Ask Alive In A Hive

[Xyrin Davarok]

Cheriss. It sounded like a chocolate kiss or something, not that the kind that some guy might wish from her, but the kind you might find in a candy shop if being honest. Was Xyrin being honest? Maybe. Maybe not. Definitely about her own name, anyway.

Ktrame. Now that one she liked the sound of. Sounded like a blade. Either way, their names were names, not chosen but given. It’s what they made of them that mattered anyhow. It wasn’t something that Xyrin felt was worth a fight over as these women exchange in conversation and debates.

“If you say so.”

Maybe the pleasure was all hers. It wasn’t Xyrin’s regardless.

Cheriss offered her the option of sitting or sleeping. One option sounded as sufficient as the other except for the sleeping part. For all she knew Xyrin would wake up to a dagger in the darkness.

Then came the comment on the glass. How it tended to smash. Cheriss didn’t wait for a response and good for her but it wouldn’t have mattered. Xyrin’s only response was silence, and a look in her eyes as she would watch Cheriss the Champion walk off, but there were no daggers delivered.

However, after the Human disappeared into the cockpit, the Sith relaxed, leaned back in her seat, crossed one leg over the other just like her arms, and looked at that glass with a grin. So it begins. Two there shall be. No more, no less. Two Sith and two women. Xyrin and Cheriss. Let's see who wins.

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

A few hours later…

From what it looked like from the windscreen, the ship had landed on a barren desert. There was significant evidence of ruins up ahead, but nothing that would suggest that there was once a massive inverted pyramid here that stood as a monument to the Sith. Nor that this was supposed to be a forest planet, but they weren’t here to look at trees.

The tingling in the air, though, that the Sith would be able to feel. The power of the dark side. Of darkness. Ironically, that was why Cheriss was here. She needed more than one way to protect herself from it, from Kayden, so she would use darkness’ own power against it. At least she hoped to.

The metal door slipped upwards again as Cheriss made her way back to the lounge and clapped her hands once.

“Up up, acolyte.” She didn’t know whether or not she was sleeping, but regardless she wanted to get a move on. “We’re here.” Although she was sure that Xyrin knew that already— even non-Force-sensitives would be able to feel the presence of the dark side here. Cheriss loved it. It made her eyes light up.

“R6, do a scan. Everything, life, structure, whatever you can find. Let us know.” She waved the droid off, sending it scurrying off the ramp and onto the red dusty ground beneath. She turned to Xyrin. “Once he’s done, you and I will find a way to access the temple. Good?”

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Are you okay? I hope so. Tell me if you are not okay.
Of course I am okay. Keep going. Hit me. If you can.
Arrogance. Overconfidence. It’s weakness. Too bad.
Ha. So you say. So shut up. Back to it. Swing away.

Up. Down. Fight.
I am. You moron.
Again! Don’t stop!
UP. UP. ACOLYTE…

“Up up, acolyte.”

“What? I am up.”

Xyrin’s immediate reaction wasn’t to stretch but to sit up from this sorry excuse of a bed. It wasn’t like she had fallen asleep on the couch anyway. She had dropped something between the cushions and was searching for it. She wasn’t rubbing sleep from her eyes. They were simply itchy.

The eyes of Cheriss, on the other hand, were wide open, as brown as ever, but suddenly burned like fire. They were as alive as the dark side was dead, which made sense given the planet where the Sith and the Sith had arrived.

It was a sentiment that, while Xyrin did not share to the extent of cackling like a maniac about it like Brown Eyes might, she did appreciate the sense of power that lurked. That waited for her.

“Good.”

Xyrin answered without turning to her partner. Her eyes were down that ramp, looking outside from the inside, but not distracted, not distant.

“This wouldn’t be my first time exploring a temple.”

Just…not Palpatine’s…admittedly.

“Is it yours?” She turned to Cheriss. “How many Sith artifacts has Cheriss the Champion claimed in her days anyway?”

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss was pleased to see that Xyrin wasted no time in getting up. She was ready to play the game as soon as her eyes opened, and the champion appreciated that. Maybe they had something in common after all. But the Acolyte’s next statement was yet another difference. One that Cheriss didn’t like.

How was it that a mere acolyte had more experience exploring Sith temples than she did?

“I’ve visited a few temples.” Exploring, on the other hand, not exactly. She’d gotten her artifacts through other methods.

“A few. Books, holocrons, I like to collect.” Today would be no different. “Now come along, if you still want in.” Making it abundantly clear that she would not be taking any more questions, Cheriss headed off the ship and over to where R6 was waiting.

“Status?”

The droid projected a map of the ruins and some of the components that were now underground. It didn’t surprise her that there were no life forms detected, and that some parts of the map were incomplete. Other sections were simply blank. Fortunately, the main entrance to the temple was marked clearly enough.

Unfortunately, that entrance appeared to be underground.

Cheriss studied the map. “We could go in through here.” She pointed to a point that was likely the hole where the X-wing had made contact with the temple, but the area directly past that was completely unmapped. “Or here.” Probably the original “back door” of the temple, but it was almost entirely covered in rubble. Equally bad options, but the quickest ways into the temple without having to use mining equipment.

“Your choice, temple explorer.”

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Emphasis on ‘visited’ suggested more visiting and less exploring. That said, Xyrin’s adventures weren’t much different from hers. The House of a Thousand was a temple, in a sense; a ruin; a house; a structure with secrets that she had been sent to discover.

Yet it wasn’t about finding artifacts. Or unearthing treasure. The power, the reward, was in the experience. No, not every Sith knew of the House’s existence. Neither did every Sith. But every Davarok did. Xyrin was no different.

And would say none of this to Cheriss at the moment so no more questions.

“Ha.”

After a laugh like that that totally showed the opposite of ‘most impressive’, well, there wasn’t really anything left to ask.

Darkness crept into Xyrin’s lungs, not like ash or smoke, but like breathing new clarity in what was otherwise a breathable environment. Granted, the only real attraction was the ruin and the remnant of Palpatine’s palatine visits.

Rust Bucket projected the map. Xyrin made sure to make as many mental notes as possible in the event that the R6 unit suffered an ‘accident’ in their endeavors.

X-Wing. Unmapped. Exciting. She breathed easy. Back door. Rubble. Easiest way for Rust Bucket to suffer an accident.

“Hm.”

Temple explorer. After today that moniker would carry more weight than the weight that Cheriss Ktrame needed to lose in her face.

The Acolyte looked up, met the eyes of the Champion for a second, expressionless, then looked away and walked away. Rubble sounded like too much trouble for Xyrin’s taste so she chose the X-Wing’s direction and moved without pausing her walk.

“Waiting on you.”

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

The acolyte made her choice quickly, which was a trait that was starting to grow on the champion.

“Right behind you.” More like beside her, but that was beside the point. Cheriss snapped her fingers for R6 to follow along, and the droid followed obediently without a beep. You’re learning. Maybe she would keep it after all… if it survived what awaited them. Going into unmapped territory was not business for the weak.

After the Sith maneuvered their way over brick and around stone, Cheriss could see that the X-wing hole was a lot smaller than she had anticipated. Based on the map, it placed them near the center of the inverted pyramid. She moved to one side, allowing Xyrin to look along with her as she turned on her flashlight and directed its beam into the hole.

Black was all the two Sith would be able to see. A void. Like his face. But here, the Force could be a second set of eyes. Cheriss closed one and opened the other. It appeared that the ship had crashed into some kind of stairwell, one which led deep underground.

Once she could see the general route they could take, she went in without waiting for Xyrin to follow. If the acolyte hadn’t figured it out, Cheriss would soon know it. It was a long way down from either side of the stairs to the bottom, and Sith didn’t bother with railings.

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Darkness. Black was darkness. Darker than black. Xyrin liked black. Black was her outfit from hooded cloak to shirt beneath to pants to boots and hair to boot.

Red was her lightsaber. Red was her Sith skin. Red was the blood of Cheriss if the Human ever decides to get on Xyrin’s bad side and ends up seeing it with those chocolate brown eyes.

Silence. Neither Sith needed to speak to each other at that moment and, given current events, might not have said anything terribly nice to begin with.

Their conversation in this situation had to be relevant to their mission with the exception of Cheriss finally admitting that she was maybe slightly intimidated by Xyrin’s presence if she ever decided.

Ha.

Why the Sith decided to not bother with railings was beyond this Sith. Unfortunate. A design flaw in architecture. Granted, she was used to it, more or less, but it didn’t mean it made sense. Was it some kind of test? Or just an attempt to offer a little extra menace to their presence?

It was all the woman could do to wonder and muse as she moved under the darkness, under the light of her flashlight, walking behind if not beside her partner. Having nothing but illuminated stone and the back of a brown-haired head to look at, Xyrin just then spotted a sconce on the wall.

Oh. Hello.

“Want a tan?”

At that, Xyrin lifted the stick from the thing, cast a quick bit of pyrokinesis, lit the giant wick at the end of the stick, tossed the torch forth and watched it sink, flames singing inches away from Cheriss’ pink face.

“Hm.”

The torch eventually disappeared into the black pit, illuminating naught but staircase the whole way, and vanished into darkness.

“That’s deep.”

Worth a shot.

Xyrin moved along, hands clasped—or paused if Cheriss didn’t keep moving and resulted in Xyrin bumping into her back.

Maybe Rust Bucket would prove to be of better use in the pit with his lamps?

Maybe.

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss paused to turn around when she felt the heat of flames behind her. Xyrin had lit a torch and apparently thought it would be a good idea to throw it right in front of the champion's face. She was, in both senses of the phrase, playing with fire. Only this time she was lucky enough not to get burned.

“Very funny.” Maybe a lack of safety standards just ran in the Sith tradition.

The torch was soon out of sight. The pit was deep, just like Xyrin said. The two would continue on their way before the stairs began to rumble beneath them. Then Cheriss heard the echo of a roar. Oh, great.

“That is why you don’t just throw things.” When the Sith took another step down, she was surprised to find that she had a much more solid footing here. Looking ahead, it appeared that they were now in a narrow stone corridor with no sign of the stairs. A simple wooden door was the only thing in their way. Hmm. Cheriss looked around for another path, but there was only Xyrin and the door.

She was not going to be the one to open that first, though.

“After you.” Cheriss stepped aside for the acolyte.

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Xyrin wasn’t trying to be funny in hindsight. If Cheriss were to actually have gotten burned due to the Acolyte’s engineering insight then maybe her face shouldn’t have been inches away from the flames to begin with. Whatever. That would have been funny.

The earthquake, on the other hand, and the roar that accompanied it, might prove to be less amusing. If no less exciting.

“That is why you don’t just throw things.”

“Hm.”

From stone floor to wood door. Cheriss looked around for another path. Xyrin used her probably more sophisticated memory palace to map paths.

“After you.”

“Humph.”

Champion steps aside for Acolyte.
Acolyte doesn’t step. Dips fingers.
Wooden door flies open. No light.
Xyrin is motionless as she turned.

“After you.”

-Beep-boop?-

-WHOOSH!-

A little Force Nudge following Force Push and Rust Bucket heads inside with Xyrin following behind with her flashlight and maybe Cheriss follows behind her in turn as they discover a skeleton on the floor of the corridor.

“Looks Human.”

Xyrin offers the faintest grin to Cheriss.

“A Human woman.”

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss had been expecting something behind that door, so she had her hand on the hilt of her blade as Xyrin flung it open with the Force. Fortunately, she didn’t need it for now as it appeared to be empty.

Of the living. Cheriss made her way in after Xyrin and R6, spotting the skeleton. Then came another cheeky comment.

“You can join her if you’d like.” The champion gave the acolyte a side eye at her grin. If the rule of two weren’t required, she would have been more than happy to add a Sith skeleton to the mix. The more, the merrier. Although she did wonder how this skeleton ended up here. How its owner died.

Unfortunately, the dead didn’t talk. Not in this case, anyway.

Moving on, Cheriss would nudge R6 ahead given he had the light. It appeared that the group had now entered a large room. The corners were strung with thick layers of cobwebs, with more clumps dangling from the ceiling. Even the floor was covered in lines of white.

“A spider’s lair,” she remarked, examining the room, “but abandoned.”

In the middle of the room was a tall stone slab in the shape of a triangular prism. Cheriss made to take a step, but found that her boots were stuck to the floor. White ropes of cobweb had crept up to her ankles like vines, and it didn’t look like it was going to stop there. One look at Xyrin and she saw the same was happening to her. Up ahead, R6 was trying to shake off the cobwebs too, but to no avail.

Faced with the options of being stuck here forever with Xyrin or maybe trying to cut herself free, Cheriss took out her lightsaber. “Careful,” she said to Xyrin as she ignited it, “don’t burn yourself.” Then she began to slice away.

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Skeletons. Cheriss. Xyrin. Oh my. She sensed no living presence yet, then again, whatever was dead may come back again and end in their death if they underestimate their environment.

This was no Jedi temple. It was a Sith temple. One designed for the purpose of driving lesser minds mental.

“You can join her if you’d like.”

“Maybe later if you’d like to try.”

If the rule of two weren’t required, she would have been more than happy to add another Human skeleton to the mix.

Lots of webs in the next chamber. Lots of dead webs. Lots of cobwebs. Xyrin wasn’t afraid of spiders, however, but wondered if Miss Princess was.

“You just had to step toward the pretty prism, didn’t you?”

As said webs began twisting up her legs like liquid rivulets, the Acolyte had decided it was a good time to express her lack of being impressed with the Champion’s neglect.

“Don’t burn yourself.”

"Meh."

Fortunately Xyrin knew how to play with fire without getting burned and preferred to keep flames away from her face unlike her.

The Sith’s lightsaber hissed into existence as crimson kissed the webs that slithered up her legs. She wasn’t sure about her partner but her efforts were working for her.

Xyrin was free but had to move quickly. More webs stretched relentlessly. Whatever Rust Bucket was up to, he ended up shining his light at the right time. And, yet, it was just as much a bad time for Xyrin to look up.

There, on a high vaulted ceiling, was this thing.

And behind her was the answer to a wooden door that was oddly out of place for a stone floor as it was replaced with a stone slab. Not triangular but rectangular. It wouldn't budge.

"Don't look up."

As if Cheriss would listen.

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Despite her feet being tangled in a web and whatnot, Cheriss couldn’t help rolling her eyes at the acolyte’s sarcastic comment.

“What’s the point of exploring a temple if you don’t explore?” A few cuts of her lightsaber disconnected her from the web, and the rest of it fell off from her legs easily enough. The only problem was that the webs were still moving— it would be easy to get tangled again if she didn’t move too. She glanced to the side, saw that Xyrin had used fire. Smart. She wouldn’t say that aloud, though.

Then, just as the champion had stepped out of her circle, the acolyte said not to look up. Having always been a terrible listener, Cheriss did it anyway. She was met face to face with a giant arachnid.

“I suppose it’s not abandoned.” As the web began to close in on her again, Cheriss looked down and cut that, buying herself a few more seconds.

As it felt the disturbance to its web, however, the spider jumped right in front of the two Sith, hissing. On the end of its abdomen was a stinger, and Cheriss did not want to wait and find out whether it was poisonous.

When it lunged forward with its jaw, a bolt of lightning from Cheriss’ fist into its mouth sent it back into its corner. However, it wouldn’t try that again. Instead of jumping at them again, the spider climbed up a corner and spat something black that looked like an egg in front of the two Sith.

It opened as soon as it landed. Long, dark barbed tendrils reached up toward the ceiling before snapping like a whip at the two Sith. The spider jumped down behind them, essentially boxing them in. Cheriss had her back against Xyrin’s.

“Waiting on you.”

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Xyrin didn't want to wait to find out if any part of this spider was poisonous but, more importantly, to find out what any part of this spider felt like to begin with. Maybe Cheriss could touch it. Be Xyrin’s distraction. After all, what were partners for?

The spider jerked forward, but Cheriss’ lightning bites back, sends the spider backward, as Xyrin observes. Not bad. Cheriss was quick. Then again, lightning was quick, and so basic a Sith trick. Right, the Acolyte can’t quite grasp it quite yet, but she had her own devices besides lighting candle wicks on fire.

“Ew.”

A black egg promptly plopped onto the floor like spider poop and it was as gross as one could expect.

“Ugh.”

Something to that effect as tentacles snapped and slapped toward both Sith, clearly indiscriminate of who was Knight and who was Acolyte.

“Waiting on you.”

“How’d I get stuck with this view?”

Cheriss faced the tendrils while Xyrin faced the spider.
There they stand, Sith and Human, Sith, back to back.

“Cheriss..."

Xyrin began, her tone dispassionate despite their opponents, with those big black beady eyes of the spider gazing right into her, lightsaber ignited.

“Might be a bad time to say this…”

The Acolyte trailed off as the spider hissed some kind of disgusting stringy saliva that was probably poisonous under the circumstances. At least it didn't spit.

“Your shoulder blades are bony but, when it comes to your butt, you could do with losing some weight.”

At that, the spider advanced, eight-legged and tremendous, but Xyrin didn’t wait to hear her companion’s sentence. She had a sentence for that spider, an execution, and she started by rolling away at the right moment while swinging her blade through one of its legs.

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss spared a glance behind her to check on the spider again. It hissed, drooled, waved two of its hairy arms.

“I don’t know. You two are rather alike, though.” The tentacles snapped at her again, and Cheriss stepped to the side. When she sliced through it, two more grew in its place. It was as if she was fighting a physical culmination of Xyrin’s comments. Cheriss spared another look, this time to glare at the acolyte.

Thankfully, the spider put a stop to her quips as it jumped forward. Cheriss wouldn’t have time to see how the other Sith reacted though— the black tendrils had a mind of their own. One whipped at her legs while another arced over her head. She felt the latter brush a hair, and she scowled.

Leaping backwards, Cheriss landed on the other side of the egg. It snapped and cracked in the direction where she once was, momentarily confused. She took the chance to aim a quick swipe at its center, wiping out the middle of the egg in one clean sweep. Unfortunately, the doubling rule didn’t stop there, and it only exploded in twice as many tentacles as she’d started with.

“This is really reminding me of you.”

As such, the champion summoned some fire of her own. Using both hands, she blasted it at the base of the egg, the flames lighting up the room as the tentacles writhed.

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Eight legs become seven legs. Her lightsaber burned, a crimson kiss, severed the appendage, as Xyrin listened to the spider express its vehemence in its venom with vengeance.

Her tactic was just as much a distraction as the Champion danced with her egg and the Acolyte got back up, stood upright, and beckoned her opponent in.

“You must be the mother.”

She stated the obvious, fingers curling, weapon brandished, as her enemy quickly pivoted on its seven legs despite the bleeding remnant of what was left. It hissed at her. Spat venom from its lips.

“Congratulations.”

Xyrin stepped aside, letting the venom pass by her, moving forth as quickly as the Force permitted.

“You have succeeded in being uglier than Cheriss.”

Granted, Xyrin didn’t even care if her companion listened. At least the spider did. Seemed angered. Come on in, precious. Time to repeat the pattern. It had worked earlier.

Spider comes, Xyrin steps, fire burns, thanks to Cheriss the Kriffin’ Champion. The moment was imperfect.

The spider shrieked something vicious, kicked its legs wildly as flames swallowed its brethren, and the seventh leg kicked Xyrin in the chest and sent her flying backwards.

She landed, she slid, smacked her back against the wall, got up the next instant, stood up tall. Defended that instant as the spider advanced and attacked with its fangs. Fire! It was a good idea.

The Acolyte sent whatever current of flames she could muster the spider's way and hoped for the best.

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss kept the fire burning until she saw the tentacles stop snapping and begin to collapse. Silent as it was, the black tendrils began to drop as its core melted into some kind of goo. A sickening smell emerged from what remained of the egg, and Cheriss drew her hands back then.

If it had a mouth, it would have screamed. That was too bad. Cheriss glanced at Xyrin, engaged in her dance with the spider after getting knocked into a wall yet somehow still throwing out barbs at her companion. Then again, some things are better without a mouth. So, for the sake of being spiteful, Cheriss decided to watch with her arms crossed rather than help out.

The room lit up again as Xyrin blasted fire into the spider’s face. Good move. Cheriss’ brow went up slightly in approval. The spider let out an ear-splitting screech as flames engulfed it. The sound of a flayed man. Cheriss hated how she knew that.

It was only when the spider tried to make one last, desperate move in an attempt to save itself that Cheriss decided to intervene. As it flexed its stinger in spite of the flames, the champion would jump on its back, place her lightsaber hilt against its body, and ignite it. Combined with Xyrin’s fire, it was enough to slay the beast.

“Not bad,” Cheriss said, dusting off her hands as she jumped off the spider. “You almost looked like you knew what you were doing.” She studied the younger woman, checking for any potential injuries and half-pleased to find nothing major. No one cared about a scratch or two, if she’d gotten any, and if she for some reason had internal bleeding that would be too bad.

It would just be a hassle if Cheriss had to drag her dead body around.

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Yes! There it is! She might only be a Sith Acolyte but Xyrin is a Sith! A SITH. Whatever her penchant, whether it was sadism, madness, power, hunger for victory, she achieved serenity in this very moment, lightsaber in hand.

Her yellow eyes went wide as instantaneous fire came out from her palm and her fingertips as fast as lightning, insidious, a lone inferno, in a silent cackle to put Darth Sidious to shame. Fitting, given this was the ruins of the ruined Palpatine.

Sucks for him. He should have been a Sith.

What the kriff!?

As surely as Xyrin had everything under control, from her fire to the spider, Cheriss, of all creatures, hopped on her opponent’s back, ignited her saber, and killed the spider. Just like that.

What. The. Crap.

“Cheriss…”

Xyrin looked right, looked left.

“...There’s a spider on your head.”

At that, she brushed past Miss Sith Bitch, made sure their shoulders connected, hoped Cheriss remembered both comments about her bony back but big butt, and that comment about the spider.

Shouldn’t play with fire.

The way they came in was closed. The way ahead was suddenly open though.

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss didn’t regret stealing Xyrin’s kill. Not one bit. When the acolyte walked past her with that look on her face, the champion nearly smiled.

“What?”

“...There’s a spider on your head.” Cheriss’ hand immediately went up to her hair, trying to locate the bug, but it didn’t find a thing. Biting her lip and stifling a retort, the champion turned around to face Xyrin and the path that had just opened. She hooked her lightsaber back onto her belt before staring into the other Sith’s yellow eyes.

“Someday, Xyrin, something will humble that big mouth of yours.” This time, Cheriss would brush past the acolyte as she made her way into the corridor. It was dark, of course, until another door opened up ahead. Bright white light shone through as if it was a way out. Strange, for a Sith temple, but it was worth checking out.

Cheriss stepped inside, and she immediately found herself in the middle of a street. It was daytime, humid and hot, and water dripped from tattered orange tarps hanging above a sleeping Gotal’s stand of rotten fruit. The sight was… strangely familiar.

“Xyrin?” She heard no answer. She looked around and found no one. How strange. It was quiet despite the fact that she was in the middle of the city. The sun was out, and it felt warm on her face. Then she heard the pattering of footsteps behind her. Cheriss turned around, saw a little girl run with a plastic bag in her hands. She went right around the Sith as if she didn’t exist, and she didn’t even look up. Somehow, she looked familiar too. The way her pigtails bounced, the sound of her quick feet on the muddy ground, and even the bag… The champion found herself following the girl without giving a second thought.

When both girl and woman turned the corner, Cheriss felt her heart freeze. Oh, no. She knew why this felt familiar. She knew why she recognized the sounds, the smells, the heat, the girl.

And now, this little shack ahead of her.

It’s you, you fool. And then the Sith heard her scream.

@Die Shize

 

[Xyrin Davarok]

Spoiler: Music OOC

“Someday, Xyrin, something will humble that big mouth of yours.”
“Hm.”

Xyrin wasn’t terribly fazed about Cheriss’ decision to mimic her own motion of brushing past her and pushing past her shoulder. The Human’s flesh and skin and skeleton were inferior to begin with. She was weaker than the Sith, as tended to happen with non-Sith, she just didn’t know it.

Somebody, maybe Xyrin will show it.

Xyrin stepped inside, and she immediately found herself standing at the base of a volcano. It was a mountain in comparison, minus the magma, the lava. On the outside, it was rock all over, black rock bound, and as jagged the edge of a serrated blade. On the inside, it was hot to the core, and its liquid would scorch her.

“Cheriss?” She heard no answer. She looked around and found no one.

Atop the volcano’s cone, its throat, was its tip, its crater, like the peak of a mountain, its peak of power. Above it, beyond, was the sky, crimson, red as a lightsaber once bled; a scarlet carving, streaked in lines like black lightning; frozen, as motionless as a girl’s countenances as she watches, listens.

“We’re going to climb…that?”

So asked the child. She stood in basic garments, neither poor nor rich, just loose fabric against the warm wind that blew in, not of a planet but of a moon.

“Yes, my daughter. We have to climb it. Higher and higher.”

So spoke her mother, a woman taller, stronger, smarter. Had her red skin. Had her yellow eyes. Had a lightsaber hilt at her hip. The girl didn’t.

When both girl and woman turned the corner, Xyrin felt her heart freeze. Oh, no. She knew why this felt familiar. She knew why she recognized the sounds, the smells, the heat, the girl.

And now, this lone volcano above her.

It’s you, you fool. And then the Sith heard her scream.

@Sicadorito (@Cheriss Ktrame)

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Where her feet had been moving of their own accord earlier, Cheriss was rooted in place now. She could not, would not look through that doorway. The girl’s scream was the moment her heart had broken.

Cheriss didn’t want to feel that again.

She could, however, hear voices. One was soft, pleading. The other was purely angry. She heard crashing, breaking, plates, furniture being thrown around. She heard sobs. I remember. This was the first time she’d heard them from her mother. At the time, she had no way of knowing that they would become more and more frequent. The little girl ran through the front door again, tears in her eyes, past Cheriss. The Sith stayed, her eyes still on the door. The sobbing continued from inside.

“I shouldn’t have told her.” The sound of her mother’s voice made her heart beat faster, even if it didn’t show. It’s been so long. “My Cherry. My little Cherry.” The Sith’s face remained emotionless, unflinching.

This isn’t real. As her mother continued on, how she regretted it all, how it was all her fault that her husband had left, how she shouldn’t have broken the news about her illness so suddenly to a girl so young, Cheriss couldn’t listen anymore. This was the same woman, who at the end of her life, had called her little Cherry a monster. The same woman, who after all the effort that little girl had put into taking care of her, had berated her for her methods. The same woman who had pushed her own daughter into the arms of street thugs in an attempt to have her change her ways. After all that time, she’d died anyway, and when little Cherry had found out everything from the woman’s diary she found herself wishing it had been sooner.

Her lightsaber ignited, and Cheriss walked in. Her mother sat on the bed, weeping. Weak. Her arms were thin, vomit stained on the front of her dress. Sickening. How could she ever have wanted to take care of this woman? She grew to see nothing in her daughter. What she saw was the same as the thugs. A vicious bitch.

The only word that had been missing at that time was Sith. Cheriss swung her blade at the woman’s neck, and the scene vanished. She was back in the temple.

“...Xyrin?”

@Die Shize