Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

Malveaux House was in an old neighborhood, and surrounded by old buildings. But even compared to those, there was something especially ancient in its appearance. Perhaps it was how dark it was, the shadows hinting at an internal decay. Or perhaps it was the quiet. With so few electronics, all one could hear was the sound of the cold, howling wind as one approached. In the few spots where one was sheltered from the wind, the silence was sudden. Sepulchral.

A single light illuminated the heavy door that sealed the front of Malveaux house. It was a curious thing, how the light could be so dim, and yet, when standing in it, illuminated the visitor rather like a spotlight. They could see the door, but nothing outside, creating a feeling of being watched.

The door itself was heavy, and wrought with a dark, cold metal. Cold and wet had allowed rust, spreading like creeping doom, to begin to form, a dark, liquid red.

In the center of the door was a heavy knocker, as metal as cold as the rest of it.

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:Snip

Jan steps daintily out of a speeder, watching a group of rag-wearing locals cross the street to avoid the house, one makes an odd shape with his hands as he does.

"....Huh."

Turning her attention to the house the Rep squints...where was gentrification when you needed it?
"Who even designed this?"

Still, she had a mission to complete and it wasn't that Jan felt bad, rather.....wait no, that...that was guilt. Weird, hadn't felt that in a while. Maybe it was the house?

She smoothes out her dress and begins clicking her way over to the front door with a box of chocolates under one arm. Upon reach it she looks around for an intercom or...something before her eyes alight on the knocker.

"Ooooookay."

She reaches out a hand and wraps twice.

The knocker impacted against the door with a loud boom, louder than seemed possible, no matter how heavy it was. It seemed to echo, inside the building and outside, reverberating for several long seconds. And then, sudden silence, as oppressive as the sound had been.

Suddenly, the door opened, swinging with sudden force. It creaked loudly, and banged against the wall, the noise almost deafening. Inside, there was enough light to see dark wooden floors, some antique padded chairs, and, far away, a lit hearth, some more furniture around it. The fire inside the hearth flickered and danced, casting long shadows.

There was no one to be seen.

"Come in." A woman's voice came from near the hearth. It was a melodic alto, but strangely faint, almost ethereal.

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:Snip

Jan jumps slightly at the slam, instinctively making herself a small target before she peered around the side of the door and into the house proper. Had the Malveaux's refused to pay an electricity bill in the past and now it was some kind of macabre family tradition.

"Umm...okay? It's Jan....Jan Melmoar?...Beach scientist?"

She takes a deep breath and steps across the threshold, heading to where the thought the voice had originated from.

As Jan drew deeper into the parlour, the door slammed suddenly shut behind her.

Just as suddenly, Lucinia rose into view, sitting up from the low couch she had been lying upon. Already pale, she was even moreso in the dim light, and perhaps with the blood she'd lost earlier that day. Her green eyes were wide, and briefly uncomprehending, not quite focused.

Slowly, understanding filled them. Lucinia blinked, pursing her red lips. "Jan? The Czerka researcher?" Her eyebrows twitched, unsure in her confusion whether to raise or lower them. "What are you doing here?"

Visible now, her voice sounded more normal, if still a little faint, and the fire did provide enough light to comfortably see by.

Lucinia Malveaux wrote: Snip

Oh dear, anyone paler than Jan was probably not well at all.

"Uh yeah....hi lord Malveaux"
Sad finger guns

"I heard you were wounded in the terrorist attacks today by a errh...sniper? And that's just..."
Maybe she should have just shot Luciania in the foot, the Sith didn't look well at all.
"...Just terrible, I've had my share of wounds in the past and I thought I'd come by with a little gift and pay my respects, from what I've heard you were trying to stop a senseless killing."

"Oh." There was a short pause, and a bit more confused blinking. This wasn't a common sort of situation in the Sith Empire.

Finally, Lucinia managed something of a smile. "Well. That's very kind of you. Ah... won't you sit down?" She waved a casual hand; there were several more padded chairs, and the couch Lucinia sat upon was a long one.

Lucinia sat upright, arranging herself more properly. She'd changed sometime since Jan (very briefly) saw her last, now wearing a dark blue sweater and a black skirt. "Would you care for any refreshment? A glass of wine, perhaps?"

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:Snip

No choking, no lightning, no ominous thunderclap outside....success!

"Why thank you!"
Jan perches on a set next to Luciania's couch, not wanting to intrude to closely and hands over a little pink box of chocolates with 'sorry you got shot' written on the lid. It's Czerka branded, but clearly from their premium line.

"Wine would be wonderful....if there's a convenient droid, I wouldn't dream of asking you to trouble yourself."
She beams.

After a moment of hesitation, Lucinia accepted the box. "That's very kind of you. These look lovely." One eyebrow arched upward at the message. "And... very accurate." She added.

Her red lips quirked. "There is not. And at the moment, no servants. I prefer to keep to myself, and find droids and servants alike to be unpleasantly underfoot when you least desire it."

Lucinia set the chocolates on the small table in the middle of the ring of furniture. That done, she waved a hand at the credenza not far away, just at the edge of the firelight. "But I do already have a bottle open. Would you be a dear and refresh mine while you're at it?" She flashed a smile at Jan, waving a half full wine glass at her.

Indeed, the table had a bottle, and a few more glasses of fine crystal. It also had a bottle of pills and a mortar and pestle, which probably helped to explain why it took a bit long for Lucinia's eyes to focus.

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:Snip

"So...just you alone in this house? That's...." pause"...as you say, very quiet."
She makes her way to the credenza, pairing a glass and bottom in one hand

"And you're mixing medication and alcohol...that's....also very quiet...."
She pointedly puts a cost over the pestle before returning to refill Luciania's glass.

"....Would this be your first time getting shot?"

"Believe me, I wish." Lucinia laughed softly. "No, my younger sister and her... hmm... minions are staying here, too. Although, I'm not certain they're actually *here* here. Probably out on the town. Perhaps at that beach..." Her green eyes glinted amusement at Jan.

"I assure you, it's perfect safe." Lucinia said, her elegant chin tilting upward. "I've studied medicine." Well, sort of. "That is, I've read books on the subject."

"Thank you." Lucinia murmured as her glass was refilled. "And I suppose it is, technically. It's hardly my first time being injured, just my first in this particular way. Stabbed, burned, shocked, thrown into things, having things thrown into me..."

She waited politely until Jan was seated again before raising the glass to her, and then having a slow, careful sip. "I imagine, as a veteran, you've been shot before?" She asked.

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:Snip

What Empire did she live in where even the little sisters were allowed to visit the beach? Jan gives the bottle of pills a glare.

Counter raising her glass after filling it. She rep drinks more quickly than her host because well....it was on someone else's credits.

"Well I was on the bug squad, so mostly stabbed, bitten, sliced...lots of acid at one point. After a few years I started longing for the nice simple days of blaster fire."
Looking sympathetic

"My sympathies for the burns, stabbing and crushing...I imagine those are all fairly common sith occurences?"
But did they really make up for beach access?

"Oh, I see. One of those." Lucinia laughed softly, a musical sound, less mocking than it had been yesterday. "I suppose I can see how blaster fire would be preferable. Not that this has been a treat..." She gestured down towards her right hip, "-but nevertheless..." She gave a half shrug, one shoulder rising and falling.

"Sith training is harsh." Lucinia said, matter-of-factly. "But those who survive are stronger for it."

Idly, almost as though barely aware, one of Lucinia's hands drifted down to the box of chocolates, fingers beginning the work of unwrapping it. "So how did a veteran in the Imperial Army become a Czerka researcher, hmmm?"

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:"Oh, I see. One of those." Lucinia laughed softly, a musical sound, less mocking than it had been yesterday. "I suppose I can see how blaster fire would be preferable. Not that this has been a treat..." She gestured down towards her right hip, "-but nevertheless..." She gave a half shrug, one shoulder rising and falling.

"Sith training is harsh." Lucinia said, matter-of-factly. "But those who survive are stronger for it."

Idly, almost as though barely aware, one of Lucinia's hands drifted down to the box of chocolates, fingers beginning the work of unwrapping it. "So how did a veteran in the Imperial Army become a Czerka researcher, hmmm?"

“Oh yeah... although if I had to guess that’s probably a wound from a disruptor weapon, you can tell because uh.... parts of you were atomised. It’s nasty stuff.”

Sip sip the wine. Czerka folks were meant to know their weapons after all.

“The short anwser is: an honourable discharge, a few friends and a truly astronomical pay offer.”
Almost defensive
“I served for ten years so, I feel I did my time.”

Lucinia's lips briefly twisted into a grimace at the word 'atomized', but gave no other reaction to Jan's knowledge of her injury.

"Oh, you surely did." Lucinia waved an unconcerned hand. She paused a moment, taking a sip of her wine. "Believe me, I understand how advancement works in the Empire, even if I started near the top. Good on you, I say."

Another very small, very slow, sip. "Although true power in the Empire can only come through the Sith, of course." Her other hand had managed to undo all the wrappings on the chocolate box; still idly, she lifted the lid, revealing a layer of paper.

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:
Another very small, very slow, sip. "Although true power in the Empire can only come through the Sith, of course." Her other hand had managed to undo all the wrappings on the chocolate box; still idly, she lifted the lid, revealing a layer of paper.

The paper has a little comic of someone being shot but then solving their problems with Czerka brand chocolate.

"Oh really? I had never noticed."

She gives Luciania a look.

Lucinia laughed softly as she saw the comic. "Oh, how wonderfully relevant!" She looked at Jan, one eyebrow going up. "Did you arrange for this one to be in here, or is chocolate after being shot standard at Czerka?"

The eyebrow went a little higher, Lucinia's lips thinning. "Sarcasm, my dear Jan? Don't you know that all true sarcasm in the Empire must come from the Sith, too?" It was almost certain that she was joking.

Lucinia moved the paper aside, revealing a collection of wonderfully-formed chocolates of varying shapes and slightly varying colors. "Very nice." She murmured. "Which one should I try first?"

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:Lucinia laughed softly as she saw the comic. "Oh, how wonderfully relevant!" She looked at Jan, one eyebrow going up. "Did you arrange for this one to be in here, or is chocolate after being shot standard at Czerka?"

The eyebrow went a little higher, Lucinia's lips thinning. "Sarcasm, my dear Jan? Don't you know that all true sarcasm in the Empire must come from the Sith, too?" It was almost certain that she was joking.

Lucinia moved the paper aside, revealing a collection of wonderfully-formed chocolates of varying shapes and slightly varying colors. "Very nice." She murmured. "Which one should I try first?"

"....I may have used some of my contacts to ensure a personalised chocolate experience, although all Czerka employees are entitled to chocolates after a workplace weapons incident. It's why our confection division is so large."

Counter eyebrow raise

"Thank you for informing me about sarcasm M'am, you're helping me learn very much about the Empire today."
she points to a red sweet shaped like a thermal detonator

"The big bang bulma fruit is sweet and tangy....also a little spicy if that's your thing."

"I see." Lucinia's red lips quirked. "What a fascinating company."

After glancing at Jan through her lashes, Lucinia, carefully retrieved the indicated chocolate. Holding it between finger and thumb, she very carefully brought it to her lips. And with equal care, those lips parted, and she bit into it, white teeth slicing it neatly in half. A pause, some chewing, and then she swallowed.

Lucinia's eyebrows went up. "Very good. Well chosen. Sweet, tangy, a little spicy. Is there a metaphor there?" She slid the box closer to Jan. "Now you must have one; I insist. It's only fair."

Lucinia Malveaux wrote:"I see." Lucinia's red lips quirked. "What a fascinating company."

After glancing at Jan through her lashes, Lucinia, carefully retrieved the indicated chocolate. Holding it between finger and thumb, she very carefully brought it to her lips. And with equal care, those lips parted, and she bit into it, white teeth slicing it neatly in half. A pause, some chewing, and then she swallowed.

Lucinia's eyebrows went up. "Very good. Well chosen. Sweet, tangy, a little spicy. Is there a metaphor there?" She slid the box closer to Jan. "Now you must have one; I insist. It's only fair."

“Whatever is most flattering to you is of course, the metaphor.”

Eyeing the box Jan pauses to choose her chocolate carefully. One did not rush symbolic sweets. Finally she settled on a dark chocolate shaped like the credit symbol and her long fingers pluck it out.

“Well, this is the richest in the box, my personal preference.”
And she throws it up to catch it in her mouth and crunch it with one big chew.

“Very kind of you to offer some chocolate, I so rarely have time to indulge myself.”