Private Once More Into The Fray

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

She seemed to have a knack for confusing him.

From terror to embrace to sudden departure that send Rio reeling. But perhaps that was just the way the Sith were. They allowed their emotions to run through them cleanly, experience all of them perfectly, so could you really be that surprised when it happened in moments like these? He resolved himself to be patient with her.

Clearly she had gone through a lot and something told Catlow that not all of it had only to do with Coruscant.

"I am okay... and anytime, my Lady." He murmured softly as he rubbed his hands together, unsure what to do with them now that her heat was already turning to coldness in absence.

"We uh... don't actually need to do Terminus either. If you don't actually want to."

His eyes calmly on hers. The last thing that Riordan wanted was for her to feel obliged. The chance of that was small, because she was a powerful Sith Lord who made the rules... not followed them. But the rawness she had just displayed? Rio wanted to be certain. That she was agreeing to it because it was in her desire.

"I'd like to though."

 

[Damsy Callat]

What could be the harm?

Damsy gave a small smile. She didn't have to use the Force to read his mind. "Leaky or not, I ain't 'bout ta 'gree to somethin' I'd ratha not." Her voice was gently matter-of-fact as she turned away to sweep the shattered tile to one side with the toe of her boot. "When I say Imma help you, ya know I'm finna do that."

She turned a palm down to the broken ceramic shards. With a wriggle of her fingers, the pieces floated up towards her hand, then turned to settle on the nearest counter. "I'll get noodles wit' ya too. It don't gotta be 'fore. We can do it after. Your girl just wants a lil' carrot for givin' up her freedom, even if it ain't for real. Er, maybe a herring... Reckon they have crab?"

Just like that, she seemed back to normal.

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

Your girl.

Riordan liked the sound of that even if Damsy didn't mean it that way. It had a nice ring to it as far as Rio was concerned. "Yeah... no, I get you, absolutely." And Riordan would get it better than most... considering he had a knack of picking up on people's emotions. It was sometimes a troubling thing, but it could come in handy every once in a while.

"Oh, you know... we could do both." And Rio grinned there.

"Have some noodles before... then do the mission... and then have more noodles after?" He shrugged there with a gleam in his eyes. "I am very generous with my carrots as you can see."

Maybe it was a bit much.

But honestly, they'd never know if they'd get out alive from any mission. Might as well get some enjoyment first before risking their lives on something, right?

He scratched his chin at her question.

"Any good noodle bar worth their salt will have some... oceanic wares, I reckon. I'd be shocked if they don't have crab... fresh though? That I can't guarantee."

 

[Damsy Callat]

Damsy laughed. "Oceanic wares?" she repeated. "They make ya read legalese too often."

She was still smiling when she finished making fun of him. Rio's greed would have gotten her attention under normal circumstances but she was simply too busy convincing herself that one meal would do no harm. So, she didn't flirt back either when he did.

Instead, she nodded. "One way to find out. Did ya wanna go now? Jus' lemme change into..." She glanced down at her clothes, suddenly shy when she realized that he could be thinking that she wanted to get dolled up. In fact, she just wanted a fresh start, as she hadn't changed out of her lounge clothes for a the entire day. "...somethin' that don't make me look like a hermit.

She looked back up then began approaching the door. "Meet me in the qabbrat spire in ten. Ata can show you. Ata!?"

Just a few moments after Damsy called out of the door, a sleek black protocol droid with red bug eyes appeared in the threshold. "A7-4, Rio. Rio, A7-4—Ata." As soon as introductions were out of the way, she began skirting around the droid. "Take him anywhere in the manor he asks."

---

Damsy entered the spire in precisely ten minutes in a new set of clothes. If Rio already stood in the room, she acknowledged him before descending the radius of the staircase down to a pit depression in the middle of the circular room. She found the center of the smaller circle and knelt towards the door, sitting back on her feet. "C'mon down, I won't bite," she said to Rio as he either stood back or entered the room.

Then she closed her eyes and placed her palms up un her downsloping thighs. Dark energy flowed into her palms and, once her aura was overflowing, passed between them in an ovular shape that slowly increased in size with each pass: at first, it was so fine that it looked like a simple line. When it had stretched taller than Rio by a meter, its shape contorted once more as it stood itself up the the velvet carpet in front of Damsy.

Only then did she open her eyes and glance over to the other Sith. Her portal was empty, a void ringed by an equally black boarder wriggling like an amorphous snake. "Project your thoughts inta the center," she instructed.

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

The sheer amount of power in the room made him blink.

He assumed they would have gone by ship to Terminus, but now that they were standing in the spire and the sheer energies crackling in the air at her beckoning manifested between them? It was clear this would be a travel of a different sort. He swallowed, mouth dry, as he was once again confronted by the might of the Force.

The things you could do if you dedicated yourself to its studies.

"I... okay." Rio nodded there and then closed his eyes. Focusing on the image of the alleyway that led to the square with the noodle bar on Terminus. It would probably be a better trip than appearing in the building out of nowhere.

As long as there was nobody IN the alleyway at that time anyway.

The Sith Adjudicator opened his eyes again and realized the portal was different now. No longer opaque, you could... see through it. There was garbage on the other side and that told him Damsy had succeeded. "Well... okay, time to go then? Once she confirmed they could step on through Riordan would do just that.

Stepping out of one world... into another.

It was wild and he had to catch himself against the wall at the sudden shift in atmosphere, pressure, gravity, everything. Even the air smelled different here. When you were traveling by starship you could get used to the transition. It was different when it was this abrupt however. "Wow... that's kriffing crazy." Rio muttered before looking back to the portal and presumably Damsy.

Offering his arm to her.

"Noodle time I guess. But man, that was impressive." He muttered to the Lord as they left the alleyway behind and made their way to the noodle bar. "Where did you learn that?"

 

[Damsy Callat]

For a precious few, the things you could do if you were graced with just the right combination of chromosomes. Those individuals didn't need study; they just needed to learn to tap into their potential.

She tried not to laugh at him as he stepped out of the portal, but failed, letting a giggle slip between the fingers risen to cover her mouth. When he looked back at her, she stepped through with a practiced grace. The portal's snakelike outline constricted at once, like an ouroboros that shrunk as it consumed itself until it simply faded out of physical perception, though it's Force signature lingered for a few moments longer.

She eyed him with pity then—she hadn't meant that maliciously, it had just slipped out. Her gaze swept down to his extended arm next. Hesitating, she reached for it.

"Art school," she answered facetiously, smiling a bit again as she walked where he led. When they went through the noddle bar's door, she shrugged. "What? I been 'round." That was certainly true.

The sign in the lobby bid them to seat themselves and Damsy once again followed after Rio, though she did indicate a preference for a booth. Two menus as well as utensils on napkins were set out in expectation of new customers. She slid onto one of the cushions. She suddenly looked almost shy. "Imma product o' some pretty potent Alchemy," she explained, arms folded over her menu. The truth made her feel like a fraud, which was ridiculous because, even if it somehow invalidated the power she clearly had harnessed, she didn't have any interest in winning any Sith popularity contests. "Mostta it's in my DNA 'ready, literally." She shrugged again, then uncrossed her arms and brought the menu up to hide her face.

"Aha!" she exclaimed soon after. "Garlic crab noodles!"

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

Rio snorted at the giggle behind his back.

He guessed it must be amusing if you did this all the time and then to see a newbie having to deal with it.

"Oh, yeah? You gotta show me some of your art then." Teasing her in return without it taking it too seriously. Sith were notorious for keeping the most banal secrets. Knowledge about how they acquired powers like these? Yeah, it made sense for her to hide that. So he didn't expect her to come out and say it a moment later.

That made him blink as he sat down in the booth she had indicated.

"Huh, didn't know that was a thing." Thoughtful there as he rubbed his jaw while picking up the other menu. "I know species got innate capabilities and alchemy can introduce powers, but..."

Teleportation? That was something new.

"Pretty impressive, Damsy." Inclining his head there and she might have felt like a fraud, but there was nothing to suggest Rio thought less of her with this new revelation. He chuckled at her excitement. "That does sound nice. Just be prepared to guard your plate, because I might steal some from you in that case."

Grinning over the edge of his menu.

"I think I am gonna get the spicy noodles. Maybe with a side-dish of roasted veggies?" Interested there. "Or maybe some meat..."

 

[Damsy Callat]

"Think on it some more," she suggested before going back to planning how to protect her plate when it came. As she set down her menu, she noted the napkin dispenser and various bottles of condiments organized against the wall.

:: Welcome in, friends. ::

Damsy attention shifted over to the open side of the booth where a small robotic server had floated up to the table.

:: My name is Teeseven and I am assigned to assist you today. May I get you some drinks or appetizers? ::

"Jus' water for me, thanks," she said before looking over to Rio to indicate that it was his turn. Once he had given his food order, so did she.

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

"Mm... maybe some soup..." Pondering a bit as he leafed through the menu and picked out a few items that seemed fun.

It was always better to try something new as far as Rio was concerned.

"Some orange juice if you have it?" Asked inquisitively and once the droid responded in the affirmative he'd order the OJ and after a moment more hesitation also ordered a load of fried calamari (the non sentient kind) and noodles. Then a sigh as he put the menu down and they went into waiting mode for their dishes and drinks to be delivered.

"I think I am finally starting to feel a bit more normal after that jump from your spire to here. Kinda wild how you don't even realize all the little things your body does to accommodate a slightly different atmosphere... until it has to do all of that in a split-second, huh?"

 

[Damsy Callat]

"I guess, yeah," she replied with a nod. Her words were sincere; she just took it for granted. "I don't really pay it mind. My body's useta 'ccommodatin' deep ocean pressures. Atmosphere is kinda a peicea cake for it."

A playful smile blossomed across her face. "You just got a squishy landlubber body."

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

A laugh there.

"Yeah, I guess squishy is right." Smiling there as he shook his head. "I don't really know what would happen if I was dropped into the deep ocean, but I suspect it would not be pretty."

It didn't seem to bother him that much though.

"So how does that work anyway? You need water to survive long-term outside the ocean and on land or?"

 

[Damsy Callat]

Their drinks came just as he asked.

After thanking their server, she reached over to the wall for the salt shaker. "Well, I gotta stay hydrated, just like most any otha humanoid," she replied. "But I'm 'llergic to fresh water, so..." She trailed off, then began to the fine crystals of table salt into her palm. Once she had accumulated a small pile, she dropped it into her drink, using the fingers of the same hand to loosen grains from her skin that refused to succumb to gravity. "The oceans' salty, if you didn't know." He probably did. "Body got useta that too."

She took one of her chopsticks and put it into the water to stir up a gentle whirlpool.

"If I ain't careful, contact with water of either kind can cause a shift. 'M sure you 'member that."

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

Even though Damsy was explaining it as she was doing it... it still made him blink slowly. As he watched her get out the salt shaker, pour some of it in her palm... and then slowly drop it into the glass of water.

"I..." A bit weakly there as Rio blinked at the display. "...yes, I guess that... makes sense?"

He licked his lips because his mouth was suddenly dry.

"I won't try an' ask for a sip of your glass at least." Teasing her a little as he blinked again and accepted the reality for what it was. "Mhm, I do. But so if you get it in your mouth directly and swallow- it's okay. If it gets on your skin... then the shift begins?"

 

[Damsy Callat]

She took a sip as he replied. Once she was done, she smiled behind the glass lip. "That's aight, I be salty 'nough for the both o' us."

Then she put her glass down. "Yeah, basically. It useta be anytime I got splashed or spilled or whateva, but these days I got some wiggle room. I did a stint as a Knight Obsidian when they were 'round an' my Master there taught me to use a—" she pinched her thumb and forefinger together, leaving barely any space between the pads, "teeny tiny bit of cryokinesis on the water, to evaporate it off my skin. Sometimes I ain't fast 'nough though."

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Another chuckle. "Don't get too salty, that gets in the way of pleasant conversation." Teasing her there lightly as he sipped from his OJ and softly wiggled in pleasure in his seat.

Nothing was better than a glass of orange juice when you were parched in his opinion.

Nodding Riordan's eyebrows rose up in a sign of respect. "You really know a lot, don't you? Has your training primarily been with the Confederacy of old then or did you have training from other sources too?"

 

[Damsy Callat]

"Mostly, officially. Filled in the gaps from there. The, uh, voice we heard in my manor... she's a good teacher."

Their food came to join their drinks. Damsy didn't touch it for a moment, but did take the one chopstick out of her water and laid it to dry on its rest. "Knowledge is a burden, Rio. 'Fore I came to know I was Force sensitive, I was special forces. Life was a lot simpler when all I did was follow someone else's orders."

Now, was that really true?

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

He sniffed at the food with a mm. It looked delicious, smelled delicious, it had to be really good.

Affordable price too.

"Simpler? Sure, I can buy that." Just do what people told you to do. Don't think about anything else. "Probably less satisfying though? I am pretty much a rules lawyer, but one thing I enjoy about being an Adjudicator is that I can fill in the details myself. How to get from point A to B. If I was told the entire plan and all I had to do was execute it?"

Rio shrugged.

"I dunno if that would be so great. Do you miss being a simple specs ops then?"

 

[Damsy Callat]

She sat back at once, crossing her arms over her chest, and he might have thought he had offended her. Her gaze averted from him. She began silently moving her lips, trying answers on for size. Finally, she found one that fit and said, "I miss the woman I was." Her eyes shifted back to find his. "Y'know that I could barely stand once, or walk down a hall in a straight line? I miss that."

Riordan Catlow

 

[Riordan Catlow]

Damsy Callat

He blinked in response to both her body language and that claim.

Why would anyone ever miss being weak? It was something that went against the very epitome of what it meant to be a Sith. It was clear that it confused him... and that he didn't understand and yet.

"I... see." Nodding there quietly. "I am sorry for that then." At the very least he could empathize with the desire of being closer to one's past. That point was far more universal at least.

"Have you been to Terminus before?" Gently trying to change the subject away from that subject.

 

[Damsy Callat]

For a few long minutes, Damsy forgot that she was a fish out of water when it came to other Sith.

She just picked up her chopsticks and began adjusting them in her hand. "No. What brought you here? Surely not just the noodles." She took a bite of hers. On first taste, the crab seemed moderately fresh.

Riordan Catlow