Ask Folds and Knots

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra was enmeshed in her work on their journey to Dantooine with Emryc. She had not spoken to him much since the social on Sullust, nor did she had reason to speak or be in his presence for anything outside of her training. His message to her since Tatooine swayed the acolyte to return to silence and the company of her thoughts. However, her studies and research seemed to be one of her more valuable distractions. Lyra had found room in the cargo area where she was able to spread out her notes. She was meticulous in her work, plugging in numbers and symbols, a process that was not done easily by a droid and it required the slow work of trial and error. There was an occasional alarm that would sound from her holo-pad that was connected with a long cable to the navi-computer, she would sit in silence, watching the numbers and coordinates fluctuate before returning to her previous activity.

She was surprised that Emryc agreed to go with her to Dantooine, she had made sure to add some appeal to that they would be visiting some ruins, but she could never tell how he would respond. He usually remained in the cockpit and herself elsewhere and that was how she preferred, she wasn't too interested in explaining things or having him stare at her while she worked.

However, she moved locations on the ship as they neared the system; returning to the cockpit, she sat in the co-pilot's seat with her holo-pad and reconnected the cable to a port nearby. Navigational data glowed from the device, but she didn't watch it, and instead fixated her gaze onto the stars, watching them swirl endlessly until they would exit into realspace.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

People were often surprised when Emryc agreed to come along to something. However, his curiosity was insatiable, and he was likely to come along even if it was a trip to do nothing. He agreed rather easily when Lyra suggested it, only half listening to the details.

While normally quiet, he was a bit noisier than usual on this trip. He had procured a hallikset for himself and watched some Spacetube videos on how to play. He had the instrument in his hands, determined and focused as he strummed away and learned some chords, trying to match it up with what he heard. He knew how to read music and had a knack for it, but it still would take a lot of practice to learn the beautiful instrument.

Emryc didn’t engage Lyra in any conversation. She appeared sulkier than usual, and that was perfectly fine by him. He strummed away on his instrument, fingers gliding along the strings as he practiced by himself. He was perfectly content and enjoying himself.

He didn’t look up even when Lyra walked in, silently mouthing the chords and repeating them. Eyes switched back and forth from the datapad and then back to the instrument. They would exit into realspace in a bit, but he still had some time.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was a chord that he was hitting that did not sit right with her, it was entirely too flat in the chord set he attempted to strum. She didn't understand how he was not adjusting accordingly; if it was hurting her ears, surely with this sensitive ears it had to be worse with him. She eventually had to pull herself away from viewport and turned to look at him, "It sounds flat." she stated bluntly as he continued, it would possibly be the first thing she said to him during the entire time they were in hyperspace. Lyra could have decided to leave it be, but he was absolutely butchering one of the notes.

There was ping from the navi-computer, indicating they were exiting hyperspace soon and Lyra turned to look at the coordinates and disconnected her holopad.

"Try singing, not humming before playing." she explained, "Its what the musicians did at our performances during our practices. You have to hear it in your head, then out loud, and then you can play it." Lyra turned back around to face him, seeing if he would listen to her suggestion. Lyra crossed her legs and propped her check with her palm, relaxing for a brief second before the possibility of him creating a sound to make her ears bleed.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked up at Lyra as she cut in. There was no anger in his eyes, merely curiosity. He heard what she had to say before glancing down at the strings again. He decided to try singing the note and began to strum till he could hit it. He could hear the difference already. As someone that remixed music quite a bit, he had an ear for things, but he clearly missed this.

He decided to try that trick again, looking down and singing the notes as he strummed along. His voice was surprisingly melodious and gentle, warm when he sang compared to the frosty chill that usually made up his demeanor. He was a different man when he was in his music. Emryc continued to practice for a while, taking her suggestion to heart as it improved the sounds.

After a bit, it was clear that it was time to land and he gently set the instrument down and secured it. He buckled himself in and turned to face ahead, a soft lurch kicking them out into realspace. He could see the planet ahead of them and he took over manual control.

It didn’t take too long for them to land, and he chose a more remote spaceport to avoid any transponder checks. He switched everything off and rose from his seat, not leading the way this time. He waited for Lyra to walk ahead. This was her idea, after all.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

As he glanced at the strings and Lyra watched him try the trick, hitting the chord on his instrument while vocalizing the sound. She turned back around in her seat, but kept listening as he continued along the other notes; the simple harmony gave her a longing to be on stage again. There was something entirely escaping about the music, she could feel her muscles tense and relax in sequence from the memory of her routine and drills as though she were practicing currently. A faint smile begin to surface, her gaze was softened, but those memories felt tainted as others became more intrusive. She noticed her reflection in the window and sat up straight, feeling her features hardening just as the navi-computer cautioned of their exit into real-space.

Lyra felt herself eager to get onto Dantooine's surface; there was not any place too close where they could have landed, it would still be a trek, the terrain a bit too rough to safely land any ship. Though in her excitement it felt like she was practically on top of the ruins' location. The acolyte zipped out of the cockpit and collected her supplies in her pack, dropping her holopad inside the bag with a cord to connect to her image-caster to give them an accurate map.

As she guided the speeder bike down the ramp, she now had a wide grin and glanced at Emryc, "C'mon, we're going to be the first people to see this place in thousands of years." she pulled on her pack's straps so it sat tightly against her back, "It's older than your gods!" Lyra added and got on the bike. She adjusted the image caster so it would magnetically connect with the speeder's panel in front of her, a map of the area with a blinking pin to show them their current location.

"And if everything I have been calculating is correct, I'm more than certain a hypergate existed there." The acolyte and waited for Emryc to get on the speeder and then would take off.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc followed her to the cargo bay where the bike was. It was curious to see her energetic and excited, and he decided it was a nice change of pace from her usual mopey attitude. He strode behind her, content to let her lead the way. Though he preferred to drive the bike, he wasn’t going to burst her bubble today.

When she chirped about how this was older than his gods, he quirked an eyebrow, “Let’s confirm it exists first…” He grumbled as he watched her get on the bike. He wasn’t entirely sure about where she was with him touching her, and he decided he didn’t care. If she had issues, she was more than welcome to sit behind him or order a Space Uber instead.

Emryc hopped on behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist to prepare for the ride. He wasn’t entirely convinced her ideas would pan out, but he was curious by nature. When anyone applied enough calculations and research into something, he would go out of his way to explore it.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” He called out quizzically during the journey.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra was already liking Dantooine; though the air was arid, the temperature was cooler and the overcast kept the sun out of their eyes. She felt like she had enough sun for years since they left Tatooine and was unhappy of how red she remained for weeks. The further they went, the rockier the terrain became, eventually she slowed the speeder when they came to a cliff's edge over looking the flat white valley below. She took a moment to twist her red hair over her shoulder and tuck into her the collar of her tunic as she listened to Emryc's question.

"Almost there, it certainly looks like a salt plain down there, so we're on the right track." Lyra revved the bike's engine and took off, finding less threatening decent to the valley below. The sky grew darker as they continued through the valley and Lyra eventually slowed, clearly looked they were miles in the middle of no where and it did not look as though there were any noticeable ruins anywhere.

The acolyte came to a stop, her gaze slowly scanned the horizon and then she looked down at her map. She didn't say anything, doubt in her work lingered in her thoughts, but she pushed them aside, certain they were here somewhere. There was rumbling overhead and soon rain would lightly fall in the area, the water gave a surreal reflection of the sky as it pooled in over the plain. Lyra put away her image caster as she took to foot, now more focused on using her own senses to guide her to where she needed to go.

However, it felt like there was nothing here and she took out her map to double check, "We're practically on top of it." she said looking down at the ground as though she were expecting it to rise from under her feet, but there was nothing. Lyra looked around again and paused finding the reflection of the water disrupted several meters ahead. She ran and then suddenly stopped, nearly losing her balance as she came to the edge of a drop. The ground had gave way at some point, leaving a several hundred foot drop into crystal blue pool.

"Down there..."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had Lyra's hair flying directly into his face for a portion of the ride. Like a campfire, the strands always managed to find his face regardless of how often he switched directions. However, he remained silent the entire time, quietly grateful when she tucked the hair in after slowing down.

He moved off the bike when they arrived, feeling a drop of rain on his head. Emryc sighed, regretting it every time he didn’t wear a helmet or cover his head in some way. He wore a hoodie today and he brought up the hood before the inevitable drench. Emryc followed Lyra as she walked, watching as she almost stumbled.

Entirely out of reflex, he coiled the Force around her, pulling her back from tumbling down. He gazed ahead, taking in sight of the reflections and the pools. Everything looked otherworldly here, and even he was beginning to convince himself that Lyra was onto something.

“Test the ground before you step,” He said quietly as he took a step down to slowly make his way. The rain certainly wouldn’t help and the ground began to grow slick. He doubted this was the best time to be doing this, but he had little desire to deal with Lyra’s griping. He made his way down to a flat portion of the cliff face, glancing up to extend a hand to help her down.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She felt herself stabilize near the ledge, the Force stirring that told her she had some help and was able to regain her footing. He stood next to her looking over the edge before starting down the face of the cliff, advising her to test her ground before each step. The rain was falling harder and it certainly was going to make this decent difficult, but not impossible, hopefully.

He extended his hand after making it to a ledge and Lyra followed, allowing him to help her down, deciding she wasn't going assert her independence right then. Lyra slid down next to him and glanced over her shoulder to the azure pool below and let out a slow exhale. Scaling the sides of cliffs was not something she did on a volunteer basis, but her goal would be worth it and there was a relief (that she would never admit out loud) that Emryc was doing this with her.

There would several close calls as they looked for stable points to grasp in the rock. The rain water flowing over the edge and down the cliff's side was beautiful to watch, if Lyra wasn't trying to get down without falling into the pool, she could have watched it for hours. About halfway down she paused to catch her breath, her arms and legs burning from the exertion it was taking, "I owe you big after this." she told him, resting her cheek against the rocky surface and closed her eyes tightly several times, blinking quickly to get the water out of her eyes.

The acolyte looked over her shoulders, now having a better view of the cliff directly below them, "There's an opening," she said, leaning as far as she could without falling over. Inhaling deeply she pressed on, leading the way down until they reached the opening of what she hoped to be a tunnel. Carefully, the acolyte climbed inside before extending her hand to help Emryc.

Once inside, it would become clear the opening was indeed a tunnel, the walls were chiseled smooth, clearly made by someone and not by natural forces.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc said nothing in response to her words about owing him. His focus was entirely on getting down, and he helped her several times along the way. He could tell she was fatigued and struggling to get down. The only reason he wasn’t as bad was due to only knowing conditioning and training all his life on the station. Even then he felt exhaustion setting in as he made his way down.

He followed her gaze to where she mentioned there was an opening. By now, the rain was pouring down on them, though he managed to avoid some of it by keeping under overhangs and protruding rocks. Lyra didn’t….appear to be doing the same. Emryc found his footing and followed her into the tunnel.

He looked around for a moment, watching the thunder roaring above and lightning strike. Emryc ran his hand through his soaked hair, glancing over to see Lyra shivering and soaking wet. He blinked at her for a moment, “We don’t know what other obstacles there are and you are weak right now,” He said flatly, “Rest.”

Emryc glanced outside, the storm only getting worse. He looked back at Lyra and took off his much warmer hoodie, tossing it to her without a word, “I’ll look for firewood,” He said simply before turning and walking out directly into the storm.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Emryc seemed to not have as much trouble as herself and she felt comparably inadequate to his ability to manage the climb. She pulled her pack off and leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the sandy ground. A chill crawled down her spine and she shivered from the cold of the rain, but did not feel bothered by it and instead felt familiar. Exhaustion was clear in the acolyte's eyes and she would over-interpret his intention about her being weak and having to rest. Lyra opened her mouth to protest, but Emryc took off his hoodie and tossed it to her, informing he would go look for some firewood.

Her lips pursed in a pout, but as soon as he disappeared, her face relaxed and she looked down at the hoodie and frowned. She pulled off her tunic, dropping it beside her and slipped on the hoodie before she was struck with another chill. It was clearly much larger and she enjoyed the bagginess as well as the lingering smell of his cologne. She couldn't understand how someone so callous could smell so good all the time and the acolyte let out a long sigh.

She would soon stand up and walk over to the mouth of the tunnel, watching the rain continue to fall until her legs became too wobbly to continue to stand. Keeping at the mouth of the tunnel, Lyra sat and let her thoughts play through her mind. She certainly wanted to just keep going, but knew she would fail in her current state. Leaning back against the wall, she looked down the dark tunnel, curious to see what exactly lied ahead. Though she was certain of the location, what lied in their path was unknown. She hated when he was right.

Sighing, Lyra pulled her knees into her chin, trying to warm up until Emryc returned. She reached out, feeling for him in the Force, listening to ensure he would return. So far he always did and she was glad, even if he believed otherwise.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

It was a while before Emryc returned, having to really look for any wood that wasn’t completely soaked already. He was absolutely drenched by then, but he had enough to start a small fire. He walked back into the tunnel, squeezing as much water out of his clothing as possible before entering.

He arranged the wood and got to work with building the fire. Emryc had to completely improvise, arranging the wood to build a tinder nest. He used a knife to carve a spindle, grinding it around for a while. It took a moment before the first smoke began to rise and that was all he needed. He manipulated the Force, leveraging a trick he learned from the Kravos holocron. Fire began to draw out from the smoke far more than it would otherwise. His hand waved a bit and the flames rose up till there was a roaring fire in the cave.

Emryc glanced over at Lyra, eyeing how ridiculous she looked with the oversized hoodie. He turned away from her, feeling the clothes cling to his body. After considering his options, he decided to step away a bit and removed his shirt, dropping it with a squelch. He twisted it to get the water out before walking over to lay it out flat by the fire. His body was perfectly toned, accented by the shadows from the flames. The front of his body had a few scars that he had picked up in battle.

However, it was when he turned to walk away to give Lyra some distance that his back was in full view. Every inch of it except the small of his back and right above his hips was riddled with welts and scars. Emryc found a corner deeper in the tunnel to sit in and quietly meditate.

They would continue when Lyra felt rested.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The rain never let up and now Emryc returned just soaked just as she was. He did have some luck finding wood to start a small fire and Lyra watched him work, finding such a primitive method fascinating, and even more so when she watched him manipulate the smoke, creating a flame that would grow into a sizable fire. "Amazing..." she whispered in awe while he fanned the flames. She held her hands as close as she could comfortably once the fire took, already feeling refreshed now that she was no longer shivering to keep warm.

Emryc moved away from the fire and Lyra felt her cheeks warm hotter than the flames and her mind blank when she watched him take off his shirt and twisted out the water. He was physical perfection and his unmoving and stoic demeanor created some envy for the acolyte; she believed that was ideal for being a Sith, a level she felt was so out of reach for her. Her stare lasted longer than she consciously wanted, and feeling suddenly self-conscious, she looked back to the flames, trying to focus on the crackling of the fire and the usual silence that fell between the two. But when he would turn his back to her, Lyra was struck with surprise and shock; she couldn't ever recall seeing his back in full. In her experience she saw the very few scars that she assumed were from battle, but these seemed so different. Any hesitation disappeared as she stood up while he walked until the tunnel covered him in shadow. How was he not weakened by so many wounds?

"Emr-Master," she almost addressed him by name, still stunned, forgetting any contempt she was feeling toward him for the moment, "Master, what happened to your back?" she asked, clear concern in her tone as she walked over to him for a better look. They did not look like wounds or scars one received by a saber or blaster fire, "There are some still fresh...I have bacta, I can put on a patch." she offered.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t respond for a moment, his eyes still closed. He sat tall, his hands on his knees while he sat cross legged. He could feel her circling around him to look at his scars, but he remained unfazed. He didn't miss the genuine concern in her voice, something he wasn't used to hearing directed his way.

“They are self inflicted,” He said simply after a minute, “For each time I stray from the path or display weakness. They will heal on their own,” Emryc didn’t expect her to understand. Most never did. He was passionately devoted to his religion and he usually avoided the topic. Most found his scars repulsive, but he wore them as reminders of what it took for him to get where he was.

He could feel her eyes on him, but his own remained closed. Meditation was peaceful for him and the sound of the storm outside offered a lulling backdrop. The fire crackled softly in the distance and he felt the warmth even from here. Emryc was a patient man, and it was obvious that he wasn’t irritated by the questions. However, that did mean that he still picked and chose what he answered.

Emryc didn’t move, giving her ample opportunity to analyze him however she pleased.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Weakness?

Lyra eyed him for such an assumption and scoffed at the idea; she never thought him of weak or someone who had strayed from any path, his self-discipline was unmatched. "You? Stray?" she knelt down in front of him, chin resting on her knees as she waited for a response she did not think would come; he was unflinching, a stillness that reminded her of rock standing against wild ocean waves. Lyra looked down at his palms, accepting the silence as she took a moment to process his self-inflicted scars, internally she winced at the idea of doing such thing to her own body, but she guessed her scars were different than his. She did not wish others to see them, to remind them of all the mistakes and all the moments of helplessness and weaknesses she encountered.

Frowning she looked up, "Does my weakness cause your scars?" she asked him, "When I mess up or fail, do I hold you back from your path?" another question, "Do I prevent you from seeking what you need?" Lyra remembered the edge of the cliff, "Why did you help me? You could have let me fall and found a stronger apprentice, one less impulsive and interesting. One you didn't have to bandage up or dance with, one who is unmoving and enjoys your history lectures." Lyra inhaled and sighed, her voice echoed down the corridor and as soon the silence and crackling of the fire returned.

"How many of your scars are from me causing you to stray from your path?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t respond to her expressing incredulity at him straying from his path. He was as calm as he was today from stripping away bits of emotion that he couldn’t control or harness. Each sting was a reminder and each cut took its time to heal. Though he knew he had achieved what he had wanted with building a barrier, he still continued the practice to remind himself what it meant to sometimes be human.

Her barrage of questions was also met with lingering silence, but he wouldn’t ignore them. His eyes slowly opened, the frosty silvers meeting her blues. Water was still dripping down from his hair, and he was still damp and cold from the storm. He exhaled softly, his eyes as piercing as ever and his face unwavering in its stony resolve.

“You showed promise not only with the Force, but also inquisitiveness. You are willing to seek things out on your own and have a thirst for knowledge. We are here today because you brought us here, not because it was something I told you to do. Sith that think for themselves are worth three others that nod along and wait for orders.”

Emryc eyed her for a moment before he spoke again.

“Two are from you,” He said bluntly, “One from when the krayt dragon struck you and I wanted to intervene,” His fingers curled slightly as he paused after that. Emryc’s gaze shifted then for the first time, looking to the side as his eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Then again because I desired to have you in that tavern,” He added even more quietly, "The scars are from my own weaknesses. Never yours."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

As he spoke, Lyra felt her shoulders relax and shifted to sit cross-legged like Emryc. Normally his gaze caused her discomfort, but she didn't break from his silver eyes, feeling as though she knew so much more about him, his practice telling her much more than she had expected. He did answer her questions, it was more than reassurance of her ability and they were honest. It was something she appreciated in him, he wouldn't lead her to believe something that was not true.

He then spoke about his scars, just two from herself, and they were recent; Lyra sat up straight, taken aback by what he had told her regarding the Krayt dragon. She saw his fingers curl, his gaze broke, looking to the side; it spoke to Lyra as shame, but her eyes would follow his, feeling her head tilt to try to bring his eyes back to her. The second scaring was from that moment in the tavern, one she knew very well, one she had taken the risk and caused both of them turmoil in sorting any feelings they had toward one another.

Lyra noticed he wasn't speaking in his typical sharp tone, it was certainly quieter, it sounded foreign to her. She wasn't sure what to say, but there was a renewed, if not stronger respect and even admiration for him, "The men who had desired me would just have taken me." Lyra stated, her fingernails dug into the top of her thighs, finding those words were more difficult to speak out loud. She glanced down quickly feeling the shame in her chest, the memories seeping into consciousness, but would look back at Emryc as she continued, "That scar was not for you, you did not have weakness."

She fell silent, feeling a calm reside within her. It felt odd, unfamiliar, but her thoughts felt still. Lyra stood up and unzipped the hoodie, removing it and draping it over Emryc's shoulders before returning to the fire to check on her drying tunic.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc remained silent as she spoke, unsurprised by her words. He had known in a way. He could tell from the way she was apprehensive about being touched or sleeping with anyone. But he also thought of the tavern and the way she had opened up to him after so much time. It was a door she opened, and it was a door he abruptly closed. Or had he? Had he simply closed it halfway?

“Well,” He said as he took the hoodie and put it on, “I did tell you we wouldn’t do anything unless you asked,” Granted, he put it in much more polite terms than what he had originally said. He disagreed that he had no weakness, but he wouldn’t argue it with her.

“I took you on because I wanted to show you what it means to live by your own terms,” He said after a moment, not looking at her, “Because I knew you had never experienced that before,” Gaze flicked over to her briefly, “Because I know what that’s like.”

Emryc had been raised as a soldier, likely a test tube baby derived from DNA aboard the space station. He had been conditioned and trained as part of the Sith war machine. He had his religion introduced to him early on as part of that experiment, so it left one wondering how much of his life factored in his own choices.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra shook out the sand from her top, it was no longer dripping, damp in some places but it would be wearable for the continued journey. He reminded her that he would not do anything unless she asked him; Lyra knew what he implied, but she wondered if that could have been applied to anything else. She pulled the tunic overhead, straightening it out and Emryc spoke again, her curiosity grew and she walked back to him, sitting down a bit closer than she normally would have, but he held her attention and she didn't want to miss a thing.

He did show her how to live a life where she had more control; going with him as odd as the experienced seemed in the beginning was liberating. The acolyte found new strength that broke her free from some of the toxic ties to her past. He seemed to know much about her without needing to ask questions; he observed and analyzed her well and she was interested in his past and how he came to be when she first met him. Though, she was more eager to find the hypergate and decided longer stories such as past histories could wait.

"You seem to know more about me than you let on," Lyra paused, studying him for moment, "But do you even know my name yet?" she asked, a small smile grew in response. She never recalled him asking for her name, her telling him, or him saying it out loud.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc returned to closing his eyes and clearing his mind while she shuffled around and disappeared into her own thoughts. He was a calming presence most of the time, not one that ever interjected or interrupted. For all her gripes about him, he had done little to actively contribute. He was quiet as she came over to sit near him again, asking another curious question.

He took his time before he answered, opening the eyes again and drifting back into the present. The storm continued to rage outside, lightning illuminating the tunnel beyond just the orange hue of the flames.

“Is it a name you choose for yourself?” He asked after a moment, peering into her eyes. It was true, he didn’t know her name. He didn’t ask her name. Her name was an identity given to her, an identity fraught with violence and things out of her control. Was it the name she wanted to give him to use?

She would learn then that every moment with him was of her choosing. Including the name she shared with him.

@GABA