Private Sharing Sanctuary

[Alicio Organa]

As the pair walked hand in hand, Alicio seemed contemplative. He found himself staring off into the middle distance, or at the ground between his feet, or, yes, sneaking a peek at the woman at his side. His face was peaceful, but his thoughts were guarded.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," the Alderaanian said, squeezing the hand they shared. "Usually, I wouldn't stay for so long, but this was... really nice." He felt a need to say that, for whatever reason.

As the sun began to cool off, bathing Alderaan in warmer hues, strings of lanterns flickered to life, coloring the walkways in reds, blues, and greens. Alicio took a moment to absorb it, and a moment to think. Was this what he wanted?

"I particularly liked winning. And, since I won..." He attempted to pass Amani the purple nerf, a glint in his eye. "Hold this for me?"

Passing a building, Alicio's eyes were drawn by their final destination; a series of large transparisteel domes, each the size of a small field. Perhaps that would jog Amani's memory.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

"The crowds are usually… a bit much for me. But, yeah, it was. Really nice." Amani concurred, gazing up at him with a gentle smile. She was afraid to try anything more, but the soft squeeze of her hand already had her heart fluttering.

The purple nerf was taken with a twinge of confusion, suspicion even. But as she coiled the fuzzy animal against her chest, a playful smirk upturned her lip, "Brave of you to think you might get it back."

The appearance of the domes in the distance, however, soon absorbed all of her attention. The conversation of that night replayed in her head, reminding her of the whole reason she came in the first place.

Well, one of the reasons.

Blues eyes glittered with realization, and her grip tightened ever so briefly, "How could I forget?"

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Brave of you to think you might get it back."

"I'd better," the Count returned, bumping Amani gently with his hip. "I've grown quite attached to... Mmm... Chauncey."

It was the first name that popped into his head, but Alicio thought it fit. With the creature's over-exaggerated, goofy expression, he certainly looked like a Chauncey.

Alicio noticed Amani's reaction to where they were going, feeling her grip tighten. He sobered a bit, looking down at the Mirialan with care in his eyes. "I'd promised you would be one of the first to see it, but it's been open all day. I may have lost track of time. Apologies." It was entirely unlike him. But now, with the crowds going home for the night, it would be the second-best time to tour the garden.

As they passed the first set of holographic gardens, Alicio's countenance gradually darkened, considering each bubble, and the places they represented. Many were planets captured and terraformed by the Bryn'adul, preserved in their natural state by the holographic gardens. A few were planets ravaged by the Maw. One with Csilla inscribed on the doorway caught his eye as he moved past, and he smiled sadly.

Alicio fully frowned at the bubble labeled Lao-mon, some unreadable expression on his face.

It wasn't long before they were at their destination. The word Tython leered over the doorway to the opaque glass dome. Alicio hesitantly broke away from Amani to stand at the door's controls, keying in his password to unlock it.

He looked to Amani, as if waiting for her permission to open the door.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

“Ooh, it’s Chauncey, now?” She cooed, giving Alicio a retaliatory hip bump of her own. “I can see it,” Amani looked at the nerf and nodded in agreement with the name.

As for the whole 'first to see the dome' thing, she gave him a genuine smile, wholly unconcerned with how the day had played out. “...That's alright,” The same idea had crossed her mind: knowing that most of the crowd will have moved on by now, they’d be afforded a little less interruption, "Save the best for last, right?"

There was an unspoken acknowledgment of the domes that passed them by. As much of an achievement as it was, there was an underlying tragedy to their existence. Those domes wouldn’t need to exist, after all, if it weren’t for the havoc wrought on their predecessors. Amani frowned, but said nothing. Instead she simply walked a little closer by Alicio’s side, and rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand. A meager gesture of comfort for the brooding Count.

He stepped away as they found their destination, and Amani too was hesitant to break contact. She held onto him for as long as her arm could bridge the distance, letting the tips of their fingers brush against one another before her hand retreated back to her side.

The Mirialan couldn’t help but crack a dumb smile at herself.

Alicio looked back at her, and she nodded to confirm the silent exchange, even closing her eyes in anticipation for the reveal.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Amani's support as they traveled past the gardens meant the world to Alicio. Nothing could have made him feel entirely at peace, walking through the last vestiges of so many broken homes, but her proximity, and the slightest touch, reminded him that he wasn't alone in his stroll.

He gazed down at the Jedi, grateful for her presence.

When they arrived at the Tython garden, after holding on to each other as long as they could, Amani signaled her readiness by closing her eyes. Alicio's own seemed to brighten with an idea, and he smirked.

"Keep your eyes closed," Alicio murmured, opening the dome's doorway. "I'll lead you in."

The Mirialan would hear the sound of his gentle footsteps behind her, and feel his soft gloved hands land tentatively on her shoulders. Alicio guided her forward a few steps, before letting go, and shutting the door behind them.

"Whenever you're ready, Amani."

When she opened her eyes, she would be greeted by a calm Tythonian evening. Long green grasses and precious alpine flowers lie swaying on opposite sides of a worn dirt path, punctuated by benches. A few scattered trees threw long shadows opposite the planet's falling sun, and an orchestra of buzzing and chirping welcomed the evening.

Most strikingly, Ashla and Bogan both found their place in the darkening sky, alongside Tython's constellations.

It wasn't perfect, of course. The place wouldn't flow with the Force like the original, and if one looked at the walls of the dome for too long, they would see the slight shifting of the holograms that produced the horizon. Not to mention the door to the outside world conspicuously standing behind them.

But it was obvious someone had designed this place with careful research, and a lot of love.

Alicio folded his hands behind his back, letting Amani have a moment.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani took a deep breath, and nodded again. In the blackness of her vision, everything else amplified. The sound of his approach, the touch of his hands against her shoulders, all mounting up a sense of nervous excitement. It was just a few cautious steps forward, but the wait lingered so much longer. Not that it bothered her.

On his cue, her eyes fluttered open, and a quiet gasp escaped her lips. A resplendent Tython sunset, as vibrant and tranquil as she ever remembered. Flashes of her childhood homestead surfaced: a sleepy cabin resting in a wide valley, the long grass dancing in waves against the breeze, twin moons watching over the gentle turn of dusk.

How it had been before.

The workings of the dome were just how she envisioned them in her dreams. Its detail was breathtaking, not just for its craftsmanship but for its palpable passion. It didn't matter that it wasn't actually real. That it wasn't actually perfect. Because for a fleeting moment it was. And that it could elicit such an emotion was a triumph that would stand on its own.

"It's…" Amani grazed her fingers against the grass, and smiled contently, "…amazing." She flicked back around to Alicio, her eyes dewy with sentiment. She reached out and tugged at his sleeve. She wanted to spend this moment with him.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio had expected to sit back and watch as Amani took in the snapshot of her homeworld. He would have understood, with how much pain and stress she had been through, if she had wanted to be alone with her memories.

But she invited him into the fantasy, with a pull on his jacket. Alicio seemed surprised, but more than happy to comply, falling in line with her, and lingering along the paths, following wherever the Mirialan would lead them.

The Organa had a wistful smile on his face, watching the garden and Amani in equal parts. But every once in a while, he would catch himself frowning, staring at the ghost of Ashla, or down at a cluster of baby blue flowers.

"Some refugees refuse to visit the gardens," Alicio said, hiding his hands in his pockets. "I don't blame them. It's... painful, to be reminded of what one has lost."

"But this place isn't supposed to be a window into bad memories, or trying to cling on desperately to fleeting beauty." His voice was soft, staring down at the flowers. "It's... a promise. That nothing is ever truly lost. And that maybe, one day, a broken home can be a home again."

He smiled sheepishly at Amani. "It's a bit cliché, I know, but I have hope."

"At the very least, you can't deny the view."

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Together they strolled through the Tythonian garden, with Amani taking in all the sights and sounds with deep appreciation. The authenticity shone in every detail, all recognizable to her as a native. She was glad to have his presence, grounding her in a way. Like he had when they met, turning what would've been a night of stress and uncertainty into one of reprieve.

"It reminds me a lot of where I grew up. My family had a farm in one of the valleys. Peaceful, quiet. We were a few hours out from the closest town. Honestly that was about the most contact we even had with others." It wasn't like the region got a lot of visitors. Small town life was quaint, but not exactly a cosmopolitan experience, "Every spring and autumn, this huuuge herd of uxibeasts would pass through the valley, and we'd watch them as they came by. I tried to imagine what else they were going through. What else they were seeing on their journey." She shrugged, and laughed a little, "Couldn't really get close to ask, as much as I always wanted to. Those things will charge you down if you so much as look at them wrong. But it was always fascinating."

The conversation drifted to the garden itself, and Amani turned her attention to the Count. She smiled sadly, understanding the grief it might bring, but finding herself on a similar side as Alicio. He called it cliché, but she found it endearing. The Mirialan slowed to a stop, "You don't need to prove anything to me. That hope? Countless people can share it now because of you. The festival was proof. These people have a second chance. And that's more than enough."

"Remember what we told each other? That night?"

"We may just have to deal with the fact that we both might be, however slim the chances, decent people."

"Maybe we'll figure it out one of these days,"

"Decent people, right?"

Amani was in front of him now, fiddling with his coat the same way she had before. A bout of déjà vu accompanying the moment. With a few key differences, "I choose to believe that."

Watching him now, something seemed to click in her mind. It had been bubbling under the surface since they last left one another, but now it finally spurred something deeper that she no longer felt comfortable containing. Amani swore she heard music in the air.

"Alicio…" She murmured his name with a shaky breath, her lips trembling, before they parted for a kiss. Only this time she wasn't aiming for his cheek.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Nocturne- Kobu​

Amani's old home sounded idyllic. A little house on the prairie, in a world where the Force flowed like water, where one could hold their family close. Listen to the night insects when the sun dipped low... Alicio found himself entranced by her story, letting her speak in attentive silence.

As they slowed their pace in the garden, Alicio released his hands from his pockets, but not all of his reservations. Even as Amani assured him, assuaged his guilts, there would always be deep parts of him that held onto it, as if his life depended on it.

But their hold loosened, as the Mirialan drew closer, fiddling with his coat, as she had that night. "Of course I remember," he breathed, feeling heat flush to his cheeks, remembering the music in the air, hearing it's song beginning on the wind once more.

Was this what he wanted? What he truly wanted?

Yes, said a quiet, selfish voice, unused to being allowed to speak up.

Alicio's lips grazed Amani's, tentative and pure, before fully closing the distance. That invisible, unheard song, full of soft, complex harmony, swelled until it was all Alicio could taste, it's cadence slow, rhythmic, constant, passionate. The noble's hands found Amani's hips, and guided her closer into a gentle, but firm embrace.

Decent didn't even come close to describing it.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

There was some underlying flicker of self-doubt as Amani leaned in. A flash of fear that she had read everything wrong, moved too fast, done something stupid. It was too late. She’d ruined it.

All of that drained away when he met her halfway.

Her arms draped over his shoulders, pulling the Count in as close as she could. Her lips fumbled, her nose bumped into his, and she was pretty sure the combined heat of their faces was about to make her break into a sweat. But somehow those imperfections made the moment all the more perfect for her.

She didn't have to pretend, to posture, to be something else. It was just the two of them, and for all she cared the rest of the galaxy could have frozen in place and waited its turn.

After what felt like both an eternity, and far too short a time, Amani finally broke away, if just to breathe. The galaxy resumed spinning. "…That was nice,” She gasped, and giggled dumbly at her own statement. It was framed almost like a question, as if she were waiting for his confirmation on how to react.

Amani pressed her forehead against his and stuck there, “You weren’t lying about the view,” She looked pointedly at him when said it, and her gaze seemed unable to look anywhere else.

She had been wrong earlier, about today. Now it was perfect.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

When Amani finally broke off from the kiss, Alicio chuckled, rubbing the end of his nose. She'd bopped it pretty hard, but it didn't detract from the magic of the moment at all.

Something else did. That confusing feeling.

Alicio looked deeply into Amani's eyes, smiling softly at her simple 'this was nice'. "Agreed," he responded, though there was something obscured behind the grey clouds in his eyes. Amani may have been entirely herself, but Alicio had donned a mask.

One he was fighting to take off.

That inward struggle was visible on his face as the two butted foreheads, but her words incited a genuine grin from the Count. After all...

He smiled sheepishly at Amani. "It's a bit cliché, I know, but I have hope."

"At the very least, you can't deny the view."

... He hadn't been looking at the horizon either.

It gave him the strength he needed to let his guard down. He closed his eyes, still smiling, but his joy seemed more fragile, somehow. "Um... Feel free to tell me if this is weird, or off-base, but have you ever felt... guilty, about being happy?"

He backtracked, almost immediately, turning his face away from the intimacy of the moment, even as he held on a bit tighter. "You know what, f-forget I said anything. It's- it's dumb..."

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani could see the betrayal of his own emotions behind the Count's eyes. Some internal conflict he was afraid to share. For a moment he seemed ready to subvert that line of thinking, only to backtrack it immediately. A brief frown formed on her face, "Hey-" She rested her palm against his cheek, turning his chin to face her, "That little talk on Tython wasn't just about trading compliments."

"Thanks for the chat. You have no idea how much I needed one." Or maybe he did, if the similarity in their perspectives was any indication, "There's not a lot of people I feel like I can just… talk to about this stuff."

"I, um... I needed one, too," he said, all of his tired nights and stressed mornings weighing on his words. "I'm always happy to lend an ear, if you'll lend one in return."

They were supposed to be confidants now. And all of this only made her more sure of that. "I get it. More than you know, 'kay? You spend all this time trying to make everyone else happy, but you never leave any room for yourself." She should know. Asceticism was basically a part of her religion.

"Somehow you maybe think, you don't deserve it. Or there's something more important out there to bother with. But… everyone deserves a little bit of happiness, Alicio." She wrapped her arms around his torso in a protective hug, "Everyone." Him included. Amani knew his line of thought intimately. It was one she struggled with still. But it was inherently introspective. Even if she couldn't follow her own advice, she could offer it to him. That was the support they could offer each other.

Understanding.

"You can tell me anything." Amani gave him another kiss, shorter this time, but still tingling with that same intense emotion as before, "You don't have to be alone..." A whisper in his ear.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

As Alicio's stare was turned back to Amani, his expression was guarded, and unsure, even as he leaned the side of his face into her palm. He was looking for comfort, desperate for it, but it had taken so much willpower to ask for help.

The cold, lonely, closed-off parts of his mind told him that she wouldn't get it. That he was alone. But she understood. Of course, she did. She knew exactly what to say, because they fought the same demons.

As Amani hugged his chest, he took in a single, shuttering breath, blinking perhaps a bit harder than he should've. "I know," the Alderaanian said, his faint tone barely controlled. "I know. It's just... hard to remember."

Their lips caressed again, and Alicio closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling, his confusion unwinding as Amani pulled at it's source.

"You don't have to be alone..."

Silent contemplation.

"Neither do you," he finally whispered in return, melting at Amani's touch, and resting his chin at the crook of her neck. He held her tightly, as if it were now his turn to defend her. The twin moons of Tython shined behind them, each balancing the other out. Light and Dark. Peace and Emotion. Give and Take.

After that eternity of quiet support, Alicio found an idiotic smile. "We've, ah, we've given Chauncey quite the show tonight, haven't we?"

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

His whisper brought her comfort. They could lean on one another. Keep one another afloat when everything else weighed them down. With his assurance, in this moment, Amani felt like she could take on the whole galaxy so long as he was at her side. "Then we'll do it together." She formed a fond smile, and held onto him just as tightly. Her face nuzzled into the Count's jacket, letting his heat warm her. Out of the corner of her eye, she was reminded of the landscape around them. Funny how it all seemed to disappear in the moment. But that just meant she could discover it all over again now, which she did, another smile forming across her lips.

Then he mentioned Chauncey, and Amani couldn't help but break into a laugh. She craned her neck to find the toy, having dropped and forgotten it completely when they kissed, "My bad, Chauncey." The purple nerf laid still on the ground, it's cartoonish, crossed eyes staring a little too voyeuristically at the couple for her liking.

"Maybe we should head somewhere a little less uh… public for the night?" Amani chewed at her lip. Sure they were alone now (other than Chauncey), but that wasn't really the point.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Together," Alicio murmured, trying out the word. He obviously enjoyed it, exhaling sharply through his nose, a hand finding the small of her back, keeping Amani pressed close. He felt weights being lifted off his shoulders as they propped each other up, overjoyed that he could do the same for her. "I like that."

The Mirialan's laugh tasted like music, a taste that Alicio savored, gazing at her face. Her following statement prickled his skin, and his blush deepened, a bit of nervousness leaking into his voice. "Mmm... Well, my apartment is in the city. It only has one bed, if you'd be willing to share."

Tempting. Maddeningly tempting.

"Just... let's take this slow, Amani." He planted a kiss on her forehead. "I don't want to rush."

Smooching? Heavenly. Cuddling? Exciting. But some things, he wasn't quite ready for.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani’s laughter became more mischievous, but also more subdued, as he mentioned the lone bed, “Iiiiii’m sure we’ll make do.” The twinge of nervousness hadn’t gone unnoticed, and it would be a lie to say she didn’t suffer from a bit of it as well.

“You’re right,” She closed her eyes and accepted the forehead kiss with pleasure, “Let’s just let ourselves enjoy it.” They had all the time in the galaxy. And each step along the way would be all the sweeter because of it. But damn it if it wasn’t so tempting to just let passion take over.

And as hard as it was simply to let go, Amani did, reaching down to snatch the stuffed animal, “It’s past Chauncey’s bedtime. And seeing as you have taken on the responsibility of being his owner…” She playfully shoved the nerf into Alicio’s chest for him to take, “I think you need to be walking him back home now.” Amani took his free hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze, and awaited his lead.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio found himself a bit sad as they broke away from each other, even if it was just to pick up the stuffed nerf. He could have stayed like that forever, clutching to Amani within the garden, feeling the simulated wind on his neck, her arms around his waist...

But all good things must come to an end, to make room for new good things. It was a lesson he was just beginning to understand.

The Count happily grabbed Chauncey as he was pushed into him, and accepted Amani's hand as they made their way out of the garden. "Now, just because we won him together doesn't mean you get to choose his bedtime." He looked down at the plush, whispering. "You can stay up as long as you want."

"Come on, my place isn't far."

"Apologies for the mess."

Alicio opened the door to his apartment, standing to the side to let Amani in first. It was the penthouse of an apartment complex in downtown Sanctuary, with a view of a sprawling cityscape from the balcony. There was a living room with meticulously-placed grey couches, a well-sorted kitchenette, a doorway leading to his made bed, and another room that acted as his study, which was the only part of his space that needed any sort of cleaning, obviously having been heavily used.

"Do you want anything?" Alicio stepped into the kitchen area, removing his jacket and peeling off his gloves. He placed the nerf gently on the kitchen island, smiling softly at it's dumb expression. "I can start some tea? Or I think I still have that bottle of Emerald Wine lying around somewhere..."

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

She slid into the apartment at Alicio’s behest, giving the space a once-over before stepping further inside. “What mess?” The Mirialan laughed a bit as he felt the need to apologize, seeing as the majority of it looked well maintained.

Amani migrated to the living room, taking a cautious seat at the edge of the nearest couch, where she took time for a more thorough examination of the apartment’s details. “Only if you do,” She wouldn’t say no to a drink, but wasn’t very well going to make him get anything out if he wasn’t himself interested. “Maybe we save the wine for a more particular occasion,” Amani smirked, “I’m not really a casual drinker anyway.”

She hummed, pulling her hair over her shoulder as she began to comb fingers through jet black locks, “You spend much time here?” Regarding the apartment itself, “Just figure your line of work takes you away from home often.” Not that Amani really had any intimate knowledge of the Count lifestyle.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“What mess?”

"Oh, you know," Alicio said, waving his hand generally around the apartment.

At Amani's deference on drink choice to him, Alicio nodded happily. "Tea it is," he said, opening a cupboard and procuring a kettle, which he quickly filled with water and put on the stove. "And... that's probably wise. I'm a bit of a lightweight, anyways." His favorite part about alcohol was how one could use a sip to pause and think at a party.

Alicio fished through another drawer, turning to Amani as he produced a small parcel of sapir. "Most of my work has been here in the city, save for traveling to meet other city-builders and refugee groups." Alicio unfolded the wrapping, revealing the green leaves inside. "Tython was my first camp."

"But when I'm here, I'm usually out and about, meetings and the like. This is just... where I sleep." Or, when he couldn't sleep, where he worked instead, obvious by the messy office, which had loose papers and extra datapads strewn upon his desk.

"Where do you stay?" Alicio leaned on the table, casting Amani a curious look. "I imagine a medic is probably away from home a lot, too. Do you travel much?"

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

"Same," Amani laughed, "I'm uh, a bit of a mess when drunk." Not quite the kind of impression the Mirialan wanted to risk leaving on Alicio tonight.

She listened attentively, her blank gaze set on the movement of his hands fiddling with tea. His conditions were at least more consistent than her own, which the topic inevitably rounded back to.

Amani laughed again, a little more awkwardly this time, "I'm pretty much always traveling. I ah, live in my ship. No reason to have another place to stay if I'm just moving from one job to the next." It was a spacious enough ship, especially since she was the only constant passenger, but the idea of distancing personal life from work life was effectively null for her. She didn't hate the travel, still, stability was an occasionally mourned concept. "That, and I probably couldn't afford another place to stay."

"Working with the NJO brings me to the Core a lot more nowadays. I guess I've always got a place with them. I dunno that it's necessarily an improvement, though." Amani shrugged. An assumedly small dorm in the middle of Jedi HQ, or her own personal spaceship? She'd go ahead and take the latter.

Alicio Organa​