Sempiternal

[Nilia Saavilin]

​

(adj.) eternal and unchanging; everlasting feelings​

​

​

​

Nar Haaska, Commerce Building Atrium, Late Eventing | Pray

---

Nilia thought she had seen the last of Nar Haaska on her last visit, which she scarcely wanted to revisit.

Nonetheless, politics drew her back to the world of bureaucracy and endless waiting. The merchant guilds who ran the planet were desperately seeking to curry favour with the nearby governmental bodies-- Especially because as of late the Sovereignty had been making a huge push in Wild Space to take new territory and cement their place as an intergalactic power. That made certain independent strongholds like Nar Haaska exceptionally nervous. At the very least, they were trying to forge a peaceful alliance as opposed to brutal subjugation.

Words were preferable to war any day of the week for Nilia. Though she had to admit, she had not anticipated being invited to a dinner party of all things. She had expected trade talks, or perhaps a private meeting, or anything else besides a ball. Thankfully for her, as a Senator, she was used to wearing ridiculously intricate outfits and headpieces, so at the very least there was a slim chance of her sticking out like a sore thumb at the event. That did something to calm her nerves, but not much. Now was the time for level-headedness, not stress, she reminded her jackrabbit heart quietly.

She awkwardly sat on a bench against the wall of the atrium, watching the partygoers mingle and drink and on occasion dance, steeling herself to begin interacting with the important political figures who had invited her there. It must have been that, her trepidation and worry, that jumpstarted that briefly-dormant bond again. It had been only a week or so since the first time it had happened, and on occasion, she dwelled on it, but she had no logical explanation for the events. Like a light switch being flipped, she was able to sense him, practically see him, and she sucked in a quick breath of surprise at the repeat performance of their mysterious connection. Especially in such a public space now.

"It's you."

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Revisting a place you used to call home brings more than a handful of good memories and a few nightmares at night, waking you up in cold sweat. Home is where your heart is. Once, it would have been a house in the underworld. Now, nothing was left of it. It was almost morning, opening your eyes after being in the same nightmare that haunts you. You run from what you're afraid of and end up falling down the abyss for the eternity to come until you wake up all of the sudden, heartbeat racing by the thousand.

We are willing to suffer, to die for the things we care about. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes, something good comes out of it. Something you know you wouldn't deserve in a million years. Something that gives you a reason to go on.

What the hell is wrong with you, Ar'ekk? Why don't you just die?! You hate life, you're miserable all the time, afraid to enjoy yourself even a little. Face it, you might as well be dead already. Do yourself a favor, give up!

Home, sweet home. Something in the night felt like a door had been opened, an echo of the past, an old monster snapping its eyes open in the depths of his brain. Closing your eyes forces you to look at the darkness inside.

Outside, the rain poured down heavily upon the Coruscanti who roamed back and forth in their vehicles. The towering skyscrapers of Galactic City, and its long history as the center of political power from the time of the Galactic Republic to the age of the Galactic Empire, established that whoever controlled Coruscant, controlled the galaxy. In addition to its political affiliations. It had always been like this, nothing changed in the years that the half masked Jedi had been absent from "home".

The sun went down with practiced bravado. Twilight crawled across the sky, laden with foreboding. There she was.

"Nilia."

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaska, Commerce Building Atrium, Late Eventing | Pray

---

She shut her mouth almost as soon as she spoke. What if someone had heard? If everyone assumed she was mad, that wouldn't help her government's political goals very much, if anything Nilia would torpedo them. For the briefest of moments she even considered ignoring the connection entirely this time, hesitation rooting in her mind about openly reacting to it again. But the open channel of communication couldn't be looked past for long on her part and with a slow nod of acknowledgment, she smiled, knowing he'd see despite the distance. Despite the inconvenient timing, a part of her was relieved to see him again -- The chance of that strange encounter being their only one had been hovering over her.

"It's raining on Coruscant, isn't it?" Through the reaches of their link she could hear the pelting of falling water on transparisteel, as familiar to her as her own heartbeat. It might not be the same as stormy Eadu, but it was close enough to bring a sense of serenity to the Senator. Her statement had been pretty generic too; nobody could tell she wasn't just talking to herself based on that alone, if anything it looked like private musings about the weather. Those around her were too busy socializing to notice, but the rationalization helped to settle her mounting nerves. Nilia smoothed her gown down as she waited almost in anticipation for his reply.

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Out in the night, rain fell like confetti over the devil's parade. The storm was anything but over. The Coruscant riverfront was a maze of rusty containers, sharp-boned cranes looking up from the snowstorm. On a night like this you couldn't help but think of the dark army of dead men, sleeping with the fishes, cement shoes in line. No Minotaur lurked in this labyrinth, but somewhere out there, on the clanking deck of his cargo freighter, the skipper of the Charon was waiting, like the ferryman of the river Styx.

"Yes. I haven't seen this kind of storm in years."

The rain was comin' down like all the 'angels' in 'heaven' decided to take a piss at the same time. When you're in a situation like Ar'ekk's, you can only think in metaphors.

He could see the people dressed in pompous outfits in the background, loudly conversating and exchanging embarassing stories. Clashes of glasses filled with champagne and laughter following, Nilia was away leaned against a concrete wall of an atrium trying to stay out of their reach. Perhaps felt out of place, just like him. He had been thinking of their connection and somewhat expected this to happen again, even if for a brief moment.

"Why are you alone? Not enjoying yourself?"

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaska, Commerce Building Atrium, Late Eventing | Pray

---

Somberly, Nilia shrugged in reply. Maybe that was it. Gently brushing a stray curl of black hair back into her intricate updo, the Senator let out a tense breath before replying aloud to Ar'ekk's question, "I guess not. These things usually aren't that interesting, once you've been to one you've seen them all." Something seemed to falter in her as she regarded him through their connection, frowning now as she seemed to be gently probing his emotional state and clearly not liking what she was gleaning. There was a blatant concern as she asked, her voice akin to one might use with a wounded animal they were trying to calm, "Are you doing alright?"

A waiter passed by with a tray, offering the Senator a tall glass of clear liquid. She took the offered drink politely, now beginning to move away from the wall she'd been using as her refuge. She didn't make any moves to interact with anyone at the party, simply walking slowly around the perimeter with her beverage. Her attention was still fixated on Ar'ekk, and what he would say.

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

There was a blind spot in his head, a bullet-shaped hole where the answers should be. Call it denial. Ar'ekk wanted to dig inside his skull and scrape out the pain. But he realized quickly he had stepped over the edge. The cartoon moment when the gravity waits for the coyote to realize his mistake before the plunge.

I hadn't asked for this crap. Trouble had come to me, in big dark swarms.

The good and the just, they were like gold dust in this world. He had no illusions. He was not one of them. He was no hero. Ar'ekk had tasted the flesh of fallen angels... tasted the Devil's green blood. It runs in his veins.

I have seen beyond the world of skin, the architecture of blood and bone marrow...

"I'm alive, that's all that matters."

His tone had turned cold and absent. Dark thoughts were clouding his mind like they did in the past, thinking he had controlled such impulses. This continous conflict remained intact within his heart but somehow, the light would always prevail. He knew it would.

Kicking his legs in motion, Ar'ekk walked closer to get a good look at Nilia. Too close. He felt as if something was drawing him to her.

"Why?"

Never answer a question with another.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaska, Commerce Building Atrium, Late Eventing | Pray

---

Nilia suppressed a flinch as he drew ever-closer to her, though she realized it was foolish; He wasn't even here, this was a manifestation of him through their bond. But it felt so very real. Shutting her eyes briefly she tilted her head away, a brief flush crawling across her cheeks like ink through water, red tendrils splaying across her tanned skin. The way he had spoken had struck a deep and primordial cord within her, disturbing ancient foundations that she had never even dared to dwell on, it was as if a balance within her had been upset that had never meant to be touched by mere mortals. What was going on?

It had scared her. Or, he had. It didn't matter which one; semantics, semantics.

Just for a brief moment, with her nails digging into her palms as she resisted the urge to react any more than she had already. Letting out a briefly shaky exhale, she finally forced her gaze to meet his with an almost deadly calm. The poised Senator spoke in a tone Ar'ekk would have never elicited from the politician, a far cry from the gentle tone she'd taken before. It was the voice of someone playing a role, masking deeper intentions behind false flags, "Because I think that I feel what you do. And it doesn't feel good." She left it there, an expecting edge to her stare now as she searched his masked face, awaiting the answer that'd satisfy her intrigue and concern.

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

"I said I'm okay. There's no need to worry."

The dark emotions that had taken him over were quickly supressed and vanished away in the blink of an eye, he had control over the obscure thoughts clouding his mind. A curse that he had to live with for now as the result of war, of having witnessed things that no person should ever experience in their lifetime. One battle between the dark and the light where they kept each other at their throats.

His sudden realization that getting close to Nilia had been a bad move because she seemed startled and angry, taking a much defensive attitude and masquerading her real intentions behind an authoritary figure. Ar'ekk could feel it, sense it, palpate it. It wasn't the first time someone did that to him.

The gilding on the mask had cracked to reveal the rot underneath.

[member="Nilia Saavilin"]

 

[Nilia Saavilin]

Nar Haaska, Commerce Building Atrium, Late Eventing | Pray

---

"I beg to differ." Nilia softened her gaze and posture as she reconsidered her position, letting her tension slip away as she offered a gentle smile to Ar'ekk, as if showing him it was alright. Her attention was pulled back to the party as she awkwardly took a sip of her drink and tried to appear as though everything was natural and her conversation was not at all insanity. As she forced herself to relax in his presence after her brief defensive moment, hesitantly, she turned slightly as it to ensure nobody could see her next movement and further the potential for her being called out on odd behavior.

Very briefly, her free hand reached up to let her fingers linger where his mask would be. Nilia was, by no stretch of the imagination, a master or even a novice in the Force. But she could still radiate a gentle aura of peace directed to him as if attempting to soothe his ragged and conflicted mind. But her hand dropped just as quickly as she'd raised it, not wanting to direct too much attention to herself with the tender motion that nobody but them would be able to see or understand.

"You'll be alright. I know it."

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Arekk"]