(no subject)

[kallig]

WHO: Altair Kallig & You!
WHERE: Risa!
WHAT: Vacation!
WHEN: During the Risa Event
WARNINGS: None! Will update if this changes.

[A - Markets]

He had to visit eventually- searching for supplies that would be useful once they returned to Agra 10, but also searching for some items not related to survival alone. While wandering, he kept his senses reaching far, feeling the peaceful emotions of all around him while he wandered- while also keeping an eye out for anyone familiar, be it only slightly so, or very much so.

The Sith was determined to at least enjoy part of this vacation while they had it.

[B - Gardens]

Chiss were not made to handle heat- even mixed breeds like himself. Altair didn't know what his family had been before his parents, and his grandparents, but he knew they could not all be fully Chiss- logistically, it was impossible. Aloysius had been a pureblood, Altair was sure, given how the Empire had been even more anti-alien back in those days- but then, it had been nearly two-thousand years since Aloysius had died so if there was pure Sith blood in his veins, it was so diluted it might as well not be there.

Still, the Chiss in him was indeed not good with heat- and as such, he found himself down in the glowing gardens, where it was cooler.

He could be found wandering about with a sketchbook and pen- drawing the different plants he saw. Having grown quite fond of the medium of paper and pen.

Every now and then, he'd also find a bug or two, and stop to fawn over it- even picking some up to inspect the creatures more closely. One could think him insane, given that he would speak to any bug he wasn't familiar with in rather the way one would speak to something utterly adorable.

"Why hello there, aren't you a beauty..." and "Oh, look at you... Don't think I've seen one like you before... Care to hold still while I draw you?"

Even on Agra 10, he'd been a bug lover. Here, with the relative safety, he felt okay to let that show just a bit.

[C - Meditation]

Risa, being what it was, was perfect for it.

Anywhere it was nice to sit down- places with pristine nature, a somewhat less traveled path with benches, down on the beach- he could be found in deep meditation, cross-legged, and breathing.

Speaking, too, when he thought himself alone enough- reciting the Sith Code as he always did, when he felt the need to meditate, clear his head, calm himself.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion...
Through passion, I gain strength...
Through strength, power-
Through power, victory-
Through victory, my chains are broken-
The Force shall free me..."

[D - Wildcard]

(Come up with a scenario of your own! Altair can be found here and there on Risa, just exploring, shopping, relaxing...)

Comments

A

[beholding_archivist]

While Altair may be enjoying the peaceful emotions all around, they do very little for Jon, who still thrives and feeds on observing fears. As much as he loathes to admit it, it remains true. And while he isn't actively hunting for another victim, he remains troubled by just how... Peaceful this place tends to be.

He envies these people and misses the times when his own life still used to be easier. But all that has changed. He has changed. And these days not even the planet under his feet seems to remain the same! At least Risa offers the chance to acquire some resources, which is what has Jon wander the market as well. His finds tend to be rather pragmatic: Pens, some notebooks, paper... Should he run out of tapes, he can still take notes manually. Though thanks to the replicators he has been able to produce a decent amount of additional tapes. For a while he should be good.

None of that truly lifts his spirit, however. So mixed with all the content and cheerful emotions Altair is enjoying, is the Archivist's brooding gloom, thickly laced with anxiety and a generous amount of restless doubt. It's thick and oppressing, not leaving any room for peace when condensed to a single being. Apparently shielding isn't something Jon has ever been told to attempt to learn - But then again, hiding these things wouldn't fit into his patron's nature in the first place.

So when Jon takes a moment to look up and around from the small data pad in his hand and notices the familiar Chiss a little further ahead, he simply nods in greeting.

[kallig]

He sensed him before he saw him- darkness moving through the light, chaos through the peace. It was familiar in a way, somewhat like how many other Sith felt through the Force, but different. Reaching out with the Force as far as he did back when he still wore his veil and hid himself away from fear, there was no way he could ignore it.

When he did spot the source, he wasn't content to merely let him slip away to brood on his own- perhaps he would be intruding, but to Altair, Jon was well on his way to becoming a friend. He had a curious mind- and that had nothing to do with what he could sense. A curious intellect, Altair supposed.

Well-spoken, polite, at least in his opinions.

Traits Altair tended to look up to.

So while Jon merely nodded in greeting, Altair raised a hand to wave at him, before weaving his way through the people wandering about with absolute precision, predicting how the crowd would move to come up to Jon in nearly no time at all.

"Hello, Jon," He greeted, pleasantly- and with a friendly smile, "Out doing some shopping?"

The way Jon feels through the Force could wait. It is a conversation best had, perhaps, over tea. For now, a polite greeting and a question would do.

[beholding_archivist]

Well, running away would only be impolite, and even Jon isn't quite as much of a social recluse as some of his coworkers like to claim. So he waits and nods again once the Chiss has reached him, even managing something like a smile.

"Emperor Kallig. I suppose we finally meet in person."

In response to Altair's question, he casts a brief look down to the unassuming little bag he is carrying his few purchases in, then shrugs "Nothing remarkable. But there is little else of interest for me to do here, so..." And he lets his words trail off.

"Are you enjoying your stay?" It's a simple question. Not one meant to compel, but rather to distract. To direct the attention on anything else but himself. Alistair seems to be in a good mood and he would hate to drag that down. Unlike the other Chiss he has met, this Sith has been a much more pleasant conversation partner.

[kallig]

"I suppose we finally did, yes. Am I shorter than you expected me to be? Taller?"

It was a gentle bit of humor, entirely friendly, to lift the mood a little. He didn't know if Jon had a reason to be feeling as he was- if he shouldn't try to lift the mood, if he should merely respect it. So he would stop, should Jon ask him to. He was, after all, not needlessly cruel and certainly not to friends.

"I can't say I'm entirely used to vacations either. And had it been up to me, I would've gone somewhere a little colder..."

His people were from an ice world, after all. Not that he'd ever been to Csilla.

"Somewhat, yes."

There were things he didn't like. But also things he did. It was complicated, he supposed, as so many things tended to be.

"Would you like to find a place to sit down and have some tea?"

[beholding_archivist]

Jon pulls up a single brow at that initial inquiry, but then makes a small, soft noise of faint bemusement "Well, I don't think I'm in any position to judge anyone for their height. Besides, it's generally ill-advised to judge anyone by appearance alone." It's also not how he has been raised to approach people.

"But tea sounds lovely." He admits, not even trying to hide whatever sentimentality the thought brings to his voice. How long has it been since anyone has asked him if he wanted some tea? Months, hasn't it? He used to be annoyed by Martin's excessive fussing around the Archives, hounding down everyone to offer them tea. Now Sasha and Tim are dead. And Martin is drifting closer and closer to the Lonely and...

He swallows those thoughts, resets his train of thought and gestures for Altair to come along.

"There is a decent place this way. Set in a small park where the temperatures are a little lower than here." He offers, not even bothering to wonder how he suddenly knows about this place. But apparently he will be able to purchase some loose tea there as well. Lovely, indeed.

[kallig]

"It is, indeed."

If anyone knew to not judge by appearances, it was him. After all, Sith were inherently deceptive creatures, something he'd learned very early on, and part of that lesson had broken him in a way that nothing else had, before or after. His mood took a slight dip, a deep and bone-chilling fear and intense anger, though it was momentary, as Jon accepted his invitation to sit down for some tea.

This, after all, was not about him. And he was much more curious about Jon's feelings than he was interested in stewing in his own by now quite ancient feelings about Zash.

He followed along when Jon gestured for him to do so, offering a small, and very much friendly smile, "How considerate of you. Thank you."

[beholding_archivist]

It's a short walk from the market over to the park, but it's quickly getting clear that this corner is less frequented than the gathering of shops, bars and restaurants where their paths have crossed. Which isn't something Jon minds at all, even though it does allow him to pick up on the temporary spike of fear next to him. Nothing too precise, but as he glances over it's hard to miss.

And then it's gone. Curious.

"Don't mention it. I'm used to spending most of my day in a basement. And while I don't mind the temperatures here terribly, I'm also used to colder surroundings myself." He even still dresses the way for the most part. Even though by now it's more habit than paying much mind to the weather outside.

They reach the little tea shop and it's easy enough to get a table as well. Even here it obviously requires a certain type of costumer for this type of store, resulting in a pleasant, tasteful atmosphere. just the right place for a nice cup of tea.

D

[tiedonastring]

[Hux had promised Altair a day to wander the place together and find a nice place to eat at the end of the day. This would actually have been their first real date together. Granted the the time they spent together on Agra 10 Hux had treasured.

He was still recovering from his injuries and he wasn't at his strongest, but he didn't want to waste the entire time here in bed. Moping around wasn't going to help either so he finally made himself get up and was determined to explore the area.

With much reluctance he found a pair of civilian clothes to wear and a cane to help support him as he walked. At first he found the crowds, sounds, and the energy from the place overwhelming, but with Altair's help he continued to walk alongside his partner.]

It feels strange to be in such s civilized place again.

[kallig]

[Altair was worried that this might, perhaps, be a bit too soon for Hux to go out, to move around as much. But then, he trusted in the other man's ability to judge for himself what he was and wasn't capable of. And trusted that he would tell him, should he need a break, should he need to sit down and rest some.

There was something very nice about seeing Hux in civilian clothes, as well, though he wisely kept that to himself.]

It is... Though in a way, Agra 10 feels very far away, too. It's not long since we were there, but...

[Well, with both of them having gone home. It was a strange sort of feeling.]

It's important that we take advantage of being here, I suppose. Who knows how long it'll be, before another chance like this comes along.

[The chance to rest. To stock up on necessities.

To have this sort of time for themselves together. They could make time on Agra 10, but going out on a date like this? That wouldn't be possible.]

[tiedonastring]

Yes, my sense of time is very askew right now. I just didn't want to not see what Risa was like while we were here. What do they have to offer here? I know you've been exploring the place a lot more. I've never done anything like this before...

[Hux reluctantly admitted. He's explored planets before but it was always as a General and on buisness. He never explored it was a regular person or ever had a vacation. He had dedicated most of his time to First Order. It felt strange and rather selfish to a degree to finally indulge on his own desires.]

[kallig]

There are gardens we could visit. The markets, should we want to do some shopping... Restaurants, nightclubs... That last one might not be quite our scene.

[He hadn't really visited any, at any rate.]

The beaches here are quite pretty, but I think I might actually die if we sit in the sun too long...

[That was a joke.

Sort of. The heat wasn't exactly easy on him, but he could manage. If they stayed much longer he should probably consider dressing down, but he was much too used to being fully covered.]

[tiedonastring]

The first three choices sound good. [He made a face at the mention of a nightclub. No thanks.]

We have a beach back at Agra so I really don't want to visit one here. I also don't fair too well in the heat. My home planet was always either rain and storms or cloudy at best. It never really got hot.

[kallig]

[Altair couldn't help but laugh a little at the face Hux made. It was cute, that it could get him to react so strongly with how unappealing the idea was to him.] Now there was a face that told me all I needed to know.

[It's not said in a mocking way, of course.] Not that I don't get it.

[He nods then.] With me being Chiss, I'm sure you already know how I feel about heat... Stars I hope summers on Agra 10 aren't hot.

[If they were, he might be the person most in need of a functional hospital.]

Copero wasn't too cold though... I... Visited the Ascendancy, when I went home. It was...

[He probably doesn't have to say it. He's sure his face says it all, that he had been terrified.]

b

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa, too, isn't doing well in the heat. Well advanced into pregnancy and more than ready to be done with it, the heat makes her more tired than she already is. She's grateful this child will be born in a place with medical technology far greater than even the greatest maesters of Westeros and that neither she nor her son will be in any danger. She knows Tyrion must worry for her, considering his mother died in childbirth, and Stark women aren't immune either given Lyanna.

Childbirth kills highborn to lowborn with no distinction.

It's cooler inside the gardens and she does have to laugh softly when she sees Altair talking at a bug the same way she might talk at a small child. She'd met him as a small child but he'd seemed too serious for such things.

"So we meet again where both parties are adults, I see?"

[kallig]

Altair had been relatively certain that he'd been more or less alone, or he might have at least tried to keep himself acting somewhat more serious- even if the truth was that he was hardly as serious, as mature, as he could seem. Still, it seemed that in his joy at getting to see plants and insects that he hadn't seen before, he'd lost track of his surroundings- and made a fool of himself.

He supposed he should be happy that his face already held a permanent flush or the change from blue to purple might have been entirely more visible even in the lower lighting.

"So it would seem, Miss Sansa," He said, turning to her fully and giving a polite bow in greeting, "I only wish it had been at a time where I was not acting like fool."

He smiled as he straightened up again, "Though it is fitting we meet again, of course. I never got to thank you for looking after me when I was turned into a child. Though I'm certain it was a burden, I am grateful that you took the time to do so."

Maybe he'd been well-behaved. He didn't really know the difference between a well-behaved child and a disobedient one.

"I hope you're well?" He asked, turning his attention to a more immediate concern. She was, after all, pregnant- and the weather was probably as hard on her as it was on him, "It's cooler down here, but... Would you like to sit and chat? I could run and fetch you something to drink first as well."

Was he fussing a bit? Probably. But his concerns were valid.

[theladyofwinterfell]

"It wasn't a burden, Altair. You were a delightful and curious child," Sansa says. Still, at his invitation, she does sit down and nods to his offer of a drink. Moving around seems to be almost too much effort lately and she dreads it getting any worse. She doesn't think it's been long enough to actually have this child, by her reckoning, but she has to be within a moon or so of it.

"I would like something to drink if it's not a bother. Lumbering around wears me out and I would like to enjoy talking to you without huffing and puffing about all the effort it took to get here. I would have really enjoyed this planet if I weren't so large, I think."

Sansa still has, in ways. She's waded out into the ocean a bit and enjoyed a few of the pools. The food has been good and the drinks are cool and refreshing; it's been a needed break for all of them.

[kallig]

"... I'm glad looking after me wasn't too bothersome."

He doubted very much that he'd been delightful, though curious he certainly had been. He still was, even as an adult. It was one of those traits that never had gone away and probably never would. The world was a mystery, after all, and there was much to discover.

"Of course. I'll be back in but a moment."

Another polite little bow then and he was off- in a blur of white and blue, using the Force to hasten his pace. It took him no time at all to fetch a few bottles of ice cold water, and no time at all to return with them. While it was not exactly a Sith-approved use of the Force, Altair had never been concerned about such things- and he was genuinely concerned for Sansa, and her unborn child.

"I hope water's alright," He said, once he was back, "Staying hydrated is important, especially in such warm weather... The heat isn't kind to me, either. My species is better with cold temperatures than they are with warm ones."

[theladyofwinterfell]

"I am from somewhere covered in ice and snow the majority of the time," Sansa agrees. "This sort of heat is always overwhelming to me even if I do rather enjoy being at the shore. I've never gotten to experience swimming and the ocean the way I do travelling with all of you. I'd never seen anything like this back in Westeros."

The water is cool and refreshing and Sansa takes a few long moments to drink the ice cold water and just press the bottle against her skin to calm down the heat. She has conceded to dressing in more comfortable, modern clothing these days but even that cannot compete with the heat here on Risa.

"I will always love the snow most of all. It reminds me of my home."

[kallig]

"I see. I hope you and your child will get to see many wonders together with us all then. Places like this, with enough beauty that it would take a lifetime to properly take it all in. And perhaps a place with a bit of snow as well, so you can cure any homesickness you may have."

A hope and a wish, for the both of them. Sansa was a kind woman, and Altair had faith she'd raise her child right. It was up to all of them though to help support them, at least in his opinion. And protect them from Agra 10's dangers, as well. That was what worried him the most, though he said nothing of the sort. It would be very bad form indeed to frighten a pregnant woman.

"And should you need anything, I have taken to tending the hospital back on Agra 10. I am not always there, but you can reach me over our communicators, day and night."

He was concerned in general, but with the knowledge he'd gained from the data point too, perhaps it also was a doctor's concern.

B - Gardens (pretend I'm not super late)

[art_of_war]

Thrawn was also trying to find an escape from Risa's heat. It is actually Altair speaking to insects that first drew his attention. It is not difficult to follow his voice and heat signature to the source.

Since to Thrawn's knowledge, there are very few Chiss that are force-sensitive he is somewhat surprised to find that Altair is one of them. Thrawn also has the rather unkind thought that Altair is a bit short for a Chiss.

"Since insects are cold-blooded, they are the same temperature as their surroundings. How are you able to see them in the dark?"

[kallig]

Occupied with the insects as he was, he didn't notice Thrawn there before it was too late. Or maybe he had just been so desensitized to the way Chiss minds felt at home that he no longer noticed the approach of one. Still, him suddenly speaking was enough to send him scrambling back- though he didn't drop his things- nor crush the bug he'd had in his hand.

He set his now very grumpy new bug friend down so it could scuttle off into the darkness, before turning his focus to the other Chiss- keeping a somewhat healthy distance.

"I can see them through the Force. And the light is not so low that I cannot see them properly when I'm up close."

Only the glow of plants, yes. But it was enough.

That said, he sighed, "You really need to stop sneaking up on me the way you do, you know that, right?"

[art_of_war]

Thrawn looked completely unrepentant.

"It was not my intent to startle you. Is seeing them through the Force how you see most things?"

Thrawn's curiosity was evident. After all, he did not know many adult Force-sensitives of his species.

[kallig]

Altair sighed, deeply. It seemed his meaning hadn't gotten through to the other Chiss, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He thought he'd gotten better at being around his own species, but apparently, he hadn't.

"Let me rephrase that- please let me know when you're approaching, because I can't guarantee that I won't instinctively lash out with the Force to protect myself. I am afraid of you, but really would rather not hurt you."

He didn't think he could get any clearer than that- his fear was something he wanted to get over- he knew how much Thrawn meant to Eli and Eli's love for Thrawn made him want to actually get to know him rather than run for the hills, too. Altair also knew that Eli would be upset, should Thrawn be injured. And he didn't want to upset him.

"... As for your question- it used to be. Not so much any more, but... Old habits, I suppose."

He was missing his veil, and would likely look into getting a new one or a blindfold. But it had been a long time since he felt the need to hide himself away so completely. Though he was feeling some of it now.

Altair couldn't help but wonder though- "... It doesn't... Disturb you? That I'm Force-sensitive...?"

When Altair had went home, he'd met more Chiss. Many had come to join the Alliance in the fight against Arcann, and many had stayed. But he knew he wouldn't be accepted by most, and he'd gotten a lesson he didn't need to learn twice- the Ascendancy would never accept him. And he would never have a home among his people.

So to have Thrawn look at him with curiosity rather than disgust? It was strange.

[art_of_war]

Thrawn was the one to look startled now and in surprise he blurted;

"I frighten you that much?"

He had, of course, met Force-sensitive humans before. But, to him, those were aliens and Altar was Chiss. A male Chiss and an adult to boot. Thrawn was fascinated... which means that Altair was being thoroughly examined, like something in a petri dish.

"I will try not to startle you in the future. And to answer your question; I am not disturbed by any measure of Force-sensitivity. For my people, 3rd sight is considered a rare and precious gift. Those who possess it revered."

[kallig]

"You do."

It wasn't said to be rude or cruel- the opposite, in fact. If Thrawn knew, then he could take care to not sneak up on him in the future. And maybe then Altair could finally stop being terrified of him. He knew Eli would be happy, should they get along.

And it wasn't like Altair was opposed to them at least being acquaintances.

It was his turn to look startled when Thrawn spoke, though it lasted only a brief moment before he looked off to the side, looking thoughtful.

"... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that things have changed over the thousands of years between my time and yours."

His tone wasn't bitter at all. Perhaps a bit sad.

"That is not how Chiss see Force-sensitivity in my time. Chiss who are Force-sensitive are seen as impure, and made to suppress their connection. If they cannot, they are exiled. Or executed."

It was rare, of course. There weren't many Force-sensitive Chiss- he only knew of one besides himself and he'd had to fight and kill him.

"Of course, I wasn't born in the Ascendancy, but..."

Well, part of his family had been. And they had brought that way of thinking with them.