Take Me Out

[Luca Caldogne]

BASTION​

[member="Maia Halos"] | [member="Evelynn"]​

His finger tips were tired of the scratching.

Nails worn, skin red from irritation, but even then Byron just couldn't help himself. This get-up was so itchy. He would have asked Maia if it was really necessary. The deadly glare she send his way? Before he even could open his mouth? Yeah, that was the end (and beginning) of that conversation starter.

It was one of those Sith robes.

Black.

(Of course it was black, why wouldn't it be?)

Made specifically for acolytes by.... see, that is what Byron wanted to know. Was there a whole industry behind the Sith Empire, whose entire purpose was making these robes? It probably came with a manual too. It has to be exactly twenty-five percent more uncomfortable than a Knight robe. That joke almost slipped his tongue. A glance to the side to Maia stopped him. "So, um." A cough there as they went up the stairs. Up and up and up and up. To the Palace Grounds.

Apparently one of the perks of being a newly anointed Knight of the Sith was having access to the larger training areas.

"Are you sure you need me here, my Liege?" Awkwardly tugging at his collar. He couldn't help but grimace there. "I know, I know. I am an acolyte now, but..."

A light shrug there.

"-I am not sure how good I will be for it. Maybe .... I should just go and re-order your desk?" Very hopeful tone there. They finally, after several ages, climbed the last pair of stairs.

The training area seemed almost devoid of people.

Some Sith beating up a dummy in one far corner. The jungle park of metal bars, cages et cetera for parkour trips unscathed by people. Byron sighed again, looking up to the sky. The traffic was insane here. People ferried back and forth with all manners of errands. Requests for the Emperor presumably, wares and goods to keep the Palace stocked.

Couldn't be any other way, since the Palace itself was like a minor city in its own right.

 

[Maia Halos]

The presentation of her 'gift' to her master had gone.....

Not even remotely as she had hoped it would.

No ship and yes..... one brain damaged puppy.

The fact that he'd been RIGHT made it even worse. Now instead of off loading a rather irritating lackey, she had managed to saddle herself with an irritating apprentice instead. Her master's last 'request'.

"If you call me anything but 'Master' or 'Knight Halos' again I am going to set a hex on you that makes you itch even where the fabric does NOT touch, do you understand? No 'Graciousness' no 'Liege' no anything."

Maybe she'd grow into it. But for right now it was driving her fething CRAZY.

In truth she wasn't sure if she could do that anyway. But it sounded good. Probably with mentalism, make him THINK he itched, or if she modified his neurons to fire she could probably-

A shake of her head.

"You have the gift, and you will be trained. The alternative, I assure you, is NOT organizing desks. The Sith have no use for those of us who do not chose to utilize it to the very limits of our abilities." She turned her eyes on him for a moment, dark gaze weighted.

"There are beings you do not want to disappoint and as your," her face twisted slightly, like she'd just tasted something very sour, "Master, it's my duty to make sure you know not just how to use your abilities but what is expected of you."

[member="Byron Flint"] [member="Evelynn"]

 

[Beatrice Govan]

Observation was important.

Despite one life already lead Evelynn Zambrano had little clue of what it meant to be a Sith. Frankly it was quite an embarrassment for the young woman, imagine having such a potent lineage steeped in the Dark Side and then having no wish to utilise it. Little wonder why she was a source of such great shame for her father.

This second life was supposed to be her repentance, to right a life of past wrongs and to take her place within his Empire.

However as she stood, observing a small collection of Sith asserting their dominance over a training dummy the clone couldn't help but grimace. She had to indulge in this? Is this what it meant to be a Sith? It wasn't so much the act of turning up her nose, but the woman couldn't exactly imagine herself out there in the heat of combat.

No.

It would excite her.

One errant wound and Evelynn would lose herself, there was no doubt. Then a fight would become a massacre. Rampant self-mutilation in the name of pleasure. Even now just thinking about it hands were clasped together tightly, trembling from the strain, nails dug deep into her own flesh. It appeared to be a common mechanism employed given the smattering of nail imprints already littering her hands.

A distraction was needed, lest something regrettable and terribly public were to occur, and there it was, just in time arriving at the top of the stairs.

How peculiar.

A woman with no arms and very uncomfortable looking man having what seemed to be a somewhat strange conversation. Something about organising desks? Nothing more Sith-like than good housekeeping. Evelynn's head titled, her expression pure puzzlement as she observed the pair, a voice in the depths inquiring at just how one could lose both of their arms like that? What would that feel like?

The staring continued, the green of her eyes following the pair as she attempted to further discover the merits of desk organising. One could only use the distractions that were offered, after all.

-

[member="Byron Flint"] [member="Maia Halos"]

 

[Luca Caldogne]

[member="Maia Halos"] | [member="Evelynn"]

"Okay, okay, damn." His hands rose up to protect himself against the onslaught of her smol fury. "I saw one of the other apprentices refer to their Master like that. I thought you'd like that too! I apologize, Master Maia."

Somehow the way the two M's followed one another it seemed to blend.

The relationship was different now. No longer a... slave. Something else, something that Byron wasn't yet sure of. Apprentice to her. It meant less servile kneeling and more.... something else. Entirely. A sigh there as Maia went on to rip him about something else. Nodding along, sadly, before coughing once. "You're right, of course, my Master." Meeting her eye, looking away, meeting them again.

Nervous.

"I will try not to embarrass you too much. I will do my best."

Which was probably part of what Maia was worrying about. Let's be real. He was kinda a mess. A mess who was about to pull them into bigger mess. His eyes scanned, trying not to look at Maia too much (before she'd actually follow through and execute him), and noticed something. No. Someone. It was a girl, blonde, green eyes. And for some reason she was looking curiously at them. This is probably the moment to pause for a moment. To explain. See, Maia had given Byron Flint the so-called lowdown on Sith hierarchy. Presumably she was aware he could get both of them killed.

So.

She had taken great lengths to explain things to him.

If Byron saw a white-red birb strolling through the Academy corridors? DON'T pick it up to pet it. It might look cute, but Lord Inquisitor Tai Fa would NOT be amused. Similarly the mice running around the place were not vermin.

No. They were Nezumi, helpers of the Birb (Who, in fact, was the Word). Throughout those exotic explanations (yes, the Embodiment of Knowledge was a huge fat man.) the mention of one of the Emperor's daughters was lost in translation. She was blonde. (A lot of people are blonde, you know). She had green eyes. (That isn't exactly all that more unique either). And she was most definitely not someone you should just talk to.

Byr had nodded fervently and agreed.

"Oh hey! Are you also a Sith Acolyte?!" Those words ran through the almost silent training court. Echoing over and over again. Mocking. "Um, Master? Why is that cloaked woman looking at me like that?"

The hooded woman was staring.

Even with the cloak on? Byron felt like daggers were tearing through him.

The sad little wave he had been doing to Evelynn was shriveling up.

 

[Maia Halos]

"Another lesson then," she almost growled. "Never, ever, assume what I would like based on what others do."

Oh, she had no doubt that he was trying. He was so fething earnest. She was just coming to the conclusion that, in many things, his best wasn't particularly good. She was starting to loathe the word try when it came from him. Maybe the Jedi had it right in that at the least.

She'd done her best. Taught him the basics of the lay of the land so he wouldn't end up on the wrong end of a Zambrano or the Inquisition. The very first things she had learned, that had been pounded into her ten year old brain, one nail at a time. She'd grown up on the bottom layers of the Sith, grown up with the Empire in her own way. Watched as things had shifted, gelled, changed, crystallized into the place it was today. Watched it, hungry for a larger piece.

And now she had.....

Byron.

Who apparently hadn't paid nearly enough attention. Force above and below.

"That is Evelynn Zambrano, the daughter of the Emperor and once a Queen in her own right," she hissed at him. To be entirely fair to Byron, [member="Darth Carnifex"] had a lot of children. Maia wasn't feeling very charitable right then, however.

With the blonde's attention on them (now certainly squarely if it hadn't been before), Maia bowed at the waist before a swift kick to Byron's ankle that he should bloody well do the same.

She loathed the entire movement but accepted certain necessities of survival.

[member="Evelynn"] [member="Byron Flint"]

 

[Beatrice Govan]

It was then that Evelynn was reminded that when you opted to stare at people, there was a chance that they would notice and stare right back. There was a very awkward moment where both parties were just standing there staring at each other from across the court and now he was nodding, why was he nod-

He was shouting now, and waving. Why was he so enthusiastic? Was he a lunatic? The Emperor's daughter recoiled slightly in horror as he branded her a Sith Acolyte in front of everybody present, a fact that was true, but as a part of her fall from grace wasn't particularly appreciated. Hand covered her mouth now, horror becoming concern as the staring continued.

His armless companion bowed and then kicked the man, adding an entirely new layer of confusion to the mix. The girl had half a mind to just walk away from the entire scenario, before things delved into stranger territories...

...but it was a distraction, no?

Arms now folded across her chest, the clone began to approach the duo attempting to change her concerned expression to dignified pleasantry but instead coming out rather constipated instead. This is good, she tried to tell herself as her frail figure grew nearer, socialising within the Empire. As long as they weren't malevolent sadists then everything would be fine.

Much to Evelynn's chagrin, her minder also followed never breaking gaze from the man, as if he were a particularly dangerous individual but as per usual, the girl refused to even look at the hooded monstrosity.

“No need to bow here,” the clone spoke (mostly to the woman as she seemed to have all of her mental faculties) as she reached an actual respectable speaking distance, “I do not subscribe to all of that prideful nonsense.”

You shed your pride like skin.

“And yes,” she continued, attentions now directed at the peculiar man, “I am an Acolyte, much like yourself.”

Staring at his face brought many questions to her mind. Everything about him was odd, the way he stood, the way he looked, even the robe that adorned him sat so strangely upon him. As if somebody had begun to make a person and had gotten confused along the way. Technically, everything looked right, but then why did she feel the need to stare at him more than his companion, who for memory's sake, had no arms.

Speaking of, green gaze shifted once more back to the more capable of the two and she leaned forward slightly as if to spill a secret.

“Forgive me for asking, but are you his carer?”

-

[member="Byron Flint"] [member="Maia Halos"]

 

[Luca Caldogne]

[member="Maia Halos"] | [member="Evelynn"]

A soft sigh.

"Yes, Master."

The entire reason why his waving was a bad idea became clear soon enough. Maia bowed. For once Byron remembered his lessons. Royalty? You bowed and scraped, until they were satisfied. It wouldn't be Byron if something didn't go wrong though. He tried to bow. Maia kicked him in the shins at that exact moment. This caused him to stumble. The floor was approaching fast and for once Byr prayed to every God that was in non-existence.

Not the money-maker, pleaaaaaase.

Something in his faculties sprang too life. Maybe it was the idea of smushing his face. Maybe he didn't want to embarrass Maia even more. Maybe, just maybe, some part of him was competent. It could be that it needed some proper motivation.

Either way- his other leg geared up. And Byron took a step and in effect... took a knee to Evelynn.

"Princess Zambrano, it is an honor truly." A quick glance to Maia. An see? I am improving!! ...which, of course, was immediately send crumbling when she mentioned that bowing wasn't necessary. If bowing wasn't necessary? Taking a knee certainly wasn't. Oh no, I did it again. The realization spreading through his expression. He carefully, slowly picked himself up and took a step back.

Trying to casually hide behind the armless girl that was about two heads shorter than him. Or maybe that was just something he told himself. She certainly always felt like she was towering over him.

Honestly?

Byron had hoped she'd just ignore him and chat to Maia after that. But. No. She gave him... a response. An oh! there. "Yes! I have only recently become one." A disarming grin appearing there. As if it wasn't immediately clear to all. This was such a new blood. He was trying to think of something else to say- or ask, or state... or question. It was difficult enough because his robe was still scratching. But beyond that his shin was hurting like a fether now. Maia kicked hard. It was throbbing. Like she had burst a vein or something and something was now silently filling with his blood.

Finally something came to him.

Something nice and easy. It would be great. It would seal the deal, solidify him as a good acolyte. Someone you could be proud of! Yes, yes, good. Steady now Byron. Don't get too excited there.

Just play it nice and coo-

“Forgive me for asking, but are you his carer?”

Byron... blinked. Then.. blinked again. Face fell, shoulders dropped a little. Taking another step back to try and hide in a nearby shadow. Carer? What, like he was stupid? Brows furrowed there. "I was... simply trying to say hi." A bit firm there. Holding onto that tone so it wouldn't break. No, he didn't want to cry. Why would he want to cry? That would be silly and stupid.

It was just that he wanted to go home.

But he couldn't.

Ever.

 

[Maia Halos]

Maia wished she'd done more than kick him. To a KNEE by the Force below. Before she could hiss what are you doing, Evelynn was there.

The young woman stood up straight when she addressed her. Bowing was not something she enjoyed, but she recognized the necessity of it- until it was dispensed with. The child of minor aristocracy, she had been raised until she came to the Sith to a much more complicated hierarchy on her homeworld than the one the Empire utilized. This? This was easy.

Well, it would be but Evelynn Zambrano was a strange case indeed.

She took Evelynn's attention on Byron as a moment to give the other woman a once over. Briefly, very briefly- the hooded figure's gaze moved to her as she did and Maia knew better than to cross HER.

"So it would seem," Maia responded dryly. He couldn't even do this right.

If her gaze hadn't flickered to Byron in that moment, she would have completely missed the look that moved across his face.

A pause and then-

"This has been a rather new and... unexpected transition for him," she found herself saying. Where had that come from?

She did not continue with it can be a lot to take in. She would not make excuses for him. As it was she wasn't entirely certain what possessed her to say anything at all.

"And how are you settling in?" Instead she turned the attention to Evelynn, tone polite. It was not exactly a secret just how she was here, and in this form. Maia did not specifically care, but there were forms and procedures. Expectations, some of which had been ingrained since before she was a Sith. They had stood her well and she intended for that to continue.

[member="Evelynn"] [member="Byron Flint"]

 

[Beatrice Govan]

Oh no.

His odd little droopy face. Evelynn wasn't particularly used to making people sad. Frustrating them, frightening them, enraging them, hurting them yes, but never upsetting them. He was just trying to say hi, oh Force, she'd kicked a puppy. Her lips thinned, eyebrows knotting in concern at her own social faux pas.

Could you blame her? Were the girl to rattle down a list of those she had encountered in two lifetimes there wouldn't be many on that list vulnerable to words. He seemed to be the very first, or at least the only one that couldn't hide it very well.

There however would be no room to backtrack as his companion took the reigns of the conversation, producing excuses on behalf of her friend before shining the spotlight upon her own transition, giving cause for a tilt of the head and a raised eyebrow. Perhaps were she more forceful and ego driven there would have come no polite response.

“Terribly.”

Certainly not a lie with a second life being so far spent languishing in pain-obsessed mania, her desires overriding both self-preservation and purpose. Perhaps it was classified as oversharing but given her lack of subtly in demented practices it would soon reach both of their ears as idle gossip if it hadn't already.

“My return has also been... an unexpected transition,” Evelynn replied, trying to offer a half-smile to the dejected but still very strange man, “I am afflicted by madness and I fear that my Father will have me killed because of it. It must be terribly embarrassing for him.”

The tone was a touch too matter-of-factly, as if it was an inevitability that the clone was hurtling towards a second death with little means of slowing down.

“Look, I even have my own carer,” she whispered with a sense of mirth, gesturing to the silent, staring hooded monstrosity that stalked her, “we're not so dissimilar, you and I,” hopefully she had somewhat salvaged the horrifying start of this encounter, although the anxieties of conversational woes were much preferable to the alternative, “but enough about me, tell me about yourselves.”

Prior smile fell away, being replaced by a somewhat sombre line, brows returning to the realm of furrowing.

“Please.”

-

[member="Maia Halos"] [member="Byron Flint"]

 

[Luca Caldogne]

[member="Maia Halos"] | [member="Evelynn"]

A surprised glance at Maia.

It wasn't a rescue. Less a lifeline thrown, more a Hey! Some idiot jumped into the water, will someone help him?! And yet... it was unexpected. Certainly not something Byron had seen coming from his captor, master and liege. Either way, Byron left it uncommented. Something told him that she might step in, but if he actually shone a light to it? He would be in a world of pain.

With social grace Maia managed to divert attention back to Evelynn.

Byron was most impressed. His master would even feel that radiating from him. A certain je ne sais quoi. However that didn't last long. It was quickly replaced with dawning horror. Oh... oh no... that isn't a good story at all. Horror and pity. He was going to do it. That fool. "Oh, I am so sorry, my Lady." Byron murmured, self-pity replaced by emphatic pity.

"That must be a difficult situation to be in..." Helplessly added there.

What was there to say to that.

How does one react to a woman telling her father was thinking of killing her? And only because she was suffering from a mental disease? Maybe if Byron was a braver man, he would have found something more suitable to say. Something like Do not fret, young lady, I will protect you! Or perhaps... He will have to go through me, before he lays a finger upon your fair hair!

Luckily for all involved Byron wasn't nearly that delusional.

A glance away from Evelynn. Instead to the carer. He gulped there. It was like trying to swallow sandpaper. His throat felt so dry. Like a desert suddenly decided to emigrate there without asking him.

"Oh... yes, um. I see what you mean." Pointing out that Maia was rather more sociable than the grim-dark cloaked lady was beyond him. Or the fact that he was little more than a slave right now. At least Evelynn could walk around the park herself. Without the eyes of the armless spirit haunting him. "My Master wishes to see what she will be working with."

Hands wrung there.

"I was a... pirate, before Master liberated me from their clutches." Enslaved. Captured. Forced into this. But none of that sounded as nice and pretty as liberation. One of the most important things Byron had to do was make Maia look good.

"I am quite eager to start my training."

A little smile there.

It was the smile of a man staring into the chasm. Seeing his own death there, but trying to fool the depth into submission anyway.

 

[Maia Halos]

Maia was slowly realizing that she was the only adult here.

How was she the only adult here?

Well, most certainly Evelynn's keeper was, but she wasn't about to get any help from THAT quarter. And honestly, who would want their (her? their) kind of help anyway?

The mental image of broken toys flickered across her mind, and she frowned, ever so slightly. Certainly a thought to be kept to herself, especially considering one of the people she was including in that. A Zambrano. Oh yes, that was a good way to have a very short walk off of a very long pier, as it were.

Dangerous broken toys, she amended.

Perhaps not Byron.

He'd come broken already anyway.

Honestly she wasn't sure of the wisdom in not killing him at the time with all of the others. Now though.... she couldn't. Well, COULD. She frequently told him so in fact.

Good night, Byron. Sleep well. I may kill you in the morning.

Maia had a plan. A long term goal and a series of steps to get there. Two of those steps? An apprentice of her own and making friends with the Zambranos.

This.... was not what she had meant.

"I took you against your will," she said flatly, finally interjecting herself back into the conversation. "There is no need to mince words." Turning her gaze to Evelynn. "I gave him a choice of death or servitude. Naturally he chose life." Though I am not certain why with the observations thus far.

"I am going to put him through his paces, to see what we are working with." More like she was talking about a dog than a person. She really didn't want to sit here and chat about herself. Her passage and ways through the Sith. Better to redirect. "Would you care to join us?"

Maybe not the Zambrano she would have chosen, but, the Zambrano that was here now.

[member="Evelynn"] [member="Byron Flint"]

 

[Beatrice Govan]

Nothing quite like adding a wrecking ball of a statement like that into polite introductions to brighten up the mood. My father is going to murder me soon, now how about the weather? Would you like a tiny cube of cheese on a stick along with this conversational killer? The mockery of humanity that stood over her shoulder, watching silently just brought everything into a neat package of awkward social doom.

And she wondered why she had so few friends.

Mercifully the spotlight was swiftly returned to the awkward Acolyte and his Master, who admittedly were far more amusing and less likely to send everybody into a fit of depression.

An eyebrow hopped at the word liberated, a strong degree of puzzlement forming upon the clone's face at the very concept. Sith did not liberate people. Sith claimed to liberate people. Sith ensla-

“Ah,” came the soft sound of understanding as the sterner of the two interrupted notions of liberation with the blunt end of truth. “Well, at the very least you've made the correct decision,” Evelynn added, attempting to put a bright spin on what was tantamount to slavery with a tight-lipped smile. “Death is far worse than it seems.”

Nope, there wasn't going to be any elaboration on that one.

Was there a particularly strong desire for the Emperor's daughter to watch the mettle of the odd man be tested? Not particularly. Was it a grand distraction to prevent the ever present madness from taking grip of her mind? Yes, actually.

“That would be wonderful, yes.”

The former Silent Sister's face twisted for a moment. Wonderful? That was a bit much, too keen for the scenario at hand. Wonderful was reserved for things like cake and sadomasochistic cutlery parties, not watching Armless give Goofy the Force-damned beep test.

Evelynn Zambrano was many things, and now socially awkward was definitely added to that list.

-

[member="Maia Halos"] [member="Byron Flint"]

 

[Luca Caldogne]

[member="Maia Halos"] | [member="Evelynn"]

Wow, that is rude.

"Of course, my Master, you certainly know best." Turning to his side and bowing to her in supplication. Strange how those signs of submissions could be read in two ways. Oh, certainly he was afraid. Scared chitlessly. And yet there was something soundless there. Too fast, too deep, too dramatic. Less genuine admission of slavery and more like Byron had read somewhere that this is what he should do. Then put it in overdrive. It wasn't something he could be called out on, of course.

What was there to say?

You are being too submissive! Stop being such a .... slave ... right.

"Yes! I love being alive." Attention switching back to Evelynn. Then she made the comment. “Death is far worse than it seems.” It made him blink. Once, twice. Three times in a row. Speechless for a moment, because he had almost forgotten that they were talking to someone who was dead for a long time. It kinda took the wind out of him. "Um." A quick glance towards Maia and then back. Stamping back the obvious question there- so, what was it like to actually be dead, tho?

"It's nice to have a second chance at life?" A little bit weakly as he inclined his head to Maia. Acceptance that they were going to do this.

Scratching absently at his throat again. The collar was WAY too scratchy, Forcedangit. They began to walk to one of the corners of the training space. Devoid of life right now. Which was just as well, because he already had to embarrass himself in front of Evelynn and Maia.

No sense in having even MORE people be aware of it.

A sigh, then pulling off his coat.

Just a tunic now. Bare arms that were far more muscular than the coat would have suggested. In fact, Maia would now maybe realize she had never seen him without baggy clothes that hid everything behind the waves of fabric.

"Where do we start, my Master?" Obedient as ever.

 

[Maia Halos]

Maia nodded sagely.

She had studied Chaos. The Netherworld. The history and the reality. That was enough. She had no desire whatsoever to experience it. That Evelynn had? Fit into the information that she had in a way that was not particularly surprising but made the young woman's dark gaze sweep over the other in a slightly more appraising fashion than before.

If the response was more effusive than expected, well, she could forgive that. Not everyone had the same peculiar upbringing Maia had, and she didn't hold it against them.

Sometimes, in her heart of hearts, perhaps she was even a little envious.

But then, she knew she was destined for more, and that envy for something else had no place.

Then-

Huh.

She had just assumed his physique would be as noodley as his back bone.

"The Course," she said easily, changing her initial plan.

The Course was exactly what it sounded like. An obstacle course that stretched along the far wall of the space. A series of swinging ropes and platforms, shifting planks and climbing walls. Meant to press strength, endurance, and agility. A physical challenge, yes- but with options that could be switched on for more challenging runs for those apprentices and youth that needed more.

"Have you used it before?" Inquiring politely of Evelynn as they moved in its direction.

[member="Evelynn"] [member="Byron Flint"]