Private Soup Season

[Diogo Talon]

CORUSCANT, MID-LEVEL
SLURP SHACK
Eloise Dinn

Slurp. Left swipe. Slurp. Left swipe. Slurp. Eyebrow raise, half-a-second consideration, left swipe. Slurp. And so on.

Diogo sat at the counter of the little hole-in-the-wall soup joint known as Slurp Shack. Hunched over a steaming bowl of soup, he carelessly swiped the screen on his dimly-lit datapad. The brightness was turned down just enough that it wasn't immediately obvious he had the Zinder app open.

Compared to the selection on the dating app, his choice of cuisine had been fairly easy. Creamed Rishi corn soup. He'd developed a recent taste for it after being captured by Rishi pirates and fed the dish as his only meal. For some reason—though it was basically just gruel, not to mention dubiously prepared by the greasy cook in the back—Diogo found it a delight. Both simple and comforting. Was that Stockholm syndrome or something? He shrugged his shoulders and stuffed a spoonful of hot soup in his mouth.

All things considered, it was a decent day so far. It was that weird time of year after the frenzy of Life Day but right before the excitement of Primeday. Running on fumes, but... well, still running. It was a perfect time for a little RnR and some quiet time alone. And a good time for soup. Though, in the life of an Anzat, technically everyday was a good day for soup.

Diogo tapped the screen of his datapad, bringing his Zinder profile up. He shamelessly stared at his opening photo, unable to comprehend why it wasn't more popular with the ladies. In the picture he was standing on a sleek Niamos pier, proudly grinning like an idiot with his trophy: a fresh caught, green-scaled, medium-size fish dangling from a rusty hook in his hands. A classic, no?

 

[Eloise Dinn]

A bowl was abruptly set down on the table across from the distracted Diogo. Topato stew, judging by the savory aroma and light green color of the broth. The chair was pulled out, and into it sank a tired looking Eloise. She was bundled up in winter clothes, though she unzipped her jacket and took off her hat after she sat down. Her ginger roots were showing; she was trying to stop dyeing her hair.

"Diogo, right?" she confirmed. Picking up her spoon, she swirled it in her stew before raising it to her mouth. Slurp. "We met at a party. A gala." She said the word like it was foreign to her. "Been looking for you ever since."

Okay, so that was a lie. She had deliberately avoided him on the one other occasion she had seen him, at that ballistakinesis class. But that could be excused, given how crazy ass that session got. Watching two Jedi Masters and a Wilder yell at each other like that tended to overshadow anything else that might've been going on concurrently.

But she had meant to track Diogo down eventually. She did feel guilty about ditching him on the dancefloor for a pretty-yet-boring Zabrak. If nothing else, she wanted to apologize for that. If he would let her, that is.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Caught off guard, Diogo clumsily powered off his datapad and flipped it over so the screen was facing down on the counter. Where the feth did she just come from?

Actually, Diogo had been thinking about Eloise recently. This felt serendipitous, or just coincidence, or something of the sort. He'd caught a glimpse of her at the ballistakinesis class—what an entertaining shitshow that was—and talked to Braze about her at the Fire Festival. If and when they ever met again, he wondered how he would act. Stand-offish maybe, or he'd try to play it cool. None of that mattered when he saw her, though, with her ginger-roots showing, an exhausted look on her face, but unmistakably Eloise. Whatever plans he concocted now disappeared; like her roots, pretense faded away, revealing the authenticity that lingered below.

"Hey, you," he said softly, implicitly confirming his name. "I remember. What do you mean you've been lookin' for me?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Hey, you," he said softly, implicitly confirming his name. "I remember. What do you mean you've been lookin' for me?"

Her eyebrows rose. "I mean I've been lookin' for you," she echoed his accent and inflections back at him with a little smile. "You're not that hard to find. I just had to make time."

More importantly, she had to muster up the guts to face him again. The tough girl act was all well and good for the insufferable clowns that made up the majority of her compatriots, except on the rare occasion when she found somebody who seemed to genuinely like her for herself. Then she felt bad for being so prickly—or in this case, fickle. A good person, let alone a good man, was hard to find.

She swallowed another spoonful of soup, stalling for just another moment. Though she tried to hide her anxiety, it gave away how much she genuinely wanted to make amends. "If you remember, I just kind of left you standing there. There was this Zabrak that was really smoking hot, like damn, dude. But his personality didn't match up with his looks and..." Honest as ever. She waved a hand dismissively. "Point is, I feel a little guilty. Little embarrassed, too. I just want to say I'm sorry for walking away like that. You seem like a... a chill guy."

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

The way Eloise echoed him and offered a little smile hit Diogo like a ton of bricks, or alternatively, like a tall, purple-haired woman crashing into him on a dance floor. Was it possible to miss someone you didn't really know? Diogo blushed slightly, feeling disarmed, and smiled as his gaze fell down to his bowl of soup. "Oh, well.... I'm glad you made the time."

Swirling his spoon, Diogo listened as she spoke. The smoking hot, like damn dude line had him squirming uncomfortably in his seat for a minute. Like damn girl, okay. But when she started trying to make amends, he couldn't help but look up. His gaze lingered on her green eyes. There was an uneasiness to her, which Diogo took as confirmation that her apology was genuine. Why feel uncomfortable if you didn't care?

"I appreciate that, but don't feel bad. There's no hard feelings. Yeah, I was bummed, but I figured you weren't interested. Which, y'know, fair enough." Actually, her walking away kinda charmed him even more. Diogo was tired of being submissive to life, merely reacting to things that happened to him. Always waiting. And for what? So when she took matters into her own hands, even when it meant ditching him, he was attracted to it in a way. He wasn't about to tell her that, though.

Taking a moment to pause, he studied her freckles. "You really went out of your way just to come apologize to me?" The question wasn't intended to imply she had ulterior motives, it was just surprising. "I feel like you probably don't do that sort of thing very often."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"I appreciate that, but don't feel bad. There's no hard feelings. Yeah, I was bummed, but I figured you weren't interested. Which, y'know, fair enough."

"It's not that I'm not interested," she said, arching her eyebrows. "I'm just not used to people being nice to me. If they are, it's usually because they want something."

It was why she flitted from boy to boy, unable to resist the lure of attraction but unable to fully commit herself. She tended to reject them right when they started reciprocating her advances, afraid that it was all just a ruse. Plenty of people seemed to think she was hot, but nobody actually liked her.

"You really went out of your way just to come apologize to me? I feel like you probably don't do that sort of thing very often."

Eloise from a year ago probably would've taken offense. Current Eloise couldn't even deny it. "Not particularly, no. I'm usually the one who starts shit, but then the other person fires back and suddenly I don't feel so bad about tearing them a new one." She pointed to his soup. "What did you get? Is it any good?"

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"Oh. That makes sense," Diogo said, as though he'd never considered that. "Well, I don't want anything. I just thought you were cool. And a pretty decent dancer." Yeah, she was hot, but he felt more attracted to her honesty and authenticity than her looks. Plus, it was obvious to him there was depth to her and he was intrigued. Maybe it was the enchanting allure of mystery, but was that such a bad thing? Nah, curiosity bound the galaxy just as much as gravity.

Diogo smirked when she mentioned starting shit, remembering her telling him,

"Oh, you should always take me seriously, baby, with or without knighthood. Too many people make the mistake of thinking I’m just a joker."

Classic Eloise.

She pointed to his soup. "What did you get? Is it any good?"

"Creamed Rishi corn soup. I'm from Niamos, if you recall, and Rishi is right next door. Pirates make it better, though," he said vaguely. "Wanna try it?" He placed his hand on the side of the bowl, ready to slide it to her if she said yes.

"So, how have you been? You look good. Different, but good."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Well, I don't want anything. I just thought you were cool. And a pretty decent dancer."

"I thought you were pretty cool, too." Never mind his dancing.

"Creamed Rishi corn soup. I'm from Niamos, if you recall, and Rishi is right next door. Pirates make it better, though. Wanna try it?"

"I was hoping you'd offer." She licked any remnants of topato soup from her spoon, then dipped it in his bowl, blowing gently before raising it to her lips. "Not bad. Dunno what pirates have to do with it..." She tapped her bowl with a fingernail. "Want some of mine?"

"So, how have you been? You look good. Different, but good."

"You look the same." She smirked. "Hmm... I got into a philosophical debate with this chick while training with guns, dropped a building on top of a Sith Lord, and fought in battle alongside the Chancellor of the Alliance. Been a bit more busy lately. How about you?"

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"I thought you were pretty cool, too."

"Are you just tellin' me what I want to hear?" She didn't compliment his dancing, so probably not (rude). But he was teasing her, anyway, making reference to what she said to him on Dantooine. Despite his alcohol-infused haze that evening, he remembered everything.

"I was hoping you'd offer." She licked any remnants of topato soup from her spoon, then dipped it in his bowl, blowing gently before raising it to her lips. "Not bad. Dunno what pirates have to do with it..." She tapped her bowl with a fingernail. "Want some of mine?"

Diogo grinned. He loved sharing food. A basic activity, mundane even, but there was sanctity in the small stuff.

"Sure." Eagerly digging into her bowl, Diogo took the largest spoonful he could and stuffed it in his mouth. "Topato, right? You got good taste," he said after, licking the spoon. You could say soup was his specialty.

"You look the same." She smirked. "Hmm... I got into a philosophical debate with this chick while training with guns, dropped a building on top of a Sith Lord, and fought in battle alongside the Chancellor of the Alliance. Been a bit more busy lately. How about you?"

"Philosopher, warrior, chummy with the Chancellor... a woman of many talents."

"I've been busy, as well," he admitted. "I got captured by a Sith Lord. I got captured by pirates. Faced down a couple Wyyyshokks and lived to tell the tale. A blind guy ( Aadihr Lidos ) taught me how to shoot a slugthrower. I think he might've had the hots for me, though." Which definitely wasn't true, but it made the story sound better and besides, he wasn't here to defend himself.

"I guess a lot's happened since Dantooine. For both of us."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Are you just tellin' me what I want to hear?"

"I don't think I can tell you what you want to hear in public," Eloise replied with a shit-eating grin. "Unless I've got you all wrong, in which case hey, at least I'm not trying to tell you what you want to hear and failing at it."

She watched with raised eyebrows as he dug into her bowl, taking the biggest "sample" he could manage. "Yeah," she confirmed the flavor. "This is my first time trying it, actually. It's pretty good."

"Philosopher, warrior, chummy with the Chancellor... a woman of many talents."

"That's me."

"I've been busy, as well. I got captured by a Sith Lord. I got captured by pirates. Faced down a couple Wyyyshokks and lived to tell the tale. A blind guy taught me how to shoot a slugthrower. I think he might've had the hots for me, though."

"Do you get captured a lot?" she asked, eyes sparkling with mirth.

Blind guy... Yeah, that tracked. She remembered seeing Diogo and a Miraluka at the ballistakinesis lesson. The blindfold always gave their kind away. "That lesson with the guns was nuts," she remarked. "When the guy running it, the furry elf dude, and Valery Noble's husband all got into a screaming match right towards the end, I knew it was time to get the hell out of dodge. And didn't somebody find an illegal disruptor in the batch of weapons, too?" Her tone was flippant and jokey, but it was clear the whole incident had bothered her more than she was willing to admit. Not because she objected to the idea of training with guns, but because of how dysfunctional and chaotic their leadership seemed.

"I guess a lot's happened since Dantooine. For both of us."

"Yeah." She breathed a sigh, pouted her lips, then squinted at him. "So... Do you, uh, swing both ways?" she asked, in reference to his earlier comment about the Miraluka. She somehow doubted that guy actually had the hots for him—probably because he couldn't fething see—but if Dio was making that claim, she assumed it meant he wished the dude was down bad for him.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"I don't think I can tell you what you want to hear in public," Eloise replied with a shit-eating grin. "Unless I've got you all wrong, in which case hey, at least I'm not trying to tell you what you want to hear and failing at it."

Oh, shit—he almost spilled his soup. Diogo's eyes darted around the room. A lone patron sat in a corner booth, but all was quiet except for the clinking of dishes in the kitchen. "Oh yeah? No-one's around," he dared, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you get captured a lot?" she asked, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Nah," he chuckled, matching her mirth. "Unless you count twice as a lot. You ever been tied it up? It's not so bad."

"That lesson with the guns was nuts," she remarked. "When the guy running it, the furry elf dude, and Valery Noble's husband all got into a screaming match right towards the end, I knew it was time to get the hell out of dodge. And didn't somebody find an illegal disruptor in the batch of weapons, too?"

Eloise seemed a little unnerved by the incident. Maybe just concerned? Hard to say.

"It was wild, man. I've never seen masters argue like that before. Here we are in a multi-front war and they're arguin' 'bout some bullshit. I didn't know Val's husband was related to Carnifex, either. A bit concerning. Tyrus Vastor was cool, though. And yeah, it was a Mandalorian ripper. Tyrus let me borrow it, but I didn't get to shoot it which was lame. I did see you in the class," he added, voice softening. "But I didn't want to bother you."

"Yeah. So... Do you, uh, swing both ways?"

Diogo smirked. "I like to have fun," he answered vaguely. In reality, he pretty much swung whichever way the wind blew. Recently, though, he'd been stuck languishing in the aftermath of a purple-haired whirlwind that smashed into him on Dantooine.

"I haven't been too lucky in the romance department, lately," he admitted, shrugging. "Haven't had a lot of time, though, to be fair. How about you?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Her remark riled him up a bit more than intended. Eloise instinctively cupped one hand around the side of his soup bowl to prevent a mess, greatly amused by his reaction. She enjoyed teasing him.

"Oh yeah? No-one's around," he dared, raising an eyebrow.

"All right." With her free hand, she pressed two fingers to her temple like she was reading his mind. She wasn't, of course, though it was within possibility. But where was the fun in that? "Everything is going to turn out fine. You'll save the galaxy, get the girl, and be the best Jedi who ever lived."

"You ever been tied up? It's not so bad."

She looked at him like he was crazy (and by this time she was starting to think he really was nuts, which for her was saying something) and laughed. "I take it you weren't really afraid, then?"

"It was wild, man. I've never seen masters argue like that before. Here we are in a multi-front war and they're arguin' 'bout some bullshit. I didn't know Val's husband was related to Carnifex, either. A bit concerning. Tyrus Vastor was cool, though. And yeah, it was a Mandalorian ripper. Tyrus let me borrow it, but I didn't get to shoot it which was lame. I did see you in the class," he added, voice softening. "But I didn't want to bother you."

"I also saw you," she admitted. "Tyrus is even cooler than I thought if he let you borrow an illegal weapon." As for his argument with Kahlil, her smile thinned. "It's less who you're related to, and more how you're raised. Sith shit permeates everything, shapes your views and beliefs and your whole outlook. If you grow up in it, it's basically a permanent part of who you are. Doesn't matter if you leave or switch sides, it's always with you. Maybe a little more subtle, but still there."

"I like to have fun. I haven't been too lucky in the romance department, lately. Haven't had a lot of time, though, to be fair. How about you?"

"It's complicated." She swiped her finger around the inside of her mostly empty bowl and licked it. "There was a boy back home who treated me like a goddess—in a bad, obsessive way. Most of the guys I've met in the Order were either out of my age range, wildly unattractive, or both, so it's been slim pickings." Saying that Dio wasn't so bad in comparison felt like a backhanded compliment, so she didn't remark on it. Instead she thought of something funny to talk about: "Do you know Braze?"

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Thankfully, she appreciated his genuine reaction. Diogo was pleased with himself for amusing her.

"Everything is going to turn out fine. You'll save the galaxy, get the girl, and be the best Jedi who ever lived."

Diogo squinted skeptically, exaggerated for humor. "They teach you how to be that broad and vague in fortuneteller school?"

"I take it you weren't really afraid, then?"

The look on Eloise's face was priceless, but concerning. He wasn't actually that crazy. He laughed, too, just 'cus hers was contagious. "Yes and no," he admitted. "Against the Sith Lord? I was scared shitless and thought I was gonna die. Almost did. The pirates not so much, though. They just wanted a payday."

"I also saw you," she admitted. "Tyrus is even cooler than I thought if he let you borrow an illegal weapon."

Eloise did see him at the lesson. Yet, she had been looking for him? Diogo was pretty sure that square didn't circle. He didn't know what to make of that, so he stiffened defensively and swirled the dregs of his soup.

"Yeah, he's so badass. I want to see if Tyrus will let me join him on a mission to the Underworld. See what's what. And maybe with him watchin' my back, I won't get captured. For once."

"It's less who you're related to, and more how you're raised. Sith shit permeates everything, shapes your views and beliefs and your whole outlook. If you grow up in it, it's basically a permanent part of who you are. Doesn't matter if you leave or switch sides, it's always with you. Maybe a little more subtle, but still there."

She spoke with familiarity, which could only really mean one thing. "Sounds like you know from experience, El," he said, softly and soberly. No surprise or judgement held space in his voice, just acknowledgement and an invitation to share if she wanted.

"It's complicated." She swiped her finger around the inside of her mostly empty bowl and licked it. "There was a boy back home who treated me like a goddess—in a bad, obsessive way. Most of the guys I've met in the Order were either out of my age range, wildly unattractive, or both, so it's been slim pickings."

"Sounds difficult." Diogo, AKA Mr. slim picking, sympathized. "Hard to be with someone who doesn't take you as you are." Silently, he wondered how much more there was to that story.

"Do you know Braze?"

"The galaxy's biggest gossip? Yeah, I know Braze. Met him recently, actually," he answered. Part of Diogo wanted to tell her what Braze told him, his judgements of her and something about her being a godling and a sister? But, he feared how she'd perceive him talking about her behind her back, even though all he did was defend her against some of Braze's shit talking. He decided to keep it to himself. "Why do you ask?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"They teach you how to be that broad and vague in fortuneteller school?"

"It’s what you want to hear, isn’t it?" she replied, giving him a faux-innocent look. If he was going to tease her, she'd dish it right back at him.

"Yeah, he's so badass. I want to see if Tyrus will let me join him on a mission to the Underworld. See what's what. And maybe with him watchin' my back, I won't get captured. For once."

She smirked.

"Sounds like you know from experience, El."

Her smirk dropped. "I've tried so hard to keep my background a secret, and yet more often than not people end up figuring it out anyway. It's almost funny." The smirk returned, though it was more grim than before. "My entire family is Sith, though we're nowhere near as infamous as the Zambranos. Mom is locked away in Azrael, Dad is... I don't know where he is. My twin brother is a student at one of the Sith academies, and my other siblings are busy ruling a planet."

With the topic of their conversation having taken a darker turn, she didn't comment on her previous relationship even though she could tell Diogo wanted to know more. It was depressing, and she wanted to lighten the mood.

"The galaxy's biggest gossip? Yeah, I know Braze. Met him recently, actually. Why do you ask?"

“His big mouth has ruined lives.” She leaned back in her chair casually and began to tell her side of the story, growing more animated as she spoke. “But anyway—a couple years ago, he threw this slumber party on his ship. I somehow got invited even though I didn't really know him. It was lame as hell, just a bunch of dweebs sitting around painting each other's nails. Dudes included. Finally, he announces he’s going to put on a movie. But the only options he has are all family friendly little kid shit.

“Anyway, I said something to him about it. It wasn't very nice, but if you're going to invite a bunch of fourteen, fifteen, sixteen year olds to a party and put on cartoons for babies, you're practically asking to get bullied. Braze being Braze, he takes it personally. Gets up in my face and starts ranting and calling me names. At that point I'm pretty much done with this shit. I went to go have a smoke—I used to smoke a pipe back then—and fething Kahlil Noble appears out of nowhere and starts bitching at me. Seriously, it was like he sensed that I was causing trouble and teleported there." She couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "He tells me to leave, and I'm like, 'Motherfether, I'm already on my way out', and I left.

"A bit later Braze and I made amends. I thought great, it's all in the past. But that little freak hasn't been able to shut up about me ever since. I know it, because his gossiping eventually reaches me." She rubbed a hand over her face with exaggerated exasperation. "He's always yapping about how he would date me if it weren't for my personality. As if I would ever have any interest in his sorry ass."

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"It’s what you want to hear, isn’t it?" she replied, giving him a faux-innocent look. If he was going to tease her, she'd dish it right back at him.

Eloise's faux-innocent look made him weak in the knees. Luckily, he was sitting.

"Technically. I mean, 'everything is going to turn out fine' encompasses well... everything." Arguing with women should be a Galactic Olympic sport. There wouldn't be any winners, though.

Her smirk dropped. "I've tried so hard to keep my background a secret, and yet more often than not people end up figuring it out anyway. It's almost funny." The smirk returned, though it was more grim than before. "My entire family is Sith, though we're nowhere near as infamous as the Zambranos. Mom is locked away in Azrael, Dad is... I don't know where he is. My twin brother is a student at one of the Sith academies, and my other siblings are busy ruling a planet."

And Diogo thought he had fethed up family dynamics... Force damn.

Diogo's eyes shimmered, the overhead lights reflected off the muddying moisture in them. "I'm sorry..." he paused to give her space. He felt weird prying, and didn't want to prioritize satiating his curiosity over her feelings, so he left space for her to follow up or add anything she felt like sharing.

"Your entire family is Sith, yet here you are," he said, without continuing the thought, but his tone implied admiration for her strength, resolve, or whatever other myriad ways there were of describing that.

"My father wasn't Sith, but he went crazy one night and murdered a bunch of people," Diogo said, uncomfortably. He'd never told anyone that before. Uttering it aloud felt like an out of body experience. But it felt right to say it, to ease the pressure off Eloise, if nothing else.

"I used to smoke a pipe back then..."

"Hold the Holophone. You used to smoke a pipe?" Something about that felt very absurd. "Also, you and Braze?" He tried to stifle laughter. "You'd make a cute couple." To add to the humor of it all, Diogo found it pretty funny Braze said 'if it weren't for your personality.' Isn't that what you date someone for? So like... what, he just chose the most backhanded way to say he found her physically attractive? Yeah, that sounded like Braze.

"But seriously. I think Braze just wears his heart on his sleeve and wants everyone to like him." Diogo shrugged. "Not trying to downplay your experience, it's just his intentions aren't bad. He's just a little childish in his need for approval. Also, you both have strong personalities, so..." Diogo gave her a knowing look. "I'm sure you could've been nicer."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Technically. I mean, 'everything is going to turn out fine' encompasses well... everything."

"Would be pretty great if everything did turn out fine," Eloise muttered. She was about ready to let this part of the conversation go before it lost its charm.

The look on his face after she described her screwed up family was... unexpected. Were those tears in his eyes? She watched him curiously, wondering what brought on such a strong reaction.

"Your entire family is Sith, yet here you are."

Oh yeah, that part needed some extra explaining, didn't it? "I had a... revelation, I guess," she said. "Stumbled upon something I wasn't supposed to see. It changed everything, especially how I viewed my parents. Let's just say they went from being power-hungry to just straight up... hungry."

"My father wasn't Sith, but he went crazy one night and murdered a bunch of people."

There it was. She leaned forward on her elbows, still studying him. "Why'd he do that?" she asked, confused and maybe a little too curious for her own good.

"Hold the Holophone. You used to smoke a pipe?"

"Yeah, I was gross like that." And she wondered why she developed such a bad reputation during her first year with the NJO.

"Also, you and Braze? You'd make a cute couple."

Eloise made a face. "Gross." While he yammered on about how Braze wasn't so bad, his intentions were good, blah blah blah, she almost regretted bringing up the gossiping shithead in the first place. At least he seemed entertained by the craziness of the whole story. "Wouldn't you rather see me coupled with somebody else?" she asked pointedly. "Someone better looking, more mature..." Underneath the table, she hooked the toe of her boot behind the leg of his chair, tugging him ever so slightly closer.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"Would be pretty great if everything did turn out fine," Eloise muttered. She was about ready to let this part of the conversation go before it lost its charm.

"What do you want? Galactic domination?" Diogo asked. Sensing Eloise's lost enthusiasm for the topic, he was ready to drop it, but figured he should ask first.

"I had a... revelation, I guess," she said. "Stumbled upon something I wasn't supposed to see. It changed everything, especially how I viewed my parents. Let's just say they went from being power-hungry to just straight up... hungry."

"What do you mean, hungry?" Cannibalism. Had to be, right? But saying it aloud felt like a curse. "And you witnessed it?"

"Why'd he do that?"

"He was... is an Anzat. Lost control, went on a rampage. I never got to ask him what happened and I don't know where he is now. Could be in Azrael with your mom for all I know." Diogo didn't mind her curiosity. Loth-cat was out of the bag, anyway.

"Yeah, I was gross like that."

Diogo shrugged. He wasn't judging, and he didn't know her back then so it didn't matter.

Eloise made a face. "Gross."

Diogo was yapping and being preachy again, wasn't he? He could sense the energy shift in Eloise and it reminded him of Dantooine. He sighed, telling himself to stop doing that so often. Luckily, an attractive woman his age apparently being into him was the best motivation he could have.

"Wouldn't you rather see me coupled with somebody else?" she asked pointedly. "Someone better looking, more mature..." Underneath the table, she hooked the toe of her boot behind the leg of his chair, tugging him ever so slightly closer.

Diogo smirked, then found himself jolted forward as his chair made a sharp screech on the well-worn linoleum floor. Slightly startled, he quickly composed himself and leaned in. "That depends," he teased, mischief twinkling in his eyes. Diogo reciprocated her movement, hooking his own foot around her chair leg and pulling it forward, eye contact locked. "You gotta give to get, don't ya think?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"What do you want? Galactic domination?"

"Ha! Nah." She shrugged. "I want things to work out for once."

She said it casually, but there was a deep pain behind the words. Things had not worked out for her in a long time. Some shit always came up, ruining her day and spoiling her chances in life. It was exhausting, demoralizing, and made her feel old before her time. Something had to give.

"What do you mean, hungry?"

Eloise hesitated just a little longer before replying in a soft voice, "My parents ate people." Like him, she had never admitted it to anyone, only vaguely implying what had occurred. It felt surreal to say it out loud.

"And you witnessed it?"

"Yeah."

She could still see the looks on their faces. Mom had reacted almost like a teenager whose parents had just walked in on her with a boyfriend, eyes wide above reddening cheeks. Then she started screaming, "You shouldn't be here, you aren't supposed to see this!" Daddy just looked sad. Unbearably, soul-crushingly sad.

"From what I remember, they had different reasons for doing it," she continued. "My mom, she thought she had to drain other people's life in order to replenish her own. With my dad, it was some sort of curse that made him want to eat Force sensitives." She shook her head. "My dad was always more of a victim of circumstance, even when it came to being a Sith. Mom joined because she wanted power and to piss off her parents. He was a slave with no choice in the matter." And even when he did have a choice, a chance at a better life, he came crawling back.

Eloise couldn't complain too much. If he had left the Sith for good, she'd never have been born.

"He was... is an Anzat. Lost control, went on a rampage. I never got to ask him what happened and I don't know where he is now. Could be in Azrael with your mom for all I know."

Eloise stared at him, stunned. She wouldn't have believed him if it weren't for the look in his eyes. "Feth," she muttered, then gave him a faint smile. "I feel sorry for your old man."

They had more in common than she ever would've guessed. It was a pretty crazy coincidence. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel so alone. She had already pulled his chair forward, and he responded in kind, dragging her around the table to get her closer to him, when something rather important occurred to her. "Does that mean you're half-Anzati?" she asked, her face mere inches from his. Probably should've thought to ask before she got within reach of any potential proboscises...

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"Ha! Nah." She shrugged. "I want things to work out for once."

"Maybe they will," he shrugged. "Just have to be lucky one time." Due to their similar experiences, he knew there was something deeper behind her words. He felt the same way. But given her down-to-earth cynicism, he wasn't sure there was anything else he could say. There was no bullshitting her.

"My parents ate people."

El's voice was soft in a way that physically hurt. He winced.

"Yeah."

His jaw tightened and his eyes hardened. Cruel fethin' galaxy.

"From what I remember, they had different reasons for doing it," she continued. "My mom, she thought she had to drain other people's life in order to replenish her own. With my dad, it was some sort of curse that made him want to eat Force sensitives." She shook her head. "My dad was always more of a victim of circumstance, even when it came to being a Sith. Mom joined because she wanted power and to piss off her parents. He was a slave with no choice in the matter." And even when he did have a choice, a chance at a better life, he came crawling back.

"Why did your mom think that?" Strange, to say the least, and did that mean she was mistaken? Diogo felt a pang of sympathy for her dad. Based on her framing, she was closer to him, or, she at least seemed to sympathize with him more. Him having no choice, though? Was that true or is that what she wanted to believe? If it was in fact the latter, he couldn't blame her, but that probably wasn't something he deserved to know. "Who, or what, cursed your dad?"

"I feel sorry for your old man."

That almost broke him. Sympathy was her first reaction for his father—someone the rest of the galaxy was ready to condemn and write off as an irredeemable monster. It made what came next easier.

"Does that mean you're half-Anzati?"

Their faces were mere inches apart. Diogo could see her freckles, the same ones he saw when they were so close on Dantooine. But in this fragile moment, he felt closer to her than he had before. He remained steady and unflinching, his gaze never wavering. "What do you think?" he asked calmly, his eyes searching behind hers.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Just have to be lucky one time. Was this one of those times?

He was still full of questions. She did her best to answer them, knowing that her responses would probably generate even more questions. Her family was weird as hell on top of being evil Sith.

"Why did your mom think that?"

"Because she died and was brought back to life. Twice." Eloise threw her hands up. "Long story short, she somehow got it into her head that she would lose her hold on life if she didn't feed on others. But she's been in Azrael for years now, unable to feed, and she hasn't withered away yet, so..." It must really suck to realize you were eating people's souls for nothing. Assuming dear old Mom wasn't in complete denial, still insisting that they were starving her to death...

"Who, or what, cursed your dad?"

"He met this guy who would make shit from stuff you brought him, using alchemy. My dad brought him a terentatek claw, he made something edible from it. Said whoever ate it would become as strong as a terentatek. Dad ate it and woke up with more than just a terentatek's strength. He woke up with its hunger, too." He really should've known better than to consume something like that, but Arcturus wasn't the brightest. Or the bravest.

With all this misery off her chest, she was grateful when they turned to the topic of Dio's family. Her hand reached tentatively toward his, one finger brushing gently over his knuckle. What he was telling her should've been a turn off. It should've made her run for the hills. Instead she found herself wanting to stay. To talk and listen and comfort each other.

"What do you think?" he asked calmly, his eyes searching behind hers.

She had been hoping he would present her with a loophole. I'm only half Anzati, so I won't go crazy. Cool, now let's make out. It probably wouldn't make a difference if he was half or full-blooded; in the end there was only one thing that mattered. "Do you eat people's brains?" she asked, inevitably.

Diogo Talon​