Social Hour

[Kyrinov]

Sith Academy on Dromund Vatsu​

Archives​

2200 Planetary Time​

​

A pale head lifted with a grunt from its owner, the figure's weight shift to the back of his kneeling form. His knees dug into the unforgiving metal floor beneath him, muscles tense and screaming for release. Screaming for a bit of relaxation, of the gentle, comforting ease of rest. He knelt instead of sitting in a lotus position for meditation because it allowed him to focus more, allowed him to remain self-aware.

First, he focused on his surroundings. He was meditating near the back of the library, a lone. glowing red lantern to light the vast setting where he was positioned. The shadows enveloped his kneeling, cloaked figure in a waiting maw of endless darkness, threatening to consume him from all angles. The air around him was terribly cold, sending chills down his spine which attempted to jeopardize his keen focus. He felt as though he could not breathe, every breath scraping at nerves already raw. Each breath held to the point of absolute, agonizing tension before being slowly exhaled over the period of a few seconds.

The alcove seemed to shrink and press down as if to crush him if he did not move. The pressure of being in the archives was enough to make any resident of the Academy feel uncomfortable. The pressure here was immense, compressed by hundreds of feet of sandy brown rock, the imposing Academy, and the hundreds of inhabitants within the edifice. The atmospheric pressure was simply horrible, causing Acolytes to spend only an hour or two in the library at a time. Activity of the other Acolytes was down to a minimum, most preferring to sleep during the night hours.

Though, they couldn't exactly be blamed for their fatigue. By now, simply descending the flights of steps to reach the library foreshadowed the environment one was only steps from entering. With the combination of the artificial oxygen and the pressure that weighed upon one's shoulder like a yoke they were not built to carry, the archive could only be described as an intolerable yet educational and necessary step of learning and growing.

Kyrinov found it to be a healthy environment to study the tomes located on the shelves, meditate, and drill himself in the unorthodox sequences that he'd concocted under his first Master. He had the privacy he preferred and the freedom he desired in this subterranean vault of a library.

At the mark of his seventh hour down in the archives, he felt the atmosphere shift slightly as another entered the rows and rows of bookshelves. He knew the being, to an extent. He knew of her rather. That was far more accurate.

His eyes remained closed and his back straightened. All he did was wait there. There had to be a reason that she was down here at this hour, when the other Acolytes would be in their quarters fast asleep after the day's training regimen.

[member="Dianah Vrorae"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

The archives were the best place to be at night. The glowing lamps covered Dianah in a pale crimson hue, making her look blood soaked from her head to her toes. She often came down here to be in the middle of the silence. When everything and everyone was asleep. In fact, she was there for another reason too. Every single week, without fail, she would have to return to her original form. Being a shi'ido she could only hold the pale faced Sith look for a maximum of one hundred and sixty eight hours exactly. After which her chosen form would begin to take over her body and she would be stuck that way. Not for the first time Dianah wondered what her Father would think if she let herself slip and really became the facade she used regularly.

Her light frame wove in and out dancing between the thick pillars that held thousands of tons of stone from crashing down on top of her. Her thick black hair flew behind her like a leaf falling in the wind. A storm of dust swept up from the floor, madly swirling around Dianah as if despising her for disturbing their sleep. Instead of the usual dark black robes she had chosen to wear a more simple maroon coloured cotton dress. Here and now in the archives, completely alone, in the she felt free to be herself.

Or was she completely alone?

As she had spun around a pillar something had caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Being ever curious, she had to turn around and find out what it was. Sometimes the archives could play tricks on your mind. It created visions and shadows that stayed in your vision until you looked at them directly. It always left a feeling of insanity lingering behind. But this time, to Dianah's surprise, there was actually someone there.

He was kneeling uncomfortably in the dust covered floors, tucked away in an alcove. A curious sight to behold. There was rarely anyone in the archives past a certain time. Most of the weaklings couldn't stand the pressure it exuded. She cleared her throat, by way of catching his attention. While she held great delight in surprising and scaring the living osik out of some people, she had no desire to do it to a Sith mid-...whatever he was doing.

'Well, look what I've found. A lone Sith in the middle of an empty library.'

[member=Kyrinov]

 

[Kyrinov]

The girl's presence wasn't very surprising to the man. He felt her long before he heard her move or speak. She was an interesting one. And a bit odd or crazy, whichever suits her better. What was she thinking being down here now? At this time of night where the Masters could easily come down here and discover them both. She'd quite effectively doubled the risk of being down here past the spoken-unspoken curfew for Acolytes.

She reached him, standing on the outside of the circular arch cast by the lantern, which was close enough for his liking. He liked his space, it was one of the many reason he was down here in the first place.

Then, she spoke with a voice of silk. A voice which he recognized almost immediately.

Well, look what I've found. A lone Sith in the middle of an empty library.'

The white-haired girl from Cordialis. He'd fought alongside her. He wondered briefly if she remembered him. Perhaps he was just a blur or faint memory now. So much happened at such a fast pace that day, it was hard to keep up, let alone remember coherently.

His eyes opened but he made no other movement. The pale man did not stand or turn to face her. His grey orbs bore into the durasteel wall, into the light of the lantern that burned his eyes slightly with the radiance of the crimson glow. What in the name of Ragnos could she want from him at a time like this?

He spoke softly, though his baritone voice was carried and bounced off of wall after wall until the alcove rang with the deafening cacophony of his words.

"Can I help you? I didn't think I would hear from you again after Cordialis."

[member="Dianah Vrorae"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

Using the pillars as balance Dianah tilted her head impossibly to the side. The cool of the stone underneath her fingers was pleasing. Her thick black hair swung for a few moments in the air before stopping still. With his head turned and his back toward him she couldn't examine his face or any notable features that might have given her a clue to his identity. Her eyelids flickered over her onyx eyes as she clawed at everything she remembered about his voice. It was familiar some how.

He had said something about Cordialis but nothing clicked. There were so many Sith and so many bodies.

In one swift movement she had walked silently over to where he was sitting. Dianah lent forward at her mid-rift and tilted her head again. If he was paying any attention at all and not just staring, like it looked like he was doing from her vantage point, he would have noticed her appear slowly in the corner of one eye. For a few seconds her forehead crinkled with intense focus as she examined every inch of his face. A bright look of recognition followed and lit up her face.

'Ah!' She said and rather loudly. The echo his voice had made was still fresh in her ears. She fancied giving it a go herself. Her high pitched voice carried almost as far and left a monotonous ring that stretched far back into the unexplored sections of the vast library. 'You sound so much different without the music of a hundred Jedi screams.'

She scrambled to sit down next to him, preferring to sit cross legged instead of on her knees. 'I was wondering when we'd meet again.'

[member=Kyrinov]

 

[Kyrinov]

His grey eyes shifted to her now seated form, glancing to the left as he shifted over so that he'd still be somewhat in the clear of the room. He appeared to relax slightly, easing up the pressure he placed on his knees now that he wasn't exactly meditating anymore. He tilted his head to each side and found his reward when his neck popped twice to relieve the pent up tension caused by his chosen position.

"I suppose I would sound different in an empty library."

He'd give a smirk as he glanced at her. His white eyebrows raised and then furrowed toward the middle. She looked... different than he remembered her to be. The girl that waved to him among the throngs of battle was an entirely white color, albeit different shades of white.

The girl beside him had light olive skin and long, brown hair that went just past her shoulders. Her eyes were still stunning as he remembered them to be, they burned with the same fiery passion of the orange ones. They were, instead, a very dark brown color. This was certainly odd and awkward for him. He'd heard of races of beings that could change their appearance at a whim, but, until now, he'd never encountered any being with that ability.

It was... intriguing to the Epicanthix.

"I was hoping I would see you again. You interest me," he paused for a few moments, filling the room with the hovering silence of the rest of the archive.

"Two questions. One, why are you down here? Two, you look different than I remember you to be. Why is that, if you don't mind telling me."

It was a redundant question, he knew. But, he was interested to learn a bit about her species. It was new to him and he was a sucker for knowledge, so he thought why not? Plus, this would be a nice little ice breaker between the two so they weren't stuck exchanging boring, bland, and unpleasant small talk.

[member="Dianah Vrorae"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

Sitting like this was still uncomfortable, so instead she spun around and pressed her back against a set of the tall shelves. Her eyes fixed on him properly this time. The light wasn't the best for inspecting faces, it cast a dim red glow over everything. But then again the last time they had met they were covered head to toe in Jedi blood. In Dinah's mind it confirmed that he was who she thought. There was a content glow on her face as she settled back against her chosen support. It was a rare occurrence to bump into someone when your first meeting was in the middle of a battlefield. Tensions and adrenaline were always running high. It made minute details difficult to remember.

She enjoyed the look of confusion that spread across his face. There was never any intention of showing anyone her original form, but some matters couldn't be helped. If need be she could always threaten him. Dianah didn't think that would be necessary though. For one, it seemed they both had a deep curiosity about one another. That was enough to cement an easy truce. At least for now.

Secondly, it looked like he could kick her to hell and back without blinking an eyelid. What kind of man comes down to empty archives in the middle of the night if he weren't determined, focused and a little bit insane? She might been quick to rush into things and a little bit of a try-hard at times but she definitely wasn't stupid. She also wasn't afraid to say when someone or something surpassed her own abilities.

'Hmm...why is that indeed?'

Dianah toyed with the idea of telling him. There was every chance that in the near future they would be pitted against each other in some kind of brutal duel. What little information she did give him, she would have to be cautious with. It would do no good telling your future sparring partners all about your strengths and weaknesses. But in this case, the shroud of mystery was already lost.

'I'm a shi'ido. I can change my form whenever I like. I just happened to like this one tonight.' She paused, the decided to tack a short rambling explanation onto the end. 'Nothing major mind you. There are a few I have tried and practised so often that I could do them in my sleep. If I was standing in front of someone I could change my skin-tone or my hair to match theirs. Eventually, "when I'm older and wiser" I'll be able to do more and quicker.'

There was no follow up. No mention of what she happened to be doing in the library so late at night. She thought it best to keep the details of her abilities close to heart. Despite this, she asked of him the same question.

'What brings you down to the lonely depths of the archives at such a late hour?'

[member=Kyrinov]

 

[Kyrinov]

He listened intently as she spoke of herself and her Shi'ido abilities. They sounded quite helpful and beneficial to any person. She could change her shape at any given time. As long as it was practiced and known to her. She could adjust herself to take on features of a person she was near or in front of at any time, if she wanted.

She never did answer his question about why she was down here.

Oh well, he suppose she could keep her motives to herself if she so wished.

The girl certainly had plenty of reason to do so, at any rate. They were soon-to-be Sith in the making, after all. Secrecy was their every day life.

She asked him something and he, again, lent her his ears as she did so. 'What brings you down to the lonely depths of the archives at such a late hour?'

The very question she'd avoided only moments prior and refused to answer. But, he had nothing to hide right now, so, he afforded her a short answer, "I was meditating. I planned to simply meditate and study tonight."

A inquiry of his own came to mind as he was speaking. He knew of the pale/olive changing girl. He knew of her race. What he didn't know was her name.

The question followed his answer promptly and came out as a sort of afterthought on his end. "What is your name, if you don't mind sharing it? A person does need a name after all. Otherwise, you'll just be known as Shapeshifting Girl." He let out an easy, light laugh after his statement.

He rather liked that little nickname.

[member="Dianah Vrorae"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

An elegant finger twirled the stiff curls in her dark brown hair. He confirmed her suspicion that he was in fact meditating, all alone in the depths of the archives. So he was crazy. Or determined. Whatever it was that kept him here it made her the fire of her curiosity even greater.

He asked for her name next and rightly so. In this whole time they had been talking it never once occurred to her to give him her name.

'My name is Dianah. But I think I prefer Shape-shifting girl.'

'When I'm in my other form some people nicknamed me 'The Woman in White'. I rather liked that name too.'

There was something powerful about knowing someone's name. Using it could call them to you in moments, it could make them laugh or cry. Sometimes even the mere mention of a name would send shivers down any spine. So, in return, she asked for his name.

'What about you, my mystery man from the battlefield. What do you call yourself?'

[member=Kyrinov]

 

[Kyrinov]

He smiled and let out a dry laugh.

"Shape-Shifting Girl it is, then."

His position shifted so that he was sitting cross-legged next to the girl he knew to be called Dianah. Quite the lovely name. But, what did he expect, she was a lovely and fascinating girl. On and off the battlefield, it seems. Get a girl that can do both, he supposed to himself, chuckling lightly.

"Oh you know," he probed jokingly "I'm called the Exarch, Paragon, a sadist, a monster, the list goes on... Insane, is chief among the list, however." His eyes met hers and his smile grew a bit, making itself wider for an instant. There was something charming and dangerously alluring about this Dianah woman. What that was, he couldn't say, for now.

Perhaps, he'd find out as they grew to know each other better.

But, he figured, there was no harm in giving her his name.

"I'm Kyrinov. Nice to meet you, Dianah. Now, would you do me the honor of gracing my ears with the reason your down in the Archives so late? Or is that confidential?" a hand of his flicked about and twirled through the air in an exaggerated flourishing movement to go with his play on words.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] ​

 

[Darth Miseria]

He reeled off his long list of impressive names one after the other.

'Ah, insanity. All the best people are insane... How many of those names did you make up yourself?'

She grinned widely at him. First impressions can be terribly wrong so often, but Dianah was pleased her first impression of this man was right. He was interesting, funny and rather whimsical. The latter had come as a surprise but it only made her like him more. Only the truly insane would call themselves so. It seemed Dianah and Kyrinov were on the same page there, if nothing else.

'Kyrinov.'

It was an interesting name and Dianah said it aloud into the depths of the archives. It echoed back and forth, getting softer and softer as it dived deeper. His question had not passed her by but for a few moments she seemed lost in the noise of his name that could still be heard faintly in the distance.

'Ooooh, you know. A little of this and a little of that.'

Her head tilted from left to right as she spoke. Her thin brown eyebrows furrowed for a few moments and the released as she opened her mouth to talk again. Dianah had no idea why she felt so secretive about her reasons for being down in the archives. It had only just dawned on her it was a rather trivial fact. It was clear he didn't recognise her as the daughter of the powerful Sith Lord. If he did recognise her he hadn't said a word thus far. One of the first things to come out of strangers mouths was often a comment on how much her appearance represented her house. But since he seemed blissfully unaware, she could see nothing dangerous coming from him knowing knowing her secret.

'I have to be in this form. Once a week. No exceptions. If I don't revert back I'll start to keep the appearance you saw on the battlefield for good. While I am quite fond of it I don't think I could give this one up.'

[member=Kyrinov]

 

[Kyrinov]

He chuckled as her question fell from her lips and into the semi-enclosed space.


'... How many of those names did you make up yourself?'

His response was simple. "Only one. Exarch is self-appointed. Paragon is from my old Master. Though you are quite right, all of the best people are insane to some degree or another. I take it this means that you are insane as well, Dianah?"

She said his name and it sounded simply amazing. It reverberated out into the rows and columns and piles of books, scrolls, shelves, and paper inside the Archive. He, too, listened intently to the sound soften and fade within the depths of the underground edifice and within his own ears. So much so that he almost didn't hear her response to his question.

And, even then, she did not really answer the question.

Not that she really needed to. Why the daughter of Darth Metus would need to answer him, he wasn't sure. Though he only felt this entitlement because Darth Metus was one of the Sith these days that he actually admired. Or, even, tolerated.

But, he didn't want to know her as Metus' daughter. He wanted to get to know her first. After all, she is her own person. She wasn't only an extension of her family or her famous father. That was not a way to make friends or potential allies. Plus, she was likely bombarded by these questions left and right whenever she met someone new.

He was not about to be that guy.
All in all, she seemed like a lovely person, as far as he could tell.

She explained the form she displayed, going into detail of how she needed to revert back to the human-esque form she currently sported. It made him grin a little.

"Aww, that's a shame. I liked The Woman In White. Though, that isn't to say that your current form isn't equally flattering, Shape-Shifting Girl." He offered a wider grin to show the playfulness of the statement.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]​