Wanna Play? (Open Spar)

[Oolana Taine]

It had been awhile since Oolana had a chance to get some saber practice, so she decided to head out to the grounds and spar. Once out on the grounds, she found a nice open spot and sent out an open invitation to anyone within range.

"I'm bored would anyone like to play?"

She sat patiently with her practice saber in her lap, waiting for an opponent to arrive.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He grinned.

He had been bored as well. And he'd been wandering the grounds hoping that maybe his master or someone would be there to learn from.

Dark eyes gazed toward her from beneath a set scowl. It was his usual expression, and nothing she should take personally.

"Are you picky about the competition?" He asked, a slight cocky grin making its way to his face as he approached. o those who didnt know him, he seemed self assured and perhaps cocky. But to those who eventually got to know him well, they knew that it was mostly an act. Inside, he was just as unsure of himself as anyone else - he just hid it well behind a wall of impatience and anger.

[Oolana Taine]

"Maybe...but I guess you'll do." Oolana replied with a teasing smile.

"I've seen you around but we haven't really met. I'm Oolana."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He moved a bit closer and extended his hand to her.

“Im Maxim.” He replied.

“Sorry I didn’t introduce myself before.” He added, showing perhaps a hint of the guy behind the scowl.

“I guess Ive been sort of focused on training….”

He stuffed his hands into the pockets of the coat he wore.

“I thought I saw you walking in the gardens the other day.” He added, his cheeks perhaps hinting at a shade of embarrassed red as soon as the words came out. It sounded as if he’d been watching her, and to a degree, he had. He’d seen her from the window of his room when he’d pulled open the heavy drapes to let a little light into the otherwise rather dark room, but it sounded much worse to him as he reconsidered what he’d just said.

[Oolana Taine]

Oolana noticed the slight flush and smiled. "I thought i felt someone watching. I always get that twinge on the back of my neck when people are."

She stood up and gave Maxim's hand a nice gentle sqeeze. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you." She sayed eyes smiling warmly at Maxim.

"So you think you can handle me?"

[Maxim Vasilijev]

She had an easygoing way about her that instantly put him at ease. She had, it seemed, sensed his slight discomfort and sought to alleviate it. Something that seemed a rare quality in a Sith, he noted. Her eyes seemed to smile at him.

So you think you can handle me?

He laughed.

“Im not sure…” He replied with a relaxed grin. This was rare from him, for his scowl seemed to better suit him, and certainly it was the expression seen most often on his features.

“Have you been with the order long?” He asked.

[Oolana Taine]

"Oh...I think it's almost been a year." Oolana was kinda shocked herself to realize this, "wow, I've been free a whole year." she thought. Turning her thoughts back to Maxim she continued.

"Dyzm, I should say Zakatiel, has been a pretty good master. I should earn my knight status after the next mission...At least I hope I will."

"What about you, are you fresh meat?" she said teasingly, "Or have you been around awhile?"

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim grinned, kicking at the dirt idly.

“Yeah, Im fresh meat, I suppose.” He replied, lifting his gaze to Oolana again.

“At least, compared to a year I am.” This comment he added with a slight shrug of his broad shoulders.

“I suppose you like it here, then, if you’ve been here this long, huh?”

[Oolana Taine]

"Yeah, it's an ok place. Though I'd probably think anywhere was great compared to my life before joining the Sith. Who ever thought enslaving people was a good idea should just... " Oolana shuddered with rage at the thought of her past enslavment.

Needing to hit something she turned to a nearby tree and punched sending all her anger into it, which of course the tree wasn't ready for. The tree wasn't that large and the force of her anger was too much for it. The blow sliced the trunk in two as cleanly as if someone would have chopped it down.

Taking a few more seconds to relax she rubbed her knuckles and scowled at the ground, then turned back to Maxim.

"Ok, I'm alright now." She said almost laughing.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Well this he hadn’t expected at all. Maxim was a twenty two year old who had left college in his last semester to join the order. He’d grown up in a rather strict family with a twin brother who could do no wrong. And once labeled the ‘bad’ twin, he’d lived up to the name by being in constant trouble.

He’d never really had a close friend that he could trust, nor one who had had ever confided in, or who had confided in him.

This personal piece of information from Oolana surprised him a bit. That she was willing to speak so openly with him.

“Are you sure?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. His expression matching hers.

He’d had it pretty easy compared to her, it seemed, and for a moment, he was slightly embarrassed of this.

“It sounds like you’ve led quite a life…” He commented, some of the bravado leaving his voice as he began to speak openly with her.

[Oolana Taine]

"Yes, I'm use to those..outbursts now, so I can recover pretty quickly." She sensed his surprise at her openness and smiled.

Looking nowhere in particular she said, "I don't hold any of my past as my own because I resent it so much and retelling it doesn't put me in any danger so it is easy for me to talk openly. Plus you are a fellow Sith, if you betrayed me I'd have help in dealing with you." Oolana said this last part seriously, but her words held a slight touch of humor.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He nodded in understanding....sort of. He really didnt know much about her past at all, having just met her, and was certainly a bit curious. She seemed rather angry, and she had mentioned slavery, but the rest was left to his imagination.

"Well, I have no plans for betrayal..." He stated easily relaxing with these words. He hadnt been happier, really, since he'd joined the Sith Order. Though he was new there, he was working hard and taking every opportunity for the elder members to learn who he was and to prove himself.

"Did you know the deal with those who defected from the order a while ago...?" He asked. He'd heard something of it from Xau when he'd met him, briefly remembering the lightsaber explosion and the way Odin had come in roaring and demanding he explain.

[Oolana Taine]

"Not really, I'm just glad I missed the mission that basically forced those on it to join the defectors. I would have easily joined the mission if I had heard of it sooner... so I'm glad my training kept me busy."

She knew then she wouldn't of had the insight or training then to forsee the outcome of the mission, but as she looks back at it now she did remember feeling that something just wasn't right about that mission.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

“Were there any that chose not to defect…?” He asked.

He wanted to ask Lady Vader of this, but would perhaps wait until he knew her a bit better. He’d been in constant trouble since his arrival, and didn’t want to cause any more for himself by bringing up a sore subject.

[Oolana Taine]

"The only one I heard that went against the defectors was a knight named Gouyen. She lead a training session that I took part in when I first joined. I think it was due to her companion that she survived, because the defectors had left her there to die."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim nodded, raising an eyebrow somewhat in surprise.

“Is she still around?” He asked, thinking that maybe he’d seek her out. He was always up for a good story of some kind, and if she was leading training missions, she was maybe someone who could teach him a thing or two. Anything not to be an apprentice any longer.

[Oolana Taine]

"As far as I know she is. She used to be Southstar's master and a while back he told me she had returned...so I'm assuming she's still around." She shrugged her shoulders and decided to sit back down and relax. The trunk of the tree she had taken her anger out on was still there, so she sat down on the ground and leaned against it.

"You having fun being a Sith so far?" She asked smiling knowingly. "It's actually pretty fun. Who's your master here?"

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He wasn’t so sure about it being fun. Lady Vader had been on his case from the moment he’d walked in the door. He couldn’t get away with a thing without her knowing. And all to often it seemed, he ended up in her office beneath her stern gaze.

“Uh…yeah.” He replied with a slight grimace.

“I like it. I mean, Im learning a lot. I don’t know how much ‘fun’ it really is, though.”

“Lady Vader is my master.” He added, as if this simple response explained it all.

[Oolana Taine]

Oolana nodded in response to Maxim, acknowledging her understanding of his master situation. She was lucky, in some ways. Dyzm was usually busy and much of her training was independant of his guidance. But in other ways he was the lucky one, for there were still many things she was unsure of.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

“So whats there to do around here for fun, anyway?” Maxim asked.

He’d been down into the city, but got in so much trouble there that he had been hanging around at the castle lately. And things had been awfully quiet except for an occasional night out with friends like Rast, Southstar, or Xau.

[Oolana Taine]

"Well there's always the gardens, I spend alot of time there, or the usual city life. The locals and laws often keep us from fully enjoying ourselves." She said disapointedly, with a hint of fun showing through her smile.

"But that doesn't mean we can't try."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He grinned.

"I havent really been in the garden much. Lady Vader pretty much told me to stay away. Something about a dragon living there..."

He shrugged.

"My room is over the gardens though, and I've looked out there a million times and havnet seen a thing." He added with a roll of his eyes.

"What about you? Have you seen him?"

[Oolana Taine]

"Actually...no. In all my time spent out there, I've never met the dragon. I felt his presence nearby, but it's never shwon itself to me."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He nodded.

"Im gonna meet him." He replied, the tone of his voice somewhat cocky.

"At some point..." He muttered more under his breath.

"Arent you even a little curious about him?"

[Oolana Taine]

"Yeah, I've always followed his presence when I felt it, yet he always found a way to hide from me and remain unseen. It is truly a marvelous creature and I would love to be allowed to finally meet it some. day."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim shifted his weight and gave a glance across the training grounds before he looked back to Oolana.

“Is it true what they say about him, that he doesn’t allow visitors at night?”

He hadnt gone to see the dragon not out of fear, but more because Lady Vader had suggested he not go. And he’d gotten in enough trouble that he hadnt wanted to deliberately disobey her – but he was curious.

[Oolana Taine]

"I've been in the gardens after dark before, that's my favorite time to go. It's dark and blissful, a perfect place to relax." She could feel his curiosity.

She gave him a warm, inviting smile, "I plan on going tonite. You're welcome to join me."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He grinned. If someone else was inviting him - then if something went wrong, if there was trouble, he could always try the excuse that someone else had said theyd done it before and it was fine. Yes, this was the best way to do it without getting in as much trouble.

And besides, it would be cool to have someone to hang out with.

"Yeah, I'll go." He replied.

"Should we meet up somewhere before?" He almost suggested that he'd being a few beers, but that was maybe pushing it in the trouble category.

[Oolana Taine]

"Sure, that sounds good."

Oolana could see his train of thought and added, "Come by my room a little before dark and we'll have a few refreshments before our walk."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim nodded, a grin tugging at the seriousness of his features. He'd been a social kid at school and it had been difficult coming here where so many of the students kept to themselves. He was glad to meet someone like Oolana to hang out with, besides, of course, the few others he'd met.

"Where's your room, anyway?" He asked, casting a quick glance back towards the castle.

[Oolana Taine]

"I'm on the second floor in the west wing on the side that over looks the gardens." Deciding it was time to get at least somework done she chose to head back to her quarters and work on some meditations.

"Alright, well unless there's anything else, I'll see you tomorrow nite."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim nodded and pushed this piece of information intro a place in his memory where it would remain. She was on the same floor as he was – but he wasn’t in the west wing of the castle.

“Sounds good….” He replied with a relaxed smile.

“I’ll see you then….” He added and turned, as she did, to go get some work done.

(ooc: want me to start a new thread for their trip to the garden? Or if you’re up for it, start and Ill join in. :) )