Ask Just a Little Bit

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra watched him scan through the menu as he answered her question about Mia, turning the menu page slowly as though she were still trying to decide what she wanted. She felt surprise to hear he wasn't interested in Mia and instead he was looking for the shy girl that was with her. He had paused to look up from his own menu, and Lyra quirked an eyebrow, she thought all the girls there were cute or far better looking than most girls, none she would classify as shy, especially those hanging in Mia's crowd. Lyra just listened though, unable to differentiate which girl he was speaking about, but in the end blamed her for the ruckus that lost his chance to further get to know her.

The redhead closed her menu giving him a warning look as he winked at her, changing the blame onto Dummy Dona. She looked down and started to dig the dirt from underneath her nails while thinking about what had happened. The waitress came and left with their orders, Lyra made sure to get the largest loaded fries she could find on the menu, and glanced at Emryc, uncertain of what to tell him.

"How should it have felt?" she asked, pausing to see if would be able to read anything from him, but continued anyways, "Because it felt satisfying...like a deep stretch after practice. Donna has been starting stuff with me for years, she got what she deserved." Lyra explained looking back at her nails in thought, "I felt stronger and I like that." Lyra looked up, "People like to find me and its rarely nice when they do."

The teen explained, letting his imagination go where he wanted with that, "Do you like it?" she asked him, her brow furrowed in her curiosity, "The attention you get?" she asked.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

“That’s exactly how it should have felt,” He said, “And it’s only a taste,” It was true. Possessing the power he had meant everything to him. It took him to new heights, gave him a craft to perfect and had become his religion. He glanced up as his milkshake arrived and he took a sip. He was visibly excited about it, not having done this in a rather long time.

He winced after a moment, having forgotten that brainfreezes were a thing. He almost missed her question entirely as he waited for the feeling to go away. At last he looked up at her, “People are fascinating creatures,” He said simply, not elaborating further. He liked the way some girls looked at him, he liked that subtle tinge of red on the cheeks or when they were angry, he liked looks of surprise or betrayal, he liked seeing a full gambit of emotions play out. It couldn’t be explained, but he liked observing it.

“It doesn’t matter what was in your past or who you were,” He said quietly, “It only matters what you choose to do from here on out.”

 

[Darth Tiamat]

...only a taste...

Lyra tried to think of what else she could do with her ability to command the Force. Certainly she had seen holo-films of the bad versus the good wizards taking their powers to each other, but she guessed it was nothing like she witnessed in those films, let alone the clips on the holonet. For a moment, she felt a flutter of excitement as to what she could possibly accomplish.

Their food had arrived and Lyra was already digging into her fries before the waitress could set down the plate. She looked at pointed-ears' milkshake and instant wished she had ordered that too; she noticed him wince when he had taken a sip and Lyra smiled, feeling herself relax as though she were back with her close friends from school. As she shoveled a fry covered in cheese and sour cream into her mouth, Emryc gave her an answer to her question about the attention he received and the redhead paused, finding his response only to have piqued her interest further.

"Like those portraits hanging on the wall at the party?" she asked him recalling seeing him standing and observing intently at the family portraits. At first she thought it was odd, but his descriptor of how he perceived the attention of others made her think there was some sort of connection. "I've never thought of them as fascinating, everyone has them in their home. Its just what we do." she shrugged finding it rather common.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s eyes kept darting over to the fries in front of her, silently kicking himself for wanting to eat greasy foods. He drank from his milkshake, mercifully spared a brainfreeze this time. Her words caused a faint grin, and as usual there was a bit of delay before he responded. He could visualize the portraits quite easily, and he remembered every little detail.

“The dad wore clothing from Edmonton Reeds,” He said after a moment, sipping from his shake again, “I knew he had to have a fine taste in liquor, which led me to raid his office and…” He opened his jacket slightly to show the bottle he had stashed, “Maybe if you weren’t so busy looking at me, you’d have caught one of the guys there that seemed to notice you existed for the first time.”

He didn’t reveal the entirety of the reason he looked at the portraits, but he didn’t lie either. Emryc’s fascination with people aligned with observing them and picking up details others may have missed. He knew his ambitions would require the ability to blend in.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra watched his eyes to her fries and she pulled the plate closer to herself, she was not in a sharing mood as she shoveled in the carbs. She listened to him trying to find an answer to her question; she didn't ask him about the details of the portraits and was uncertain how that lead to a raid of the liquor cabinet. In fact, she found his response cryptic and vague, and rather dull; it reminded her of her own parents when there was something, but they didn't want her to know and just filled the air with something to leave her questioning.

However, his comment about her focusing on him instead of the others at the party redirected her attention. Her brow narrowed in annoyance, the jab clearly not well received, "Well, maybe if you weren't so concerned about sucking salt and lime off bimbos, you could have been having milkshakes with Illie instead of me." her head bobbing slightly side to side as her voice tone on a snappy inflection. She looked at the fry and then set it down, deciding she was suddenly done as she pushed her plate to the center of the table and folded her arms.

She stayed silent, ruminating on her thoughts until she couldn't stand them, "So, where can I learn more about this power I have?" she asked, still purposely not looking at him.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was about halfway finished with his shake as she spoke. He could see her detach and then quickly flare up again. It was entertaining to watch and he had a hard time keeping the amusement from his eyes. She suddenly lost interest in her food, pushing the plate to the middle of the table. Emryc kept his eyes on her as the plate slid over towards him with the Force. He took a fry and had to pause to marvel at the flavor.

“I happened to enjoy sucking salt and lime off that bimbo,” He said matter of factly, popping another fry into his mouth. He knew this was a dangerous spiral, but there was no going back now, “So, any chance you know Illie’s number?” Emryc asked innocently before finally switching back to the milkshake.

Emryc caught her purposely looking everywhere else which was probably for the best. The amused look on his face would have pushed her over the edge. He quietly leaned back in his seat and drank from his shake till she finally asked a question.

“I can show you,” He said, a lot more interested in the conversation now, “It is not an easy path. It will break you a few times before you get it right, but you will be more powerful than ever at the end of it.”

Emryc leaned forward in his seat, gazing into her eyes, “There’s no going back.”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He asked if she had Illie's comm number and whether he was joking or not, she continued with the silent treatment. She was listening of course, eventually relaxing when the topic changed. Her arms dropped to her sides, her head slowly turning to meet Emryc's gaze as he told her there was no going back.

She was uncertain of what her future held. She had the opportunity to turn away from this, but her life had no direction. She had dreamed of becoming a professional dancer, to be the Prima in the Grand Ballet of Corellia but it seemed like that was not what destiny would hold for her. Those who were once important in her life were gone or had broken their promise to protect her like family. She didn't see herself normal anymore, even more freakish in the presence of her peers.

Lyra was tired of jumping from system to system, tired of keeping out of the eye of authorities, "I don't want to go back." she told him and then looked at him with curiosity as a thought grew in her mind, "Will I be more powerful than you?" she asked him.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. She didn’t carry the darkness in her to the degree he did, but she was learning to embrace her emotions. What she had done to Dona would stick with her longer than she believed. Emryc didn’t tell her this, letting her walk through her own journey.

Her question brought a smile to his face - a smile, which was extremely rare for him. He liked that question, he would always like that question. He finished up the milkshake and leaned closer, still not shifting his gaze from hers.

“If you pay the price for it,” He said simply. It was the path all Sith walked - their power aligned with a cost. She had only just begun to dip her toes in and there was a long way to go.

Emryc dropped some credits, rising from his seat.

“Let’s go,” He said curtly, spinning on his heel, “We are going to the Outer Rim.”

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Eriadu

When he said they were going to the Outer Rim, Lyra was afraid he meant to do more errands for Hutts and she would be his bargaining chip again. However, when she learned they were going to the Eriadu system, Lyra's curiosity itched; it would be in no comparison to the exhaustion she felt as soon as she allowed her head to hit her pillow on the ship. She spent most of time out of the way, keeping busy with her stretches and drills that left her feeling more alert and limber for the upcoming day as they travelled through hyperspace.

She sat in the cockpit, watching the stars come to a stand still as they exited hyperspace; she could feel something that stirred her senses. Not used to the sensation, she felt a bit startled, but she allowed for the cold to wash through her body.

"What's down there?" she asked him when he would take the ship through the atmosphere to the surface, "I am sensing all sorts of things, like we just flew into a shower of star dust." she explained looking to find somewhere to focus on, but there was a large presence that was hard to differentiate.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The surface of the planet had jungles and mountains, but he could also feel the shift in the aura. It had held Sith presence for some time, and it would be the first time she could experience it. He didn’t answer her immediately, slowly lowering the ship into a very specific area near a forest. He switched everything off before finally rising to stand.

It wasn’t until the exit doors opened and he walked down the ramp that he finally answered her, “This is where you will begin to understand what you are,” He said simply as he kept walking. For the first time, she would notice a saber hilt on his belt.

They would walk into the forest for a while in darkness. The moonlight was bright enough to illuminate the way. Emryc walked with purposeful steps, not looking back to see if she kept up. She would notice a shift in him as he slowly eased into an entirely new persona than the one he had played thus far.

The Force pulsated strongly where he was going and it was imbued with the dark side. It would make her sick the closer she walked to it, taunting her and twisting her mind. Whispers would begin to echo of all the dark things that she tried to forget or that tore her apart.

Emryc kept walking the path, never shifting from his path, “Keep up,” He would coolly call back.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

As they exited the ship, Emryc spoke and Lyra's eyes rested on the forest before them. The invisible waves were rough, crashing against her like a terrible sea storm, but Lyra would follow. She felt herself jerk below the inky surface with her senses as she followed his steps, the dark side saw all of her there was suddenly nothing that she could hide.

She could feel Emryc ahead of her, he was collected, eerily calm in a chaos that pierced through her body, she felt her stomach churn, but she needed to be stronger. Her surroundings felt like they were blending together, the moonlight reflected off the white of her skin, making her feel suddenly vulnerable and naked as she heard the whispers. They were the voices from memory, ones that were either still very fresh or ones she worked hard to forget.

YOU DID THIS!

Stop crying, they're dead, they're not coming back!

You want the part? Come see me before practice, I'll make sure you get it.

Don't worry Lyra, the Rangers are family, we'll take care of you, that is a promise.

Mom and I are both on duty tonight...you're on your own for dinner.

She felt the anger, disappointment and shame; her solution was just to be invisible, it had helped her avoid being further taken advantage of, to be picked on, or given false promises of hope. However, if she were stronger then no one else would hurt her, she could hurt them first instead.

The sephi's words echoed to keep up and though she felt she walked alone in a void of darkness, he was near, she would keep up until she was ready to pass him.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could tell the forest was beginning to torment her. It felt like knives that slowly raked across the body, cutting to cause slow agony. The knives opened up old scars and scabs, drawing fresh blood all over again. He had been down this path enough times to where he didn’t notice it. He simply took in the eerie silence as forest critters and bugs steered clear of this area.

Their path took them to a clearing where the Force was the strongest. It was unclear where it came from, but there was an odd assortment of boulders arranged around a flat shaped rock. Emryc came to a pause here, turning to look at her. She would feel sick to her stomach by now.

“Look at me,” He commanded, grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look into his eyes, “You are here. It is now. It is today,” He pressed his fingers deeper into her jaw so she could feel the sensation stronger and have it pierce through anywhere her mind took her.

Once he could see her mind was clearing, he released her. He stepped back and looked at her, “What you feel is a Force nexus. The Force exists strongly here and it has been corrupted. It has been warped to be weaponized just like what you did with Dona.”

Emryc began to slowly circle around her as he spoke, “Control over the Force first begins with a focused mind. A mind that can wield what inflicts it like a weapon,” He didn’t care if it made no sense to her, she would have to listen, “You will open your mind and the nexus will overpower your thoughts. It will happen until you can begin to harness it and project it,” He pointed towards a large boulder off to the side for her to crack. There was no Dona there to coax her now, it was simply her and her own thoughts.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She was being swallowed by the darkness. The color drained from her face and she gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself from vomiting. She felt herself suddenly drenched in sweat as she pressed onward, her inner voice pushing herself, telling her it will pass as the nightmares of her past were ripped forward to the present. She looked ahead to see where her keeper had gone, a shadow of his figure was present, she could see him, or at least she thought she saw him as the darkness seemed to engulf him in mist.

For a moment Lyra felt she could no longer see and then someone grabbed her by the jaw.
Look at me

It was no longer Emryc's face, but her ballet master looking down at her, she suddenly wanted out of the nightmare. His smile told her what was coming next and she felt him squeeze harder. It was what she needed to bring her back to present as she blinked, Emryc stood before her as the darkness drained from her surroundings. "It is today." she gasped, but felt her knees give out as she fell to all fours, emptying whatever was left in her stomach from earlier.

Emryc continued, explaining where they were and Lyra felt a spark of anger at the Force for doing this to her. She pushed herself back to her feet as pointed-ears circled her, commanding she will open her mind again. Lyra had questions, but she felt those answers would come in due time. She looked at the boulder and her stomach tightened to the thought of letting in the Force again, she knew what it was hungry for in her mind. Like hounds, it waited for her to open the gate for them to tear at her greatest fears and nightmares, it would be a matter of letting onto that chase to get it and she would then have the control.

It was her experiences, her nightmares, and so she opened herself and the darkness rushed back inside, finding new thoughts and memories deep in her mind. She grasped at head, her fingers digging into her scalp and pulling on her hair as she screamed, sending the darkness back out as she felt herself shut (albeit weakly) her mental gates. She stood silently, losing track of time as she stared at the boulder, her breathing eventually becoming more controlled.

Again, she opened herself to the nexus and snarled and grabbed at anything it could reach, but she would let it have what she wanted it to have. The promise of family and protection that she never received, to be given up on by those who said they would help and the darkness seemed to enjoy the fest it was presented. It hurt so much as it tore into the the teen and she let out a yell.

Her pain and agony would rip through the earth at her feet until it reached the boulder, crumbling under the girls command of the Force.

And then, it stopped.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc wasn’t surprised to see the attempt fell short of its mark. He simply clasped his fingers behind his back and began to walk around her, “Again,” He said curtly. If she didn’t do it, he would compress the Force around her till she complied. He would do it over and over again until she did what was commanded, no matter how long it took. Gone was the flirty teenager she had seen before. He was replaced with someone else entirely. She was in his domain now and she wouldn’t leave until he willed it.

“The Force is wild,” He said, “You have to tame it. You have to make it obey. The Force needs to be made to execute your will. Silly things like Dona were less in your control than you think,” Emryc looked at her, not caring if she hated him this moment. If she even looked at him with mild defiance, she would get hurt.

“You will repeat things again and again till you master them,” He always walked around her, always met her gaze. She would look into those silver eyes till she grew sick of them. They would always look back - cold sheets of ice, but with precision and control. Emotions never showed on his face, his demeanor fashioned from devotion. That same gaze that would pierce through her, strip through her and through every shred of barrier she wanted to put up.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He walked around her like a predator and Lyra kept her eyes on him; he looked entirely different from the man she encountered when they first met. She was suddenly feeling suddenly self-conscious about her abilities, but listened, she wanted to please, and if he told her she would tame the Force, then that was what she was going to do. However, naive as she was, the redhead was unaware of the physical and mental toll it would take on her.

She tried to compare it to her practices; you kept going when your muscles screamed for you to stop, when your feet bled from overuse, and when you think you have perfected your stance, you are forced to start all over again and perfect it again. The Force would follow her will, she would be stronger than her enemies.

_________________________________________​

Lyra saw his silver eyes regardless if she was conscious or not. Sleep did not come easier for her, it had not since she had arrived on Eriadu. There were even some nights she was not permitted to sleep, he would not allow it as her training would go on for days. She rolled off her cot and looked in the mirror at the welt she earned; she had gotten bolder. Her first mistakes lead to her cowering to the Sephi's will and it was not the last. Though in recent weeks, she had felt a change within herself; she had been learning more about where her place would be, where her talents would lie and it helped now that she had more controlled and calculated grasp on her ability to manipulate the Force.

She quickly braided her hair and threw on her acolyte tunic, frowning at her image. She pressed her palms against her cheeks, unhappy with the weight she had lost; she had been already thin to begin with, and now it was becoming harder to keep herself from losing weight. Though skipping meals probably was not helping, however, she preferred using that time to rest. Plus the dark robes just washed her out, she wished there was better taste in clothing here.

The girl quickly made her way to her morning rendezvous with pointed-ears. It was routine and she made sure not to speak a word, let alone make a sound. She stood quietly, waiting for his instruction.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

As the days passed, she would see more and more of his habits. He prayed every morning and every night, going into deep meditation. He went into training by himself to practice the saber every night. He was methodical and he maintained a strict routine. Through it all, he kept a reserved and cool air about him, never engaging her more than for the purpose of training.

He wouldn’t admit this to her ever, but she had made great progress. She faced the hardships, but she did it by choice and she embraced it. Embracing the Dark Side by choice forged the most powerful warriors. Emryc quietly walked ahead of her, taking her to a new clearing she hadn’t seen before.

He gazed into her eyes, the eyes that held a bit more confidence, a bit more fire. Her cheeks were more gaunt and the Dark Side was draining on her. It ate away at one first before they learned to master it. Emryc used the Force to pull over two wooden poles he had picked out for them. He tossed one at her.

“You will begin combat training today,” He said simply, whirling around the stick in his hand as he walked around her.

“Get used to feeling the weight,” He explained, “The pole needs to become an extension of your hand. You will work with this for months before you move up to something else. Have the Force aid your each and every move. Consider it a part of you. The way you walk, the way you stand, the way you do anything in your daily life...the Force needs to embed into it and become a part of it to where you don’t need to think about it anymore.”

He came to stand across from her, not raising his stick, “Strike me.”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was no need to speak as she followed him; she had found this place not where one would make casual conversation. Those that did speak to her were only interested in getting one over her while they moved ahead. The first time it happened, the embarrassment was enough to make the teen skeptical of anyone else. And having to answer to pointed-ears' gaze was listed as her top-ten worst.

She was beginning to understand more of the person who he seemed to be and had grown respect for him. If she did not have what it was to conquer the Force, Lyra concluded he would have never taken her as his apprentice, let alone permit her to come with him. She walked behind him in silence as they entered a clearing, noting it was new.

He had tugged two poles to his grasp and for a moment, Lyra's eyes widened as she started to scroll back through her memory of any place or time where she had messed up. Though her own worry almost distracted her from catching the pole and clumsily caught it as she regained her composure. She adjusted her gripped on the pole, exploring how it felt in one hand compared to two hands as he explained the purpose of their training.

Combat

Internally, Lyra sighed, she did not like the idea of learning to fight with weapons, she thought her abilities with the Force would be enough to subdue or even kill her enemies. Her impression of weapon combat meant she would become a brute, barbaric in her technique. Opening her mouth to speak, Lyra paused and grasped the pole with both hands, finding a comfortable grip that would allow her the greatest control. He invited her to strike him.

Her brow furrowed, trying to tie in the idea of the pole being an extension of herself as she took several steps forward, swinging the pole as she did, attempt to strike him in the side.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could tell there was a lot of hesitation. She had been a lot more comfortable learning about the Force. He observed her as she inspected the pole, the uncertainty on her face betrayed her thoughts. He took it in, though he didn’t say anything just yet. When she moved, it was choppy and sloppy, and he could tell it was from her perception of fighting being brutal and aggressive.

He didn’t raise his own weapon at all, abruptly shifting back to where her swing cut through air. He would let her try a few more times, evading the attacks so she simply couldn’t land a hit on him. The entire time he watched her face, the way she moved the weapon and her footwork. It wasn’t until she would be thoroughly frustrated that he called for a halt.

Emryc used the Force to abruptly call her pole to his hand, tossing both of them aside. There was no stern look on his face that normally existed when she failed something, but there was a glint of curiosity. He eyed her for a moment.

Without a word, he moved closer to her, slipping his hand around her shoulder and grabbing one of her hands. His expression didn’t change from what she always knew, and his eyes were as cold as ever, “Follow my lead.”

With that, he shifted a foot back and then to the side, beginning a basic social dance. He observed for how rigid and stiff she was, his silver eyes always piercing into hers. However, this was her language and it was one she was well versed in.


@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She was entire predictable as she swung and watched him clear her weapon. However, she would continue, swinging one after another as she tried to simply just overwhelm him with her swings. None would be successful and Lyra felt her annoyance grow and was nearing her breaking point, ready to blast him. Teeth gritted and beads of sweat forming on her forehead, the Force rippled with her readiness to be done with this training and then he called for them to stop.

Still frustrated, Lyra got ready to throw down her pole when he called it to him, tossing his own to the side. She was certain he was going to reprimand her for failing, her gaze falling in shame to her feet. Glancing up quickly, she had to double take his expression, not seeing his sternness, it was something else. Lyra didn't speak, trying to sense what he was thinking, but without further word, he approached and the teen tensed until he spoke to follow his lead.

Like a dance?

She thought as he took her shoulder and grasped one of her hands. Though, as soon as he moved, Lyra did not need to think on what to do next. When his body shifted, she followed: forward and to the side, turning as they went. She felt the tension in her body leave, her steps grew lighter, gracefully gliding in unison with Emryc's guidance. Her mind hummed to a melody key of esk sharp as she looked into his silver eyes.

She knew dance, it was where she found solace in the chaos that surrounded her. The girl's mind became the clearest when she moved. She felt herself meet with rhythmic reciprocity, moving when he moved, and vis versa. However, if she did not follow this sync, the conflict would occur: chaos, disorganization - one would be overwhelmed until the other backed off. Until then, she could go on for hours if she were permitted.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc moved fluidly, light on his feet and guided her through the dance. Every step was measured and precise, and there was a surprising amount of gentleness to the way he held her and led her through it. He could feel her relaxing, her body becoming limber and loose. There was confidence in her actions and he could feel it in the way she stepped and moved with him.

“Fighting can be graceful,” He said as he looked into her eyes. He suddenly rolled her out to twirl her before tugging her back, “Each step is with purpose, each spin practiced and every movement guided with the Force,” He spoke as he dipped her. He held there for a moment, “The most dangerous part is the strict amount of control you have over what you are doing. It’s what terrifies your enemies the most,” He pulled her back up and continued the dance.

He finally released her after a moment, calling the pole to himself, “You know how to do this better than you think.”

Emryc shifted back again with the same exact steps he had done before, but they looked very different now. He pivoted on his foot, spun around and guided the pole along the way. The pole spun in his hand as he moved around her with practiced steps, but they would be easier for her to follow this time.

“There is beauty in combat,” He said as he spun to face her again, “Try again,” He said as he tossed the makeshift weapon to her.

@GABA