A Slap on the Wrist

[Valgærd]

Zeph spoke.

He must have woken up. I squeaked, flinching and turning to see him sitting up. He rolled his neck, the popping sounds making my skin crawl. I made a face before I could stop myself, I didn't like that sound. Yet, at the same, that sound made my own neck twitch, as if it reminded me that I should pop my own neck. I resisted it though. My steps were still a little shaky, my limbs felt heavy. He was right, I wasn't strong yet. But... even as I sighed, he told me it was okay. I was allowed to be weak--no. It wasn't me that was weak, but he said my body, as if it wasn't my fault.

That was... nice. It was something I'd never considered before.

"T-take it... slow... Right." I replied quietly.

I turned to face him, curling my toes on the cold floor of the room. My feet were cold. It didn't matter that much, though. In truth, I was a lot more comfortable than I had been the previous day. A fresh, clean t-shirt, my neck had a bandage on it. I'd slept, and even though I felt heavy and a little fatigued, I felt... better. I chewed on my bottom lip, eyes wide.

"F-food?"

As soon as the word left my lips, my tummy started to rumble. I was hungry... not just hungry, I was starving. Like always, I'd been late packing my things the previous day, so I'd missed out on eating before we'd left. There'd certainly been no chance to have anything between then and now. I almost audibly gasped at the sensation of suddenly being overcome by hunger. My mouth began to water, so much that I almost drooled a little when I again opened my mouth to speak.

"S-sir... um... Zeph" I started, "l-let me make something... father made sure I knew--"

I stopped, a lump climbing up my throat and choking off my words. Father had made sure I knew how to cook and clean, if I failed as a sith, maybe one day I'd make someone a fine servant, he'd say. After everything this man had done, saving my life, I needed to show him I was grateful, I needed to do something.


[member="Zephyr Carrick"]

 

[Garza]

The child mumbled about taking it slow. Nodding my head, it seemed that she was thinking this over quite a bit. Being forced to grow up very quickly with no real time for fun, or for enjoyment. A child's time is short. Thus should be cherished as much as they can. Yes, they can be taught from a younger age about right and wrong and other such. How to defend themselves and the like, however, they are still a child. They are not required to be "adulting" until much later. She was much more mature than she should be. Even mentioning how father had her do cooking. I shook my head. Walking over from the bed towards her, then crouched down so that I could be eye level with her.

"You are injured, and your body is weak. I would not expect you to make a full meal for two people when in such a state. No. I will cook for us, and you will rest like I have told you. You need to let your body heal. You lost a lot of blood yesterday. While I tried to limit that, and even aided you in the recreation of blood, you are going to have dizzy spells, and need more sustenance. You may follow if you wish, you may look around the ship if you so desire, but do not do anything strenuous. That is my only desire of you."

I explained my full mind to her. How she was not to do a damned thing other than heal and rest. Sure she could play if she so desired, but I doubt she even knew what playing really was. Nor did I have toys for her to do so. For now, it would just be her imagination. Leaning forward just a small bit, I inched towards her to indicate I was looking at the bandage. Feeling around her neck with my hand to make sure it had not moved all too much, I nodded once to myself.

"We will have to change it later to get you a fresh bandage and to see the wound to make sure that the sutures held. For now, rest until breakfast is prepared. Okay?"

[member="Emberly Carrick"],

 

[Valgærd]

Zeph walked towards me.

I flinched, stiffening reflexively. But I didn't back away from him, instead I just stood and watched as he knelt down in front of me. My head was still throbbing a little and my throat was dry. I swallowed as hard as I could, trying to wet it, but that only made it suddenly hurt all the more. Cringing from the pain, I looked back into his eyes as he spoke. His words were commanding, he told me that he did not actually expect me to cook in the state I was in. That... made me pause. He was right, even lifting my arms to scratch at the bandage on my neck was difficult, my legs were stiff, my vision was still a little blurry. I would probably just make more of a mess than help.

He said that my body still needed to heal, that it had lost a lot of blood. The moment he mentioned that, my mind was suddenly slingshot back to the previous day. I was on the ground, on my hands and knees, staring at the sidewalk. There was just blood everywhere. A big, angry pool of red that spread out below me, threatening to swallow me up. Maybe it did swallow me up, everything after that was just a blur.

But Zeph's voice brought me back, snapping me back to the present. I focused on his face, on his eyes, his nose, the floppy strands of hair over his forehead. I drew in a deep breath as he spoke, and then another. It helped a little.

"Okay... Um... I m-might... follow you f-for a... little while." I stammered.

I could feel the authority in his words, it seemed he was strictly forbidding me from doing anything strenuous. On the one hand, I was relieved to have something to follow. I was good at following orders... or at least I tried to be. On the other hand, it felt strange not having anything else to do except take it easy.

He moved his hands out towards me. I winced, meaning to step back and bring my hands up defensively in front of me. But because I was still foggy and stiff, he got to my neck before I could. But it turned out to be for the best, as he simply adjusted the bandage a little. It was a little bit of a relief to have the fabric adjusted, it had stuck to my skin a little while I was sleeping.

"Okay." I replied to his command.

I thought for a moment, as Zeph stood to leave the room. I could explore, as he'd suggested, but I didn't want to get lost. The few steps I had already taken had been dizzy, and I didn't want to pass out somewhere. So I slipped my hand into his. He'd helped me already, although everything was still scary and unfamiliar, I felt safe with Zeph.

"Let's go." I murmured.

[member="Zephyr Carrick"]

 

[Garza]

Standing up, I looked at her as she nodded her head. Confirming what I had said, she followed my orders. I hated to do that. There was no reason for me to order her around, but that is what she was familiar with. I stayed still for a moment and closed my eyes. Breathing in deeply and sighing a bit as she laced her fingers into my hand. Her small frame felt different to my larger stature. I never really held onto a girl's hands that were much smaller than mine. Sure, if I were on a date and held onto a girls hands they were smaller, but not by much. This little girl had hands so small, she could fit three of hers within my one palm.

I opened my eyes and looked to her as she seemed to almost cling to me. Stating she was ready, I sighed a bit more as I led her out. Opening the door for her to walk out, I then led her down the hall as I spoke.

"As long as you are here with me, I will only command you when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you are free to do as you please. I hate to give out orders to others. Even more so, you are just as much as a being as I am. You deserve your freedoms. So, as long as you are under my care, I will treat you like family."

Taking her into the main room of the ship, It was fairly open with lots of different controls around. However, we didn't stay here very long. I moved towards the right. Leading her along into the kitchen and dining area. One table was smack in the middle with cupboards all around it. A counter top separated the table area and the kitchen were food could be placed for serving if need be. It could also fashion as a bar. However, I didn't keep any spirits with me.

Leading her to one of the stools at the bar, I reached down to pick her up under her arms and set her on the larger stool. No need to make her exert so much energy to climb up. After doing so, I moved into the kitchen area and began to move about. Gathering whatever I needed. A pan, some of the food, some spices, and even some butter. Melting it down while off to the side, some "ghost" began to cut veggies that had been set out on their own as well. As a master of Telekinesis, I could do many things without needing to project it with a hand or whatever. Powerful enough to do so much with it, I could work as though there were two, or even three people here while I was just one person.

"So I will be making enough for four servings of myself, and you are free to eat as much as you would like. The rest can be saved later if you don't eat it all."

[member="Emberly Carrick"],

 

[Valgærd]

Zeph paused for a moment before opening the door and walking through the ship. I stayed as close to his side as I could while we walked, staring wide-eyed at the corridor we walked down. I didn’t recognise any of it. The whole ship looked and felt completely alien. It smelled funny too, like nowhere I’d ever been before. I didn’t even know where the door to the craft was. I felt lost… trapped. As the thought crossed my mind I squeezed Zeph’s hand a little, my other hand holding onto his thigh as he walked. He was the only thing I even remotely recognised right now.

“I want my daddy.” I sniffled quietly.

Even though it sounded weak, and father would have reprimanded me, I didn’t care. I felt scared, alone, lost. He was still my daddy.

Zeph spoke, telling me that he would only command me when absolutely necessary. I… didn’t understand. Of course he would. Every command my father ever gave me was only done out of necessity, he’d told me over and over. But then Zeph said something father hadn’t told me, that I could do what I wanted. The rest of what he said didn’t make much sense either, just as much a being as he was?

“B-but I’m… just a-a little… brat.” I replied, mimicking what father would say, “I… have to… e-earn m-y freedoms… don’t I?”

I turned to gaze up at the man walking beside me. Even though I didn’t understand, it felt nice to hear that he would treat me like family. That was familiar. Maybe I could begin to make sense of this place with that.

We reached the main room of the ship and I stopped to gaze at it all with my mouth open a little. It was filled with different controls and areas. But before I could take it all in, Zeph moved to the side, and I hurried along with him. He reached down and put his hands under my arms. Reflexively I lifted my arms a little, even though father hadn’t lifted me like that for a long time. He picked me up and put me on a chair. I settled in, adjusting the shirt I was wearing and then sitting with my arms tucked into my lap as I watched.

Zeph began to cook some food… and so did something invisible. I watched as the veggies began to cut themselves. They looked silly, almost like they were dancing, I couldn’t help it… watching them, I let out a giggle. He said he would be making enough for four people.

“O-okay.” I replied, still giggling and somewhat mesmerised by the invisible dancing in the kitchen, “h-how do you make it do that?”


[member="Zephyr Carrick"]

 

[Garza]

I let the comment about her wanting her father go on deaf ears. I knew that she would want him, but with how he treated her, he didn't deserve for this innocent child to be in his arms. I started to feel a pit in my stomach for a moment as she even continued a later comment about how she was a brat. I had no clue why this man was ever in charge of this girls care. I held my tongue. I did not want to talk to this young girl, who barely understood why her father did such a thing as potentially killing her, would be bad. Or how the way he treated her, and her mother the way he did. She had Stockholm syndrome. Loving the man because he was her father, even if he beat her and attempted to kill her. To belittle her into believing she was worse than a slave to his desires.

It ignited a fire within me that wanted to just claim this child as my own. To claim her as my blood. However, I couldn't do that until she made the choice to stay with me. For now, I will just have to care for her while her father runs away from me like the coward that he is. My mind changed though. I had hope for the girl as she chuckled a little. Noticing that she was laughing at how the various items through out the kitchen were working on their own. I smiled a little. Taking a step towards the bar where she sat. I looked around for a moment, then whispered to her.

"You see. There are people who are with me. They follow me and help me. Now, they aren't ghosts. More like... a helper that is never that far away from me."

I smirked just a little as the food was quite literally preparing itself while I looked at her. Explaining just a little bit of what the force was.

"This person? Is not really a person. He's like... and energy. A force that some have a connection too. These people that have this connection? They can sometimes... have special powers."

[member="Emberly Carrick"],

 

[Valgærd]

I... Felt something from Zeph.

It was brief, but hot, like the ignition of father's lightsaber. Zeph... didn't like father, or... he didn't like that I had talked about him. I pressed my lips together, silently promising not to say anything more about him in front of the man that had rescued me. I wanted to make him happy, to be a good girl, to be strong. I was enough of a burden as is, no point in adding to it. However, after a few moments, as he continued to prepare the food, he smiled a little. It felt strange to be the one sitting and doing nothing, while someone else did the work. But I laced my fingers together, and sat quietly as I'm sure he wanted me to.

Zeph smirked as he looked at me, explaining about the invisible people. An... energy... I wondered if it was the same one that allowed father to do what he could, the energy I had begun to feel. Normally I would keep my mouth shut, simply let my questions swim around in my head and not burden anyone else with them, but I had been getting the sense from Zeph that he wasn't like that. He wanted me to speak. So quietly, I spoke up,

"Is it... like the energy... that makes me... feel things? Like... when I feel angry or sad... from other people?"

It was difficult to explain, I wasn't sure I was getting it right. I frowned.

However, as I thought about it, his words began to sink in. Special powers. What did that mean? I had seen the things father could do... would that mean that Zeph could do them as well?

"Powers... like... c-can you make... lightning... come o-out of your fingers?"

There was no way something as weak as me could ever learn such powers... but if Zeph was on the way to learning it, it would be so cool to be able to learn a little from him.

[member="Zephyr Carrick"]

 

[Garza]

Powers that make you feel something from other people. Empathy. The understanding, or control of Emotions through the force. That was the first one she seemed to mention as she spoke to me in her still soft voice. Nodding my head to both of her questions, I decided to go into it a little more deeply as the "Ghosts" in the room were still preparing breakfast. Or... whatever meal it was for today.

"Yes. Some people can feel anger, or happiness in others through this power, this ability. Some are more in-tune with this than others. It seems like you might be more attuned to this than me. And yes, I can shoot lightning from my fingers. I have done it in the past."

I hated this thought, and I wanted to stay away from it, but I had to ask to know. I needed to know more just from her life so far, and she was very likely going to answer me with what I feared.

"Did you father shoot lightning from his fingers?"

[member="Emberly Carrick"],

 

[Valgærd]

Zeph seemed to stop and thing about what I said for a moment. I watched the little invisible ghosts out of the corner of my eye as they continued to prepare the food. He seemed to understand what I was trying to say about feelings, which made me sigh a little with relief. Explaining things was not something I did very often.

Then he asked me a question. Although… he seemed upset that he had to ask it. I blushed, dropping my gaze and biting my lip. I didn’t like that he’d been upset. I wanted to murmur a tiny apology, but instead I settled for answering his question.

“Yes.” I nodded, “a lot. In fact, look.”

I twisted around in my chair and pulled up the shirt I was wearing, showing Zeph my bare back. I didn’t have to run my fingers over the rough skin to know the scars were there. They looked almost like spindly flowers, four circular scars all up my back, one for each time I’d made a fool of the family name.

“Father was very good at shooting lightning. He could also choke people and move things like you can—”

I stopped, frozen, still holding my shirt up with my back to Zeph. I trembled a little,

“Are… you going to do the same… if I… make a fool of you?”



[member="Zephyr Carrick"]

 

[Garza]

I nearly broke apart for this child. Upon the exposure of the childs back, I saw the lightning tats, or the solidifying of blood vessels due to electricity. This man, her birth father, really had it out for this child. This man really did not care about his on child. She was his greatest disappointment in his eyes. I could only think of the opposite. Even despite the pain this child endured, She still had a heart. I so badly wanted to just hug her. She only further mentioned how her father was good at using the abilities of the force.

However, The ghosts stopped moving at the mention of me doing the same to her, if she should make a fool of me. Walking around the counter. I slowly placed my hands upon her own. Pulling her shirt down to cover up the wounds left by a monster. As she was still sitting on the stool, I could stand as I turned her to face me. Shaking my head.

"No."

I slowly raised my hand to the back of her head. Pulling her towards me into a small hug. Breathing in deeply to keep my anger for this man in check. I soothed my hand down the length of her hair. Letting her just rest against me for a moment as the Ghosts began to once more work on breakfast.

"Pain is not a punishment. I will not hurt you Emberly. You are young, and still learning. Mistakes will happen, and the natural consequences will be punishment enough."

[member="Emberly Carrick"],

 

[Valgærd]

I could feel something from Zeph. There was… anger. So much so that the kitchen went quiet for a moment. But… even though I blushed and squeezed my eyes shut, I could feel that it wasn’t directed at me. No, he was angry at the scars, at father for putting them there. I wanted to whisper a tiny ‘sorry’, but I bit my tongue. I’d said sorry enough already, I knew how it would go.

He turned me around to face him, pulling down my shirt to cover up the scars and reaching out towards me. His answer was soft, quiet.

“Okay.”

My reply was equally as quiet, although he could probably hear the relief flooding into my voice. He pulled me close to him in a soft huge. I leaned into him, wrapping my arms as far around him as I could. As he let out a long sigh, I pressed my face into his chest, feeling comforted by his hand smoothing my hair. The kitchen sprang back to life as he spoke, the ghosts returning to making the food as he said that he would not hurt me. But something rang in those words. They all struck me, but one stood out. With my head still buried in his chest, I tried to shake it back and forth a few times, my answer muffled by his clothes,

“Emmie. Emberly is… just Emmie please.”

It was easier not to hear my full name. Only Father had called me ‘Emberly’. Mother, my other teachers, the other people I’d known had called me ‘Emmie’. I decided from now on… I didn't want to be Emberly anymore.


[member="Zephyr Carrick"]