Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Dec 20, 2021 6:15:05 GMT -8
Fiora felt a little dismayed as Neith so easily side stepped the pulse of energy. She'd not expected it to land or be a decisive victory, but the ease with which it was avoided was disheartening. Despite all the training she had done, it felt like it was for nought. Yes, Neith was her teacher and vastly more experienced, but it did not ease the sting of disappointment. She was not given much time to dwell on it though. For a crate soon came flying through the air toward her. Her hand shot up and a blast of energy turned the crate into splinters which flew around her and landed on the ground harmlessly
I can do that too...
She focused her attention and grabbed a pair of crates, flinging them one right after the other toward Neith's location. While the older Ren had narrowed her profile, it could be combatted by sending more than one projectile at a time
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Neith Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 65
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Neith Ren on Dec 21, 2021 3:43:07 GMT -8
Impressive...
It was the only remark she made as the crate shattered into pieces and missed Fiora. The young girl might have felt some disappointment, but in truth her powers were growing by the day. Fiora was stronger than she realized. But Neith was stronger. For now. Eventually that would change, but not today.
Neith tracked the incoming crates and dived forward into a roll, the two boxes colliding where she had once stood. Neith grabbed the remaining crates through the Force and sent them hurtling toward Fiora. The moment they were in the air, she would use their cover to pull out her blade and activate one side, ready to sneak up upon her student
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Dec 21, 2021 3:49:30 GMT -8
Her pride and joy in Neith's comment was soon lost as the older woman rolled forward out of the path of the incoming crates. Her frustration was further compounded by the fact that every crate in the room was soon flying through the air toward her. Her hand pulled her saber hilt from her belt and both blades burst to life as Fiora swung them in a protective arc. The blades slicing through crates as they came into range and sending the mess clattering to the ground at her feet. When at last the final crate was laying on the floor she came to a stop just as a red blade inhabited the air in front of her neck.
She let out a huff then as she deactivated her saber, knowing she had been beaten
Fine... I concede...
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Neith Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 65
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Neith Ren on Dec 21, 2021 4:08:16 GMT -8
Neith let the blade hang in the air for a few moments, before deactivating it and releasing Fiora from her position. She returned it to its place upon her belt as she turned toward Fiora
Good... That was an impressive display. I hope you know that? You've come a long way from the young girl that had once arrived here. You could barely wield a blade or control your powers. But now look at you... You're almost keeping up with me and you've earned your own armour...
She cared a great deal for Fiora. They'd spent a lot of time together over the last several years of training, creating a familial bond between them. The Ren were a family, viewing one another as brothers and sisters. That bond extended to Fiora now more than ever before
Come Little Sister. We have a shuttle to catch to Byss. Harnan has one final gift to bestow upon you...
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Dec 21, 2021 5:22:23 GMT -8
She slid her own saber hilt back onto her belt when Neith finally deactivated the blade at her throat. She turned to the side then, facing Neith front on as the older woman praised just how far her training had come. It was nice to be reminded that although her more recent progress felt so much slower, it was leaps and bounds ahead of what she had once been like. She took a quick step forward and hugged Neith
Thank you, Sister... And fine, I guess we can get moving and not leave him waiting too long...
She released Neith from the hug then and would follow where ever she lead the way. She was quite excited to see what exactly it was that Harnan had prepared for her...
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Dec 31, 2021 6:38:25 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
A couple years had passed since the Coalition had fallen and the First Order had officially claimed the title of a Galactic Empire. In that time, her training with the Ren had progressed far. So was able to stand toe to toe with Neith in duels, and could take on Harnan and his shield techniques. Her power had also grown exponentially, allowing her to master more and more advanced powers and abilities. In fact, in this very moment Fiora was currently attempting one such technique against Harnan.
He'd called her down to one of the training rooms and charged her with mentally invading his mind. Neith had taught her the fundamentals of how it all worked, but now she would have to put it to practice. He stood in front of her dressed in a simple singlet and pair of baggy pants. Ever since she'd graduated - so to speak - and gained her own armour, Harnan had stopped hiding behind his own when they trained. It was nice, as a sign that he trusted her and accepted her fully as a Knight. Fiora was equally dressed in casual attire, having chosen a pair of leggings and a sports bra crop top.
She stood just a few feet away from Harnan and raised her right hand up, letting the palm of her hand hover over his forehead. He stood as still as a statue, focusing his breathing and barriers against her. He'd already made clear he did not expect her to have instant success, given he'd spent years protecting his mind from her mother and the previous Master of the Ren. Something which should have allowed her to set her expectations low for what was about to come. But instead, it had only goaded her into trying that much harder to succeed and penetrate his thoughts.
Without any warning, she closed her eyes and focused her thoughts upon the task at hand. The currents of the Force that were in their normal flows were quickly and suddenly drawn toward Fiora. She gathered as much strength as she could while she started to probe his outer defences, getting a feel for what she was up against. It was one thing to probe someone's presence in the Force, it was another entirely to probe and assault their mind. Certainly there were techniques one could use to influence the thoughts of weaker willed beings, but the stronger willed they were the less effect they had. And Harnan undoubtedly had one of the strongest wills she knew.
But even knowing all that, she was undeterred from the task at hand. She left her thoughts wash out from her hand and against the barrier he had constructed. Pressing here and there for any weak spots or openings she could exploit. While she couldn't see him, she could feel he wasn't having to put up too much effort. His defences seemed solid against her initial attack. She pulled back to a more concentrated location, instead of spreading her attack out. The Forced swirled around her, more and more of its currents being called to her as she prepared for her next strike. He underestimated her resolve and power, and she was about to prove it.
She waited, letting her power gather, and then in one outburst of power, she struck hard and true at one central spot. Like a battering ram, she broke through his outer defences. She could feel his shock as she broke in. She did not let up her strike though, as she unleashed more and more energy. She delved deeper and deeper, crashing through his defences. She could feel him suddenly begin to strain against her, trying to push her back out. But she wasn't going to give up so easily. She pushed deeper, breaking through several more barricades. She soon found herself in an ancient looking stone structure. She could make out a circular floor with carved pillars supporting a domed roof. Against each pillar was a different shaped woman, and in the empty space floated orbs of light.
She didn't immediately recognise who any of the statues were, her focus instead drawn to the balls of light floating between the pillars. She moved closer and closer, her hand reaching out. Something inside called to her, a presence that felt familiar and yet she couldn't quite figure out why. Her finger tips touched the orb and she was suddenly transported somewhere. As she got her bearings she could make out a bedroom, and two intertwined figures from the viewpoint of one of them. The other was an electrum hued female with white and blonde dreadlocks. It took her a moment to realize this was one of Harnan's memories with... with her mother.
Her control slipped then, and a flash of white light filled her vision. She felt her self been ejected from Harnan's mind very rapidly then, through a combination of her own slip and his efforts to push her out. She tried to fight it, but it was too late. She felt a shock wave of energy release in the air between herself and Harnan, sending her flying backwards across the room. Her thoughts filled only by that memory she had seen and the woman within. She came crashing down a few moments later into a stack of equipment boxes and landed hard upon the ground behind them. She'd seen the rare few photos of her Mother as Empress, but this was something else entirely different. The intimacy of the moment and the form she was in... The last thoughts that ran through her mind as she lost consciousness was that of her Mother's electrum hued skin and blonde/white hair...
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 602
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Dec 31, 2021 8:21:19 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
With her fighting prowess improving and her power growing as fast as it was, he knew he needed to present her greater and greater challenges. Each one designed to push the limits of what she had previously been capable of. While progress had initially been slow, practice and training had allowed her to overcome those initial obstacles. Something which had been important. There was too much riding on her, for her to be tripped up. Harnan could feel his time running out, and the Ren would need a new Master to replace him when it did. While Neith and Atlantia might seem like obvious candidates, given their seniority, neither one was a good fit. Fiora was the only true successor to the title. She was, after all, borne of the Ren. And given her progress, she would soon be stronger than any of the other Ren.
As such, he had set down the challenge for her to pierce his mind and overcome his defences. A challenge which, when he had set it down, seemed reasonable and safe. Neith had taught Fiora the theory of it, but this would be her first actual application of it. The chance of her actually succeeding on her first try was, quite honestly, minimal. He'd faced off against two of the strongest psychics the Galaxy had to offer and honed his skills in protecting his thoughts. An 18 year old novice would not be able to match their power. At least, that was what he had thought when the exercise had started.
It had been easy enough to hold out against her mental probing and initial attempt to break in. But then her tactic changed and she brute forced her way through a concentrated part of his defences. Shattering it like a wooden gate being struck by invaders with a battering ram. He did his best to reinforce his subsequent defences, but Fiora did not stop, instead charging ahead. The suddenness and ferocity of the attack caught him off guard. He tried to keep her out, to force her back, but now that she had gained momentum, he couldn't stop her. Perhaps it was beginners luck, or perhaps fate had been on her side. What ever the case, she was soon upon his inner most sanctum of thoughts. The one place he protected from everyone and everything else. But she'd gotten there, and he hadn't been able to stop her. He did his best to muster his defences again even as she was soon delving into one of his memories.
His fists clenched as the memory came to the forefront of his mind, watching the same events play out as she was seeing. It was from before the Ren had interacted with the First Order, when he and Fiora's mother had just finished a mission and were letting off some... steam. He fought back then, pushing her intrusion out of the memory and from his mind, closing up the breaches she had created as he forcefully ejected her. And then he felt the shock wave erupt between their bodies, sending him flying backwards across the training room. He hit the ground and went sliding across the floor until he came to a stop against some equipment crates opposite of where Fiora had landed
ARGH! Fuck!
He cursed as he collected himself up off the floor, his right hand grabbing the left side of his abdomen. Something definitely felt bruised and/or cracked from the sudden impact. Several lights in the room had been blown out, leaving only a couple fully on, and several others flickering. He wasn't sure what had caused the explosion, perhaps the sudden force he had used to eject her had manifested itself. Or the clash of their wills as she tried to fight against him. What ever the case, there was now a mess to be repaired. For now, he limped across the training room to where the equipment crates had been disturbed
Fiora... Hey Fiora! Answer me! Fio...
He leaned over the crates and came to a sudden halt, his thoughts catching as he looked down upon the body laying behind the crates. Where he had expected to find a pale skinned red head, he was instead greeted by the blonde/white hair and electrum hued skin of someone else. He blinked his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. Surely it wasn't her. It couldn't be, could it? No, she was gone. But yet there she was laying in front of him. No, his eyes were playing a trick on him. He'd just been tossed through the air after seeing a memory of her. That's all it was. It had to be
Fiora...
He leaned down and gripped her shoulder, pulling her over onto her back. His hand quickly letting go as he looked at her face. He'd expected the illusion in his mind to fade when touching her. But as he looked at her face, he knew this was no illusion. He could barely make out her regular features, with nearly all of them having morphed to more closely resemble that of the Firrerreoan from his memories
No...
He lowered his hand down to just above her mouth, feeling the shallow inhales and exhales of her breath. He'd always suspected that her unique physiology had been passed down to Octavian and Fiora, but neither one had shown any signs of this being the case. He didn't understand the science behind what she'd done to be able to bear children. Thus it was an easy enough assumption that what ever it was might have stopped her abilities from being passed on genetically. But he was currently looking at proof that that was not the case. Fiora was a hybrid, meaning she was half human and half shi'ido. Given this fact, they were very much in unchartered territory. Human's and Shi'ido aged very differently. Meaning that things were going to be very different to how each species individually would hit various maturity markers.
Given her age, it was likely she had started to hit her first one. Hormonal changes were likely kicking into high gear, which had set everything in motion to create the perfect storm. Her managing to breach such a vivid memory had thus provided the final element. It did beg the question of whether she would be able to change back or if she was now stuck looking like this forever. He was not a Shi'ido, or even a hybrid. The fact of the matter was, Fiora and Octavian were probably the only two hybrids in existence.
He let out a sigh as he managed to gather his wits back together. There were a lot of unknowns that needed to be dealt with. But they could wait. For now, he reached down and collected her unconscious form from behind the crates and carried it a few feet. He sat down and set her down on the floor beside him, resting her head upon his lap. His right hand came to rest atop her head as he let the Force flow him him and into her
Wake up kiddo... Come back to me Fiora...
While he wasn't trained in Healing techniques, he was pretty sure she wasn't injured. He'd give her a minute or two to wake up on her own. If she didn't wake up, then he'd get her to a bacta tank and go from there
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Jan 1, 2022 5:43:55 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
As soon as she'd passed out behind the crates, her mind had gone blank. She didn't dream and her thoughts had gone completely blank. She was, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world. Thus, she did not hear Harnan call out to her or even feel him pick her up and move her. It took her mind a minute or two to finally recover from having been forced out of Harnan's mind and being thrown across the room. At least, that was all she thought it was as she slowly regained consciousness. As her eyes shifted beneath her lids, her body also started to wake up and suddenly felt like it was on fire.
Her whole form tensed up as her eyes shot open and she let out a gasp of pain. The burning feeling quickly subsided as her gaze looked straight up into Harnan's eyes. Her body slowly relaxed then, feeling one of his hands resting upon her head and the other gripping her left hand. Despite everything that had just happened, he didn't seem angry or mad at her. Instead he seemed to be concerned and trying to comfort her as she woke up. How ever he had found her must have worried him enough to excuse what she had done. At least for the time being anyway. As she kept looking up at his face, she started to process and realize just what position she was in to be looking up at him like this. The realization caused her to blush profusely as she averted her gaze from Harnan's
M-Master... I...
She was going to say she felt fine, but that was far from the truth. Her body seemed to resist her movements, even as she willed it to try and sit up. It was a weird feeling, unlike anything she had experienced before. She'd been injured before, but this was not like that. It was like she was a stranger in her own skin. Something which seemed far fetched. She managed to force her right hand to lift up and rub against her forehead. She had probably just knocked her head a little too hard when she landed. She left out a sigh as she lifted her hand and looked at it.
Her eyes suddenly shot open as she looked at the electrum hue of the hand that was supposed to be her hand. But, her skin was pale, not tanned like this. Could this just be some weird hallucination, or had she actually suffered some kind of brain damage? She looked back up at Harnan, panic slowly starting to set in as her breathing became sharper
H-Harnan... What's... What's going on? My hand looks... different...
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 602
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 1, 2022 7:48:48 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
He gently squeezed her hand as he felt Fiora start to stir and regain consciousness. What was about to follow was bound to be a very difficult conversation. In no small part due to the fact that he was well out of his depths. Something he was sure was unlikely to inspire much confidence from her. But he wasn't going to unnecessarily add to any panic she was about to undergo. As such, he projected as much confidence and care as he could as her eyes shot open and she caught her breath. His right hand gently petted her head
Easy kiddo... Just stay still...
He let a genuine smile through as she blushed and looked away. It definitely brought back to the forefront some memories, but he quickly pushed them aside. Fiora needed him in the here and now, something made apparent as she struggled somewhat to speak. Some of it was definitely embarrassment, but another part of it he could only guess had to do with the transformation. He was about to hush her, but before he could, she was lifting her hand up. He couldn't stop her, nor would hiding what had happened from her be possible. His right hand came to a stop as the panic set in and she looked up at him again, asking him for answers he didn't honestly have answers to. He squeezed her left hand then, hoping it would help provide the assurance she needed
Yes, it does look different... A lot of you looks different... It seems there is a lot we need to discuss Fiora. But before any of that, I need you to focus on me. Ok? You are safe. Got it? I promised to train and protect you... But I need you to stay calm. Breath in, hold it for a moment, and then breath out. Remember?
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Jan 2, 2022 0:30:26 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
Given the events of the last few moments, Fiora couldn't help but panic. Things had gotten out of control so fast. What had meant to be a simple training exercise had ended with a kinetic blast of energy. Now her hand was an entirely different skin colour. Something she was pretty sure was not natural. She kept her gaze looking up at Harnan as she squeezed her hand. The feeling of it was reassuring, but alone it was not enough. Especially when Harnan spoke and said she looked different. What did he mean by that? She'd only been out a few minutes right? Had she gone into a coma? These questions continued to plague her as Harnan got her focus and assured her she was ok.
She desperately wanted to get up and prove she was fine and that this was a dream. But something told her this was not a dream. She could feel it in his presence. Which meant she needed now, more than ever, to trust him. She nodded her head and closed her eyes. She breathed in through her nose, letting her lungs fill. She held for a moment, and then exhaled through her mouth. She repeated that process, focusing her thoughts upon the closest thing with a steady rhythm: Harnan's heart beat. She inhaled, held, and exhaled to the beat of his heart. Slowly, but surely, she felt a calm settle over her. Tears escaped from the edges of her eyes as she then slowly opened them back up
T-Thank you... I'm sorry...
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 602
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 2, 2022 4:37:10 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
He sat and waited patiently, letting Fiora take the time she needed to calm and centre herself. He kept looking down at her, watching the change from stressed out panic to relaxed calm. Regardless of what happened next, he would need to let Nicademus know. Octavian might be an Imperial Knight, but the boy was still one of her children. The First Order may have done its best to make humanocentrism less acceptable, but Imperials were not so quick to let go of their bias'. At the very least, they could make sure he was aware of what was bound to happen.
But first, he had to sort through things with Fiora. Whom, thankfully, seemed to finally be calming down. He gave her a gentle pat on the head as she opened her eyes and apologised. His left hand left go of her hand and wiped away the tears trailing down her cheeks. Come what may, he would be by her side through it all
Don't be sorry. You were set a challenge and you well and truly rose to it. We just now have to deal with the... unexpected consequences... I think of any moment in your life, this is the one you've looked most like your mother in... or well... a version of her... I guess that's going to need some explanation, isn't it? We've never really talked about your mother, have we kid?
He let out a sigh, his smile disappearing a little bit
It's on me for that... Me and your mother were... complicated. But you deserve to know, since I highly doubt anyone has told you about her, have they?
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Jan 2, 2022 20:02:29 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
Her body still felt sluggish to try and move, so there was little more she could do but lay down and let her head rest in his lap. She smiled a little as he wiped away the tears and did a very poor job of initially explaining things. Between the memory she had experienced and the implications he was making, she thought she had an idea of what he was going to reveal next. Her own smile faded with his, as Harnan then started to open up a little. When she'd first joined the Ren, she had hoped to learn more about her mother. Harnan was the one person who had spent more time with her than anyone else. But Fiora had never found the find time and situation to asking him about it
My Father spoke rarely of my Mother... He showed us pictures and I have vague memories of her smile. But... No one else really knew her or cared for her... What was she?
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 602
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 2, 2022 21:58:28 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
He should have been surprised. But he wasn't. Nicademus' own siblings had been against the marriage, something which reflected the general mood of the other Imperials. None of them had any desire to speak of their First Empress, but they would have no qualms reminiscing about Faina. It was also a good bet she had avoided the topic. He let out another sigh, knowing he definitely should have had this conversation with her long ago
Contrary to what many believe, your Mother was not Human. She was a Shi'ido... A shapeshifter. As long as she'd seen someone or something, she could transform... Over the years, she took many different forms, one of which was the one you saw... But she assumed a new form when she married Nicademus. After that, she subjected herself to some... medical therapy, which allowed her to fall pregnant with yourself and Octavian...
He remembered giving her one of her last shots before... He pushed the thought aside, keeping his focus on the here and now
When you were born, I never thought much about the ramifications of what she had done... You both looked like human children. That assessment, however, was not quite accurate. It would seem that her DNA got passed on to yourself and Octavian. The reason your hand looks different is because your body has shifted to look like the woman you saw... Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps these powers were laying dormant, waiting for a catalyst... It's hard to say...
He gave her head a gentle pat
What I know of the Shi'ido, is only because of my years spent with your Mother. I'm no expert. So I don't know what's going to happen next. But... I can say you've experienced your first shape shift. Your body is probably going to need some time to adjust to this change...
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Jan 7, 2022 4:53:29 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
None of the publicly available records said much about her Mother's time as Empress, other than that she'd been by Nicademus' side during the rise and formation of the First Order. The private records held little more detail about the illusive woman, her Father either having chosen not to include much more than was necessary. Or she had intentionally acted to provide as little detail as was necessary. What ever the case, it was true speculation about her had taken the place of any available facts. While many believed she was a human, there had been some who thought she was an "alien". The First Order made no effort to officially clarify what her Mother had been. Better to let people believe what they want, then outright lie about something.
But here, at last, Harnan was telling her the truth about what her Mother was and, by extension, what she was. She kept part of her focus upon the steady beat of his heart, still practising her breath techniques to keep calm and process the revelations as Harnan spoke. It was strange to be told that she no longer looked like herself, but instead like some form her Mother had once taken. She lifted her hand up again and turned it around, examining it. She did become aware that the sluggishness she had felt was slowly beginning to fade.
Her head involuntarily nuzzled against his hand as he gave her a pat. While he didn't seem confident about everything, his presence and touch was comforting to her. Her worry that had plagued her before was fading. At least knowing what was going on made her feel better about the whole ordeal, as her gaze turned back up towards his own
Well... I guess at least I'm not dying or suffering some horrible injury... But... Shapeshifting? It just feels weird, even by our standards... But yet, here I am... Do you think I'll ever be myself again? like... look like me?
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 602
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 7, 2022 5:37:28 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
He was certainly glad she was taking these revelations so well. It wasn't every day someone found out they could assume a different form, voluntarily or otherwise. It was a pretty rare and unique power. By comparison, the Force was pretty common. That said, as someone who had lived with a Shapeshifter for over 10 years, he couldn't really say it was weird. Not for him at least. But he could certainly see things from her point of view
You'll always be yourself Fiora. It doesn't matter what appearance you might take, beneath it all, you're still Fiora Ren. But as for whether you'll look like yourself again? I wish I had an answer for that one kid...Maybe? I'd assume the change is temporary. But if not... well... suffice to say your Father will have a few choice words for me. As for everyone else? That's what your armour is for. It's meant to obscure your identity... I know it's a lot to take in, but we'll all still be here for you, regardless of what you look like Fiora. We all have secrets here, yours would just be another in a long line...
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Jan 12, 2022 13:20:25 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
Despite his reputation amongst the First Order as something of a big, dark villain, there was certainly more to him than the stories let on. He was, after all, sitting here comforting her as she experienced something she couldn't have come up with in her wildest dreams. It was sweet that he cared for her as much as he did, reassuring her that everything was going to be fine. Her body was slowly beginning to respond to her, allowing her to close her eyes as she rolled onto her left side and curled up
Not the first time my Father has been angry with you, I'm sure... Thank you Mas...
Her eyes fluttered open a little, causing her to immediately blush as she realized the shifted position she had put herself in. Her gaze taking in the view for a moment before she quickly rolled over to the other side, clearly flustered by what had just happened. She quickly tried to gather her thoughts together and focus on something, anything, else
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 602
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 13, 2022 15:56:51 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
He watched as she curled up and closed her eyes, his hand continuing to slowly pat her head. He cared a lot about Fiora and would give up his own life in exchange for hers. He pulled his hand away a moment later as Fiora's eyes open and she hastily turned over in his lap, facing away and blushing. He smiled as he placed his left hand upon her shoulder. She was becoming an adult, and these kinds of interactions were bound to become more frequent, he suspected
Indeed it would not be, and it wouldn't be the last time either. We don't see eye to eye on much. But preparing you for the future is the one thing we do... Perhaps we should get you to bed so you can rest properly?
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Jan 17, 2022 1:44:39 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
She froze up a little and then relaxed as his hand came to rest upon her shoulder. She stayed curled up with her face away from him as he spoke, stating the obvious facts aloud. If there was only one widely known fact about the Ren, it was the contentious relationship between her Father and Harnan. Things had certainly become less volatile since his rise as Master of the Ren, but the two had not instantly become overnight best friends. Given what she knew of Harnan, and some of the pieces she was putting together from their training session, she was pretty sure they never would be.
She tensed up once more as he mentioned getting her to bed. The memories she had just viewed from Harnan's mind rushing to the forefront suddenly and invading her thoughts. Was he really suggesting what her brain was irrationally jumping to the conclusion of? She knew he was pretty forward and lacked proper diplomatic nature, but would he be so brash as to suggest that in this situation? Surely not. But she did look like the woman he had loved for many years, so it was possible he might have lost rational reasoning and want one last moment. She blushed profusely
We... we... I... I ca...
She turned to look up at Harnan, forcing her self to meet his gaze as she stammered out her words. But then she stopped. He had that same smile and look he always did when looking after her. She quickly came back to her senses as she processed everything
Ah... you meant my own bed... yes please...
She quickly looked away, more embarrassed than she'd ever been before
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 602
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 17, 2022 22:17:11 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
It would be a lie to say that her currently assumed form did not have an effect and temptation on him. His own mind pulling snippets of the recently accessed memory up. Not too long ago he might have given into such thoughts and allusions. But those days were behind him, Fiora was vulnerable and needed someone to protect her, not take advantage of her. Her presence in the Force would always look and feel the same to him, which would always centre his mind around her
Ok...
He shifted his grip and cradled her in his arms, lifting her up off the floor as he stood up. The action eliciting a startled yelp from Fiora. He then called her cloak from across the room with the Force, wrapping the fabric around her body and pulling the hood to cover her head. While they were within the confines of the Citadel, the gesture did seem to put Fiora at ease as he carried her from the training room. He navigated the corridors of the Citadel, the Purge Troops on patrol giving salutes to the Ren. Harnan returned their gestures with solemn nods.
When they finally arrived back to her chambers, Harnan gently laid Fiora down on the bed, still wrapped in the cloak. He took a couple steps back then
Get some rest Fiora. We'll catch up tomorrow... Goodnight...
He turned and took his leave of the room, the door sliding shut behind him
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Fiora Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 352
Affiliation: The First Order - The Knights of Ren
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Post by Fiora Ren on Jan 26, 2022 3:40:06 GMT -8
Birth of the Skin Changer
Fiora stayed still and remained curled up as Harnan collected her from the floor and carried her to her room. She gripped tightly to his shirt as he wrapped her in her cloak, grateful for the small action. She was weirdly self-conscious about her current form and did not wish anyone to see her like this, even the Purge Troopers. She was thankful that the trip from the training room to her personal quarters did not last long and she soon felt Harnan set her down on the bed. She stayed wrapped up in the cloak, her silver eyes peering out at him from the darkness. She gave a visible nod of her head before he left. Leaving her alone and curled up on the bed as she slowly drifted off into dreams, her thoughts wandering to Jin and wishing her friend was there with her
As the sun rose and the light invaded her quarters, Fiora could barely remember her dreams as she stretched. Her body felt sore and sluggish again, which she put down to everything that had happened yesterday and to the weird sleeping position she'd spent the night in. She threw the cloak off and slipped off of her bed, her clothes suddenly felt ill fitting. In her half asleep state, she slipped the garments off and made her way to the refresher and took a relaxing shower. It wasn't until she stepped out of the shower that she was awake enough to look in the mirror and almost screamed. Her hand clapping over her mouth to mute the sound as she stared at "her" reflection. Or more accurately the reflection of Jin that was staring back at her.
She hastily grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it as she tried to calm down while blushing profusely. It had been embarrassing enough to copy her mother's form, but to now look like Jin? It was so weird and awkward. She quickly dried off before leaving the refresher and rummaging through her closet to get some clothes on that would fit her slightly different frame. She pulled on some loose fitting clothing as she checked herself in the mirror again, making sure she was decently dressed. Her right hand instinctively brushing a few strands of black and purple hair behind her ear. On the upside, at least, it seemed like her transformation yesterday had not been permanent.
She grumbled a little, before heading out of her room and making her way along the hallway to the kitchen area where she started making some food to eat. Between the two transformations, she felt starved. She blocked everything out as she went about making some breakfast
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