apologies." She brushed her fingers once more across Artemis's cheek searching her face once more for that familiarity. "I am certain that your mother misses you just as much." she whispered. Then she was gone, the dark shadow that had enveloped them disappearing with a soft sigh, the noise of the crowds and carnival celebrations rushing back to greet them.

Matteo would feel a presence brushing his mind. "Protect her, Matteo, she is far more precious than you will ever know."

-

Like the shadow that had come before her Lina slipped past unnoticed byt all but Him. For He always knew where she was, always knew when she drew closer. By all rights, she should have attacked him, her anger and hatred was heightened enough to warrant such a reaction, but she was not a fool. Taking Darth Carnifex head on in the middle of an event like this was a fool's errand.

And she was not strong enough.

Not yet.

Shadow and smoke took form as she stepped up beside him, heart burning in her chest as she gazed up at the statue of another fallen Emperor, one who had raised both the man beside her and her own mother up.

"I suppose I should congratulate you on your last move. You could have used that information earlier on, prevented the marriage, stopped him from getting in so deep." Despite the anger blazing in her chest, her voice was calm…nonchalant even. "My daughter will never know me, nor the love I bear for her and I ahve you to thank for that."

Lunaria Talon Matteo Guo-Yian

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Why did she keep doing this to herself?

She could have been on the other side of the galaxy, with her feet resting on the console of her cockpit, nothing but the stars for company and only her next destination to worry about. Yet no matter how hard Lily tried to pull away from her family, no matter how often she got into her ship and flew away, something pulled her back.

You lack conviction.

Darth Strosius words rang in her head. She was drifting aimlessly, she had no purpose. Doe eyes peered out from behind the red and gold mask that adorned her face, sweeping across the other guests as she wondered what their purpose was. Did they know the pain of being nothing?

The deep red dress she wore was cinched at the waist, flowing down to just below her knees, a black lace in the pattern of a spider's web overlaying it. Her fingers tapped idly on the glass of wine in her hand. She didn't even like wine, but if truth be told, she'd drink anything this evening, so long as it got her drunk enough that she didn't care where she was, or who she talked to.

Darth Malum of House Marr was here somewhere, he'd be keeping half an eye on her, dear sweet protective cousin that he was. She'd not seen Revna since the wedding…maybe she was avoiding Malum, taking her master's side instead. It was all a fucking mess. Lily downed the rest of the glass, setting it on the tray of a passing waiter.

Could she dance on her own? Or would that be considered poor etiquette from a member of the House of Marr?

Credius Nargath

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He sensed her coming long before she made herself known.

Rising from where He knelt before the shrine of Moridin the Great, the Dark Lord of the Sith half-turned to look at her. She was as He remembered, so filled with hate and a desire for vengeance. Much like her mother in that regard, a wild creature constrained only by the limitations of whatever scrap of power she desperately clung to. That He had seen anything in the woman baffled Him, though even as the thought passed through His mind He knew it for a lie.

He and Anaya were perfect for one another, and together they would have burned in each other's flame.

"Your anger is entirely misplaced, you have only yourself to blame. All of your scheming, all of your careful maneuvering, undone in a single afternoon. Look at yourself, Lina Ovmar, face the mirror. You've destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing." The manner in which the Dark Lord rebuffed Lina was void of emotion, His tone evenly measured even as He struck her down with His words. "I never once lied to you. Your scheming was tolerable as long as you remained faithful, but you strayed from the clear path of your own volition. No one made you do anything, your actions are entirely your own."

He laughed derisively, a harsh sound in Lina's ears. "Your daughter will never know her mother by your own choice, you gave her away gleefully. If you want to exact vengeance on the person responsible for all of your ills, then kill yourself here and now. You'll find no sympathetic ear to your whining."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

His words and laughter rang in her ears and it took every ounce of her self control to not launch herself at him. Lina would not be baited into a reaction. She refused. Instead she smiled, turning away from the statue to face him. “What exactly do you think you undid? Besides breaking marriage to a sweet but stupid man. You stopped nothing, Carnifex.”

Her eyes blazed with fury. “I remind you that you pulled me into this order on a leash, I was content without it. Yet now I roam it free of you, free of your name. Your tattleing to Sarlow stopped nothing. He would have been so content in his ignorance. You took his happiness.”

She tilted her head. “But then as a father that has always been all you were good for. Something you and my mother have in common.”

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Delusions heaped upon delusions, was your mother's madness genetic?"

He loomed over her now, the disparity in their size fully apparent. "You believe yourself clever, above notice. But your scurrying about is as loud as a badzuriqash. You had been given an opportunity to live in happiness, yet you threw it all away. For what? A child, swaggering about with power he barely comprehends. One who thinks that he too is above notice, so self-assured in his own scheming. Children, devoid of awareness, wandering blind in the darkness."

There was a breeze upon Lina's right cheek, moments later a warm wetness spreading out from a deep gash carved right through the meat of her cheek. The Dark Lord hadn't even moved, and He'd drawn blood just the same. "Run about and play your games, Lina Ovmar. No weapon fashioned against me can prosper, all of your efforts will be but ash in your mouth. You and your mother's story will have the same conclusion."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Elise of House Marr]

Objective: SHRINE OF THE DEAD

Ghosts, great weren't they. Sure she knew the general concepts and history behind them, and naturally, she'd had to learn about the one they were hoping to see today. But Elise wasn't so confident in them being trustworthy, or useful even if they could be trusted. Phantoms of the past, echoes maybe, perhaps forms shifted to seem like another. She considered illusions at one point but if that was the norm she expected there'd be too many cases of it being revealed.


Truth was, whatever they were, they were something. Maybe even the real deal. And, for what little she held onto that was Sith Nobility, she actually could approve of at least the legend of their ancestor. For what the stories were, he seemed one of the more worthwhile ones. Both dependable and powerful, and seemingly far less prone to the ridiculousness that was Sith Politics. Or maybe all politics.

That was only part of why she was here though, she was also here because her family was. Even Malum, and his involvement in ridiculous Sith Politics. It, admittedly, had turned out pretty well for him so far. But that wasn't really the point. It had to turn out well for someone. Then again, it worked out well for his Predecessor of his name for a time too, didn't it. Before the emperor killed him. Like so many sith had fallen.

She looked up at the statue, tilting her head to it, she listened as Malum spoke. As Malum offered blood. And had to wander if the long dead Darth would even care about spilling blood for him. Words, discussions, like prayers. No, they were prayers. He wanted attention, affirming his value maybe. At least it seemed like it. It felt rather odd to watch it. She didn't understand this level of reverence. It was more than she felt was owed, and more than she could imagine wanting to recieve.

Despite her far inferior reverence, she still brought something. Elise did not see blood as an offering, nor politics, and from what she did know, she doubted the ancestral Marr would consider her more social or artistic interests of much value either. So she brought perhaps a singular thing she felt she could actually bring, that bore a connection. She'd personally constructed a lightsaber, one bearing similarities both to his, and to hers. Made using sturdy materials, with a functional grip, and fully viable in battle. She looked at it for a moment, her personal blades at either of her sides. Then set it down before the statue, her words were kept at a whisper, "You were a great Sith. I don't ask the dead for myself. But maybe you could answer for my brother." with that hushed tone, she got up and stepped back, patting a hand on Malums back as she passed by and turned to look on again.

She didn't expect an answer. And she didn't trust it if it came. There was a reason the galaxy wasn't run by the dead. If they had power, reliable power, reliable thoughts, they'd have ruled long ago.

Darth Malum of House Marr
Sophia of House Marr

Spoiler: Items/Aids

Personal equipment:
Draika iv misina
Red lightsaber with sturdy hilt

 

[Lina Ovmar]

There was a pause as warmth spread down her cheek and Lina reached up to touch it, her fingers coming away bathed in crimson as pain slowly began to spread.

She smiled, a chuckle building in her throat that grew into laughter. Lina looked back at him, eyes glittering. “Oh how it must pain you, to have every opportunity to kill me, yet be utterly unable to.”

She didn't back down, there was no fear in her, not anymore. “Anaya Fen is still under your skin and you see her in me at every turn, even after her death and her betrayal you cannot bring yourself to kill the one thing that walks this galaxy that reminds you of her.”

Lina would not be dismissed like a child, she stepped closer. “You understand nothing of what you think you see. Your greatest mistake was removing that mark and granting me freedom.”

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"And what have you done with that freedom?"

He let her get close, He held no fear.

"You waste it on petty vengeance that will avail you little, if only a small reprieve of elation. You scramble for any scrap of power you believe will give you an edge. Informants, soldiers, weapons, poisons, you find whatever refuse you think will make you stronger, but it won't. You'll never be strong enough, not in a million years, Lina. You're defective product."

He bent down, bringing His face all the more closer to Lina's as He whispered His next words.

"I spare your life not for your mother's sake, but for your father's. You may think bonds mean very little, but we do not."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina froze at the mention of her father. Jared Ovmar had never held any interest in her, he had dismissed her as a wayward child. He never sought her after her mother died, he left her to fend for herself.

In fact it was only on the day the Sarlow's declaration of their divorce landed in her lap that he had bothered to finally show up, uninvited…though not entirely unwelcome.

“A waste on your part, he has never truly cared about me.” Her voice was quiet, the confident anger she had come with evaporated “None of you did.”

She held his gaze, unmoving. “I have no real interest in killing you anymore, there are more than enough people who want the chance to carve out your heart. I just want front row seats when it happens. And the occasional opportunity to be a thorn in your side.”

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Shortsighted. You lack foresight, like Malum and Alisteri. They only see what is in front of them, not what is ahead of them. Obsessed with what was."

He turned from her now, staring back to the implacable carving of Moridin's face. His eyes found their stone counterparts, cold and empty sockets bereft of the power that the true Moridin possessed. Moridin had been a man of true vision, a Dark Lord who could have led the Sith for generations to come. But his time had been cut woefully short, undermined by those who coveted his power for ill ends. As a result, it was up to Sith like Carnifex to carry forth the vision, diminished as it was.

"I had believed you above them, Lina. So much potential squandered. But I have other prospects, other hopefuls. My plans are measured in centuries, Lina, you will not survive to see them come to fruition." He looked back at her again, "Your anger is hollow and brittle, look how easily it is scattered. You can do nothing, you are nothing."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lunaria Talon]

Tag: Soldane Talon Matteo Guo-Yian Lina Ovmar
Alias: Artemis Dreadmoor
Wearing: School Uniform w/Red Cloak

The touch that brushed her cheek so tenderly almost made her recoil. It was too soft for someone that wielded such darkness, too intimate, for a shadow. It reinforced her instinctual mistrust while the gentleness sought to disarm her. This Sith, Lady of the Shadow, was full of dangerous grace but had yet to expose her true intention. She wasn't treating either of them like dispensable pawns in some grand game…At least not openly. And that, was unsettling in its own way.

The tear hadn't been intentional. Nothing about this moment was. Her presence here had never been meant to stir the attention of someone so high in the hierarchy of the adult world. But now the disguise of Artemis felt paper-thin. She could feel the woman searched her expression but she knew not why. Only, that her intuitive gaze seemed to pry at the edges of her identity. As if trying to pull the truth from the spaces between words.

It was that alone that drummed up some sort of truth from her.

That she missed her family.

Two truths to hide an even bigger lie.

Luna noticed when the soft smile the Sith Lord wore seemed to shift. Luminous eyes remained unintentionally disrespectful, raised, whilst Artemis searched her face, looking, for truth. Was it sadness that she saw? Regret? Was any of it real or was she just seeing things?

Was it possible that this Sith was just…Lonely?

Her clumsy examination of the situation that she and Matteo found themselves in came to a screeching halt at the final words that were issued. The statement was soft. Whispered. It wasn't even enough to disturb the air between them but Luna felt it like a ton of bricks. It flooded her cheeks with rose and her veins with ice.

"I am certain that your mother misses you just as much."

The words pierced through the hardened resolve that the Fifth had wrapped around herself. Her tongue felt fat and she could barely swallow. It was an awful feeling. Metallic orbs flickered with the barest hint of vulnerability. Was it possible that her mother, distant and often unreadable, truly felt the same ache? Before the snowy-haired child could answer—or even process the thought—the darklit woman disappeared. The shadow that had enveloped them retreated like smoke in the wind, leaving only the festival's lively noise to rush back in.

Her shoulders sagged while she exhaled, very, very deliberately. Tension draining too slowly.

She turned toward Matteo, offering in hand, her mind was churning. His profile was sharp against the backdrop of flickering lights. For the first time since they'd met while she worked to refine her agility and balance at the training ground…Luna hesitated. She didn't know how to word the tangled mess of thoughts and feelings that swirled inside her.

"I'm sorry Tea-yo."

Luna didn't know what she'd gotten them into but being on the radar of Sith far above their station was rarely a good thing. "Thank you for—"

For being there. For backing her up when…He didn't have to. In reality, he was probably regretting his proposal of friendship. She wasn't as strong as most of the other students of Jutrand Academy and she was already getting them into trouble. Her eyes fell to the floor for a moment before slowly letting go of his fingers. She'd forgotten, she'd been clutching them so tightly.

Her gaze lifted from the ground and glanced behind him. The Shrine…The Shrine could wait. Artemis still couldn't bring herself to go inside.

"Do you…Do you want to split a candy apple? With me?"

 

[Kaila Irons]

"I'm fine, Tamsin, really" Kaila chuckled breathily.

In all honesty, she was fighting the urge to pat her on the head again. The young Darth might never admit it, nor was she truly prepared to live that life just yet, but in many ways she saw Tamsin as less of an apprentice and more like a child to whom she was a guardian. Perhaps one day, she might even be call the girl her child. Or at least, her idea of such. Though she knew such a thing was dangerous, a weakness to them both even. And so it was that this would remain a secret unspoken for the foreseeable future.

It was also equally discouraged by their order, almost a heresy, even in this post-banite era.

What would the other sith think of them if they knew? what would Carnifex think, if He knew? The many implications behind such an event would surely spell doom for Tamsin, and punishment for Kaila who might be seen as soft hearted fool who's teachings would bring ruin to their Darwinist order. Perhaps they would be allowed, in time, to know that she had taken an apprentice. But they would never know the truth of her reasoning. Even Tamsin might never hear of it.

She brushed the thoughts aside as the girl neared, and a glint of excitement came to her eye as they expressed interest in the shrines.

"I can certainly stand long enough to share my love for history" She smiled

"The first time I bound a ghost I was actually left unconscious, so I believe this is an improvement"

Then she gestured to the shrine of Nyto.

"This here was Nyto, apprentice to Darth Parasideus of a Thousand Voices, who I bound to free myself of possession. He kept himself alive for hundreds of years by possessing the bodies of his apprentices. Their cult was active whilst the Gulag Virus destroyed most life in the galaxy whilst they were tucked safely away, and so they believed themselves, falsely I might add, to be the last sith until the end of the 400 year darkness"

"And now we've just caged the last echo of his nefarious cult" She smiled proudly "At least until I die anyway"

"The Ritual of Force Walking is performed in phases, you see, after which the spirit is bound to the ritualist's body until it expires. Phase one: drawing out the spirit. Take the tea for example,"

She gestured to the still full cup

"Darth Nyto is nearly forgotten by now, merely fragmented from a grander, if similarly obscure legend remembered only by the most avid collectors of sith lore, like myself. The fact that anyone bothered to discover such a mundane detail was intriguing enough to draw her out. It also leant to the Second Phase: Disarming. She was too engrossed in her questions to think defensively. However, in the case of my first ritual, Parasideus merely believed me and the man teaching me this ritual were too weak to bind him. It was his undoing"

She shrugged.

"Finally, Phase three, is simply will. Yours must be stronger than the spirit, or instead it will overpower and kill you"

It was simple as it was grim. This wasn't some elaborate ceremony overseen by the ancient sorcerers, this was an accidental discovery by a man chasing the glory of Tulak Hord. It was pragmatic, it was raw and unceremonious in it's violation of the dead.

It was so very Sith...

And it is why she would be taking a slow approach to Tamsin's training. Sith learned fast, she would learn to control the force far more quickly than a Jedi, but they would not be rushing headlong into this ritual. She needed to know that the girl could handle herself before trying, not gamble with her life as Kaila had before.

Or at least, she would if Tamsin's peculiar entity continued to give them time.

"Well, let's not dwell on this. I'll teach you about some more accomplished Sith, perhaps inspire your ambitions some. I believe a few of the figures here did so for me, and certainly influenced my particular philosophy"



Tamsin Graves

 

[Oleander Webb]

WEARING: x

WIELDING: x | x

TAG: Darth Malum of House Marr

REFERENCED:

The masked figure's words actually managed to illicit a scoff out of Oleander. To think Death would move any differently here than he would any other world was a comical notion. "The Sith do not concern me any more than the next meal." If this individual was so keen on maintaining mysticism, there was no need to mince words. For they were all, even those he was closest to, food in the end.

Stillness was matched with stillness. The Anzat was curious, no doubt, but not enough so that he'd show his metaphorical hand.

"I didn't expect con artistry to be regulated here." Among the Sith especially, he would've thought falling for such a scheme was a you and you alone problem.

He turned back, glancing at the maze's entrance. Since this figure was set on mystery, it seemed only right for him to attempt to peel back some of the mystery. It's what his employer would want, surely. Nevermind the fact that observing the carnival on his lonesome would get very old very quickly.

"Sure, I've nowhere else to be in the immediate future. And what do I call you?" A name or even just an alias of the masked figure would tackle a tad of the mystery they presented. Not to mention, it would give him more to report on should the need arise.

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Just like that, she was a girl again, a teenager filled with rage and pain that wanted nothing more than to be loved, but only received disdain and pain. A lump caught in her throat, his words tearing her into the nothing he saw. The nothing she fought to surpass.

The battle was over, and yet again she had lost.

“I hate you.” She whispered, feeling tears brimming in her eyes as her hands curled tightly around familiar silver cylinders, unsure at what point the lightsabers had slipped into her hands. Shadow swirled around her, around both of them as a storm rose within her, the split flesh on her cheek slowly knitting together.

“You are a relic of a bygone age, your visions and plans are meaningless. I will rise in spite of you, I will become more than you ever sought to make me, and I will take everything you hold dear and leave your body to the rats and ravens scrambling at your gates.”

The shadow exploded outwards, snuffing out the candles upon Moridin's shrine, dislodging offerings to shatter at the statues feet. Lina vanished into shadow, dark wings passing over the many shrines as she retreated her fury and pain swelling over all of them before she vanished entirely.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

​

The masked Sith Lord let out a sigh as the question rung across the air, as the hand laid gently upon his back, masked red eyes turned around to consider both the younger and the elder, as yet another sigh fell out of his lips, "I know this is hardly a private place, but those were private words, I would appreciate if my own sisters did not mock me for them," The words came out easily, measured and considered, as his hidden eyes darted around, making certain that no one else was listening. A barest hint of hurt barbed the words, one that would not be heard by most, but to those who had known him his entire life...

It had been too long since he had seen his sisters, and unfortunately despite the fact that the entire family, nay, the entire House was here, scurrying about playing to their fancy, for now at least, only two of his sisters had made fit to join him here. Even if it was more than clear, that a shrine, a religious place of worship was hardly a place they wished to be.

He could hardly blame them, it was not a place which brought him much joy either. Malum could not be called a man of faith, well, perhaps he could in the way in which he certainly did believe in a type of God, yet he was unsure if belief in a deity much qualified him, if he utterly despised said divine and wished to crush it underfoot.

His gaze rested upon that of Sophia, though she could not see it, even as he fought the smile, as she tilted her mask between both expressions, he could hardly help it, even as part of him held an anxiety he felt deeply in his stomach, hers was a dress that was as much regal as could be expected of their House, though, it was always the way of Sophia to far exceed expectations when it was a topic of her interest. No doubt she could be catching many eyes tonight.

And...

...Well it might be the final night in which he could play the overprotective older brother.

That was a sobering thought. One that he carried forth as he considered his older sister, as ever in rebellion, he had never considered how much both of them in their own ways had fought against their parent's expectations, Sophia may have ever seemed the perfect Sith princess, but that was hardly the way their parents saw it, while for Elise... well halfway through her twenties, he imagined that his parents had long foregone the possibility that their daughter would ever comply to their ways.

He sneezed.

Blinking, as he looked around confused, spotting familiar figures, and hearing words that he certainly would need to analyse at a later date.

Another sneeze.

Bizarre, yet... between his own musings, and the sneezes that broke any rigidity that remained between them, he signalled that they could leave, though, noting Sophia's empty hands, he could not help but tsk, knowingly, "He is our ancestor, He who gave us His names, we have spent our entire lives learning of Him, do you truly feel nothing towards our own blood?" It was as much a serious accusation, as something which one could hear the smile in his words.

While his eyes turned to Elise, "At least one of my sisters cares," That very specific tone, the one only known between the siblings five spilled forth, as he reached into his side, this entire time, the blood continuing to drip down, as a piece of cloth wrapped itself around. He remembered well his teachings, even if he was unsure if anything would happen...

...All required sacrifice.

Sophia of House Marr Elise of House Marr
Mentioned: Darth Carnifex Lina Ovmar

 

[Sophia of House Marr]

​

Tag: Darth Malum of House Marr | Elise of House Marr
Location: House of Worshiping Bones
___________

Quote of the Moment:
"Her soul was too deep to explore by those who always swam in the shallow end."
___________​

Contrary to her usual need to flash her personality like fuel to a fire—She remained still while observing the reverence of her elder brother. Her expression behind the mask fluttered between an odd mixture of affection, bemusement, and mild irritation. Sharp crimson eyes glimmered like priceless jewels while the skeletal and smiling sides of her mask interrupted her sight. Pale fingers twirled the golden rod, idle, but not without purpose. It served as a distraction that would help her bite her tongue. There were a few true believers…But overall?

The shrine was full of poor parishioners and noble fools clinging to dead men for false hope or brittle validation. She couldn't be either one.

Why would their ancestors answer them now but not when they needed them most?

When she had been taken captive during the War of Tion there had been no otherworldly answer to her release. No ancient, divine hand, had lifted to liberate her from the enemy.

No.

That had been someone else.

Her derision was kept at bay during Malum's perfectly composed confession but at the sight of his blood offering, Sophia, felt cold. It wasn't the act. It was a memory of Korriban. The last time they had attended a ritual together that had required blood for a sacrifice her beloved brother had nearly taken her head off. Not through any fault of his own…But it still drew a wariness that was only amplified by the sonorous chanting in the background. His belief made sense. He thrived in Sith politics, in tradition, and while Sophia admired him for it…

She also found the entire affair painfully archaic.

As he finished honoring their progenitor and turned to address her, his words carrying that all-too-familiar older brother weight and feel…She released a slow, exaggerated sigh. Rather than respond for a moment she merely flipped her mask from the sad face to the happy one with a deft flick of her wrist. Her head tilted in that almost eerie way of hers, letting the playful side of her personality leak into her answer. "Oh, Malum…"

"I feel plenty toward our blood. But…My affections are reserved for the living."

She stepped closer, letting her fingers trail gently along the edge of the altar. The action was slow. Deliberate. As if she were trying to test the weight his lingering prayer against the cold oily stone. "You, dearest brother, will one day outdo every long-dead specter in this church…Why you're still seeking their approval is forever beyond me...", her tone was equal parts teasing and sincere, a mixture that only siblings could truly decipher. She was proud of him.

The rest of their family might bow to dusty statues…But he was the only Marr she might consider bending the knee for. They were close, thick as thieves, and the way she inherently looked up to Malum would be of no surprise to anyone.

She chuckled when he commented about what Elise had brought and she twirled the mask back to the sad face and tilted her head the other way. "Elise brought something practical…", she teased lightly, nodding toward the elegant lightsaber that had been offered. In truth…Elise had offered something more than practicality. It was thoughtful—a gesture not unlike their sister. Always unpredictable, always, seemingly, interested in what made life worth living versus the grand gestures that Sith were prone to indulging. She had a way about her.

Perhaps…It was a quiet rebellion that mirrored Sophia's own, though, Elise's was far less loud.

The calm indifference that could be found in her elder sister made it seem like she was always a step ahead in some subtle, unfathomable way. She, unlike Sophia, didn't care to rebel for the sake of rebellion. And unlike Malum, she didn't seek approval from anyone.

She was simply…Elise. Their, Elise.

"Now, if the dead do happen to talk back, I suggest they keep it brief."

Her mask flipped again, though, her teasing tone was still lofty and lifted at the prospect of being anywhere but this dank and dreary shrine. The touch of bratty sass would be…Typical. Sophia was the female spare of a spare of a spare of a spare, spare, spare heir. No one in the family actually needed her to adhere to this custom or any other. As long as she didn't embarrass them and married well…Their parents would be mostly satisfied. For the first time, she turned her mask down and Sophia gave both siblings a casual and conspiratorial wink.

"We have better things to do tonight."

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

​

"You are bold, saying such in the capital of the Sith," The King of Alvaria responded, still as ever, the rudeness of the Anzat's gesture far from seeming to concern the masked Sith Lord. They were both like statues, allowing the cold winds of the outyards to pierce the skin, as moments of conversation were punctuated with a silence undone by the joy that took place around them.

It was hardly an uncomfortable silence, but neither could it be called a comfortable one.

The Lord of the Tsis'Kaar, still standing a fair distance away, allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips at the next set of words, "It is not, you will find many such vendors across the carnival, no doubt the man I spoke to shall set up in some other open spot, alas, we must all do our little parts, no matter how unimportant, how futile it may appear to be, no?" Masked eyes found themselves, staring at the Anzat from the side.

All the while the Anzat himself stared forward at the maze ahead, the Dark Councillor nodding his head in ascent, taking the first step forward, before pausing.

A moment of consideration, where an incalculable number of thoughts went past.

"I am Darth Malum, of House Marr, at your service, and you?"

Oleander Webb

 

[Matteo Guo-Yian]

Once more his posture stiffened when Lina Ovmar 's mind brushed past his inherent defenses like they were made of driftwood.

Luckily it was to do nothing but leave a message.

"Protect her, Matteo, she is far more precious than you will ever know."

Eyebrows rose up and once more Matteo felt like he had been dropped into a deep ocean without any directions or a lifeguard. What did the Sith Lord mean by that? In the end his mind followed the trail left by the Sith to leave his own message to her.

I know how precious she is. She is my friend. And I protect my friends.

In that time Artemis decided it was necessary to apologize. Once more he was confused as he looked down at her baffled. "You have nothing to apologize for, Art." His hand found hers right after she took it back, lacing his fingers into hers for a reassuring squeeze. "You aren't the only one who seems to be head-hunted by Lords of the Sith."

There he nodded quickly to try and push past this... whatever it had been.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful. Candy apple and perhaps some fairy floss?" Already pulling her with him. Away from the presence still lingering here and from the ominous building stretching out into the sky behind them. "I confess, I have never been to a carnival before." He whispered to her as they joined the crowds making merry with dark tidings. "Have you? It looks really fun."

Mostly Matteo was trying to distract Artemis from the pain she was obviously feeling.

Somehow he doubted cotton candy and apples would do that however.

Lunaria Talon

 

[Nouqai Veil]

There was always a risk inviting her friend to sith space, but Falentra would take any chance to meet up with him. "Same old protocol, just conceal your presence and you should be fine." She told him as she led him along. She doubted that they'd get into much trouble this evening regardless of the concealment, and nothing they'd wouldn't be able to slither out of.

"We could check out the carnival. I haven't been to many of those. " She said. With much of the time as a padawan spent in formal training, there were not many celebrations she had attended. "Have fun. Hopefully win some prizes. Get something to eat, some drinks - I'm pretty sure they'd have something strong." This evening was all about having fun.

"Then maybe, if you're up for it, we could go dance."

Balun Dashiell

 

[Credius Nargath]

Usually, one would by now expect Credius to arrive anywhere in his full armor, his protective gear and mask at the ready, but he knew that sometimes, perhaps if it were only to exude the air of strength and power, it wasn't a bad thing to reveal oneself. However, to reveal his weakness, his everdying nature was a step too far, for to project power, he had to reveal himself in his prime, and that, was easier said than done.

Luckily through some dealings and some work with his close associates, he managed to get himself quite a fresh batch of ... lifestock, young and hardly ravaged by the ages, with every gasp he did, his own body grew young and he gained more vitality as his victims ended up looking exactly like he usually did: like decrepit old mummies, ready to be discarded when all their lifeforce and their connection to the Living Force had allowed the Abomination to regain his own youth, even if it were only temporary.

Dressing himself, the man looked in the mirror for a moment as he straightened his tie and fixed the buttons on his sleeves, for now he looked good, practically like how he looked when he was but thirty odd years old, but this visage was but that of a man, not the being, the monster he truly had become.

Shrugging his shoulders, the Lord turned away from the mirror, vanishing in a black fog which had seemingly swallowed him in his entirety, until he found himself walking through a large, arched doorway, the smell and the sensation of people, liquor and 'other things' nearly overwhelming him. It was a rather unpleasant feeling, to actually hear, smell and feel things all the more vividly after he had just managed to feed himself.

As he glanced around, he vaguely could see Darth Malum of House Marr in the crowd, but it didn't matter, nothing of this whole feast, this place, this party mattered. Reaching for a glass of liquor from one of the passing waiter's trays, the abomination emptied the glass in a single swig, before putting it onto another passing waiter's plate, eventually noticing how someone else, wearing a mask not too dissimilar from the one he generally used when he attended places with people, setting her own empty glass onto yet another waiters empty, passing plate.

Chuckling a bit, Credius weaved through the people standing in between them, reaching for not one, but two glasses containing heavy liquor, an amber-colored brew with a highly smokey scent. Finally standing next to this woman, the abomination in his prime gently tried to touch the back of her hand with his own, motioning this lone wanderer to take the drink he held within his hand. "What a party, a bunch of snobby weaklings walking around as if they are the emperor or the empress themselves. You and I truly seem to be out of place here, don't you think...milady...?"

Lily Rhodes