Private Cat Got Your Tongue

[Miri Nimdok]

<You could even lie down if you want. I just need your head.> She paused, realizing how that must’ve sounded. <To be able to touch your head, I mean.>

Whether he sat or laid down on the sand, she positioned herself behind him and placed her hands on either side of his head. Her touch was gentle at first, trying to get him to relax before she began the process.

Kyell would feel a sensation like ice water being poured onto his brain. The cold feeling would spread through his body, numbing his nerves, before suddenly flaring white-hot. The effect lasted only a few seconds before balancing out.

<It looks like I’m going to have to edit your memory,> Miri said softly. <You’ll still remember what happened, but not the pain. Do you still want me to do it?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

His lips tugged up into a smirk at her words, but he made no comment and sat down to be comfortable and ready for whatever was going to happen next. He then closed his eyes, focused on his breathing, and relaxed his body as much as he could after her fingers connected with the sides of his head.

There was some nervousness about all of this, and if it had been anybody else standing behind him, he wouldn't have gone through with it. But she made him feel confident that it would be okay.

Then the sensation hit him, and as it flared up, the muscles in his entire body tensed — his chest, his arms, his core; they all contracted while he drew in a sharp breath to push himself through. When it settled back down a second later, he exhaled slowly and gently rolled his shoulders

In response to her question, Kyell focused on those memories again. The pain he felt when the mask controlled him, as well as the torture he experienced when it made him hurt her. There was no hesitation in his answer: <T> "Yes, I'd like that." He clenched his jawns and tightened up again a little, bracing himself for something he couldn't quite imagine the feeling of yet.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Okay,> Miri acknowledged, adjusting her grip and closing her eyes as she sank deeper into the meld.

In order to alter his memory of the torture, she would have to replay it like surveillance footage of a crime being committed. Her perception of it was limited, but for Kyell, it would be almost as if he were reliving it all.

She retraced the path of pain the mask had stampeded through his mind. It was a simple thing, stimulating his nervous system to perceive agony. It was trickier to counteract that stimulation, nipping it in the bud, always staying just a moment ahead of the lash.

But she did it. Taking her time, she slowly but surely eased the memory of his suffering, until she came to the moment of the kiss. This time she saw it through his eyes and felt his emotions, the shock and awe and dismay that his first kiss had to be this way…

Opening her eyes, she found her face hovering inches away from his, close enough to feel his breath. Poised to erase and replace his first kiss with something sweeter.

She hesitated. She still expected him to leave like everyone else, never to return. Besides, she had agreed to teach him. It would be unethical to romance her student. Ignoring the fact that that was how her parents met...

She glanced up at the horizon. The sun had gone down. Hardly any time had passed in the real world, though it felt like hours had gone by while she was in his headspace.

<Are you all right?> she asked. She let her hands drop to his shoulders, but still held him close.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

There he was again, in the room with beautiful light but terrible darkness as well. It reached out to his mind through the eyes of a mask, scratching its way through his barriers to control him, and force him to turn his hate-filled eyes to his companion. He could see the shock in her eyes from the sudden attack, and he felt the pain from the chokehold all over again.

But the longer it lasted, the more it began to fade as Miri altered the emotions tied to the memories that were burned into his soul. It was a strange feeling, but it allowed him to finally come to terms with what happened. He wasn't ever going to forget it, but he would be able to move forward much easier.

His eyes then opened to see her close in the darkness that now surrounded them. With her hands settled on him, It brought back the memory of their kiss, which had been a strange experience for him. But also one he felt he could replace, <T> "I am now," he said softly before a hand came up to gently caress her cheek.

He could feel his heart beating faster, and there was some nervousness, but this time he convinced himself to push himself through his hesitation, and his eyes closed. He inched closer and this time, he pressed his lips against hers for a longer, more gentle kiss than their first. It was a risk, as he wasn't entirely sure how she'd feel about it, but one he was willing to take.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Kyell’s hand on her cheek made Miri’s breath hitch, and the look on her face when he kissed her was priceless. She was surprised that he had done it and dismayed that her resolve could be so easily crushed—but secretly rather glad that he had overridden her decision. After all, she would’ve used her head rather than her heart, and that’s no fun.

Once the initial shock had faded, she wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss. She tried to go slow, but it was hard to keep her excitement in check. It was like a dam had broken inside her. Or more likely, the walls surrounding her fortress had fallen.

Before she knew it, she was lying on top of him. Her hands braced her weight against the ground, creating little sand dunes in the shape of her fingers while she opened her mouth to his—

Something cold touched her legs. Sitting up with a startled gasp, she turned to see what it was… and felt rather foolish when she realized it was just an ocean wave lapping at her feet. She hadn’t exactly been paying much attention to the rising tide.

Reality came rushing in. She looked at Kyell, her lips parting as if to speak out loud, only to close without uttering a word. The darkness made it hard to see, but her face was beet red.

<Maybe we should... move away from the water?...>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

There was a brief moment of surprise when he kissed her — he could hear it as a melody in the Force. But it faded quickly and acted like a key, opening the door not to her mind this time, but to her heart. The emotions and excitement poured out, and so did his own when her arms wrapped around him and their combined weights settled on the sand with her on top of him. Never before had he felt this confident, and at ease opening up completely.

It was a special moment, and one he enjoyed greatly as he leaned deeper into the kiss himself, the passion and energy rising rapidly with each passing second. Her lips parted and his own separated as well, but rather than another kiss, to his surprise, a startled gasp escaped her lips. His eyes opened quickly to see what was wrong, only to realize it very quickly as the cold water rushed against them.

How had he missed the sound of the waves? Well, he knew.

<T> "Yeah... it's rather cold down here," he joked as she sat on top of him. Down where he was, the water had soaked his jeans and shirt along his back, which sent a cold shiver down his spine. <T> "Let's go somewhere warmer?" he smiled and reached up with his hand to gently move some of her long hair out of her face and behind her ear.

But that softer smile quickly shifted into a smirk, as he suddenly used his physical strength to get up with her in his arms. Maybe a somewhat bold move under normal circumstances, but after that kiss... it felt right. <T> "Where to?"

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Oh, you poor man. You’re all wet, and you have sand in your hair.> Miri moved to brush some of it out, only to be lifted up in the air by Kyell and carried away from the water.

<I’m not so small compared to you that you have the right to treat me like a little girl,> she complained, but clung to him all the same. Being in his arms wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was rather nice.

What a change had come over Miri. A couple minutes earlier, she had been making up excuses for why she couldn’t indulge in this sort of behavior. With the fading of the first flush of mutual attraction, she began to think rationally again.

He asked her where they should go, and for a moment she forgot all their plans. It was tempting to suggest they take things further, but she reminded herself that this was only their second meeting. Go slow.

<Just further inland,> she said slyly. <Wouldn’t want you to tire yourself out carrying me all the way back to my ship.> She pressed her cheek to his. <And then, we can have your first lesson in the finer points of mentalism. Unless you’d rather wait until the morning for that.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "You know, it's not too late for a dive," he said with a more serious tone in response to her teasing, hoping to gauge her reaction while he still stood close enough to the water for it to sound threatening. But quickly he began to smirk and carried her further inland, away from the cold ocean and closer to the street and town that ran along the length of the beach.

He spotted a large rock there, and began to walk towards it while he kept carrying her, <T> "Oh come on, it's fun, right?" he smiled and kept his hands under her thighs while she made sure not to fall backward. His heart was still beating fast, but mostly because of all the ideas running through his mind, which she only played into when her cheek was pressed against his as if she whispered the telepathic words into his mind.

It would be best to go slow, right? Man, it was hard not to give in to all the excitement...

<T> "Well, you did just unwind my brain, so is it ready for serious training?" he teased before he set her down on the edge of the rock and positioned himself between her legs to remain close. Kyell then leaned forward, inching closer while his hand took gentle hold of her cheek again, and he pressed another quick kiss against her lips now that the cold water couldn't interrupt it. <T> "I don't mind having to wait, I'm not going anywhere. But it does sound... fun"

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Diving at night is dangerous.>

Miri found herself deposited upon a large, flat rock. Kyell leaned in to kiss her, and she took the opportunity to ruffle more sand out of his hair.

<You were born ready, I suspect. I could teach you how to dreamwalk, although that requires you to fall asleep. But you shouldn't be doing anything in these cold, wet clothes...> Realizing how she sounded, and conscious of the effect she was having on him, she sighed and smirked. <All right, Mr. Kiss the Girl At Your Second Meeting, I think we’ve had enough fun for one evening. We will meet again tomorrow… and many times after that, I hope…>

She pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss, then tapped his mouth with her finger. <Good night.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

Kyell could only smile while she ruffled through his hair and met him in the kiss. But after it broke, he did agree with her - it was late and for a second meeting that followed shortly after their first, they were already taking big steps. <T> "You're right, enough fun for the day," he said with his cheeks burning again. He had never been the type to even make a move at all, so to realize he just kissed her on their second meeting was... strange.

<T> "I'll walk you to your ship, and I'll see you tomorrow for the first lesson." He then paused when she added something about meeting many more times. Was she worried that he'd disappear? He offered his hand to help her off the rock and kept smiling. <T> "We definitely will, I promise," he said before his eyes closed for a final, gentle kiss between them.

After dropping her off at her ship, he returned to his own for a good night of sleep, and some time to think about how fast things were going in his life now. It was daunting, but also very exciting.

The next morning, he showed up at the beach again, this time in shorts and a different shirt. He was curious about what the lesson would be about, but anything with her was going to be really fun. And with him having to go back to Jedi duties soon, he planned to enjoy these moments to their fullest.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

The next morning, Miri arrived at the beach before Kyell. She could be found sitting on a towel in the shade, reading a book. Clad in a loose oversized t-shirt, it was easy to infer that she must’ve been wearing a swimsuit underneath it, though the style and color couldn’t be seen through the cloth. The hem of the shirt reached to about mid-thigh; the rest of her long legs were bare and stretched out in front of her.

Upon sensing Kyell’s approach, she looked up. <Hello. How was your night?>

She was a bit tired herself, having gotten very little sleep. Her racing thoughts made it difficult to rest. But she was glad to see him again.

So glad, in fact, that she sat there admiring him in silence for several seconds, before realizing things were getting awkward. <Oh. Uh, right, the lessons—have you ever heard of dreamwalking? Or how about astral projection? Did they teach you the Jedi mind trick?>

Stopping herself from throwing out any more questions, she grinned and patted the space beside her on the towel.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

When Kyell made his way over to the beach, he was a little surprised to see Miri already there, sitting on a towel with a book in a way that suggested she had been there for a while already. Had he slept in too long or was she just up really early? Judging by the more tired expression that mirrored his own, it seemed like the latter was the case.

<T> "Good morning," he said with a bright smile while he looked at her, and fell into a trance of his own. Seeing her after a day of fun and a mostly sleepless night was... interesting. Wait why is she wearing a big shirt- oh. He blinked and snapped out of his own moment of staring to sheepishly smile at her, <T> "I slept alright, what about you?" he asked but it was pretty clear he hadn't slept too much either.

Kyell then walked over and slowly lowered himself onto the towel while he listened, <T> "I learned the Jedi Mind trick, but it's not easy for me. I uh, can't speak the words," he chuckled and made himself comfortable beside her. <T> "I'm not sure what dream walking or Astral Projection is though. But I have a feeling you'll tell or show me."

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Alright...> she echoed.

He sat down beside her and her skin prickled at the proximity. Her book slid off of her lap and landed on its side as she sat on her hands and bit her lip.

Lessons now, party later.

His response to the question about mind tricks provoked a suppressed giggle from her. <Aw, I didn’t think about that. Well, there should be a way around it. Maybe “speaking” with telepathy?>

She couldn’t see a reason why it wouldn’t work. <Try it on me,> she suggested. <And then I’ll tell you about dreamwalking and astral projection. Deal?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

The moment he sat down on the towel, he noticed a change in her and felt one within himself. His heart skipped a beat from excitement when she bit her lip, so in an attempt to keep himself from staring too much, he turned to the book that had fallen on its side and picked it up. He briefly glanced at the cover and then offered it back with a smile.

<T> "I can use it with Telepathy but it's... different," he continued but she only seemed more curious about it and asked him to use it on her. It sparked a brief moment of hesitation, as he had always been apprehensive about using Mind tricks. He didn't like the idea of taking away someone's free will, so he only ever used it if it was necessary.

But this was just practice, right?

<T> "Deal," he said with a smile before he more intently focused on her eyes. After a second of figuring out what to do without it being weird, he raised his fingers, connected with her, and deepened his telepathic voice as he commanded his words into her mind with a gesture of his hand, <T> "Stand up." It was simple enough, which he needed or he'd never convince her powerful mind to follow the Mind Trick, but it was still not an easy thing to persuade another Jedi like this.

He was quite curious to find out how it felt to her.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

A brief glance at the cover would reveal it was a book of fairytales. Miri took the ancient tome and carefully set it aside.

<Different how?> she asked.

Shortly after making their deal, Miri found herself standing up. She had no memory of how she’d gotten there, however, and didn’t remember consciously making the decision to rise.

Looking down at Kyell, she rested her hands on her hips and gave him a lopsided smile. <That seemed rather easy for you, not hard. Although I suppose I wasn’t putting up much resistance…>

Lowering herself back onto the towel, she laid down on her side this time, propping herself up on an elbow. Now to fulfill her end of the deal.

<Astral projection is when your… consciousness is able to leave your body and move elsewhere. Your body is still alive, albeit in a vulnerable, comatose state, while your mind is projected outward and can do things you wouldn’t normally be able to do.

<Dreamwalking, on the other hand, is a form of telepathy where you enter a person’s dreams while they’re asleep. It may seem innocuous, but the Benandanti used it for all kinds of things. They could plant an idea in a person’s head, or cause a strong-minded person to give up secrets without even knowing it. It also has greater reach than any of the other powers—if you’re skilled enough, you can enter someone’s dreams even if they’re millions of light years away.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<Different how?>

Rather than answering the question, he let his use of the Force do it for him. Following the command he nudged into her mind, she stood up and placed her hands on her hips after realizing what had happened. Kyell just smiled in return and watched her lay down on the towel again.

<T> "It's tougher than it looks. You opened your mind to it, and the instruction was simple enough," he said with a nod before he decided to lay down, on his back with his hands behind his head for support. The sun on his face was relaxing, and if he kept this up long enough, maybe he'd even get a tan.

His head then turned back to Miri while she explained the two techniques, and he found himself more surprised than he had originally believed possible. These were some serious abilities, <T> "They both sound interesting and very complex..." Made sense why she was able to pull them off.

<T> "Dreamwalking sounds like something that would be easier for me, but it also seems... risky? It can be even more invasive than a Mind Trick from the way it seems to work." He then paused and looked up at the sky for a moment. <T> "Have you used these techniques before?"

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Yes.> Miri laid her hand upon his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her palm. <I had to do it to learn it. And you're right, it is more invasive than a mind trick. That's probably part of the reason why the Jedi don't teach it. But it can be used to heal, too, so it can't be all bad…>

She trailed off, brushing the back of her hand against his cheek. <I've been the lab rat a few times, so I don't mind you testing it on me. With you, it might even be… pleasant.>

She smirked. <You know, you'll wind up with a farmer's tan if you sit out here all day with your shirt on.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Used to heal, hm?" That was an application he could get behind, at least. He had no real interest in just dropping into people's dreams against their will, but if it could help them somehow, it was worth learning. <T> "Yeah, can't be all bad, then," he smiled and looked down as her hand settled on his chest.

Slowly it moved up his cheek, which got him to smile and shift his eyes back to her, <T> "It might be," he said, letting it linger for a moment while he kept eye contact. <T> "Unless I end up in a nightmare. What... actually happens in one?" He blinked and wondered if it was possible for something bad to happen to him in such cases. Could his mind get damaged if he was attacked within a dream or nightmare?

Maybe he just watched too many horror movies.

<T> "Ah yeah, you're right..." he looked down at his shirt and sat up for a moment. His hands shifted but as he grabbed the fabric at the hem, he hesitated a moment — there had been a reason he had kept his shirt on despite being on a beach. But with her, he felt comfortable enough, and so he pulled it over his head and laid back down.

From the angle she had, it would be easy enough for her to see the scars that ran along his chest, created by Force Lightning if she recognized them. The scars didn't look too ugly but they were relatively fresh, so he still wasn't sure how to feel about them.

<T> "But if you really don't mind, I can try the dreamwalk with you," he quickly continued, hoping to distract himself from the eyes that undoubtedly picked up on the scars.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Victims of brainwashing and mind control typically respond well to it. Certain traumas can also be treated with the help of a dreamwalker.> Like most other mentalist abilities, it had many different applications, provided one was creative.

<You can change nightmares into good dreams. That’s the power you’ll have.> She shrugged. <If the dreamer’s mind attacks you, you’d have to fight them. And if you lose, you might die in real life… but I don’t plan on fighting you.>

Kyell actually removed his shirt in response to her suggestion. Miri attempted to hold eye contact, her cheeks coloring, but she inevitably snuck a peek at his bare chest. <Oh, those look painful. Lightning scars, right? I have some of those, too.>

She lifted her shirt, revealing a sparkly purple bikini. But what was more important were the branching scars across the fair skin of her torso, situated among the burn marks left by lightsabers and blaster bolts. Unlike his, they were a few years old, sustained when she was still a teenager.

<Sith sure do love their Force lightning, huh?> she muttered, lowering her shirt again.

Kyell agreed to try dreamwalking. She rubbed her hands together. <Looks like my scheme to get a few more hours of sleep worked.> Laying back, she got comfortable and closed her eyes, already starting to drift off. <I could hold your hand through it, but it would be better if you found your way in on your own. You can use the connection I established earlier between our minds as a starting point… and I’ll leave the door open for you…>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Odryn
Tag: Miri Nimdok

With all these lessons and his own interests, maybe a focus on the mind and how it interacted with the Force would be a good path forward for him. He wasn't a great duelist and couldn't alter the environment around him with grandiose displays of the Force either, but connecting with the mind felt a lot more natural.

Miri then answered his questions about the nightmares, which got him to blink, <T> "Yeah, please don't fight dream me," he chuckled at the thought, and the fact he'd probably get his ass beat, but there was a little bit of genuine nervousness as well. The idea of possibly dying because of a nightmare sounded proper horror movie scary.

After lifting his shirt a moment later, he did notice her looking, but that didn't bother him at all. The blushing was only cute to him as well, so he looked at the scars on his chest with a smirk, <T> "Oh they hurt alright, but I think being thrown off a 10-story tall walker was the worst part." His gaze shifted back up to her with a smirk, only for him to see her lift her shirt.

It took a lot of effort to focus on just the scars she was trying to show and not have his jaw drop, and the red cheeks showed this struggle well, <T> "Right, uhm.. yeah." he shook his head and watched her lay down. Deep Breaths, Kyell. He then smiled and sat comfortably on the towel, <T> "I'll find my way in."

With that confirmed, he waited for her to drift off, and closed his eyes to focus on the relatively strong bridge between their minds. When they first met, she had only allowed him into a particular section of her mind, but this time he felt as if the gates were entirely opened just for him, and he decided to step through them. Careful and with great care, he allowed his own being to drift out of his mind, and into her own. She was in a world of dreams and through his focus, he would become a part of them.