Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Dec 15, 2018 17:26:01 GMT -8
How many times would he do it, speak something that would cause her to stop and turn around to face him, to state some warning or claim against him? For someone who worked to steer clear of the business of others, no matter what was being said to her, it seemed he was capable of finding the right button. Whether that was a good thing or not was still unknown. He could only hope it worked to fulfill his promise. He also couldn't deny the amusement that fell upon him each time it worked against her, allowing for each smile to grow just a little bigger.
As she approached him, he only tilted his head as he heard her out. Once again came the words of keeping himself out of her affairs. But then it came, even if she wished to keep it hidden. A smile, no matter its intention, was trying to creep its way onto her face. Still, he could only shrug as she mentioned that he was foolish and cocky. Little did she know that it was a nature he held. Though he never underestimated his opponent, a part of him, if only a piece from the past, was cocky from time to time, so much so it could be infuriating.
As the moments passed, the smile on her face grew as she spoke her last words. He could help but laugh a bit as he stepped up to her, the cocky nature still hanging from him. "Well, I look forward to the attempt. However, you are not in the condition, nor have the time to be capable of fulfilling such a task. But I so do look forward to seeing you try to follow through."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2018 18:20:47 GMT -8
"Don't test me..."
For a beat, those were the only low, snarled words she issued, hanging between him and her. There was so much he didn't know. So much he shouldn't. Not yet, if ever. At least her first warning was given, even if it was met with such an arrogant confidence. However, arrogance was only aggravating when there wasn't anything she could do about it; she was still prepared to stand toe-to-toe against him right at this very second. The wound in her side mattered very little when it came to such things, especially when he really had no idea what she was capable of. After the night before, she was sure he underestimated her, even if it was just a whisper in the back of his mind, a shadow lingering somewhere in his memory now all too easily creeping up on him. Despite her sister's words, she couldn't let herself fall prey again, not with whatever mask he seemed to be wearing today. If he would heed this warning, she would let it slide and wait for matters to be dealt with when she arrived again, for the formally issued challenge.
"It's against my own code to return your aid with such an act anyway, so count your blessings while you have my favor on your side. I won’t be so gracious when I return." Perhaps a half-hearted attempt to diffuse the situation, which was followed by a shrug of the same nature. With narrowed crimson eyes ever watching him, Mariah took a step back and away. "If you only came to see me off, then you've done that, Gavin." Once more came that apathetic tone, the wiping of that smirk to her otherwise emotionless expression, followed by a slight tilt of her head towards him in her own silent farewell. "You should get going."
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Dec 16, 2018 13:45:49 GMT -8
Gavin merely looked at her with a smile as her words came. They could have gone on and on with each other it seemed, though he knew that, as fun as it might have been, there was no time for it. He wouldn't hold her up from her departure any longer. But there was one last response he did wish to give her. "I would be disappointed if you were. It takes out all the excitement, otherwise." He then took a couple steps back, signifying that he would allow her to leave without further incident outside of a few parting words. "Do take care of yourself, Mariah. I truly am looking forward to our next meeting. Learn well, and may the Force guide you." Those final words were spoken in a different tone, softer and hopeful as if he was saying good-bye to someone that really mattered to him.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2018 12:40:10 GMT -8
There was a shift in his demeanor, and a sudden one, which brought Mariah to arch an eyebrow at Gavin curiously and skeptically. A cruel quip played in her mind, but something held her tongue this time. The fact that she needed to depart and couldn't carry on this conversation wasn't anywhere in her reasoning, either. Instead, she offered a slow nod and simply let it be. With a slow step backing away from him and closer to the boarding ramp, she offered her own farewell, or at least something of the sort from someone who didn’t do goodbyes.
"Don't get sentimental with me. I'm coming back for a duel, and I expect a good one. Don't disappoint me."
While she had managed to hush the harshness in her tones, her crimson gaze was as intense upon him as ever, that same stare as though she attempted to unravel something left hidden or unanswered. Mariah took another step away, yet her eyes lingered for a beat before she turned on a heel, forcing him out of her line of sight, and departed up the boarding ramp into her ship. However, even when the emptiness of her ship enveloped her with all she had known and was used to, the tone of his last words resonated even louder in the recesses of her memory. She growled quietly at herself, a sound caught in her throat. As she marched her way into her chambers, she reached out to him one final time.
<<May it also with you, Gavin. Until we meet again...>>
Although her words weren't nearly as gentle or convincing as his, it was a farewell nonetheless.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Dec 19, 2018 6:08:10 GMT -8
If there was one thing he didn't plan to do, it was disappoint. It had been a long while since he was able to truly cut loose and delve into his full ability. Training only helped scratch the itch to a certain degree and he wasn't about to unveil his capabilities just yet to those within the Sith Academy. Mariah would be the only person currently in existence that would be privy to just how capable he was. That was if she could stand up to his skills enough to bring them out. He wasn't about to underestimate her, but he wasn't yet sure if she was as capable as he hoped. Still, he had a good feeling about it.
He gave only a nod as his smirk return, enough of an acknowledgment to her expectations. For a moment more their eyes stayed fixed with each other's before she finally turned and made her way up the ramp. He continued to watch until she was finally gone from sight and even then, lingered for a few moments more. It was only when he finally turned to head inside that her voice resonated within his mind. An unexpected move on her part. His smirk grew a bit wider as his head dropped and eyes closed, leaving him standing there for a beat more before finally taking the first step away from her ship. He said nothing in response, only a slight chuckle resonating between that mental link that they faintly shared in that moment. Moving to where he had set his bag, he took one last look at her ship before heading inside. He had work to do, not only with his students, but his own training to ensure he was completely up to par for the coming spar.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Dec 21, 2018 14:16:57 GMT -8
Gavin, with droid in tow, made his way out to his ship. Boarding the YT-1930, Gavin dropped his bag off at the door of his room as he moved on to the cockpit and took a seat. With the droid taking a seat behind him, he began initiating start up. After a few minutes, the ship started up and began lifting off the ground. Clear of the landing pads, the ship blasted off into orbit.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Dec 24, 2018 15:25:23 GMT -8
Bringing the ship down, Gavin landed in his assigned area. He would have expected it in use, but it was still empty, even after two weeks. Powering down his ship, Gavin departed, bag thrown over his shoulder. Stopping a few feet away from the craft, he stopped an took a moment to look upon the academy before heading inside. By what he gathered, it was the last day of the week he had his students training. He'd let them carry on for one more day, allowing him to rest up from his work with Luxeria. While he did intend to do the same with them, their training in emotion and pain would be much more spread out. Time was merely a limiting factor when it came to Luxeria. But her experience aided in his decision to push so hard, knowing her resolve was strong enough to carry her through. And he was right. Not only that, he knew, without a doubt, his own students would carry that same resolve and succeed in their training.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2019 18:55:59 GMT -8
Readying herself for landing, Mariah quickly found an empty pad among the lot. Once her freighter had settled into place, Mariah shut off the engines and relaxed in her seat to linger for just a moment longer. For all the time that had passed between then and now, a few more seconds wouldn't make much of a difference. She had intended to return here sooner, but between her studies wrapped with new developments, Mariah hadn't found the time, until now. However, opportunities seemed to present themselves with perfect timing, and this was no different.
Despite those reasons for returning to the Academy, which might've otherwise pumped adrenaline through her veins of another in the same position, Mariah remained eerily calm as she stared out over the building. She watched the students and masters mosey throughout the entry courtyard off the landing pads. Some practiced their lessons, others appeared to meditated, while others rushed back into the building for whatever task presented itself. The day was still young upon Iridonia. At this hour, she had a strong feeling, an understanding, as to where she would need to go.
With her sights set, Mariah inhaled deep and exhaled a quiet sigh. There was one more beat to fill the silence before she rose from her seat. Affixing all the weapons she would need for her coming day to her person, she took one final moment to wrap her small frame with the shadows of her black cloak before finally departing for the ramp. The moment Iridonia's heat washed over her face, she rose the hood to mask her features, like she did all other times in the past. With confident, determined steps, the cloaked figure made her way through the entrance courtyard and into the Sith Academy.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jan 23, 2019 6:26:43 GMT -8
Having retrieved his bag of weapons from his room, he quickly made his way out to the landing pads to meet up with Mariah. As he exited the academy, he saw her there waiting. Not saying a word, he motioned for her to follow him as he led her to his ship. It was there that he'd have the transport to get them to their destination.
But that wasn't all Gavin was doing. The moment he stepped outside, his attention focused out towards their battleground. There was one card he wanted to be prepared to play if necessary, but doing so in the middle of the fight would be difficult as it would undoubtedly catch her attention. So he had to work now. Letting his own energy slip out into the environment, he worked to manipulate it slowly and subtly. That way, Mariah would be none the wiser until it was too late. And with the sky already cloudy, it made his job that much easier.
Upon reaching his YT-1930, Gavin removed a remote and pressed a button, letting one of the cargo bays lower down. On the platform was a Morlinger Slipstream speeder bike. Moving up to it, he placed his bag on the side and slipped on it. As he started the engines, the repulsors kicked in and let it start hovering as he pulled it off the platform, pressing the button again to raise the cargo bay back into the ship. Once locked back up, he looked over to her. "Hop on."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2019 18:14:15 GMT -8
For all the time that had passed between her last arrival and today, now was Gavin's perfect chance to get back at her for this nearly year-long wait. However, his figured approached the landing pads soon enough with that familiar tote of weapons. Both were oddly silent despite their earlier bantering, nothing but the whirl of mechanics of his ship filling the dead space. When the speeder bike was revealed, Mariah bit down hard on her lower lip. For reasons she would have rather left unspoken, she preferred walking than riding, but at his command, she knew that arguing would only shed light on those shadows, stall things further, and wouldn't change the outcome. Miles of walking versus riding, the obvious choice was much clearer than the clouded skies above them.
"Why am I not surprised you'd own one of these..." she uttered under her breath.
There was only a beat for Mariah to expel a sigh before she climbed up onto the bike behind him. Immediately, her hands slipped around his waist as she secured herself tight. She wasn't sure which would come first: the kick of forward momentum when the bike took off, or another one of his jests she was sure was stirring within him. She remained prepared for either. Although now, she needed to center her mind for the challenge that awaited her upon their arrival. If he really was more than just words, as she was hoping, she had a feeling she would need it.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jan 24, 2019 3:48:11 GMT -8
Gavin watched Mariah for a moment after he told her get on. It was for but a second, but he could see it, the hesitation to do so. He could more than guess at her feelings over the matter. Not everyone cared that much to get on a bike with someone they didn’t know very well or wasn’t close to. And here he was, telling her to get on, meaning she’d have to get close to him, even wrapping her arms around him to ensure she didn’t fall off. As much as he wanted to, it was this reasoning that kept him from speaking.
He only offer a small smirk and shrug at her comment as she took her place behind him. Once he felt her arms skip around his waist, he began revving the engine, a warning he was about to take off. Ever since meeting her on the landing pads, there were slight alterations in Gavin’s behavior and attitude. Not speaking out with any of his usually comments, even a little warning, though it was unknown if Mariah even noticed these things. If she didn’t it wouldn’t be long before it became obvious. With a final rev, Gavin pushes off as the bike began moving slowly at first before gradually picking up speed.
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Luxeria
Member
“Even the strongest mind can be manipulated. It’s simply a matter of finding its weakness.”
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Affiliation: Blackguard Reborn
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Post by Luxeria on Mar 22, 2019 11:12:11 GMT -8
From the twilight skies, the Dark illumination dropped down from orbit. Lining up the academy in her sights, Luxeria brought the ship down just high enough to almost graze what little trees existed around the terrain. It wasn't long before she arrived at the landing pads and brought the ship down to rest gently upon them.
As the final jolt of their landing faded, she stood to her feet. "Satele, power down the ship for me, would you? Umbra, come with me. I'm sure you'd like to visit your maker again."
Without a word, the droid that sat in the co-pilot's chair rose from its seat and followed behind Luxeria in silence as they departed the ship and headed inside.
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Stevan Stormro
Kumauri Industries
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Post by Stevan Stormro on Apr 18, 2019 21:33:36 GMT -8
Of course the first thing to catch the young Zabrak's attention was the mention of the archives, but that wasn't what her attention finally settled on. The Sith'ari wanted to meet with them? Curious. Nel didn't know much about her Master's reputation, and she knew she herself wasn't that interesting, so it really made her wonder what it could be about. She watched the Headmaster walk away before she looked to her Master when he asked where they should look to first, and then before giving her a chance to answer, he began to walk away. He seemed to like doing that; oddly though, it didn't bother her. Instead, she just started following him as he started moving, falling in just a step back from him. "I'd like to meet this Sith'ari. I'm honestly curious about those restricted areas we're not allowed in without meeting them first." She took a moment to gather her thoughts, thinking about all her research and reading she'd done over the years, before looking up at him again. "I... will have to admit I don't know much, Master. Just bits and pieces that aren't really useful." "That is more than most Jedi know of the Blackguard; they were originally a secretive sect of Force Wielders who believed that to improve one's knowledge of the Force one must study the abilities and philosophies of other Force traditions across the galaxy. They were founded by Vulta Daanat, a former protege of Lord Skere Kaan. After...parting ways with his former master Daanat traveled the galaxy in search of knowledge and artifacts before eventually settling on Mustafar where he founded the Blackguard based on his beliefs. Daanat understood that true power came not from the building of empires or the honing of one's physical abilities but from knowledge and the understanding that comes with it." Continuing into the Academy proper as they conversed, Stormro kept his sphere of influence expanded enough to subtly envelope his apprentice, his presence in the Force seemingly all but nonexistent as he observed her reactions through the Force without looking in her direction. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2019 13:06:31 GMT -8
Racing up onto the landing pads and back to where Gavin’s YT-1930 rested, Mariah slowed the speeder bike down to a halt. Exhaling deeply, she shut it down and paused, allowing Gavin Phoenix to dismount, although keeping her crimson eyes trained upon him to ensure there wouldn't be another risk of stumbling to the ground. If he hadn't been so foolish in using up his energy to heal her, she wouldn't have had to worry about it. Then again, if that was the case, she would have had another nine or so miles to go. Arguably, she still wasn't in any condition for such a trek, let alone in her state before he interfered. Nonetheless, she was stubborn enough to hold it against him to have changed her plans from walking in solitude to ensuring his safety.
Whether he cared enough to put his speeder away was on him, if it was urgent enough even in his current state. Either way, the way Mariah watched him, it was as if she was silently waiting for some kind of command or signal from him, be it purposefully or simply inferred. Earlier, he ignored the medbay option, so her only real other course of action was to ensure he at least made it back to his chambers safe enough. She hadn't done enough real damage that he would die on her throughout the night, but all the same, the muffled pain of her own wounds created enough of a stir to remind her, one way or another, that she couldn't just leave him to his own devices just yet.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jul 5, 2019 14:18:44 GMT -8
It had been a strange sensation, riding on the back of his bike instead of being in control of it. Even more to have his arms even remotely wrapped around Mariah the way he did. He was tired and not in a place to let his mind run, thus letting the wind brush hard against his face to keep him focused and alert. Faster and faster did the crimson-haired woman push the speeder, taking its speeds higher than he originally had on the trip to their battlefield.
In a short amount of time, the silent trip had ended and Mariah pulled the bike up to his ship. Letting go of the tank, he leaned back, his arms stretching behind him to keep him stable. After feeling like his back wasn't as stiff, he slowly dismounted, hands still holding the bike as he stood straight and stepped back. He then looked over, seeing Mariah's gazed fixed on him. His eyes stayed with hers for a moment as he stepped back enough for her to get off. As she finally swung her leg around and got feet on the ground, Gavin looked up to his ship and decided to put his bike away later. He wasn't too worried about someone stealing it. But it did bring about another question in his mind as he looked to her again. "If you don't have a room aside from your ship, you can use mine again. I'll take a bed in the medbay this time...by your request."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2019 7:12:29 GMT -8
Mariah expelled a breath as Gavin removed his arms around her to attempt to climb off his bike. Her mind had been taken over by a single goal of getting them here that the strange sensation didn't quite register until it was all said and done. Nonetheless, that lingering of that discomforting sensation didn't show in her eyes as she kept watch over him. The way he moved, she could tell that the fatigue of battle -- and healing her -- was starting to wear on more and more him as the seconds ticked by. Somehow, though, he still had the strength to keep standing. She might have lost, but at the very least, it was clear that he was a worthy enough adversary to have fallen to. That thought slowly started to sink into the crimson-haired woman's mind just around the same time as her ponderings. Could he have handled...?
Another thought, silenced before it could even form in her mind. The moment Mariah was free and clear to dismount off of the speeder bike, she did so and with a bit more swift grace than her passenger, although not by much. She, too, had her own wounds to take care, an easy enough task once she could slink away into her ship. First, however, came honoring the whole reason she had shifted her own plans, and ensuring that Gavin safely reached his chambers. At his remark revealing his own change in plans, a faint, dark smile twisted its way at the edges of the woman's lips.
"All it took was a few moments in silence to change your mind? Not as resilient as I thought, Phoenix."
Yet there it was again, his offer for her to use his chambers as her own for the night. Before, there had been circumstances that somehow felt justified in her drug-induced haze. Although she had long since come to terms with her decision and the consequences thereafter, this time there was much more stopping her hand. For one, she hadn't paid back that kindness yet and refused to accept another of the same value until so. While he could hide behind the reasoning of viewing her as a friend, there were things that tied her, far deeper than he could understand. However, it delved even further than that, her newest development. It was that last reasoning which ultimately dissolved that smile from her lips.
"If you offer me your room every time I come visit, people will start to talk," she murmured, lifting a questioning eyebrow at him.
Although he didn't understand the severity of what that might bring quite yet, she knew that he would in due time, be it from her directly or simply when news broke out. Although she had come here with the intentions of the former, she was now cautious around him until she knew exactly who she was dealing with, something instilled in her from their battle. Mariah then approached him, as if to help urge Gavin onward into the Academy.
"I'll save you that agony," she continued, approaching him as if to help urge him onward into the Academy. "Let's just get you to the medbay."
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jul 9, 2019 7:44:51 GMT -8
Gavin watched as Mariah made her way off the bike in a much smoother fashion than he did. It might not have been her best, but still nearly enough that very few could tell the state she was in. He couldn’t help but smirk a bit at that. Strong and stubborn to the end. No doubt she hated showing pain and weakness. Something that he, at one time, tried to do among other things.
Then came something he didn’t fully expect: a faint smile. It didn’t matter it it was barely there, it was something a tad different than he normally saw upon her face. And when coupled with her words, he could see why. Giving off a faint chuckle, he shook his head with a shrug. "Let’s just say that this is a one time chance I’ll submit to your demands. Mostly because if you take my room, it’s better than sleeping outside again when I’m my state."
As quickly as the small smile was there it was gone again as she brought up his room. Leaning up against his bike, he looked at her with as focused of eyes as he could manage. "I’m not concerned about what other have to say. If they want to run with assumptions, let them. They’ll realize the truth before long and look like fools afterward." Before, he had shown some caution about the idea of others seeing her enter his room, but it had more been for her than him. Now, it didn’t really matter. That, or his mind was thinking about it enough.
But soon came the pushing as she urged him forward into the academy. He couldn’t help but laugh a bit as he began moving inward. "Whatever you say, ma’am."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2019 7:33:54 GMT -8
Mariah only offered a low hum as Gavin continued on about submitting to her demands this one time. She had thought to correct him with those occurrences which stayed her hand, but when it came down to it, she owed no man a reasoning for her actions. The same went for why she was adamant for ensuring he reached the medbay safely, now with his mind changed. Gavin seemed adamant about his own offer, however, or at least Mariah assumed as much since he continued on despite her refusal.
With a huff of a laugh, Mariah questioned wryly, "And what is that truth, Phoenix?"
He had already explained earlier that it wasn't exactly commonplace for him to offer up his room to any woman in need of one. That, melded with his statement, evoked her sardonic question a bit too swiftly and easily. Although she thought it was clear enough in her tones that an answer wasn't necessary, he had that habit of answering her sarcastic quips anyway. Instead of giving him the chance, Mariah continued to push him onward as she followed up quickly.
"My ship will suffice. I have no desire to stir up any more trouble here than what's already been caused."
Truth be told, she had no idea how the meeting would go between the Fallen and the Sith'ari. She had successfully been able to focus on her own mission all this time, but having returned to their meeting place left her a bit more cautious than curious. No matter the case, she hoped her firm answer would be the end of it with Gavin, especially as they reached the academy. But then came his amused muttering. With a roll of her eyes, Mariah slipped into Gavin's mind, if only briefly so that she could set off a 'PING', like the violent plucking a string within his mental state. Disorienting for a split second, at best.
"Don't call me 'ma'am'," was her only explanation as she pushed the two onward into the academy and towards the medbay.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2019 16:25:59 GMT -8
It had been a long walk through the Academy, but what else was the crimson-haired warrior expecting? Without a cloak to shield the eyes of others, she felt naked within the fiery stares of the Sith Masters, and the less haunting but still disconcerting looks from their students. At any rate, it was a good thing she hadn’t the mind to care about such things. With nothing but a scowl and a focused gaze as she trudged down the halls, Mariah shouldered the burden of the halfway-healed wounds that riddled her body and her clothes, now singed at the shredded edges with holes. Perhaps such a sight was normal enough around here since no one approached her. She managed to escape the scrutinizing gazes of the medbay doctors unscathed, at that.
It was a straightforward destination, from the medbay to her chambers upon her ship. In comparison to that which she was slowly growing used to, the room within her ship was severely lacking. However, it was still home and carried about it an odd comfort the woman otherwise dismissed. Collapsing into the bed, she could feel the protest of her muscles finally silence. With a few more steady breaths, she felt as though her whole body began to sink into the bed. The sound of her breathing was soon replaced by the annoying pulse within her ears. With her crimson gaze locked upon the dull metallic ceiling, her mind too easily replayed that final moment of her duel.
I submit.
A visible scowl quickly increased in volume to a roaring growl. Whatever strength she had managed to regain was all too suddenly wasted with a violent wave within the Force, sending a loud ‘CLASH’ to reverberate from the flying debris before fading to a ringing silence once more. Within that high-pitched annoyance, however, a light voice, laced with a lighthearted giggle, touched the edges of her mind.
<< Easy there, sweetheart. >>
Her lyrical laughter stirred an oxymoronic mixture of tension and relief in some unexplainable fashion. If there was one thing Mariah knew from the resurgence of her voice, though, it was that she was being summoned, for one reason or another. With little strength to fight off the call, the crimson-haired woman released a frustrated sigh as haunting dizziness muddled her consciousness.
As Mariah opened her eyes, her senses had shifted, although now from one familiar landscape to another. Iridonia. On the ground at the epicenter of their battleground, Mariah sat up, to find her familiar figure standing there with a mischievous grin on her face.
“What? Don’t like where I’ve chosen to meet with you this time?” Aria prodded at the sight of her older sister’s scowl.
Mariah jumped to her feet, her wounds nonexistent within this realm of her mind. Her body moved much more fluidly, quickly, gracefully, as if she wandered within a dream. However, that brought her little comfort this time, as she was all too soon forced to face this damned ground that held the memories of her defeat. “First, don’t call me ‘sweetheart’. Ever,” Mariah pushed, still reeling from that pet name that resonated in her mind. “And yes, I’d love to remember my duel to that,” she growled some harsh title in a foreign tongue, native to the two, “and so soon afterward. Sometimes I wonder if you even think…”
Aria rolled her eyes and laughed at her sister’s clear anger. Although it was Mariah’s mind, it was easier to tug at recent memories and weave them into her conscious mind. That, and there was a hidden motive that remained lurking, unspoken, at least for the time being. “And sometimes, I believe you think too much,” she combated, slipping her arm around her older sister’s waist to draw herself closer. With her free hand, it was easy enough to recreate the image of the man Mariah fought, standing still as though locked in a realistic-looking hologram. Leaning in, Aria continued in a whisper, “Don't call him such cruel names. He actually cares about you, you know. He’s just skilled in the arts of Aninum Advertere. Like papa…”
“-and you.” Mariah cut off Aria’s words quickly, refusing to listen to her or any of her comparisons. Just as swiftly, she snapped her fingers, ridding this place of his image with relative ease.
Aria couldn’t hide her laughter, though, her sister’s anger clearer than the twilight skies above them. “I am, and you’re the one who was truly taught how to go toe-to-toe against those arts. Odd how you of all people seemed to… slip.”
Mariah sighed and shifted herself out of her sister’s arms. Wandering the empty battlefield crafted within her mind, she muttered, “It was you who summoned father’s voice during that fight, wasn’t it? It had your presence trickling throughout that stunt.”
Aria only grinned in response, offering no other real answer to Mariah’s question. Still, she kept her eyes trained on her red-haired sister and offered a truer answer than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. “You were struggling and needed a bit of help,” the younger said with a shrug of her shoulders. Her tone quickly changed, a peal of teasing laughter laced within. “And to think that you were above being sidetracked...”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Mariah asked harshly, turning her gaze to catch her sister out of the corner of her eye.
With the sight of Mariah’s raised eyebrow raised questioningly at her, Aria exclaimed with a forced laugh, “Oh, come on, Mariah!” The dark-haired woman then approached the other and set her hands on Mariah’s shoulders. Her swirling, fiery gaze met her crimson with an amused warmth as Aria continued, “I swear, you are literally one of the few women in this galaxy that doesn’t bat an eye when a guy like that takes off his shirt.”
“Is that was this is about?” Mariah asked in exasperation with a roll of her eyes. “I was a bit busy fighting at the moment.” Pushing herself away from Aria, Mariah couldn’t help but laugh dryly at her younger sister’s nuisances. “I don’t make critical mistakes like some others.”
“Yet despite that sort of perfectionism, he still managed to get the upper hand on you, huh?” Aria spat back, a few daggers of her own now in otherwise playful tones.
However, the playfulness went unnoticed. Mariah locked her jaw, her teeth clenched. Those two words she had uttered still felt like they poisoned her body and mind. Unable to make a quip of her own back, the red-haired woman only sighed a growl and paced away from Aria as she, yet again, faced the fact she had been forced to resign to another.
However, Mariah’s mannerisms didn’t discourage the younger. If anything, it only ignited her playfulness to new heights. Approaching Mariah again, Aria wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist from behind and rested her chin on the older’s shoulder. “Don’t take the loss so personally,” she whispered. “You know, you were always bound to lose to some man eventually.”
Aria’s words were hardly comforting, though. Much less her embrace. Most others couldn’t get that close to her unless they wanted to place a bet on their life. When it came down to it, though, it was Aria. At that, the sensation was nonexistent, even if her mind accepted this as her current reality. With a roll of her eyes, she muttered under her breath, “Yes, but he wasn’t exactly fighting for your hand.”
Aria squeezed her sister gently, even as Mariah shifted unhappily within her arms. “Look,” she whispered, “all I’m saying is… I never imagined that there could be anyone out there who could actually beat you. So let a girl revel in this discovery. I never did find my Blade…”
Aria’s shift in disposition was a bit too obvious. From playful to solemn, the younger seemed to drift off into her own dreams unsuccessful in life. In an odd attempt at comfort, Mariah rolled her eyes as a faint half-smile twitched at the edges of her lips. “Then that just means that I’m still your Blade.”
Aria released Mariah, twirling about to face her elder sister face-to-face. “You can’t be my Blade and Ifrit’s, though,” she corrected grimly. “You have to pick.”
Skeptically, Mariah pointed out, “You know that’s not how that works.”
“I do, and if the tides were turned, I could show you that he can’t hold a candle to what I can do… to what you will one day be able to do. Yet here you are,” Aria protested, doing little to disguise the hurt in her tones. “Then again, you are a Blade… seeking to be a Spellweaver. So perhaps you really meant to leave me behind and become a… Blade-weaver?”
Aria’s quips were met with Mariah’s scowl. “I refuse to turn my back on you or the rest of our people, Aria,” she objected, a growl ripping through her throat. As if to finalize her point, Mariah pushed herself away from the younger and began her pacing around the battlefield again. "I am a Shadows."
“So… you agree to be the Empress of some political and religious movement that has nothing to do with us, with what our Ancenstors were attempting to create?” Aria continued, cocking her head curiously to the side, although her tones were anything but. “Do you really believe you can be both the Empress of the Dark Jedi and Ma-”
“Enough!”
Cutting off her sister and that damned title she was about to fling into the air, Mariah turned on her heel, and with an outstretched hand, summoned the six knives into existence. She hadn't felt their weight throughout this encounter, but like all dreams, such happenings were commonplace. The athames hurled themselves quickly, one after the other, each positioned delicately to have a slightly different trajectory than the one before it. It was a swift movement, but there was one roaring detail that Mariah seemed to forget regarding those weapons.
As calm as ever, Aria lifted up her palm, the six seeming hit a wave within the air as they slowed down dramatically to a halt. “Did you really think you could use those to attack the one they truly belong to?” she asked with a skeptical arc of her eyebrow, but her laughter ever-present.
It only took a beat after those athames were slowed to a stop, suspended in midair by such control in the Force, that Mariah realized her lapse in judgement. Before she could move, Aria had already turned the tides, the business end of those ritualistic devices turned to face her. Gritting her teeth, Mariah’s crimson gaze focused back on the wielder on the other side of the battlefield.
When their eyes met, Aria’s amusement and lightheartedness melted off of her face, leaving a mirrored expression of her sister’s. Cold. Angry. Deadly. With a single word, the enchantments near the hilt alit with an arcane glow, each different, hosting individual energy of the Force that the others did not. With a simple wave of her hand, Aria sent the knives to the sky, encircling around their victim from above. Aria’s burning gaze appeared to glow as the sky became an eerie, overcast gray.
“He’s already changing you. Bit by bit. I can see it as clear as day.”
Mariah snarled a dry laugh. “Isn’t that the future you saw for me, little sister?”
Aria sighed, disappointed, but with a roll of her eyes, she commanded the knives down from the sky to pierce the ground, a perfect circle around Mariah. Like a web, magicks of the Force radiated from the six, encroaching rapidly on the crimson-haired woman. She hadn’t the time to react, and even if she did, the arcane light was swift to seek out their foes, dragging them back to the epicenter of the circle like a fierce magnet.
“You’d die for him, yet attack me? Do you believe you turning from us is the future I saw for you? For us?” Aria asked, approaching her sister, locked down by the weight of her magicks.
“You act like I haven’t done worse to him,” Mariah spat back with a dry chuckle.
Amused, Aria offered half-smile as she uttered a light, “True,” with a shrug of her shoulder. “Still, it’s a shame my words can now invoke such a… violent reaction from you. You didn’t used to be this way… with me.”
There were few things that felt heavier than the magicks that kept her locked into the ground, but Aria’s words were one. Exhaling deeply, the crimson-haired woman lowered her gaze and murmured, “...but I was. Once.”
“Yes, when I forgot who I was,” Aria corrected, stepping into the circle with ease to approach her older sister, as though the magicks had no effect on her. Lifting Mariah’s chin so that her crimson eyes would be forced to look up and find her burning orange staring back, Aria continued, “Perhaps it’s now you, forgetting who you are.”
Mariah clenched her teeth together but said nothing. As much as she wanted to break her gaze away from the gentle ferocity that looked down on her, Aria left her with no other choice. To fight against her magicks was a waste of time and energy. Twice in one day, she would be forced to submit to another, but at least this time, it would be to family.
Aria tilted her head at Mariah’s silence, however, and offered a soft smile. “If you wish to be the Empress of the Dark Jedi, so be it, I won’t stop you. But… I have one favor to ask of you.” The younger sister could see the shift in the older, now being more open to such things than usual. Aria couldn’t hide a light laugh before she continued. “I can sense your hesitance, but... Do what you came here to do.”
It was instantaneous, the urge to correct, to oppose Aria’s words. Mariah had already accomplished what she had come here for. It was to honor that duel and nothing more. However, perhaps Aria knew as much. as her final words echoed in Mariah's head, the magicks that weighed her down melded into a dazzling flash that swallowed her vision in white, the last thing she saw being a black silhouette still standing in the brilliance until it too was overwhelmed.
Mariah awoke to a painful, high-pitched ringing in her ears. She shot up from her bed, beads of sweat glistening on her brow, her breath heavy. Shock. Adrenaline. Fear. Far worse than she had experienced with her earlier fight with Gavin. All brought on so suddenly, wrapped in that final spell that forced her awake. The fear, though, was quick to fade, replaced swiftly by a dark smile and a deep exhale to steady her breathing.
“You’re still getting stronger, little one… A shame it’s now all for naught.”
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Mariah pushed herself to her feet. The blood rushed from her head, darkness encroaching on her vision, but after a steadied moment, Mariah was able to move about more easily. She had forgotten about the wounds that ravaged her body, but they were quick to remind her that they still remained.
Do what you came here to do.
Mariah’s amusement settled as her sister’s parting words reverberated in her head again. As much as she wanted to deny knowing what in Chaos her sister was talking about, the more that time ticked by, the more she was forced to face her understanding. With a deep sigh and a regretful shake of her head, she departed the chambers in her ship and headed for the boarding ramp.
Fine.
Hours had passed since she had first boarded to rest. Many students by this hour would be asleep. Better now than later that uphold that sole favor she felt tied to honoring. For her Spellweaver.
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Lerax-Syn
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 24
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Lerax-Syn on Mar 22, 2020 18:33:49 GMT -8
As his ship landed and the boarding ramp lowered, It suddenly became daunting that this would the first time Leraxsyn has stepped foot in any Temple/Academy since he had at the Jedi Academy somewhat 8 years ago, a place he did not belong, a place where he knew no one. Even though he wouldn't know anyone here, he knew this was the place he belonged, among those that were not restricted by the Jedi teachings, a place of power.
After some final checks in the cockpit, Leraxsyn pulled over the hood of his robe, and made his way down the boarding ramp with apprehension.
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