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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...)

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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.

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.

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.

"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?"

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.

"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."

[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.

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.

"In a basement?" Altair asked, tilting his head, "Is... That where you work, perhaps?"

Plenty of jobs were done in basements, after all, and it was the first thing he could think to ask. Archives, and the like, were kept in basements- or at least, in darker, chillier places. After all, there was something similar, beneath the Sith Sanctum on Dromund Kaas- and for a moment, Altair found himself missing Kaas City a little. All the knowledge hoarded there, hidden away.

It was something he missed about being on the Dark Council- the ability to throw himself into his research, to wander the archives, to sit translating ancient texts and forget about the world until the need to sleep caught up with him.

"... Climate aside, this is a nice place. Quiet, in a way."

Maybe that was just because there were less Force-users around. Less feedback on his psychic radio than his own home and time.

The tea shop was a pleasant place as well, "... Too bad there's nothing like this on Agra 10. My friend Eli runs a kitchen, but..."

Nothing like this. They had what they needed, he supposed. But little in the way of comforts.

[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.]

Jon gives a small shrug "Actually, yes. The archives are in the basement of the institute I work for. It's pretty common, actually. It's not exactly open to the public and we mostly deal with old case files anyway. At least it's quiet." When they aren't being attacked by flesh-devouring worms or various monstrosities, that is.

Naturally he is inclined to agree with this shop being preferably to some other places he has visited on this planet. And yet his visits to some of the nightclubs weren't exactly driven by an interest in... Having fun.

"I'm certain if you wanted to you could easily set up a place like this in Temba." Jon says with an expression that could almost be considered playful "I doubt you would even have to worry about having to pay rent."

And for a short moment, the seemingly perpetual gloom Jon has been dwelling in lightens up somewhat. No, this isn't a man that jokes often.

"I see. I often spent my time in the archives at home, beneath the Sith Sanctum. It was part of my job. Though it's been a very long time since I was a member of the Dark Council."

He very much missed it. He missed being on the Council itself. He had become Emperor, the leader of the Eternal Alliance, ally to the Sith Empire. The Silencers and the Imperial Reclamation Service had been given to him by Empress Acina as a show of good faith. But had it been up to him, he would have sat on the Council and argued with his peers about what was the right course.

He would have done his work in the dusty archives, he would have investigated ancient tombs, scoured the galaxy for its hidden knowledge, alongside the Reclamation Service.

Of course, what he wanted and what the galaxy had needed were very different things.

When Jon made a joke then, he blinked, then blinked again, before laughing, entirely amused. Jon didn't seem the type to joke around, so Altair appreciated the fact that he had all the more. He was confident that he'd made the right choice in choosing to try and befriend him, as well.

"Maybe I'll have to look into it," He agreed, "Once I've got the hospital under control. For now, I think we all need a healer more than we need a cranky old Sith running a tea shop."

Though tending to the hospital hadn't been his first choice.

The laughter is... Somewhat unexpected. But not an unpleasant effect. At least it's not any sort of laughter being directed at him ill-willed. So he permits a gentle smile to remain on his own face when he thanks the waitress for setting their ordered tea on the table between them.

Though Altair's words have caught the Archivist's interest "A healer, you say? I mean... I haven't managed to take a look at Temba's hospital yet. And unfortunately I'm no trained doctor, but... I agree. That would indeed be useful to have"

Looking down at the tea, he wonders if he could just... Learn.

"You have taken charge of the hospital, then?"

Altair thanked the waitress as well, as it was the polite thing to do, before returning his attention to Jon and their conversation, his expression turning thoughtful

"It is in complete disarray, much like the rest of the place. But I've started to work on getting it functional, yes. I thought it necessary... With the storm, and then the thought of danger in the future..."

It's not what he would have chosen for himself, had he seen any other way around it. But they've already had the conversation about when the last time Altair did something entirely selfish was. Still, since going to work at the hospital, he's saved a life and that made it all worth it. One life, and maybe more down the line. It was necessary work.

And Altair far preferred saving lives to taking them.

"There is a data point you can touch that will help you make sense of the equipment and such, too. I can show you where, once we return to Temba. It... Would be nice, actually, to have some company there."

"A data point." Jon repeats the term thoughtfully, glancing back up at Altair "Like the one by the fountain? There are more of those?" He hasn't been aware of that yet. But in his defense he has only had a very few days to actually explore the city.

"I... Yes. I think that might be helpful. And I would very much prefer to be of some use rather than just... Being present." And he supposes that he just might end up knowing certain things anyway. He makes a slightly bemused face, even though a certain grimness also lingers across it "At least I can claim to already have some basic knowledge on human anatomy." Flesh, bones, skin...

But something else comes to mind.

"How long have you been on Agra 10 yet? And... Have you ever spoken to the Agrii?" There even is some slight underlying compulsion in these questions. Not quite intended, but Jon is curious to know.

"There are, yes. There are a few different ones, each giving different information. Though it would appear that you can only hold the knowledge of one at a time. Should you have one, then touch another, what the previous one taught you will be taken away. It's strange, to say the least."

Not something he liked. But they didn't even really know how the data points worked in the first place. Information merely downloading into their brains, like how Altair imagined droids did. Still, they had their uses, and if it allowed him to be useful, then it was a mystery that could wait to be solved- at least for now.

"That it helpful. Of course, not everyone is human... I admittedly don't know a lot about how Chiss bodies work, either..."

Maybe similar to how humans worked? He probably had the same internal organs as humans, he imagined. Another mystery that could wait to be solved.

Jon's next questions were- well and fine, he supposed. But there was something behind them, something that was- unnecessary. He tilted his head slightly, not upset or even offended, as it seemed... Unintentional, he supposed. At least there was nothing sinister about it, so far as he could feel. It was interesting though, that power- familiar but not at the same time.

"I would answer your questions regardless, you know."

That's all he really had to say about it.

"I'd been on Agra 10... Well, its days are slightly different than the planet I used to live on, but I'd say about six months. Maybe closing in on seven?"

A long time. Seemed like it would be longer. Not that he minded so much- not any more, at any rate.

"And not spoken directly to, no. But there is a box, back on Temba, where we can request supplies. They don't always understand our requests, but they've spoken over speakers there before- we also saw one over video, before the storm started."

Jon listens to Altair's explanation about the data points, unable to quite hide his own disappointment in the part about not being able to collect the information stored on any of them. Though part of him wonders if he can download one, make records of what he has learned and keep those at hand even after touching another point.

Maybe he can try that.

He raises his cup and takes a sip before giving a small nod at Altair mentioning Chiss bodies. He can practically feel the knowledge attempting to press into the back of his head, trying to force its way through that metaphorical door.

And in a way he's tempted to let it through.

But that's when Altair calls him out on his accidentally attempted compulsion and Jon nearly chokes on his tea, sputtering and hastily putting the cup back down to keep himself from dropping it. Clenching his jaw shut, Jon can't help but succumb to that unpleasant panic that settles over him in a wave of dread as his eyes fix themselves on the table.

He isn't sure if he properly registers the whole response he is given.

"Altair... I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do... That."

There's guilt in his voice. Along with shame. And that he is referring to the Chiss by his first name? Now that's an accident.

Quite the reaction. Unintentional indeed.

Altair wondered, briefly, if he should merely have let it slide- not called attention to it. He hadn't meant to upset his new friend, after all, and he didn't need the Force to tell him that Jon felt guilty, ashamed. His reaction, his voice.

He could have come to the same conclusion if he was blind, even.

"It's alright," The Sith said, not a shred of anger present in his voice or his behavior, "Sith and Jedi- and I imagine other Force-sensitives, too- are able to do something similar. To get information, or suggest that someone should do something or other."

It was a power he'd resorted to using a few times, himself. Not entirely too often, but not never either.

"No need to feel guilty. I can tell you didn't mean to. And I can tell you feel guilty, too, no trying to brush that off. It's a little sad that that's what it took for you to refer to me by my first name, though."

Edited 2020-03-26 19:02 (UTC)

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.]

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.]

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.

[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.]

[The commented earned a small chuckle from Hux. Altair had always been the one person he could feel at ease around and not have to keep up a tough exterior around. He enjoyed the rare moments like this.]

Were you at least able to satisfy your curiosity about your people? I'm aware you've always wanted to know more about them, but you had been hesitant due to your past.

[He reached over to place a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder knowing the topic wasn't easy.]

I wasn't. There are Chiss in the Alliance, who've left the Ascendancy to join my cause. I even have allies in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force. But... They made it pretty clear that I don't belong there. And that was before I killed one of their Syndics.

[He regrets it now. A little. Still, his desires mean very little, and what the Alliance needed meant everything to him at the time.]

Being told that my people see Force-sensitivity as impurity... It was a lesson I didn't need to learn again. It still hurts, though.

[That he can be so rejected by the people who look like him. It shouldn't matter. The Ascendancy has never been his home, and its people have never truly been his.

But it stung. To be so thoroughly rejected when he'd wanted to belong. He took a breath, to keep himself from giving into the desire to cry. Being with Hux, being able to talk about it... He should focus on how lucky he was instead.] It doesn't really matter, I suppose.

[It sort of did, but it was a conversation for another time.] Do you want to go shopping for some clothes? Maybe we can find something that's a bit more your style.

In so many ways we have a lot in common. Yet, despite everything you've managed to climb your way up to the top. They're the ones missing out and will eventually have to come to you.

[He gave a wary sigh as he stared at the somewhat ill fitted clothing he wore.] I suppose we should worry about that first....Although, I don't know what my style would be.

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