Ask Tin Toys

[Carrick]

Funny thing about trying to assassinate a newly elected senator was that it was the kind of job that had a very low success rate and, yet, was also one of those jobs that a person only took when they were certain that they would not miss. Trouble with this assassin's attempt was that he had not been expecting Carrick to have a Mandalorian head of security with a helmet strong enough to tank that same shot. Honestly though, he wasn't sure the would-be assassin could be faulted for not anticipating that Reiel would try and headbutt the blaster bolt.

Even Carrick was still rather bemused about the move and he had known her helmet was armoured to hell and back.

He, once again, made a mental note to make reservations at the restaurant that some of his colleagues had recommended in the capital. They said that some of their seafood dishes were inspired by Mandalorian cuisine but, well, he would let Reiel be the judge of that. If they were good? Gave her something of a taste of home. If they weren't correct? Well then they would have something to playfully trash while pretending to be the lovely patrons they otherwise would have been. Why was he able to stand there, outside the entrance to the interrogation room housing his would-be assassin so calmly?

Easy really - he didn't hold it against him.

An assassin was, at the end of the day, an impersonal figure. They were a tool picked up and wielded by someone else, someone who did have a personal or practical reason for wanting him dead. Carrick himself wasn't against killing to further his own goals, he knew, so he didn't much care if someone had 'stooped to that level' so much as who they were and how much of a threat they actually posed to him. Which were questions he could probably get the answers to soon if he applied himself.

He spoke to Reiel as the prison officers prepared the prisoner.

"I was thinking we try this the way they do in the holos." he suggested with a lazy smile, "You play Good Mando and I play Bad Forcie. Try not to fall in love with my 'evil twin' version though, alright?"

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

What was so important about the heart that made stupid assassins target said organ instead of going for a headshot?

Alright, so headshots could still be difficult to pull off even with a semi-stationary target. But a static one? A brand new senator who was just standing on the podium and answering questions thrown at him with charming albeit subtly fake smiles? If she was the assassin Reiel was sure that she could easily pull off a headshot – a moving target required effort, of course, but when you've spent most of your life honing the only skill you thought you were good at had its certain perks. A pair of good eyes, steady hands, and the ability to stay still for long periods of time were something Reiel had, and really: she didn't grow up surrounded by ex-pirates then adopted by a walking killing machine, er, Mando, for nothing.

She really wasn't thinking about assassinating her sorcerer. Nah. Just reverting back to her old ways of trying to talk shite to the failure of an assassin that was now about to be interrogated by perhaps the weirdest pair they had ever seen. Okay, maybe not that weird – Carrick was a senator and Reiel was a Mando employed by said politician, even if said politician was a Force-user. Really now, she should've been cursing her employer and trying to find ways to kill him in his sleep for having the audacity to be a kriffing Force-sensitive. Weren't Mandos supposed to be hostile towards Forcies?

Unfortunately for them, Reiel was perhaps the most un-Mandalorian Mando they'd ever laid their eyes on. The only Forcies she held deep disdain for were the Sith, and the dashing fellow beside her?

The small Mandalorian pouted beneath the cover of her helmet, head hanging dejectedly at having been denied the role she wanted to play.

"Ah, but I wanted to be the Bad Mando..." she sighed, dejection making way for amusement at Carrick's following comment. Perhaps she ought to give this one to him, after all she wasn't the one whose life had just been threatened. She let out a tiny snort that soon transformed into muffled laughter.

"Then don't let your evil twin version fall head over heels for the angelic Mando that'll grace his presence and bring light to his otherwise dark and dreary existence," Reiel shot back, snickering. "I can't promise I'll stay in character for too long, though." Her tone became a little serious, gloved hands clenching into fists as she remembered his own hand touching the spot behind her helmet where the sniper bolt hit. If she hadn't been fast enough, her sorcerer would have–

"I've been meaning to pummel that bastard to death the moment I saw 'em," Reiel muttered darkly, anger slowly rearing its ugly head as one prison officer finally gave them the go signal to proceed with the interrogation. "Wearing that armor... trying to kill you... unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable."

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Haha Good Mando – half the Galaxy probably thought that was a good joke considering their only experience with Mandalorians, by and large, was of the bounty hunters who came through their space, wrecked the place, then left. Luckily for the relationship between Reiel and Carrick, he had seen far more than the typical person had when it came to Mandalorians. Well, he had seen far more of one Mandalorian at any rate.

Okay that had been a bad joke, bad enough that he was glad he didn’t say it aloud.

“Well, if he doesn’t start being cooperative, I’m sure we will have to switch up our tactics.” He assured her with a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Just remember; we’re not here to beat him to death or to torture him. We’re going to try and scare him into giving up the information of his own free will. If he doesn’t?”

He shrugged a little bit.

“We keep him distracted and frightened, because it will lower any instinctive mental defenses he has so I can force him to reveal what he knows using the Force.”

It wasn’t very ‘Jedi’ of him to use the mind trick like that but it was much preferred to the enhanced interrogation techniques that non-Force Sensitives would indulge in if they felt that they had no other choice. He grinned down at Reiel before pressing a kiss to the outside of her helmet, close to where she had taken the hit from the blaster bolt.

“You don’t have to be nice – just nicer than me.”

A small buzzer went off, letting them know that they were cleared to step into the room. Carrick stepped away from Reiel before straightening. Mastering everything that his uncle had sought to teach him about presenting himself as superior, he strode into the room without a word. The prisoner was handcuffed to the table, sat on a chair with its legs bolted to the ground.

The prisoner watched as they approached.

“Well if it isn’t the Forcie Senator and his pet Mando… what are you here for then eh?”

Carrick didn’t ask a single question, he just reached out with his hand and swiped it to one side. One of the metal chair legs burst free from the bolts and the bottom of the chair, flying through the air to embed itself in the side wall. The prisoner cursed as the chair he was partially shackled to was suddenly left lopsided, violently.

And still, Carrick didn’t say a word, he just continued to flex his right hand. The sound of metal being squeezed and tortured was heard throughout the room.

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

The assurance, paired with the hand on her shoulder, was more than enough to snap Reiel out of her growing anger. The small Mandalorian blinked up at Carrick, helmeted head tipping upwards slightly to meet his gaze. She could read amusement in his eyes, almost as if he was about to make a joke but decided against it. It piqued her curiosity, wondering what he might have been thinking in the current situation they found themselves in.

She was good enough with distraction tactics, but the intimidation factor? Frightening the enemy? Having the armor made it easy, but once sentients notice her height their fear would always melt away into laughter at her expense. Reiel always had to skip the verbal threats for the more direct approach of bodily harm to change their perceptions, but it was another thing she would have to seemingly skip at the moment.

The assassin had already experienced a preview of how she acted. Perhaps she could either switch the act up or down depending on how he would react to Carrick.

Caught up in her own thoughts, Reiel's face exploded in a brilliant shade of red when her sorcerer grinned down at her and kissed her helmet. Momentarily freezing where she stood when he spoke to her, the kiss was unexpected and a part of her instantly demanded to receive his kiss not on her helmet, but maybe on her hair or forehead, damn it!

"Nicer than you? I can do that. Hopefully," she told him, still blushing but managing to surprise herself with how even her voice came out. Reiel immediately noticed that something changed about him when he pulled away from her.

He looked... superior, in every sense of the word. Like he could tell anyone who blocked his path to get down on their knees and grovel. Maybe she was exaggerating, but the way he carried himself entered the interrogation room without a word...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the prisoner who referred to her as a pet.

Wide eyes swept from Carrick then to the prisoner, an incensed grin slowly tugging the corners of her lips upwards. She'd heard slavers called their "products" pets. She'd thought of one of her clanmates who had previously been a slave before being freed by her buir.

A pet?

She was no one's pet.

Carrick's blatant use of the Force ahould have caught her attention entirely; should have brought awe out of her, at showcasing a sliver of the power he possessed in his hands. She should have been equal parts amazed and startled at the sound of metal groaning throughout the room. But the small Mandalorian's gaze remained fixed on the prisoner, still wearing that rage-tinted grin on her face as she took a step forward towards him, looming over him.

"You need not ask why. You already know."

Reiel took one of the prisoner's hands in her own. The grin on her face turned into an almost feral smile as her other hand moved up to roughly pat his cheek.

"Why don't we cut straight to the point?" she asked the prisoner in a falsely cheerful voice. "Tell us who sent you and why, and you're gonna leave this room unharmed."

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Oh he had no doubts that Reiel would be able to play the 'Good Cop' to his 'Bad Cop' because he was going to go a bit further than most people would expect he could push himself. They knew that he was a Force User but they knew his background was as a Jedi. Clearly they knew that he had the power but they doubted he had the temperament. He might not have the temper of a Sith but he didn't think he needed to have it here anyway.

He just needed them to think he did.

Reiel started asking questions and Carrick let her because he was focusing on something else. The metal flew back from the wall to land comfortably in his hand. As he stood there, casually holding the broken metal, one end of it began to glow bright red as he started heating it with the Force. Shaping it as the heat made it malleable into a durasteel spike with a glowing red tip.

Carrick didn't so much as look at the prisoner.

The prisoner jerked away from Reiel's touch but in so doing moved the chair, breaking the already weakened legs so that the chair fell out from under him, leaving him awkwardly half-standing. He grimaced and shook his head.

"I'm not telling you shrak." he said with a dark scowl, "Unlike you, I'm a professional. I don't take bigger money and abandon my calling - I kill people for credits, I don't rat out who pays me."

Carrick tutted once.

"You will."

The would-be assassin spat at the former Jedi.

"Kark you and your magic."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Reiel didn’t bother suppressing a snort of amusement from escaping her as the assassin-turned-prisoner jerked away from her and began to sing his own praises. The small Mandalorian forgot for half a moment that she was already wearing a helmet to cover her face, palm meeting the T-visor in an attempt to muffle her giggling. The sound came out raspy through her modulator, and her giggle turned into a full-blown laughter when she realized her blunder.

“Pardon me!” she blurted out, the hand on her helmet trailing down to her chestplate. “For one wild moment, I– ahahaha, I forgot I’m already wearing a helmet, kriff’s sakes–“

Caught off guard by her sudden laughter, the prisoner turned from cursing at Carrick to staring at Reiel with a confused, wide-eyed gaze. He knew that the Senator was the biggest threat to his safety at the moment – not even counting the improvised spike the man held in one hand – but the Mandalorian who was still busy quelling her laughter was something else. The prisoner had already fallen for her ruse once, but right now he couldn’t tell if her playing the part of a fool was another trick.

“…trying to cover your face with your hand when you’re already wearing a helmet. Dumbass,” Reiel continued in between giggles, stepping away from the prisoner and retreating to Carrick’s side. Shoulders still shaking with mirth, the small Mandalorian finally gathered enough of her wits to acknowledge the prisoner’s words.

“You… don’t rat out who pays you?” Another snort. “Bold words for someone who looks like a rat. Ah, hells, that’s a bad joke.”

The prisoner’s expression melted into that of utter vexation as his gaze met Carrick’s.

“Are you gonna impale me with that?” he asked the Senator, brusque and impatient. “’Cause I’m gonna choose torture over Miss High and Dumb right here any day.”

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Carrick had to admit that suddenly beginning to giggle, purely to unnerve the poor prisoner was rather amusing. He did his best to quash any amusement or, indeed, any positive emotions that hearing Reiel giggle like that brought up. That she giggled through her helmet was just adorable but he didn’t let it change his expression at all.

He was supposed to be the bad cop in this situation, the big bad Force User and all that.

Playing into the prisoner’s perception of Force Users while Reiel played on the idea that she would be underestimated because she was being so docile, so giggly. If the prisoner had any kind of training to resist interrogation he likely would have seen through both attempts but, luckily for them, he wasn’t anywhere near as skilled as he thought he was.

Carrick idly continued heating the spike, running its literally red-hot tip along the table, inching it closer to the man’s bound wrists.

“Its not torture if you choose it.” He tutted with a small, put upon, sigh, “So here’s what I’m going to do.”

He suddenly moved, slamming the spike through the table in front of the man’s fingers, barely an inch away.

“I’m going to let her offer you a deal – a nice one.” He admitted with a shrug, “If you agree to it? I don’t come back into this room. If you don’t agree to it? I cut to the chase and shred your mind until I know everything about you.”

Carrick allowed a small smirk to appear on his face as he moved over to Reiel, giving her a small pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t be too nice to him, now dear. I might want to play with him later.”

He absolutely didn’t but the prisoner didn’t need to know that. Carrick then left the interrogation room, closing and locking the door behind him. Once on the other side of the locked door, however, he turned right back around and rested his head against it, keeping his senses open to make sure there were no surprises from inside the room.

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Reiel did not take offense at the insult since it was what she wanted for this prisoner to think. To further underestimate her despite the notoriousness of the armour and race (or Creed, if one was so inclined to call it that) she belonged to. Mislead him into thinking that he could target her instead, make her seem that she could be easily manipulated into creating and agreeing to a deal she had no way of refusing just to get the information Carrick needed.

She would’ve felt sorry for the prisoner, but she just couldn’t. Not when he had made the attempt to kill her sorcerer.

At least she wasn’t giggling anymore when Carrick intimidated the prisoner. The small Mandalorian didn’t need to go over the top – not with what she had in mind for when it was her turn to speak. And while she did not expect her sorcerer to leave her alone with the prisoner, Reiel was quick to make adjustments to her plan as she dipped her head in acknowledgement of Carrick’s words.

“Of course, Senator,” she replied, devoid of the affection she usually reserved for him as the T-visor locked at the wary prisoner who was closely watching the exchange.

She waited for the door to close behind her before raising a hand at the cameras in the room. Closing her hand into a fist, the prisoner seemed even more cautious than ever as surveillance of the room was practically cut off. Reiel grinned as she approached the table and sat herself down on a chair insouciantly.

“Aah, thank the stars he’s finally got the sense to step out!” Reiel exclaimed blithely as she raised her booted feet on the table, crossing them at the ankles as she leaned back on her seat and folded her hands to her chest. “Imagine having to spend a whole day being close to him, keeping him safe and all that jazz… It’s tiring and annoying, you know that?”

The prisoner raised an intrigued eyebrow at the sudden change in the small Mandalorian’s demeanour. “Didn’t expect you to suddenly start talkin’ shite about your employer now.”

She grimaced under her helmet for added effect. “It’s not like you didn’t get to see how pompous and arrogant he behaves just now. Being around that– “ she made a rude gesture with one hand “– day and night? Kad!”

I’m sorry, Carrick! I don’t mean everything I say right now! Never!

“And he thinks he’s some powerful bastard just because he has that disgusting Force… pathetic!”

The prisoner moved to sit on his own chair but frowned upon remembering that it was upturned and he was cuffed to the table. He settled for standing awkwardly, studying the small Mandalorian with growing confusion. “If it disgusts you so much, why are you working for him? You’re a Mandalorian. I thought your kind hate Forcies? And what’s with that creepy lovey-lovey tone you were using with him when you captured me?”

Cocking her helmeted head to the side, Reiel made a show of looking like a disappointed teacher whose student was being slow on the uptake.

“What? You haven’t seen a Mando manipulate a Force-user before?” She sighed, feigning disappointment before adjusting in her seat, feet finding the floor again as she leaned back to her seat and studied the man before her. “Force-users aren’t all powerful, buddy. Sure, they can read minds and use that freaky mind trick stuff, but you know what they say – they can’t do that to everyone. Not when you’re trained to fight sorcerers like him.

“As for why I’m working for that guy… like you, someone hired me to get rid of him when the right time comes. It’s tough work – earn would-be Senator Carrick’s trust, help him obtain the position he seeks in the FWA, all that jazz. It’s tedious work but rewarding and enjoyable. I get to earn from him and my employer for all my work, and what do you know – the poor bastard doesn’t know what’s coming for him, it’s hilarious!”

The prisoner did not reply to her words, eyes flicking to the laughing Mandalorian in front of him and the door behind her. He looked at one of the cameras in the corner of the room. Still deactivated. Could he count on believing every word she said, though? What if it was all another lie? What if it’s all true, though? And why was she even telling him all these?

He hadn’t realized he had asked the last part out loud until the Mandalorian stopped laughing and regarded him with a seriousness that made him cautious.

“Because your skills are wasted in prison,” Reiel told him, gaze flicking to the camera behind the prisoner, the only one that remained activated. Three of Carrick’s trusted security details where watching the interrogation, and they were aware that the small Mandalorian was prepared to spin one lie after another to get what the Senator wanted. She smiled underneath her helmet and rose from her seat.

“Work for me instead. For my real employer. All I want in return is the name of the person who hired you to kill my target. See, when my employer saw your attempt it irritated them. Having Senator Forcie die early isn’t part of their plans. And truth be told? You’re only alive right now because I asked them if we could hire you for your services instead.” Reiel moved to turn around and took a step towards the door. “We already made arrangements to fake your death in prison so you can be smuggled out. It’s your call, really. All I need – all my employer needs – is the name of your contractor.”

One gloved hand brushed against the door’s surface, and Reiel looked at the prisoner over her shoulder. “Just give me the name, buddy. And you’re out of here, employed and richer than you could ever imagined. My employer is a generous person, after all.”

“I have one last question.”

Reiel faced the prisoner again, back now against the door as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Fire away.”

He hesitated, looking as if weighing all the pros and cons of her proposition in his head. The way he was beginning to squirm under her helmet’s indifferent gaze was amusing, enough to alleviate her guilt for lying and talking bad about her sorcerer.

“Your employer. The real one. Who is it?”

In all honesty, Reiel hadn’t even thought of making up a name for this ‘real employer’ she had made up on the spot. Oh, well. Better make this even more outrageous than the tale she spun for this idiot to feed on.

“A Sith Lord.” She didn’t have the time to laugh at the way the prisoner’s eyes bugged out of their sockets. She could do that later, when she got what she wanted from him. “I’ll give you their name if you give me the name of your contractor.”

“Ajax Quinne, the former senator’s bastard son.” The prisoner shrugged, while Reiel perked up with interest. Quinne had a son? Interesting. “Guy got mad that his dad died. I didn’t ask for details, but he was angry at that Forcie senator for taking his place as the FWA rep of this planet and ordered the hit. Would’ve paid good money, too, if–“

Time to end the ruse. “Oh, shite, you know Darth Ajax?”

“What…?”

Reiel clapped her hands and the rest of the cameras in the room were reactivated once more. “Congrats, you just got yourself pranked. Thanks for your wonderful contribution, though.”

The prisoner spluttered, growing more and more confused and angry that he had been duped by the small Mandalorian once again. “You witch! You were lying all this time again?!”

She ignored his angry tirade in favour of banging a fist repeatedly on the door.

“Senator, open up! We got a name for this idiot’s employer!”

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Carrick moved from the door to the other side of the one-way glass that had been set up as part of the interrogation room. Of course it had a one-way mirror, it was an interrogation room. Some of the local security forces nodded to him upon his arrival but Carrick only had eyes for Reiel and the prisoner beyond the glass.

He didn’t need to read her thoughts to know that she was uncomfortable talking badly about him as she was doing right now. She was doing a fairly good job at making it appear that she couldn’t stand him though so she was a better actor than he would have thought. Of course he wasn’t going to let her just ‘get away’ with being so mean about him.

It might hurt his feelings after all…

Instead of focusing on the prisoner, he focused on Reiel instead and reached out with the Force. The advantage of knowing what she looked like under the helmet in this situation was that it allowed him to project the Force through underneath the helmet, cupping her cheek inside the helmet with the Force in the shape of his hand, warm and soft like his hand was as well.

He was going to find ways to entertain himself and also be a supportive partner and this was one such way – he was willing to bet she would jump at least half a foot if she wasn’t as controlled as she could be.

Seemed that the prisoner was more willing to make a deal with someone who ‘hated Forcies’ like he did. It went a long way to letting Carrick know that this was likely not a professional hit but, rather, something of a personal thing. Potentially with the backing and manipulation of a larger faction but the shooter himself was focused on his own distrust and hatred of Force Users.

Still, the ruse worked perfectly and he turned to the security agents in the same room as him as he tapped the intercom to broadcast.

“I do believe that will work out nicely – gentlemen does that suit your needs of a taped confession?”

There were some smirks as one of them confirmed.

“That it does… senator.”

Laughing a little bit, Carrick reached out with the Force again to reach underneath Reiel’s armor. This time, however, he went a little bit further south, giving her backside a squeeze through the Force as he confirmed.

“Thank you for your time Prisoner 21616 – I do hope you enjoy your stay until the trail… and likely your stay beyond that as well.”

The prisoner would be left alone to stew and rage as Carrick would leave the observation room to head over to meet Reiel by the door to the interrogation room. He would have tried to keep a straight face, make it seem like the phantom touches were her imagination, but he couldn’t help the smirk.

“Feeling good, Reiel?”

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

There weren't any more reasons to act like a fool but Reiel found enjoyment in doing so, especially when the prisoner continued to seethe and moan about being fooled by the small Mandalorian yet again. If he'd had any brains in him he wouldn't have fallen for the lies she'd spun, so Reiel thought that she should have counted herself lucky that this guy was an idiot in one regard. Maybe she should also praise her acting skills, no matter how atrocious it now seemed to her?

Ah, but she pulled through, right? Got a confession that they could use on the court? This definitely counted as a win to her, even more so how she managed to keep talking without faltering when she felt a familiar touch on her cheek earlier while she rambled on about hating her dear sorcerer.

She would've grinned like a blushing schoolgirl while she waited for the door to open if it weren't for something brushing then squeezing her backside. Reiel muffled a surprised yelp but couldn't stop her body from reacting, shoulders tensing and back turning rigid as the phantom touches came and went. As she hurriedly stepped out of the room to meet Carrick, one of her hands shot out unconsciously and struck him on the arm (a little too hard for her liking) when she felt ghostly hands underneath her armor again–

“I-I feel fine, y-yes!“ she blurted out, voice tapering into a smirk at the end as she started to rub where she accidentally hit her sorcerer. “Oh, fecking– Manda, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you! I just– t-there's something–“

Of course she had an inkling that it was him – the naughty bastard –but she still had the sense not to accuse him outright. Not when there were other people present. But Reiel couldn't deny just how flustered she felt at what Carrick was doing.

To think that her sorcerer would use the Force for this–!

"You seem uncomfortable, Ma'am," said one of the security details out of concern. "Did a bug crawl underneath your armor or something? I, uh, I'm not joking, if that's what you think. I just–"


Gaze locked up with Carrick's, Reiel cleared her throat and let another lie slip past her lips. "No, it's fine. I think you're right, though." The hand on the senator's arm squeezed meaningfully, and despite the furious blush on her face the small Mandalorian managed to get out her own attempt at subtly teasing her sorcerer. "Need somewhere private to take my armor off. You wouldn't want any... bugs crawling all over you while wearing this whole thing."

Then, voice lowering to a whisper only Carrick would hear, Reiel added in something she hoped would pass off as seductive, “Isn't that right, mesh'la?“

With that she pulled away and began to walk hurriedly down the hall, anywhere, to try and cool herself off. But knowing her sorcerer, her retreat would only serve as fuel to his teasing. Not that she disliked it, though.


Reiel just didn't know how long she'd be able to control herself if Carrick kept up with his teasing.


@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

... okay yeah he deserved that one.

Carrick didn't even try to hide the grin that split his face when she slapped his arm like that. Sure, she probably put a bit too much strength into it but he wasn't going to really hold it against her. He had just gotten through using the Force against her in a way that would have made all of his former instructors want to punish him for months after all.

"No no, I'm sure I deserved it." he winked at her quickly, "For something I'm sure..."

They both knew but he wasn't about to advertise to the other security detail members exactly what he had done. They knew that he could use the Force and they knew that he had been a former Jedi Knight but the less they knew about how he used the Force, the better.

Oh but she was trying to play back? Well he was in a very good mood with the capture and confession so he was in just the right mood himself.

"Absolutely." he answered both her spoken and whispered parts with a deeper smirk, "Guys I'm going to discuss some travel arrangements with my head of security - please make sure the prisoner transport goes well."

Leaving the other security officers behind, he used the Force again to speed himself up slightly so he could catch up to Reiel, now in semi-private. He grinned as he spoke from her left side.

"So... a bug, huh?"

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Walking away did little to calm her nerves, and Reiel remained as flustered as she was as she halted, facing the wall and leaning against it to catch her breath. Stupid Carrick, for using the Force against her like that. Stupid Force, for being used like that. And she supposed she was the most stupid, getting all worked up from her sorcerer's teasing.

Her helmet hit the wall with a dull 'clank!' Gloved hands rose to cover her T-visor, embarrassment flooding her as she thought back on how she smacked his arm and the silly excuse she gave the security detail. They just gave her the confirmation that she was, indeed, the most stupid out of her earlier internal rambling. The lies she told the prisoner added to her embarrassment, and while the touch Carrick had sent her through the Force comforted her and assured her that he was fine with it, Reiel dreaded the moment he'd confront her about it.

Oh, Manda. Why did she have to give him more material to tease her with?

Too caught up in her own thoughts (and unbecoming of the Mandalorian warrior she was, really), Reiel nearly jumped out of her skin when Carrick spoke, eyes she hadn't realized she'd shut opening wide as she tilted her head to the side to look up at him with a horrified expression. Being somewhere semi-private wasn't even helping, no. Not one bit.

Heart fluttering madly against her sternum, Reiel stood frozen as she gazed up at her sorcerer, face turning even redder as her mind processed what he'd just said.

"A-A really huge bug," she floundered, helmeted head tilting away as she gazed down at her boots. "You know... tall, h-handsome... Force-sensitive as well..."

The small Mandalorian let out a nervous chuckle, mentally preparing herself for all the teasing Carrick might throw at her.

"Hard to squash a bug that big, see."

Ooh, kriff, what to do, what to say...

"So! How's my acting skills?" Reiel asked, trying in vain to distract Carrick from teasing her. "Pretty awesome, right? If I do say so myself... or the prisoner was just pretty dumb and ready to jump on the Forcies hate ship. I learned it from the villagers back in Sorgan!"

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Carrick wasn’t going to lie and say that chasing his Mando through the corridors of the building was not a certain kind of fun. That she jumped like a startled Lothcat when he caught up to her was simply precious. He grinned a little bit, the expression slightly softer than before in case she thought he was mocking her or having fun at her expense.

He was having fun but he hoped she was too.

She seemed a little bit too flustered though… and as much as he thought it was cute, it might be a sign that he had pushed too hard. Reaching out with one hand, he placed it gently on her shoulder and his grin dimmed somewhat into a more comfortable smile.

“Hey… I’m sorry, yeah?” he assured her with a soft smile, “I was just playing around, I didn’t mean to make you feel this uncomfortable. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure not to… bug you… like that again, alright?”

Oh well, it had been fun to tease her that way but he supposed it might have been just a touch too much for her sense of decency. He might have to admit to himself that he didn’t really have one of those himself at this stage… oh well.

She changed the subject and Carrick took her by the hand to lead her into one of the conference rooms located on the same floor. Closing the door behind them, he locked it with a wave of his hand and a brief application of the Force.

Reaching up with his hands, he placed them on the sides of her helmet.

“You did so very well… think I need to check to make sure you’re telling the truth now.” He teased her, “Let me see those eyes Reiel…”

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Reiel was glad that she could be openly shy with Carrick around without the fear of being mocked for it. The way he openly assured her with his words and smiles only served to deepen the blush that adorned her face, warmth spreading from her chest and down to the tips of her fingers at his concern and apology.

There was no need to apologize and yet here he was. She was far from feeling uncomfortable if truth be told – she had just been startled, really! Didn't mean that she didn't... like him teasing her that way...

...and besides he's the only one allowed to tease her in any way possible. Except the awful kind of teasing, of course. Not that he'd do that.


The small Mandalorian placed a gloved hand atop his, bashfully meeting his gaze as she gave Carrick a reassurance of her own. “There's no need to apologize, really,“ she told him earnestly. “I was just really startled– b-but not the bad kind! I just got worried that I won't be able to control myself and confuse the prisoner during the interrogation and– “


Ah, she was digging her own grave by saying those things! Now she just sort of gave him an excuse and permission to use the Force like that again! She even missed the chance to tease him back with that pun about bugs!

Reiel laced her fingers with Carrick's when he began to lead towards the closest, empty room he could find, a small smile appearing on her face as she gazed at their joined hands. She adored the way his hand wrapped around hers completely, and how it was much larger than hers. No, she wasn't thinking how big those hands felt whenever they cupped her cheeks or gripped her hips! Her mind was perfectly steering clear off the gutter, honest!

Perveeeeeeeeeeert!

Distracted by her own embarrassing thoughts Reiel forgot that she was supposed to always be observant and would have completely missed Carrick locking the door with the use of the Force. The soft ‘beep!‘ pulled her out of her thoughts and she lifted her head to gaze up at Carrick when he lightly pressed his hands on either side of her helmet. He led her to an empty conference room and locked the door so no one could accidentally walk in on her without her helmet on? How respectful, sweet, and thoughtful of him!

The small Mandalorian allowed her sorcerer to remove her helmet, and Carrick would be treated to the sight of a flustered Reiel chewing on her bottom lip with a bashful expression on her face. She peered up at him through long lashes, her shoulder-length hair softly framing her face.

"I really didn't mean what I told that idiot earlier, back in the interrogation room," Reiel repeated softly, hands clenching and unclenching with a hint of anxiety. She already knew that Carrick believed her, that he was just teasing again, but lying about hating him sparked another feeling of wrongness in the small Mandalorian. A flash of guilt here, a tone of sheepishness there, and a little splash of pride for doing something good for him. A mix of emotions she should have been concealing when in the presence of a Force-user but the one in front of her was someone she trusted. No harm done in letting him know what she felt, right?

“Are they...“ she then asked him in a whisper, “...being truthful now? These... These eyes? Or d-do you need to take a closer... look?“

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

It was a relief that he hadn’t gone too far when it came to the teasing – it would have been a shame to have to stop the enjoyable exercise but he would have done just that purely for her benefit. Now that he knew it was fine? Well his favorite hobby was back on the table and he was more than happy to hear that.

He chuckled a little bit and gave the hand she placed atop his own a gentle squeeze.

She was getting herself all in a muddle, just talking without properly thinking through what she was saying. It was cute but if she kept it up she was going to end up making a bit of a fool of herself and that would make her embarrassed… and the whole thing would spiral and become gradually worse as it became a self-sustaining cycle.

“Reiel… it’s fine.” He assured her with a grin, “You did good in there.”

She really had.

His Mando came with him into the conference room without a word of complaint and, perhaps, a touch of eagerness that he could sense through the Force? Oh his Mando had some interesting feelings about being alone with him in a room. Still, he removed her helmet with a deft hand that showcased how much he had gotten used to doing just that in the recent past.

Setting her helmet down atop the table with all due reverence and respect for it, he reached up with his now empty hands to cup her right cheek in his left hand.

“I know bare, I know.” He assured her, blending in some of the Mando’a he had managed to learn, “Reiel… Ni kar’taylir gar.”

Mando’a was a difficult language to learn but it meant a lot to Reiel when he tried so Carrick was doing his best to keep up with his self-imposed lessons. Leaning in, Carrick would interrupt her rambling question about her eyes by kissing her gently on the lips. Using his hand on her cheek he would deepen the kiss before pulling back slightly.

“My dear Mando… Ni kar’taylir ibac gar kar’taylir darasuum ni, Reiel.”

That… was probably the first time he’d acknowledged it and he had done it in her native language.

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

An appreciative smile crossed Reiel's face at the way Carrick handled her helmet and she gladly leaned against his touch when his left hand found her right cheek. The small Mandalorian lightly placed one gloved hand atop his as she briefly tilted her head to place a soft kiss against his palm.

Him speaking her people's language always brought warm and fuzzy feelings to her chest, as cheesy as it sounded. Reiel knew that Mando'a was a difficult language to learn, remembering how she stumbled with words and phrases when she was on the process of learning it. The way the words slipped past Carrick's lips with ease gave her a glimpse of his self-imposed lessons, an appreciative chuckle escaping her as she made up her mind about finally taking up the reins and just start teaching him more than the language of the Mando'ade.

Maybe she could consider him kissing her midway from her rambling as downpayment for the private lessons.

Reiel kissed him back, matching his pace as she tilted her head slightly to the side to help her sorcerer deepen the kiss. She caught her breath as Carrick pulled away to speak, honey brown eyes growing wide once realization struck her.

She did. She really did. She almost told him back in Sorgan, and she'd been gathering the courage to tell him whenever an opportunity presented itself. But was it fear that held her back? Was it the awareness that as a Mandalorian she was only allowed to be with someone who shared the same Creed or someone who was willing to embrace the way of their people and take up the mantle of being a Mandalorian?

Reiel always stood by her principle that she wouldn't force Carrick to become a Mandalorian like her just so they could be together. It never changed even at this very moment, with him acknowledging her feelings for him. Truth be told the small Mandalorian had this innate sense that developing feelings for Carrick was inevitable, this moment right here as well.

Instead of floundering and getting even more flustered at his open acknowledgement of her feelings for him (and in Mando'a, too, Kad give her strength!), Reiel met Carrick's gaze, the corners of her lips tugging upwards in a soft, brave smile.

She'd determined ever since she was little that if she was going to fall in love, it wouldn't be in a way that the person she'd choose to love would be a weakness.

"I do," she told him, the smile on her face never wavering. "I never said the words, but I know you know how I feel. The Force helping you sense it and all that... cheater."

Alright, so she couldn't help but tease him in return. Where was the firing squad to deliver her punishment for possibly ruining the moment with that joke, hm?

Do you, though? Feel the same? Love me back?

Instead of asking those closely guarded questions, however, Reiel leaned up to kiss Carrick briefly before pulling away. Smile turning cheeky and determined, the small Mandalorian winked up at her sorcerer and declared loudly,

"You better prepare, though, Carrick! Because I'm going to make you fall in love with me with my awkwardness and sheer Mandalorian beauty!"

There would be plenty of time to scream onto her pillow like a lovestruck schoolgirl later, in the privacy of her room.

@Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

Thank the Force, his Mando’a had been alright. It was hard to try and learn a language when he was trying to keep his progress with said language a secret from the only speaker of the language in parsecs. It would have really taken the wind out of his sails if she wasn’t able to understand what he said or, worse, he’d somehow flubbed the lines to make them comical.

As much as he enjoyed messing around with Reiel, he wasn’t in the habit of making a fool of himself after all. Still, she seemed to find the meaning in the words rather touching and yet still managed to find some amusement herself. He smiled a little wider, happy that she had taken his words so well. Idly he rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

“And what if I didn’t need to use the Force at all, hmm?” he teased her as he leaned in closer, eyes focused entirely on hers even as he stole another, brief, kiss, “What if I can just read you like a book?”

He didn’t need to use the Force to see the question that crossed her face. It was a question that she didn’t ask because she didn’t think the answer would be what she wanted to hear. She was… well the truth was that she was right. The answer to the question wasn’t the one she so desperately yearned to hear even if it wasn’t an entirely negative one.

It would just be tainted by a wish denied.

Still, she didn’t ask that question directly so he was able to give the true answer without it not being enough for her. He smiled a little bit wider still as he pressed his thumb softly against her lips.

“Well the littlest Mandalorian is doing a good job on that front so far.” He teased her with a wink, “Just got to keep it up to topple the big bad sorcerer I’d say…”

He pulled her in for another kiss before handing her helmet back to her as he leaned in to whisper into her ear.

“Let’s get out of here… I got a pair of handcuffs from the security team and I want to test them.”

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

“Ah, well, that's how everyone in the Clan actually describes me – an open book,“ Reiel replied a little bashfully, pink dusting her cheeks as her gaze landed anywhere but his face. Or at least she tried. “Armor or no armor, that is. I always try to be as open as I could to avoid misunderstandings, and it's something I never really got rid of since I was a child.“

Of course she knew how to be reserved when the situation called for it. It wouldn't do her good if she remained expressive all the time, would it?

Her smile widened at his response to her declaration, genuinely bright and cheerful. Reiel would be a hypocrite to deny that she had wanted him to say something along the lines of already feeling the same way, but it was a tad too hopeful and somewhat unrealistic for her. Just because she loved him didn't mean that he loved her the same way she loved him. Things didn't always work like that, and life wasn't always rose-tinted. And while a small part of her seemed to wither because the questions she didn't dare utter did not harbor the response she would have loved to hear, his answer did not disappoint her. Instead she took it as a challenge, one worth fighting for if it meant she would earn his love in the end.

If it didn't, if she didn't, well... who knew, really?

“Haha, that's good, that's good!“ Reiel replied, boisterous. “Sooner or later, this tiny Mandalorian will win over the dreaded sorcerer and take his heart as her trophy! She'll take such good care of it, she will!“

Stars, when did she become so hopelessly romantic?

Her face turned even redder at the kiss and the words that followed. More so when her mind caught up to the implication of what her sorcerer could do with those handcuffs he wanted to test. Reiel took the helmet from Carrick, fought the urge to hit him with it, and grabbed one of his hands instead after putting her helmet back where it belonged.

“Handcuffs, huh? What will be next? A blindfold?!” she asked him in mock horror, just to hide how flustered she felt yet again. “And I'm going to be on the receiving end of that test, I'd wager! My poor kar'ta!“

Teasing, flustered grin now hidden by her helmet, the small Mandalorian added another quip, “Looks like the big, bad sorcerer is about to subject this beautiful Mandalorian warrior into a world of torture... osik'la!“

@Nefieslab