Ask Just a Little Bit

[Darth Tiamat]

Of course his answer was cryptic, she held a clear unamused frown as she glanced over to him, seeing he was clearly enjoying that response. to expect anything else at this point seemed like extra and unnecessary time wasted. Lyra let out a defeated sigh and climbed onto the bike when they reached it; she looked around him as they took off, noting the day was coming to an end as the twin suns sought the horizon. Internally the acolyte grinned, incapacitate a lizard, check, get a pearl, check, riding off into the sunset, check.

She held on tightly with her good arm, resting her head on his back as they flew through the desert back to Mos Eisley to rest before moving on to the next task. She recalled the city to be one of the most dangerous in the galaxy and though that portion did not change much over the decades, it certainly did become wealthier. It still carried its fair share of syndicate members loitering in the area, but there were also those who were banking on the tourism that seemed to engulf the desert world.

Sitting up straight when they got into town, Lyra kept on alert, she felt she could trust a dragon more than she could trust other sentients at times, especially here. She leaned in, "Can we have a cheat night? Or me, can I have a cheat night. " she asked as they passed by several food stands; clearly everything was fried in some sort of fat, but it smelled so good to the acolyte. Since starting her training she had to change her diet to keep up with training, and anything deep fried and coated in fat was not optional.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was convinced she had fallen asleep, and he half expected her to fly off at some point. His thoughts were far away, the journey back to civilization almost cathartic. The wind brushed against his face and the air was cooler now. He thought about Ajan Kloss, the Wyck holocron, where her future would take her from here on. His own master had only taken him so far, he had to forge his own path for as long as he could remember.

He felt exhaustion beginning to set in, but he still had his rituals to do before he could retire. Emryc parked the bike, preparing to find them rooms to crash for the night when she pointed out the food. He looked over with a blank expression that spoke volumes.

Nevertheless, he walked over to a nearby place that had tables outside. He took a seat and picked up a menu, “This wasn’t mind tricking, in case you were wondering,” He muttered grumpily as he skipped right past the fried foods. He looked on the other side of the menu and saw more fried things.

After a moment, he had mumbled something of an order. Within a few minutes a small bowl arrived full of the carrots and celery they normally served with wings. He stared at the bowl for a long time, blinking slowly.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

And that response should have been expected, her own features hardened in reaction to his blank expression. She was ready for the muted reply of him just going on with whatever he wanted, but instead he did the opposite, mentioning how it was not a mind trick. Lyra followed just behind him, trying to hold in a smirk by biting her lip until she regained her composure. He picked out a table and sat down, Lyra followed feeling rigid in her moments, her body crying out in needed rest before they continued in the morning. He picked up a menu and Lyra did also, not saying a word as she peeked over the top watching him flip the menu trying to find something that was not deep fried and dipped in a vat of grease.

She already felt her appetite disappearing, his own mood was contagious as he gave his order, mumbling something that the server could only understand. Lyra gave her order also, and in a short moment they returned with just the garnish ordered by Emryc. Lyra frowned, her own face spoke of disapproval.

"A bit on the lean side..." she frowned staring at his food. The server returned with a plate of wings (with the garnish of carrots) and a basket of fries for the acolyte. She dropped a few of the wings onto her fries, keeping those for herself, and pushed the rest to Emryc. "Eat. Or don't, but if we get stuck somewhere unpleasant tomorrow, I'm not saving your butt because you wanted to eat like a rabbit." Lyra frowned as she took a few bites from a fried wing.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared at the plate as she pushed her food over to him. Her words made him almost retort back, but he said nothing. Did she expect him to randomly pass out? He nibbled on a carrot as he smelled the delicious wings. She had begun to dig in already by the time he finally caved and grabbed a wing. He took one bite before his face scrunched up slightly.

It became abundantly clear that he hadn’t been exposed to spicy foods very much, his face beginning to turn slightly red. He coughed a few times before grabbing several carrots to munch on them. Living on a space station meant he grew up eating rather bland food, and a strict diet meant he didn’t spend a lot of time sampling variety. He hailed over a server droid, asking for a mug of ale to wash down the food.

“This….tastes like fire…” He said, inspecting another wing. He couldn’t deny that it was tasty, but it came with an afterburn. He took another bite, taking a sip of the ale to follow up. This one went down much easier, and he began to actually enjoy the food.

He looked down at his fingers that now had sauce on them, grimacing at what a messy experience this was, “Why does it matter if I eat it or not?” He asked out of the blue, recalling her clear reaction to his bowl of carrots. It wasn’t unlike when he had gotten a shake when they first met and she stopped eating her own dish.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra watched him as he took a bite, finding his reaction odd as though he had never eaten spicy wings in his life. His comment was unusual and Lyra scoffed, "These are only the mild ones." she told him, "There are others a lot hotter."

The droid returned with his ale and he seemed less confused about what to do with himself after washing another bite down with his drink until he examined his fingers covered in sauce. It was as though she were watching a peculiar child fuss over a mess, he was just falling short of shaking out his hands to see if the mess would leave his finger tips. Sauced covered her finger tips too, but she did not want to waste it on a towel, "You can lick it off you know..." she spoke quickly and quietly as though he were breaking laws against how to eat. She proceeded to clean off her own finger tips, savoring the flavor; there was a herb in it that she was going crazy about.

He responded to her concern about him not eating and she wasn't sure how to reply, and it made her instantly regret telling him he needed to eat. She shouldn't be concerned, he had just told her to worry only of herself, however, it felt like that worry sometimes too a two way-street. The teen may have only been an acolyte, but she couldn't have her teacher be...she guessed not his best and then have to defend and justify her own aptitude to another skilled Sith to finish her training when he had let the bar drop. She wanted to question him, to ask if he just did not come back from a skirmish and if it was wise to not take care of himself after such an event, but the acolyte didn't. Instead, she did what he did best often when she asked questions: not say anything or wait and be so cryptic, it was hard to find relevance.

Lyra pretend she did not even hear him ask his question and took a carrot stick for herself from his plate, "Back on Corellia, they used to have these festivals for the hottest wings." she explained, quickly eating the carrot and leaned back in her seat, quieting as she listened to the chatter that surrounded them, "I like this. I feel like I can just blend in, disappear and no one would care if I had left or came." Lyra sighed, "People are always watching, they seem to always be extra curious about you and suspicious of me." her gaze left his, "Like an unexpected pest in your shadow."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked at her as if she grew a second head when she suggested licking his fingers off. He opted to grab a towel to wipe them off individually. He ate a wing, wiped his fingers off, ate another one, wiped off, and repeated. It was the strangest way of eating them, but he refused to let the sauce stay on him longer than needed. In the end he opted to simply use a napkin to hold each wing and gingerly bite it so it wouldn’t get on his lips.

He didn’t miss the long pause after his question, and he was reminded of himself in that regard. However, as he often subjected others to this treatment, it rarely bothered him when others did it. When she moved onto a different topic, so did he, finally finishing on the wings. He was left with clean hands and an ale to sip from, and he was nice and full.

Emryc followed her gaze and looked around them, no one looking their way or questioning them. Her comments about others being curious came from Eriadu - it was true other Sith whispered about him often and in turn it led to curiosities about her.

“If you have questions for me, now is the time to ask,” He said as he finished up the mug and ordered another, "I am pleased with you today. May not be the case tomorrow."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Though Emryc may have been disgusted with the way Lyra cleaned her fingers, the acolyte had to stop herself from pulling out her hair in dismay as she watched him wipe his fingers again and again. When he decided to use the napkin to hold each wing, Lyra had to use every ounce of willpower not to jump from her seat and start shaking him. She wondered where he learned how to eat, in the very least he could have asked for a knife and fork to keep his fingers clean.

It drew a stare from a confused Gran who was sharing the same feelings about Emryc's eating style until Lyra gave him a look that suggested he should return to his own meal. Lyra continued to slowly eat, just mesmerized by the delicate way he picked up each piece and ate in a way that would cause the least mess. He ordered another quart of ale and hearing that he was in a good mood for questions, she decided to order one also, figuring he would be done with his before she finished a quarter of her own.

Though he said he was pleased with her today, his affect was still flat and she still struggled to read him; she now wondered if this was a glitch and perhaps he hit is head when she was still in the cave. An eyebrow slowly rose and the acolyte decided to roll with it. "What's on your ship? In your room that I kept feeling on our way here?" she asked jumping to her most pressing question in her novel of questions she had been wanting to ask him. The server returned with their ale and Lyra cautiously took a sip, not sure what to expect.

"I swear I could hear it almost sing in my head while I was meditating." Lyra took a bigger drink, finding it more flavorful than other drinks she had tasted.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was enjoying his second mug, already halfway down. He may not have sampled a variety of foods, but he knew his way around a drink. He waited till the droid left before leaning in slightly close, “It’s a Jedi holocron,” He said flatly, “One from an ancient Jedi Grandmaster. I will want you to help me open. You feel it because it is teeming with the light side of the Force and it rejects both you and I.”

He took another sip from his drink, looking around. There were a couple of Toydarians that gathered to play live music nearby. His fingers drummed lightly on the table to the beat before he remembered that she was sitting across from him. Emryc tilted his head back to look at her, silver eyes meeting hers once more.

“Any other questions?” It was clear that he had no questions of his own - he usually kept those to himself.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra felt herself more interested in the quart of ale than of Emryc's answer about what she was feeling. The acolyte leaned in, but her eyes focused on the bubbles rising in her mug and she rose both eyebrows in response, "Rejects us? Rude." she scoffed feeling her head buzzing as she took another long drink, "Should just space it..." she mumbled with a shrug. Emryc was having no trouble with his drink as he seemed to have empty his first quart without much of a problem and this was Lyra's mistake as she made the comparison to her own ability to handle alcohol. If he could drink that much and be fine, shouldn't she?

She was nearly done with her ale, but was finding a hard time to think of any questions. She was in fact feeling really good, her head felt like it was vibrating, but otherwise she could see why some drank a lot and often. "Questions?" she tilted her head back, starring at the sky for a moment and then closed her eyes, hearing the music in the background. "Hmm..." she looked back down at her mug and finished off her drink, swaying to the beat of the music, "You can ask me questions. Like name the Sith Lords involved in the hyperspace wars or name off the 25 poisons created by Empress Alais Drast the seventh..." she said, tipping back her empty mug for one last drop, but looked disappointed when she got nothing. Though she wasn't even sure why she tried to drink from the empty mug as her mind seemed a bit more foggy than before.

"Or, wait, I got one, like.." she paused trying to think of the right words, "Do you want to do non-training dancing? Like we're not training, just dancing, I like this music." she over-explained.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The patrons at the tables around them began to thump on their tables and clap along to the music. It was certainly not club or ballroom music, but it had a fun rhythm to it. Mugs and glasses hit the table to a rhythm, cheering erupting as the music erupted in the square. Others had begun to dance, the spirit jovial and lighthearted.

Emryc focused back on his drink, keeping his calm and cool demeanor as he drained his mug a bit more. He heard her rattle off random trivia, and she was met with a blank stare. He said nothing, didn’t ask questions, but he simply sipped from his mug. She finished off her drink and asked….a curious question. For a moment Emryc said nothing, simply staring at her. In truth he was attempting to work out whether it was an actual question or if she was actually asking him to physically dance. He tilted his mug back and emptied it, setting it down on the table. He wiped his mouth off and neatly folded his napkins, taking his time.

At long last, he glanced up again and gave a light jerk of his head to signal it was time to get up. He extended a hand to her and led her to the throng of people under the night sky. It was a different style of music and it had a local series of steps to follow. He looked around at the others, quickly picking up on it before he grabbed both of her hands in his.

He didn’t say a word as he began the steps, one foot forward, a shift to the side, slide back, pivot, two hops, turn and spin, one hop. It took only a moment before he could start to mimic the others and easily lead her through it. He was light on his feet, twirling her and doing the hops when they called for it. It was much more light hearted and far quicker paced, and it was exhilarating in its own way. He fully expected her to stomp on his feet several times, but oddly he appeared entirely unperturbed.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Her thoughts were moving a lot slower and it was taking more effort to focus on Emryc especially with his blank stare that never gave a hint to what he was thinking other than he was thinking. It was long enough that she thought she may have put him in a displeasuable mood and she held her breath, feeling herself leaning in until he gave his response. He finished his ale and wiped his mouth with the napkin, which Lyra realized she did not even touch her napkin and felt a spark of awkward and uncultured. She was about to lean back in her seat and think of another question when he stirred, rising from his seat with a hint of a nod toward the dancing locals.

Lyra nearly fell out of her seat in her excitement and also her legs were feeling wobbly from the ale, but she felt it was more important to dance that did not have a consequence in the end. She took his extended hand, the music speeding up in its beat and Lyra noted the sequence of foot work. The drinking had made it hard for her to focus as they begun, sloppy as she worked to catch up, realizing she needed to stop looking at her feet and instead to her partner.

It was one of her earliest lessons when she had begun ballet, to trust herself: forward, side, back, pivot, hop, hop, turn, spin, hop and repeat. It took a few rounds before catching on, stepping on Emryc's toes if she got ahead of herself in the sequence, but recovered and he did not seem to bothered by it, especially when Lyra giggled at her mistakes. She let him lead her in the dance, the beat and pace of the folk music replaced any weariness she was feeling in her arms and legs and rejuvenation in her spirit. A wide smile naturally broke across her face as she kept her eyes on Emryc, trying to see if he would break from his serious, straight-faced affect. It was hard to tell if he ever enjoyed anything and even now, she struggled to interpret him.

The music started to slow as it move on to a different tune; she let him pull her close again in the sequence, Lyra tried for another question, "What do you enjoy?" she asked him prior to stepping back and pivoting.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc guided her through the dance as the beat picked up. He paused just for a blink when she giggled, the sound not one he was used to. It caught his attention enough to where his gaze lingered on her for longer than needed, features softening just for a moment. There was just the faintest tug of a smile that he couldn’t hold back. Naturally, it was while she was busy looking down at her feet, his face its usual stoic when she looked up again.

He gazed at her as she looked at him, silver eyes always a placid lake even through the high energy steps. He kept up with the locals, spinning her out and pulling her back in. He was light on his feet, guiding her through. She would notice immediately that he favored one side of her over the other, taking care not to stress the shoulder that had the injury. He spoke volumes through minute details, but one had to look for them.

Emryc’s hands came down to her waist to lift her into the air, spin around and bring her down in concert with the other couples dancing. He heard her question and twirled her before bringing her back in. His eyebrows were furrowed in mild confusion, “I enjoy things most people enjoy..” He muttered as if it was the most obvious answer ever. Was he not out here dancing?

The song finished up and the next one was something much slower and romantic. Emryc didn’t make any assumptions, gently releasing her as some of the people continued to dance and others left.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He lifted her and spun once more, noticing the confusion on his face to her question. He replied, suggesting he liked most things and Lyra shared a confused look with him, her head was still buzzing from the ale, but something was turning in her mind. He still held onto her waist until the song changed to something slower and Lyra picked up the romantic undertone as she watched the couples grow closer together. She turned to look at Emryc, "I'm not like most people, so I don't know what they enjoy. You will have to show me." she quirked an eyebrow, a small smirk curled on the corner of her lip.

She opened her mouth to say something about the next dance, but a passerby bumped her injured shoulder and Lyra winced, sucking in sharply as the pain radiated through her arm, torso and up her neck. Another dance did not sound enjoyable and she felt entirely uncomfortable to raising her arm, "Maybe we should be getting going." she said with slight disappointment and peeked under her collar to her bandages, thinking they probably deserve changing before resting for the evening.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc quirked an eyebrow as she mentioned that he would have to show her. He wasn’t the type to actively read into phrases, so he didn’t. He could tell she was about to say something, but someone bumped into her and she quickly changed her tone. He released her regardless, nodding to her words.

There was an inn nearby and he forked over the credits for two rooms. Part of him wanted to simply go crash on his ship, but it was still a distance away. The Duros took the credits, pointing to upstairs. Emryc walked through the main floor, various drunkards still dancing around. One of them made to grab at Lyra, but they conveniently spun on their heel and slammed directly into a nearby column. Emryc gingerly stepped past the man, making his way up the stairs, his use of the Force too subtle for anyone but Lyra to notice.

“Your bandages need to be changed,” He said vacantly, stifling a yawn. He opened up Lyra's room before handing her the keycard. The rooms were small - a chair, a small table and a bed. He motioned for her to sit at the edge of the bed before grabbing the materials to rebandage her. Once again, he worked methodically to patch her up. He could see it had reopened in certain parts.

“Dancing wasn’t the smartest idea,” He mused aloud as he cleaned off the blood and reapplied the bacta.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

By the time they reached the inn, her head was no longer buzzing and instead it was now throbbing along with her shoulder. She watched him hand over the credits for two rooms and Lyra wanted to object, she really didn't need a bed, she slept on the floor anyways. However, she didn't say anything as they headed toward the stairs. The place was busy with drinking and dancing; it took the acolyte much willpower from blasting them out of her way, her patience thin from exhaustion. She did feel something stir from Emryc and quickly turned to see what happened, but was unable to determine the reasoning and gave him a questioning look before heading up the stairs.

Mentioning her bandages needed to be change, Lyra didn't object, she was feeling the exhaustion creeping and everything seemed to feel more intense. She flipped the key card, examining front and back before tossing it onto the table along with her pack, and sat down on the bed. Lyra was quiet as he worked and just focused on his touch; it was caring and gentle, far from what most believed Sith would be, many enduring pain, so the assumption their care to injuries would be rougher. Then again, he didn't need to address her wounds, he could have left her to worry about it.

Lyra's gaze softened as she sank into her thoughts only to be brought back by his comment about dancing, "I dunno, it might have been," she paused, knowing her next words would skirt along a dangerous path, "It lead to this, didn't it? I would do it again if it meant you would touch me." Lyra closed her eyes, feeling and listening for his response, though she would not be surprised if he didn't react in any way.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was entirely focused on the bandages as before. He had patched her up before, and he had done it to himself countless times. He moved her hair out of the way, cleaning the wound and then applying new bandages on it. He barely heard her when she spoke, but he paused when she did. She would feel him physically stop all movement and hear just the slightest shift in his breathing.

There was no mirror, no way for her to tell what was going on with him. His mind was thrown into flux, and he saw the day she first came into his life with a busted nose. He thought about the time she walked into that forest on Eriadu, when she fell down and got up repeatedly. He thought about how she had forgotten what it meant to smile, but how that appeared again today. He heard that giggle again, that almost infectious sound that played in his mind like music.

He didn’t even realize his fingers had begun to trace up along her back, and it had nothing to do with bandaging wounds. He traced along her smooth skin and along her shoulder, the echo of her words remaining long since she spoke them. It was the most he had ever touched her, his hand closing around her shoulder, fingers close to the clothing that he simply needed to nudge just a bit more.

There was an intake of breath and a slow exhale and the hand withdrew again, “You’ve had quite a bit to drink,” His voice rang out, cold and calloused as always. She had been patched up. Emryc didn’t give her a chance to respond, stepping back out of the room and closing the door behind him.

If she listened later, there would be the faintest sounds of him having to pay for his transgressions in the next room. He would have new marks on his back. New reminders of what he had almost allowed.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She had not realized she had been holding her breath as she waited for his response. His silence told her he had heard her, and she wondered if he was weighing the gamble also. It would only be for a few silent seconds, she could feel his finger tips move along her backside and eventually rest on her shoulder. It was where he would stop and then moment was over.

She heard him exhale, "I had quite a bit to drink." she repeated his words softly as though she were trying to convince herself it was true and the reasoning for her odd words to him. Lyra didn't move when he finished and closed her eyes, listening to his footsteps and the click of the door as it slid close. She sat, never moving and was uncertain of how much time had passed when she felt the Force twist in his agony and it unsettled the acolyte. She grabbed a blanket from the bed and curled up against the wall, listening and wincing to his own pain.

Perhaps she did not have quite a bit to drink, perhaps she was just that cruel.

______________________________​

The acolyte's sleep was unsurprising restless; it had been several years, even before arriving on Eriadu she struggled with sleep. Except her mind took her trips to her past, she found herself in an inescapable labyrinth at the studio and then back in her childhood home. However, they were tamed compared to the nightmares she would get occasionally. Lyra cleaned up and put on a new shirt after redressing her wounds on her own. It was not as neat as Emryc's technique, but it would do; she did not have the stamina today to handle the emotional fallout if he touched her again and for whatever he had planned for their training.

Grabbing her belongings, Lyra descended down the stairs to grab a cup of caf hopefully before Emryc rose and was ready. She was doing her best to avoid thinking about what was said last night and decided to keep herself distracted with her algorithm work. The main level looked entirely different from the evening before as there was barely a soul present, but this would give Lyra the chance to relax without needing to worry about some drunkard waddling over.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had already been up and training off in a field not too far away. The planet provided some much needed gravity resistance and he quickly took advantage of that. He normally rose before the sun and today was no different. He had done his prayers and morning rituals before heading out.

It was too hot for his normal gear and he changed into a black training tank and some comfortable pants. He returned to the inn, not expecting to see the girl for a few hours. To his surprise, she was already downstairs drinking a caf. He was drenched in sweat, hair matted to his head. He probably smelled like a combination of deodorant pushed to max capacity and sweat, but his toned arms and shoulders were on rare display. The tops of the scars on his back were just barely visible beneath his neck.

Emryc gave no indication there had ever been anything different between them. He greeted her with the jut of a chin before ordering himself a caf. There was no indication that he was bothered by the recent strikes on his back - his tolerance quite high by now. He took the caf and made his way over to sit across her for just a moment, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

“Didn’t think you’d be up yet,” He said before taking a sip, “Do you need me to do your bandages?”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra listened to the soft scratching of her pencil against the paper as she worked, pausing occasionally to tap it against the table as she thought, moving figures around, scratching out ideas and starting over. Falling into her project seemed to take her mind away from the evening before, helping her refocus. She rested her forehead in her palm and dropped her pencil in exchange for her caf, attention turning to the entrance as she felt her Master approaching. Assuming they were to be leaving soon, she started to gather her notes and pile them neatly together in a way she could remember their order later. She expected him to keep walking by, but instead stopped at the table and Lyra looked up, noting his face did not give away any change in feeling or mood since last night.

He looked to have been training, the twin suns clearly making its impression on the inhabitants, including visitors like Emryc who was glistening in sweat. She could certainly smell him and the acolyte was uncertain if she were ready for such a stench this early in the morning. As he took a seat with his own caf, Lyra pulled her notes into her notebook and dropped it into her bag, "I don't sleep well." she stated, keeping her eyes down and took a sip of her caf, noting its bland flavor after letting it become room-temperature. She set down the cup and rested her hands in her lap while leaning back in her seat as comfortably as she could.

"I changed them this morning, I might have you look at them later though, the one gash must have been pretty deep." she frowned, tensing to the idea of him touching her even to fix her bandages, but she knew the one injury was not kind, "Will we be going back to Eriadu today?" she asked him, stealing a glance before focusing on the dirt underneath her nails.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc sipped from his caf, watching her quickly pack up her notes and things before he could glance at it. He said nothing about it, looking over at the new patrons that began to come in. The twin suns were high up over the horizon now, the heat already beginning to replace the desert chill that lingered even when he trained.

He looked back at her when she tensed up regarding the bandages, clearly not wanting him to assist. He ignored the question for now, quietly sipping the caf. He wasn’t ignorant enough to be blind to the whirlwind of thoughts that went through her mind. It wasn’t his nature to probe or ask, but he did question her ability to stay focused.

Emryc glanced down at the caf in his hand, vaguely making out his own outline in it, “If it’s outside of your teachings, I will never do anything you don’t wish me to do,” He glanced up at her, gaze as unwavering as ever.

@GABA