maskormenacelogs | [Closed-ish] Don't mind the noise outside the door

Entry tags:

[Closed-ish] Don't mind the noise outside the door

WHO: Darth Nox + any roommates / visitors to Maurtia Falls #003
WHERE: Maurtia Falls #003
WHEN: Nox's arrival + Throughout the month
WHAT: TMW you get a new roomie and there's technically six of them
WARNINGS: Some minor bodily harm, but nothing else comes to mind.

[Nox wasn't the sort to go out of his way to socialize in a situation like this. He didn't knock on doors to introduce himself. He didn't leave notes. He just appeared. He'd been assigned to this dwelling, he'd been given the keys, as far as he was concerned that was all that was necessary.

Which was all well and good, except it did mean that he might wind up spiking the heart rate of his new housemates when they stumbled upon their sometimes-invisible roommate while he wasn't so invisible. Not that he was doing anything particularly nefarious, but...well. His wardrobe didn't exactly shout "hug me" and anyone with the ability to sense his aura in the slightest would likely wish they hadn't. For as much effort as he put into looking like some sort of unearthly presence, it paled in comparison to what his aura would feel like.

Unpleasantness- and antisocial behavior aside- he'd be peacefully making himself at home. Mostly. Meditating on the upstairs balcony in the evenings and early morning hours, being thoroughly bewildered by the kitchen and everything in it, or setting up his own little space in the basement. Later in the month, he'd even have a rudimentary training dummy set up. Which he'd be busy shooting lightning at until he'd started burning holes in his fingers and his gloves had begun to melt into his skin. Because the Sith are terrible with restraint. But hey, at least with a little work, the house would never have to worry about any blackouts? Positive thinking!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ahsoka'd sent him a text earlier to warn him she was planning to come over.

Nox- I had a thought that might help a bit. Involves keeping your cover and giving you a bit of electronic freedom. Planning on coming over around sundown unless you say no.

And that was what she did. Ahsoka knocked on the door and sent a subtle nudge through the Force to let him know she'd arrived on time. She had a small toolkit at her belt that she'd managed to scrounge up and had already used it on her own communicator.

He hadn't bothered sending her much in the way of a confirmation- given her choiced of words, he didn't feel it was necessary- but he did send her a message when she arrived. Mostly because he was pre-occupied, and it seemed as good a reason as any to experiment with using the network via mental access.

Enter. Downstairs.

It wasn't bad for a first attempt, though just how much of the abrupt nature of the message was due to inexperience, distraction, or just his general temperament was anyone's guess. Considering the similarities inherent to all the government provided housing, she probably wouldn't need assistance finding her way to the basement. Though even absent that familiarity, the crackle of Sith lightning would be a helpful guide.

...Well since he'd invited her in...She has no problem using the Force to unlock the door and let herself in.

Ahsoka headed down the stairs, both because of his instruction and because that's where she sensed him. The distraction had her a bit puzzled, but he probably just had a lot on his mind. There was a lot he'd wanted to work on, last time they'd talked.

...Ah. That sound was very familiar. She stopped at the entrance of the basement, watching. Not immediately going for her lightsabers, though he could easily attack her. She wasn't convinced he would, not without reason, but she'd been wrong before.

"Where's your comm?"

There's a moment before he answers, trying to direct the stream of unnatural energy toward its target across the room as long as possible. Not that Ahsoka would have to wait long, because he does eventually stop after just a few more seconds- it likely has something to do with the strain, and not just on his mind. The plating on his gloves was beginning to glow, and the fingertips of his gloves had already been burned away, along with a fair bit of flesh beneath them. Nothing that wouldn't heal itself with a few hours of meditation and a good night's rest. But still sensitive and raw enough that Nox opted to levitate his comm device over to her from the stack of boxes where he'd left it, rather than deliver it by hand.

"You mentioned an idea? I'm listening."

And treating it with perhaps a bit more decorum than necessary, considering he'd turned to face her and clasped his hands behind his back. Likely a side effect of the rigidity inherent to the Empire and its officials.

She'd never really had the chance to watch someone use Force lightning before. And the smell was interesting, telling her something about the side effects of its use.

Ahsoka moved a few steps from the door after the comm was floated to her and sat down on the floor, legs folded under her. Decorum? What decorum?

"When you speak to people, or broadcast, your full name is displayed. I've fiddled with mine a bit so I can use either my name, or my codename. Thought you would appreciate the same arrangement, Darth, though I would need to know what name you want to be shown."

She unclipped her toolkit and set it down beside her, but didn't immediately move to tinker with Nox's comm. If he indicated assent, she would.

"I have noticed. It is why I've largely refrained from making any broadcasts."

Largely. There had been one exception, and it was still one that he'd kept hidden. He had been careful about choosing that particular recipient as well. Even if they did know the significance of his name and tried to share it, he suspected it was unlikely they would be readily believed. Enough time for Ahsoka to hopefully ensure any Jedi were more agreeable.

"Kaal Drellik. It will be obscure enough to avoid alarming any outside parties."

But also familiar enough that it would act as a signal to anyone who actually served him, in the event they showed up in this place while he was still using it.

"Not that my requesting otherwise would be likely to stop you, but I have no objections to my communications being monitored. At the very least it should provide something to bore your allies with, if they remain suspicious."

She nodded her approval. Her own communications were largely inconsequential. Anything really important was left to in person interactions. The acceptance had Ahsoka get to work, adjusting a code here, a connection there.

"It wouldn't," she confirmed, seeing no reason not to. He was smart enough to have worked that out, and probably a lot more. "I told Anakin about you," as they'd agreed. "He'd like to meet you." To threaten and check Nox out. As expected. "But he was on his way out the door when I told him, so it'll have to wait for now.

"This?" She jutted her chin down at the comm. "Is to give you the chance to talk rather than go immediately on the defense." Which was a good thing.

"There will always be suspicion, on both sides." A shrug. "Anakin mentioned a Jadus though? Know him?"

The mention of the name was enough to earn a reaction, however subtle. His mind was protected enough Ahsoka likely wouldn't pick up on just how familiar the name was, and the helmet was serving its purpose in hiding any facial expression that might give away what he was thinking. But he still wouldn't try his luck at a bold lie, no matter how practical it might have been in this situation.

"Darth Jadus? No. His time on the Dark Council preceded mine. I only know of him."

He'd avoid any specifics- partly due to his own reluctance to share any information he was unable to verify, and partly because if what he knew were true, allowing that knowledge to be freely shared could very easily spark an unfortunate incident- but he likely didn't need to clarify that what he did know wasn't exactly good. Any Sith Lord with a reputation was typically bad news to begin with.

"Nothing concrete. The war and the Republic made it necessary I direct my attention elsewhere before long. And the current war means I have even less time to spend chasing rumors."

Edited (typo) 2019-09-23 06:14 (UTC)

His symptoms had been slowly getting better. He still woke up at odd hours of the night, but he was able to talk himself down from doing a search of the house most of the time. There were regular nighttime noises the building made, there were people moving around at particular hours, and sometimes it was just in his head.

This time, though, none of those explanations fit. He' heard Cayde's footsteps heading out too recently. Akobi was at Aegis HQ managing an administrative issue that needed to be finished up before a deadline. Nothing else should be moving in the house right now.

But he could hear something all the same.

He got out of bed, not summoning his armor yet. It was easier to be quiet in local sleepwear. Padding his way through the house on bare feet, he was already trying to convince himself it was nothing. Maybe Cayde had come back unexpectedly. Maybe Poe had come in without wanting to wake him up.

A quick glance into one of the common rooms killed those doubts. That wasn't a human-looking silhouette.

Instinct pulled his armor and rifle to him in an instant, taking up a position behind the scant cover the doorway provided him.

"Identify yourself," he demanded. "And make no sudden movements."

Hm. Now that was an interesting armor- Republic at first glance, considering their preference for the sterile white armor approach and similarities in the helmet. But the features looked to have some Imperial influences to them. It was a look meant to shock and inspire fear, not calm. Curious. But Nox will have to ask about it another time, given the circumstances.

While the blaster rifle ordinarily wouldn't be much of a threat, he didn't have a desire to slice through the walls or furniture and possibly burn the house down just to deal with the blaster fire the way he typically would. He'd mostly comply for now. To make things easier. He'd at least turn to fully face the trooper.

"I am Darth Nox. And for my request: Stow your weapon, trooper. Otherwise, I will have to take it from you."

Darth. He'd never learned what it really meant. But in the Empire, you didn't need to know what, just who. Vader was the only one. Since he'd come here, he'd been uncomfortably aware of more around the edges, but he'd stayed far from them.

If this Darth Nox anything like Vader, he didn't stand a chance.

He did not lower the rifle.

"Do you have authorization to be here?"

The dedication to duty was admirable, really. He'd expect nothing less from the men and women of the Alliance, but here the effort was just misplaced. And tiresome. Which was precisely why he'd take a moment to focus, then reach out with the Force to resolve the matter himself. Nox raising his hand was possibly seen as a violation of 622's 'no sudden movements' command, but it wasn't as if the trooper would have any choice in how to respond.

Because for the time being, he wasn't in control of his movements. He could try to resist of course, but it would be a pointless struggle. One way or another his body would be moved for him, marched out of cover and into the room toward Nox. Who was, frankly, doing the thing he should have done from the start and answering the question, but...Sith and their desire to show dominance being what it was, just saying 'yes' would have been too simple.

"It is my understanding that we are assigned housing upon our arrival. This happens to be mine. And I must admit, I am disappointed no effort was made to announce it to anyone present."

Mostly just because it- and his general lack of practice at socialization in a normal society- led to situations like this. Once 622 was close enough to present his rifle- unwillingly, of course- Nox would take it from him with a small bow of his head and a Thank you, and move to place it on the shelf of a nearby bookcase. Close enough to be a comfort for the Trooper, but just far enough that Nox would have time to react to any attempt to reach it. And provided nothing else happened, he'd allow 622 free movement again once his weapon was safely out of the way.

For a lurching moment, he couldn't tell whether he was moving, or the room. He could hear his own footsteps, saw Darth Nox getting closer, but he couldn't be moving. He tried to stop, but his limbs simply didn't respond. Somehow he'd been programed to do it.

He barely listened to what was said, trying to struggle, to pull back--no. No. Wasn't working. Wouldn't. Try something else. He had to. He sent off an emergency alert to Poe, to Akobi, trying to warn them, but that wouldn't do him any good. They wouldn't get there in time.

Then Nox took his rifle, and knew what he should do. He'd practiced for months, getting better and better at how he summoned and dismissed his gear. He could only do it once a day, but he could do it in pieces now. Summon a ration bar with the top of the wrapper missing, dismiss an empty medpack, anything in between. And he knew every detail of his gear.

He sent away half the casings of his blaster's power pack and gas cartridge, just as he got control of his limbs back. He dove away, shielding himself as best as he could with the thicker back plates on his armor. When a blaster was breached, all the energy contained inside of it let off all at once. He'd seen it happen, when an ammo dump cooked off. But not up-close.

Had to be done.

Edited 2019-09-22 19:06 (UTC)

The Force certainly provided many advantages- even a distinct edge- to those who could properly wield it. But it was not infallible. While it did gift Nox with an early warning that things were about to go horribly, terribly wrong, that's all it was. A warning.

As 622 dove away, Nox turned toward the man's blaster rifle and hastily began began to prepare a barrier. It likely saved his life, stopping the pressure wave from the resulting explosion, but it wasn't enough to stop much else. And compared to other Sith Lords, Nox's armor provided little in the way of protection. He felt the hot, stabbing pain from every piece of the rifle and assorted other debris cutting in to him, but due to a mix of the barrier and what little armor his robes had, he was at least spared any fatal injury. But only barely.

He took advantage of 622's momentary distraction to cloak himself- not just to stabilize and block out the pain, but to hopefully confuse the trooper. Nox didn't even remove the larger bits of shrapnel still lodged in him for fear of leaving any clue to confirm his presence. Sure, it made movement painful, but it was at least slowing the bleeding to leave them well enough alone. Even in his current condition he could still move silently about the room, and he'd use that to his advantage. As tempting as it was to just draw his saber and impale the trooper in retalation- and it was very tempting- he had serious doubts about that actually improving the situation in the long run. He'd have to settle for a less fatal form of retaliation, but for now, he would bide his time. And channel his fury and hatred into repairing at least some of the damage dealt to him...

[ Akobi is new to this whole "sensing auras" thing. He's mostly tried to avoid doing it altogether. But his mental discipline is, frankly, horrible. So when he comes home one morning after spending the night at Helix Station finishing up some paperwork, and senses a looming, writhing mass of Darkness coming from the upstairs balcony, his hackles raise. He storms up the stairs towards the source of the aura, because no one ever called Akobi a particularly intelligent man. ]

Jadus, I swear to the Emperor, you had better get out of my house or I'll--!

[ Upon walking out onto the balcony, he freezes. ]

...You're not Jadus.

Very perceptive.

[Well, meditation is likely a bust until whatever this is going to be stops, so Nox will at least rise to his feet from where he'd been kneeling and turn to give Akobi his full attenion.]

But this is the second time that name has come up. Tell me, why is that name so popular here?

[Akobi might get the impression that this was not an idle request. Largely because, well, it wasn't.]

Because, until now, he was the preeminent Sith presence on this planet.

[ Lord Vader is also here, but... not as Lord Vader. Akobi doesn't particularly want to unpack that, anyway. ]

You are Sith, correct? The Dark energy is practically radiating off of you.

Why thank you. I am Darth Nox, yes.

[Because at least in his day, one didn't earn the title without being Sith. And of course he would take the observation as a compliment.]

Now, as you have been so kind as to share your familiarity, what do you know of Jadus? I never had the opportunity to meet the man, but I did hear stories. Whispers, really...

[Nox was certainly hoping he wouldn't need to spell it out for the man, but he was referring to their own galaxy, not wherever this was- and that nothing he'd heard of Jadus was particularly good, even for the Sith.]

Edited 2019-09-26 03:57 (UTC)

Nox. [ Not going to deign to give him the title. ]

Jadus is... a frightening presence, if I'm being frank. [ Even when his disturbing aura had been reversed, filling Akobi with a sense of calm, it was still somewhat offputting just to be near him. ]

Until recently, he was the only representative on this planet of the time of the Sith Empire. I've tried to avoid him as much as possible, so I'm not sure what I'll be able to tell you.

[Spoilsport. But Nox is at least one of those pragmatic Sith who understands that just imagining inflicting great harm upon someone is often the better alternative to actually doing so.]

You've told me...enough. Thank you.

[Not that any of the rumors about Jadus ever suggested he would brazenly take the credit for his actions or announce what he was up to, but surely someone already inclined not to view him favorably would have noticed something out of place. Even if not with Jadus directly, at least in his vicinity.]

And if sensing him is that terrifying for you, learn to use that fear. It's less potent than anger or hatred, but what power it provides is certainly better than letting it be wasted as pointless dread.

[ Akobi's eyes narrow, suspicious. He becomes defensive, pulling himself taught and straightening to his full height. ]

...Are you trying to tempt me to the Dark Side?

[He's just going to tilt that helmet of his and shift his weight to his right side in response. Akobi please.]

It's to shore up your spine and endure his presence. I'm certain the Jedi have a specific breathing technique or something [which Nox is absolutely downplaying with a flippant wave of his hand] but I can't share what I don't know.

Sith constantly search for weakness. Size each other up. It's what we do. And for your sake, I would hope anyone trying to turn you to the Dark would need to put in a little more effort than just advising you how to keep your boots from quaking.

[ Far be it for Akobi to agree with the word of a Sith lord, but he has to admit Nox has a point. He needs to shore up his defenses if he's going to get anywhere in this world, rather than be at the mercy of the Force abilities he's been given. If that means taking the advice of a Sith, then so be it. ]

Very well. In what way do I... "use" my fear?

[Cayde is something of a cryptic housemate as well; he keeps odd, inconsistent hours and keeps surprisingly quiet when entering or leaving. To him it's not so much a home as it is a bunk assignment; a reliable place to leave his stuff or lay his head down when it comes to it. But when you're a Hunter, that can be just about any other place as well.

(Plus, it doesn't help that he spends a considerable amount of his time out in Jeopardy with his girlfriend, these days).

Still, he's able to take note that there's someone new about, that they seem to be from the laser sword reality, and that he'll never admit out loud how good the furred collar robe look is. The sartorial struggle persists.

It's later in the month when he runs into Nox practicing on a training dummy in the basement while looking for something. There's a pang of familiarity with the lightning, as if he didn't know any better, he'd just take Nox for a Stormcaller.]

Hey, Ticklefingers. You happen to see a copy of Riders of the Purple Sage 'round here? Please don't tell me you vaporized it.

[Well. That unexpected commentary may have resulted in the lightning targeting going a little hairy. But hey, it's the basement, it probably won't burn the house down, it's fine.]

Ticklefingers?

[He was honestly torn between respect and intense hatred for Cayde at that. And really, while the fact he looked like a droid was certainly anywhere from one to five thousand points against him, he made up for it by virtue of not being quite so insufferable as another not!droid he dared not mention.]

I try not to make it a habit to rifle through the belongings of others. It's wherever you left it.

[You...droid(?) you.]

Yeah. [He wiggles the fingers of his left hand at him in a trite imitation of lightning.] Ticklefingers.

[He moves on, utterly unconcerned with Nox's irritation.]

Anyway, my problem is that I swore I cached it away but I checked all my usual spots, and it ain't there.

Edited (i html'd bad) 2019-09-28 04:10 (UTC)

[Gabriel hasn't spoken to any of his roommates. There's just polite nods and he cleans because - well. It keeps him useful. There are a few points of things he agrees with them on, the kitchen is pretty confusing, but most of the time he sits - considering himself - considering the situation. The jackalope, his - pet - at least keeps to itself.

He'd managed to bypass the emotions that came with keeping a pet. A pet. He should not keep anything, but he had left the door open to his lower room but the creature didn't leave. Instead it looked around and tried to play with toys and stared at people but it stuck near him.

So this isn't the sweet life the Jackalope had imagined. That said the human-shaped thing (it was not a human. The jackalope had figured that out but - the guy had gotten him out and that was worth sticking around. Besides, he fed him. So he sits curled up on the bed and the human writes and Gabriel tries to confront these strange unusual feelings because he hasn't spoken to his roommates.

He should. That's what he's supposed to do. He's supposed to be motivating, preaching but honestly he's still trying to deal with this sense of isolation because- well. He's never been isolated before.

It's not real isolation, there are just people here and he's not constantly in the presence of something-

His musings are interrupted by a loud crack of something that makes him sit up sharply. The vague sense of unease and evil around the house was throwing him off. It wasn't him obviously. Which was fine. Good. he needed a fight. That had been the whole point of the apocalypse-

One hand clenched he rushed outside to see lightning crack and the figure move as he runs forward.]

Are you all right?

[Maybe he should have said something about possible lightning storms. He's beside Nox unnaturally quick looking for wounds.]

That's the kind of thing to get your blood pumping right?!

[If it were possible for something as inanimate as a helmet to give an indignant look, well, Nox's does exactly that. If only because it is quite impossible for him to understand what all the concern was about.]

Of course I'm fine, you idiot! Why wouldn't I be?

[Look, even an acolyte can fire off a few lightning blasts. Gabriel's concern feels an awful lot like helicopter parenting to a Sith.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Closed-ish] Don't mind the noise outside the door

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject