Escalation

A/N, Save your stones! I do not have 15,000 words, so they do absolutely nothing for me other than stroke my ego, so until I do have the word count, I ask you give to other new authors!

POV Oriana

Oriana didn't know how she ended up on the floor with a man she had feared to the point of near collapse, but she was. All she could remember was looking at art, because this man needed to have an interest in something so mundane as art, then sparring and being dealt with like a toddler, then walking to dinner. When they were going to sit down at the table, he had said something that made her laugh, and she slipped and was about to go headfirst into a corner of the table when she was suddenly yanked in the other direction by an invisible force. Her brain put together that Malekith, because she actually knew his name now, had dragged her towards him with the force. When she had slammed into him, she ended up knocking him on the ground.

Coming to her senses, or so she thought, she looked down at the awkwardly smiling man, and her resolve broke. 'The Curator", was just an abnormally powerful man who raised a young girl that the Jedi had condemned, for no one's benefit other than her's. Said man currently looked like a sheepish teenager and she was reminded that, in all his power, he had brought a bunch of children out of a sith *homeworld*, into enemy lines, so that they would be alright. Then she kissed him....and didn't stop.

(A/N, before someone 'out-nerds' me, Jedi were encouraged to be social and 'about'. Hell, getting laid was in the teachings, it was lasting connections that were considered taboo, like marriage and children. People aren't likely to go into an apeshit rage over the death of their fuck-buddy. The council was wrong with Anakin, but he was clearly unstable as it is, far more aggressive and emotional than most Jedi, had mommy issues, and THEN had a wife, and they STILL let him on the council. Just remember that.)

That was until a certain teen walked in. Both of the adults in the room immediately regretted every life decision they had made up to that moment. Malekith knew he would never hear the end of it, while Oriana was just plain embarrassed.

"Before you say something you'll regret René, she technically came onto me, so this doesn't count as seducing the new girl."

"Oh, you're still gonna get shit for it!"

"I'm aware."

"Good. Let's eat and pretend this didn't happen."

And so they did.

René offered to show Oriana her flowers, which she gladly accepted, and Malekith took the opportunity to check the underground. He had all of the various contacts and activity reports on a direct feed in his study, and one message showed mighty vibrantly. "Bane wants to talk."

Malekith was immediately alert, it was rare he received messages. He called Ren, his 'manager'.

"Did he give any more information?"

"He said he requests access to Tython."

"Denied, Jedi interest was shifted to the planet, inform him I can get him what he needs."

a few moments.

"He is requesting again, this time he's threatening to release your identity."

Malekith smiled.

"Ask him how Zannah's doing."

another few moments.

"He says something can be arranged."