Private Window Shopping

[Wrenarias]

Wren glanced to Dorian's hand and then to her shoulder when he pulled back after reaching towards her. A frown touched her lips and a familiar loneliness settled over her. Even when she was surrounded by others, she was still completely isolated.

The answer she'd given had been an honest one, but it didn't cut to the heart of the matter. She looked down at her free hand, opening and closing her fingers, watching the glove move like a second skin in response. If she could change one thing to make her life better? She'd learn to control her own body, or take away that part of her altogether. But how does one confess such a profound sentiment to someone who was a strange just hours before? That was simple: you didn't.

When she closed her eyes, she saw a brief glimpse of a golden gaze watching her.

She opened her eyes and turned her gaze back to Dorian, a warm smile on her lips.

"That's very kind of you to offer. You've done enough for me already with this job, though. Not to mention sharing..." She paused, looking to the drink in her hand then stole another quick sip, "what ever this magnificent liquor is."


[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“Think nothing of it.”, Dorian offered, readjusting himself to face her.

“I’ve another ten bottles in the pantry.”, the obviously to rich for his own good man jested.

He idled for a moment, looking her over as he did. There was a profound sadness to her that he could recognize, mirrored in himself - and he thought it how odd that someone so alike could be such an enemy. Without ever realizing, the wrong word from her lips could see his business - his current shallow hope - be ousted and burned to embers.

It seemed many were more inferno than they realized.

“Who do you know on Coruscant, Wren? Friends, family, significant others…”, he left it open ended, hoping she’d fill in the blanks.


[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

Wren gave a bitter laugh, shaking her head at his question. She gestured towards him with the hand that was loosely hold her drink, turning around so that her back was pressed to the railing, elbows braced on either side of her torso along the metal beam she was leaning against.

Years of being on the run, hiding from Inquisitors, left Wrenarias a cautious woman, especially when her training was involved. Those were cards she kept close to her chest. That meant she had no intention of telling this exorbitantly wealthy and powerful man who, exactly, had brought her to Coruscant or what for. Still, she didn't want to outright lie to him. Wren was a terrible liar, and she knew it.

"I don't have any family here on Coruscant, or much of anywhere to be honest. I have relatives, sure, but they're better left forgotten. They're not worth the wasted thought, y'know?" She started to give her answer, the alcohol easing her discomfort with talking about herself.

"As for friends, or significant others, or lovers... I don't really have any. Not here. Not anywhere." She responded with a melancholy truth, raising a shoulder in a faint shrug. With her free hand, she gestured to her general form and sighed. "I can't really get close to people; which really just puts a damper on any potential relationships that might crop up. Everyone is always kept at a distance. Better that way, I guess..."

The twi'lek realized that this was the most she'd talked about herself in years.

Just how strong is this stuff?

She glanced down at the glass in her hand, dubiously narrowing her eyes at the drink as if the liquor had personally betrayed her somehow.

A low chuckle slipped from her lips and she looked back to Dorian, grinning coyly. "Why do you ask? Hoping I have a pretty twi'lek friend I could introduce you to?" She asked playfully, teasing him.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Dorian teased back with his own quant smile, “It was something like that.”

Truly, he wanted to know who her master was - but it didn’t hurt to see if there was anything else tying her here. He hummed, considering the danger of speaking to a force user in an order - notably the Order of the Jedi. Maliphant remembered one he had come across years before, a Morellian who fought well - a more spiritual jedi there were none.

“Well, fate be willing - you can consider me a friend. My penthouse is a touch too big for just me an Cybele regardless, and its nice to have company every now and then.”, he chimed in.

He finished yet another drink, and set his tumbler aside. At the very least, he wasn’t going to grab another - lest he really let loose secrets he didn’t care to admit. And to think, he once spent weeks enthralled in every drug imaginable, only to be so tempered and boring now. His nameless past identity would be disappointed in the matured Maliphant.

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

"I suppose time will tell." Wren answered with another one of her warm smiles, dipping her head slightly to him.

Even with her isolation and loneliness, the twi'lek managed to be friendly and inviting.

She finished off the last of her drink, setting the glass down next to Dorian's. Best she cut herself off now, before she started to delve too far. It had been nice to not drink alone in a dingy cantina for a change, even if her drinking companion was her new employer... and a man who held a rather profound secret.

With the alcohol buzzing in the back of her mind, part of her wondered just what that was. A dangerous line of thinking.

"Thank you... by the way. For giving me this chance. I uh... well, it's new for me. So thank you."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“I suppose it shall.”, he mused.

Maliphant idled as she thanked him, unsure it was right to do so. There was a part of him that didn’t care, wanted to see this over - but that wasn’t always who he was. A front that had taken him over for the sake of security, to never show weakness in the face of insurmountable odds; and it had done its job well, but it had cost him much. With that in mind, he furrowed his brow and nodded;

“Everyone deserves a chance, Wren. Most just squander it, I suppose.”, he said with a cheerful, if not slightly buzzed smile.

His face was slightly flush, likely from the alcohol, but he seemed to mull things over before speaking up -

“Excuse me if this is inappropriate, but would you like to get dinner sometime? I know a few good restaurants in town that’d be uh…”

He paused as he shook his head.

“Sorry, its silly to ask.”

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

The twi'lek's brow furrowed slightly at the question and then the quick dismissal that shortly followed after.

"Why would that be inappropriate? If you want to get dinner sometime, just let me know when." She replied with a slight shrug, chuckling.

It didn't occur to her why he would want to go get dinner. She'd gotten so accustomed to being on her own for so long, that she didn't realize that Dorian might have been asking her out. As far as she was concerned, it would be another evening like this one, talking over drinks.

"Besides, I don't know anywhere to go here. I'd just be bumbling around the city until I saw a sign that caught my eye... kind of like I did with your shop." She said, another amused chuckle slipping from her.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Dorian looked to her with a faded attention, and just as he was about to open his mouth -

“I think he’s asking you on a date, darling.”, Cybele chimed in, much to her own bemusement. One could almost hear the happy buzz of voltage through her circuits as she teased Maliphant once more.

The Sith grit his teeth and glanced to the ceiling, as though Cybele was there now - before simply shaking his head and accepting his fate as the embarrassed businessman. There had been through years of this, a constant back and forth teasing relationship that saw them both none the better for it - but Cybele tended to come out on top; one of the few to ever outmatch the Sith in his own games.

“Sorry about uh… The AI.”, he said rather meekly.

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

"He is?" She asked, glancing towards the screen back inside the penthouse with a thoroughly perplexed expression.

Her eyes then snapped back to Dorian, arching a brow slightly. "Are you?"

How did she keep stumbling into new territory, one beat after another?

A slight blush colored her freckled cheeks, turning them a darker shade of green. It was easy enough to blame her flushed cheeks on the drinks.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“I…”, he glanced to her with a discomfort he hadn’t felt in a long time.

There weren't many instances in Maliphant’s history he could remember when he had asked someone out with this much alcohol in his system - let alone in the disguise of ‘Dorian Harper’. He’d done it once with a business partner, but it was only vaguely flirtatious adventure that ended with him buying a large portion of their company.

He hesitated a moment longer before responding -

“... am.”

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

For a brief moment, Wren was entirely unsure of what to say. Surprisingly, even to herself, her first instinct wasn't to immediately turn him down and run away. While Dorian may have been more than a little intimidating, he was far from a brute when talking with her. Their conversation had touched on mutual sentiments, the pair of them had more in common than perhaps she originally thought.

"Huh." She made a small sound in throat, clearly not having expected this.

She rubbed the side of her neck, chuckling quietly at herself.

"Full disclosure, I'm probably a really bad date." The twi'lek held up her hands at her sides, smiling a little at the man who she didn't know was a Sith Lord.

"But I'll do the best I can."

Her hands dropped down, reaching behind her to tuck into the back pockets of her trousers as she ever so slightly bounced on the balls of her feet.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Dorian beamed for a moment before collecting himself; the tried and true mark of a well versed business man. He cleared his throat, stood a little taller, and smiled softly; only the edges of his lips upturning as he spoke -

“Then I suppose I’ll have to set my schedule.”, he said lightly.

“Would tomorrow work? I could have a speeder pick you up…”

He idled, a stray hand beginning to play at the mess of hair behind his head. There was a part of him that forgot he looked the part of a mechanic right now, instead of a multi billionaire engineer - but it didn’t seem to matter. She had accepted, and for the moment that much was enough -

“And uh… Do you own any high-end dresses by chance? If not, I could have Cybele order one; she’d uh… She’d just need your measurements.”

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

Dorian's smile was infectious and Wren's grin brightened even further. It was endearing to see a man that seemed to have it all a little flustered, just from her agreeing to go on a date with him.

Though elation was short lived.

When asked about a dress, her smile slipped and she sank her teeth into her bottom lip. "I uhm... no. I don't."

"I've never really needed anything like that before. I could uh... try to find something like that by tomorrow." The last thing she wanted was for him to feel like he needed to buy everything for her, or that she was only interested in his credits. Letting him buy her a dress seemed like it'd be a bad first impression.

She rubbed the side of her neck, mouth quirked slightly to the side.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“I suppose we have some work to do.”, Cybele beamed.

Maliphant knew Wrenarias had some pride about her, she didn’t want to seem greedy - but he had offered, and Cybele already knew it was done. Whether it were now, or later - he’d buy things for her as she wished; so why not start early?

Dorian nodded, set his empty glass aside and fingers his chin -

“Don’t worry about it, Wren. Just consider it a forward on your salary.”, he laughed, for whether she knew it or not - he never really intended to collect on the ‘forward’ that it would be.

He found himself wandering back into the penthouse and hummed as he gathered her papers, made sure Cybele had copies of them, and handed them to her - careful not to brush any exposed skin.

“See you tomorrow then?”

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

Her tongue pressed to the inside of her cheek. The forward on her salary was something she didn't mind agreeing to, but she wasn't sure if the man would actually follow through with it. As it currently stood, however, she didn't have the credits to buy herself a dress suitable for a night out with a scoundrel from Tatooine, let alone whatever plan Dorian was concocting in that head of his. If she felt out of place now, she was worried about how she'd feel tomorrow while wrapped in some expensive gown.

She took the paperwork from him, careful to avoid touching his hand. A stark reminder to the barrier that stood between her and any sort of normal relationship -- romantic or platonic, it didn't matter.

"Right. I'll see you tomorrow then. My holo frequency is in the paperwork so..." She smirked sheepishly as her words trailed off.

"Just have Cybele reach out to me for the measurements and the like, I suppose."

She walked backwards towards the elevator for a few paces, then turned around to press the call button. The doors slid open and she quickly ducked inside, waving farewell as they slowly closed once more. As the elevator started its long journey down to the public tax pad, Wren slumped against the wall and exhaled a sharp breath.

What exactly did she get herself into?

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The Next Night…

---

The air was cooling, and the lights of Coruscant burned bright once again - in itself a beautiful sight one couldn’t find on any other planet. The heart of the galaxy, some had called it, and it was no lie - the planet never slept, and often neither did its inhabitants. Ships flew in air lanes with a near constant perfection - self explanatory since more ships were automated, and all tied into the central infrastructure system. Only a few broke from the lanes for their own various reasons, but Maliphant enjoyed his humble ‘automation’.

“Looking good, ‘Mr. Harper’.”, Cybele offered him.

He was dressed in a three piece suit; but much of it was black, in varying shades. His tie was golden squares lined up in a very geometric pattern that varied in size until it became the shape of a tie; while his hair was drawn in a complex set of braids and loose hair that looks more fit on pirate than a banker, but there was an elegance in it despite it all. It was a good look for the Sith Lord, but it wasn’t what he was used to, nor comfortable.

Dorian glanced to the watch to make sure he was on time as he replied;

“Have to. Wouldn’t do to mess up now, would it?”, he joked.

“No, it wouldn’t. Just wait until you see her…”

Dorian laughed as he watched the automated speeder slow to a crawl and land on the pad. It itself was twice the size of most others, with a practical suite on the inside - and it rode like a dream. The banker exited the automatic doors on the pad, and glanced around;

Not exactly the upper end areas of Coruscant, but it wouldn’t be an issue. He padded a spot in his jacket and felt the lightsaber - it wouldn’t do to be ambushed again. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to use it, let alone use it infront of Wrenarias…

He looked back to the dock’s entrance, and waited. She would be coming any moment.

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

Wren glanced anxiously at her datapad, chewing her bottom lip as she saw the time. She'd made sure to arrive nearly half an hour early to the agreed landing pad, though she'd been unable to sit still and found herself nervously pacing back and forth. The twi'lek earned more than a few stares in her direction from passerby.

Once the speeder arrived, Cybele pinged Wrenarias' device to inform her.

Before she stepped through the doors, Wren caught a glimpse of her reflection. The gown Cybele purchased for her was by far the most elegant thing she'd ever worn. Black silk clung to her slender frame in such a flattering way that Wren still wasn't sure how it fit. Her arms and hands were covered in wrappings of the same material -- a thoughtful addition on the AI's part no doubt. Silver trim and jewelry accented the ensemble without detracting from the simple beauty of it.

Unfortunately, the dress didn't leave her with any sensible place to carry a lightsaber. She'd improvised by strapping it to her calf, where the loose skirts would obscure the weapon from sight... but it would be difficult to reach if she needed it in a hurry.

She paused, eyeing her reflection warily, as if she didn't recognize herself and then she reached up to adjust the headpiece she wore. It matched the dress though there were violet stones inset in the leather that complimented her eyes.

I look absolutely ridiculous.

Taking a deep breath, she tucked the small terminal away inside a sash that adorned her waste.

Her stomach felt as it hundreds of butterflies were fluttering about inside it, trying to flit up her throat to escape. Why was she so nervous?

A few moments after Dorian's speeder touched down, Wrenarias stepped through the doors to make her way out onto the landing pad. She glanced around briefly, almost immediately picking Dorian out of the crowd.

He looked absolutely dashing in the dark suit.

Don't trip. By the kriffing stars, don't trip. She thought as she made her way towards him with her usual warm smile on her lips.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

She looked beautiful.

It was a simple thought, but a genuine one as she approached. He smiled, almost thoughtlessly, but consider for a moment how long it had been since he’d been on a date - years at this point. A self imposed exile on Hoth to perfect his Sith teachings under Sidious was in itself enough to make a man go mad - but the days had paid off, for the most part, and here he was. Left to raise his banking clan, and to go on dates with pretty Twi’leks.

“You look…”, he struggled to find the words as she approached, but he offered her his hand and held it for a moment as he did.

“Amazing, Wren.”, Dorian said with a smile that matched his eyes, bright in the night lights of the city.

“Come, there's a bit of time before our reservations.”

With that, he stepped back into the limo speeder, magnificent as it was. Black lined with gold, not all that different from his penthouse - it made it rather obvious that Mr. Harper had a theme he enjoyed. The seats were comfortable, all the more so by their foreign leather design, massage repulsors built into the seats, and automated catering services thanks to a small droid that made its rounds. Almost silently, the ship began to take off, and Dorian guided them to two seats near the back - but he never let go of her hand.

As they sat, he wrapped his fingers around hers and flushed in anticipation. The restaurant was one of the highest end places on Coruscant, and they had recently taken a loan from him - so it was easy to get a reservation on such short notice, but that didn’t stop him from wondering what they would think. Coruscant had a notorious human centric political stance in the recent years… ‘Coruscant First’, it was called - he only hoped he wouldn’t have to punch someone on a first date.

Set a bad standard.

“We’re going to a place called ‘Uhl Servi Re’. Upscale, good food…”, he said with a near absent mind.

“Dancing, if you’re up for that.”, Dorian said with a quick glance to see her reactions, to either his hand within hers or his mention of the latter.

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

As Dorian took her hand into his, she struggled to not instinctively pull back from the touch. The fabric of the wraps and gloves acted as a thin barrier between them; and since he'd given her a moment to recognize what he wanted, she was able to focus enough to keep from broadcasting her emotional state of mind.

Instead, all he felt was a soothing warmth emanating from her. It was slightly more intense than body heat, enough to let him know that it was something unique to touching Wren.

Just the simple act of holding someone's hand was entirely foreign to the twi'lek. It left her giddy and she struggled to stop herself from beaming like an idiot. Once they were seated, she glanced down at her fingers laced through his, nervously chewing her bottom lip.

"Hm?" She asked, quickly snapping her gaze up to meet his with a slight smile.

Dancing.

She hadn't danced in years. And she couldn't remember the last time she did so because she wanted to.

Her free hand smoothed out her skirt, fidgeting slightly in place. "That actually sounds kind of nice... I haven't had a chance to go dancing in a long time."

She still didn't know about the rising human centric rhetoric, having only been on the planet for a short while now. And most of her time had been spent exploring the Imperium's palace grounds. She wasn't expecting trouble, too distracted with focusing on controlling herself and the prospect of dancing.

As the serving droid rolled by, she leaned over to snag herself a glass of wine from the tray.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Wine. It was a good choice.

Maliphant couldn’t help but remember the damage that came before - of the Grandmaster arriving on the planet at the behest of a scorned lover, inadvertently causing the demise of his significant other. It was a cruel twist of fate, struck down after a night at the theater - all for what? Because he was ‘evil’, the he… Corrupted her.

He tensed at the thought, and mindlessly his hand tightened too; but he tempered it with a smile, quick and graceful as he had been known to be. Wrenarias looked nervous, and while he was - he had to hope to mediate their combined awkwardness with something less… Juvenile.

“Wren, odd question but -”, he said as he glanced out the window to the city skyline.

“- you don’t happen to have scorned ex-lovers with powerful friends, right?”

It was an oddly specific question, and one he grinned at - hoping to not seem entirely serious. Regardless of her answer, the ship slowly came to a slow and set down on the valet pad designated for them. He led her by the hand out of the vessel, and Cybele offered them a faint departure - a quick farewell and the wish of luck.

Maliphant strode with his back straight, a pride overcoming him in the presence of others - around Wren, he was more docile, able to be open. But these were powerful men, until they had found their seat - he could show them nothing but pride. The valet droid came forward, recognizing him instantly -

“Ah, Mr. Harper!”, the Droid exasperated.

“Welcome to Uhl Servi Re. I’ll see your ship is kept warm, and your reservations are already set up. A private booth, if I recall, towards the back of the establishment, Sir.”, he said in an eloquence that betrayed nothing but his programming.

Maliphant nodded, motioning them forward -

He spoke low to Wren as they passed the majority of the crowds, a number of them looking to them. If it were the extreme wealth they dripped, Mr. Harper’s sudden arrival, or the fact a Twi’lek had come to the fanciest restaurant in the Sector; it was hard to say -

“Bunch of snobs, huh?”, he joked, “It took me a long time to accommodate their mannerisms. Don’t worry too much about setting a good impression.”

He hoped it’d at least reassure her about their predicament. Rich appreciated Rich, but they wanted elegance and refinement - not the likes of cyberneticist like Wrenarias. Still, with Dorian nearby, none would say anything to her - at least not yet.

The two made their way into the building, and almost instantly they were overcome with a menagerie of crimson and gold - as long tapestries strode from the ceiling, and marble stands were placed about to offer some breakup of the main room. It was elegant, and nearby a stage played songs only the rich could afford from the sound of it. Some danced, others drank - and a few more were a touch too close for comfort.

Dorian motioned them past, through the crowds and found the empty booth with their name; a small holographic symbol of a Wolf, a sign that Jaeger was invited. For the first time since they had picked her up, he let go of her hand and made a motion to sit - helping her as manners dictated, before finding his own.

“I hope this isn’t too much, Wren.”, he said almost bashfully. It was an extravagant place, and hardly one she was accustomed to - but it did them well.

“I haven’t eaten here in awhile, and thought it might be worth a refresher.”

[member="Wrenarias"]