Damsel not in Distress? Rescue her, anyway! (Mallisi)

[Evard L'Rik]

With an almost happy-sounding squeal, the circuits in the panel sparked, and then fried, sending the two smallest fingers on his metal hand twitching. Evard swore loudly, and put the screwdriver back inside the panel, closing it. He noticed Mallisi watching, and smiled.

"Gotta keep myself busy, and fixing my arm and leg definitely keeps my hands full. I built the leg first. Probably stupid, but I like walking."

He sighed, and nodded a bit.

"You're right. It was odd. But it was a pretty nasty old man in that 'cron. And no witnesses but me lived to regret finding that old thing. Five days later, it found me, began talking to me. It didn't corrupt me, yet... But one day I woke up and found a dead bird in my bed. And then, a week later, my brother disappeared. Another month, and my sister. The girl I was gonna marry, too. Pretty soon, my dad left, looking for 'em all. And that's when the old man made his move. I fought it off long enough to get it back to the dig site, try to get rid of it, but he got me. And that was it. There's a three-month gap I can't figure out, and I woke up one day, in pain, on a ship I didn't know."

He shrugged, and gestured to his metal arm.

"Of course, the possession corrupted me, and he was taking me over. My arm was black as night up to right under the shoulder, so I cut it off clean, and my leg was easy. I'm not angry at Jedi in general... but there's times when people don't need to know sh*t. Some things shouldn't be awoken."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

His story had her at a loss for words for a few long moments, and it was more than just the content of such. The nonchalant way he spoke of things, almost as if they'd happened to another person or weren't even real occurrences at all, but rather something he'd seen in a Holo, caught her a bit off guard. Most people, regardless of whichever side of the Force they did or didn't swear allegiance to, had a bit more of an emotional reaction to such a story. But everyone was different, and he was certainly no exception. Mallisi couldn't expect him to react a certain way just because it's what she would have done, just as he couldn't expect her to do the opposite.

Even when she did speak, it was plainly evident that words still hadn't come to mind, "I...I'm sorry, Evard." Come to think of it, she wasn't sure what she was apologizing for, but it felt right. "No one should ever have to go through that, least of all just because of someone's curiosity." She looked up at him with a small smile. "But, if it's any consolation, no one in the Order will be doing something similar, or at least, if I can help it. You know that saying, curiosity killed the cat? I think your story proves that curiosity was framed. Ignorance did it in."

Despite her being enveloped in his tale she still found herself somewhat distracted by his fixing of his arm, it being new to her. "But your recovery was and still is amazing. I don't think many others would be able to say they came through it so strong. I know I wouldn't have been able to, that much is certain."

The other thing that caught her off guard was the fact that he not only amputated his own arm and leg, but then managed to at the very least develop a unique enough technology for prosthetics that would fit his body and his needs down to a tee. Most went to a medical doctor of some sorts for anything even relating to that. But it was obvious already that he wasn't most people

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard shook his head at the Cathar girl, smiling. She only half understood, and it was probably because he had only half explained his current problem. He reached out to touch Mallisi's shoulder, and found himself gently squeezing it, the metal joints of his hand clicking slightly. His eyes cast down, and he sighed.

"It's obviously not your fault, Mallisi. I wouldn't start blaming you for all the problems Jedi have caused me the last six years. But I haven't recovered. That old fucker is still in my mind. He's dormant, but I can't kill him. Curiosity hasn't killed any cat I've ever met, but it's going to kill me some day. Suddenly, and without any time for preparation."

He mimed popping open a can.

"All I can do is just drink to my doom. All the power in my body could not shake the will of this little parasitic spirit. I have fewer attachments than the best Jedi ever. Nobody I knew is left to cry over me."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

Reaching up she rested her hand on his metal one, bringing their hands down to sit at their sides and taking his in hers, smiling as she looked to him once more. "Not quite as few attachments as you seem to think. Whether you realize it or not, there are people that care about you. And I don't think all of them are sitting right next to you on this ledge on Ossus at the Jedi Academy, either. As cliche as it sounds, there are people that are there for you." Mallisi paused for a moment, gently squeezing his hand for a moment. "And I'm one of them, Evard." A small smile, now. "Whether you like it or not, you do have a Jedi that cares."

Taking a moment as if to let her words sink in she relaxed a bit more, more noticeably now, though it could have just as easily been the calming aura of the Temple along with the fact that any borders between them had been broken down, for the most part. "I'll say it again, no one deserves that. But, at least in my mind, all one can do is try to make the best of things. However difficult that might be, there are people to travel with, and unforgettable times to have with them. And you strike me as the adventurer sort."

With another smile she squeezed his hand gently. "Of course, it could just be the Force. After all, I am a Jedi." The last statement was meant as a joke more than anything, to perhaps lighten the mood.

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled even wider at Mallisi, squeezing her hand back. His voice dropped to a whisper again.

"You really are the only one, pretty cat. There's nobody else who'd give a damn."

He closed his eyes, and his voice came back up to its usual Imperial-accented drawl. He almost felt like laughing.

"You're right, of course. I am the adventurous sort, dammit. And a depressed, stinking, drunk. I'm a stinking drunk man of adventure. And I'm damn glad you're here to remind me."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

"You're forgetting one thing." Mallisi ran her thumb across the top of his hand, whether he was able to feel it or not, the gesture almost felt natural, and smiled. "You might be a stinking drunk man of adventure, but you also happen to have a friend among the Jedi Order. And I do plan on becoming a Master one day, so it isn't all for naught. Then maybe we can see about those adventures of yours. Unfortunately I can't leave the Academy just yet, but hopefully that will change soon. It seems like this is something more than the casual drop by you thought it would be." She squeezed his hand again. "You might have picked the wrong Padawan."

For a moment she fell silent, content in his presence. This was really something odd for her, but she'd found herself doing things uncharacteristic lately. This was just another one of those. "I don't have any stories I can tell you in return just yet, unless something has you curious about the life of a Jedi all of a sudden. I don't have a lightsaber to show you either, unfortunately. That means you might have to come back later, huh?" She looked to him with a raised eyebrow and a curious smile, but she knew the fact wasn't likely. With the others at the Academy not showing much of the same kindness, if any, to a darksider, the chances of his easy return were slim.

"If I have to remind you of just who you are, I will. Because it so happens that I don't give up on anyone too easily, especially my friends. And whether you like it or not, you fall into that category, Mr. Evard."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled, and raised an eyebrow as he looked into Mallisi's face. He brought her half-furred hand up to his cheek, and kept it there.

"No, I think landing my ship outside your window was the best coincidence I've ever experienced. My 'casual drop-by' led me to something wonderful."

The mention of his ship also sparked an idea in his mind, as well as the mention of Mallisi's lack of a lightsaber.

"I think you forgot something, too... The method of the oh-so-surprising drop-by is sitting down there, waiting for somebody to fly it. There's also a wonderful Cathar-made sword I've never used. We can go on a very short adventure, if you like. Whether you like it or not, I'm going to come back and offer you adventures very often."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

Casting a glance backwards to the texts that sat forgotten in her room Mallisi looked back to Evard with a smile, not having to ponder the idea for very long. "I think I could use a break from studying, if you had somewhere in mind." She gently ran her thumb across his cheek, not making any moves to let her hand drop. "Only if you let me take you on a walk around the grounds someday. Hopefully I'll be able to convince them easily enough. I think you'll like the gardens, and there's a training room that's beautiful." The room she spoke of was the same one her Master had shown her, complete with a small waterfall-fed pond.

Shifting her position, she swung her legs over the side of the ledge, her legs hanging out of the window now, affording her a better view of the grounds, not to mention the ship below them. "A visit here and there is definitely appreciated, and if they happen more often, I can't complain. New faces are nice to see." Another smile. "Especially yours." Although she'd just met him, there was something about his presence that felt natural with her, however cliche it might have sounded.

"And once I do get my lightsaber, I'll have to show you. A saberstaff is what I had in mind." She wasn't sure how much he knew about the weapons of a Jedi, or if he would have any interest, but something told her he would appreciate it. He seemed the sort to be interested in how things functioned, particularly weapons. "My Master hasn't mentioned much in way of my creation of the weapon, but hopefully we'll be traveling to find the crystals soon. You might be paying another visit sooner than you expected."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard grinned even wider, and gestured to the little chrome-plated yacht that was his medium of adventure.

"Well, I think a stroll around the grounds is a given, with or without permission. Of course, if sneaking around with me doesn't appeal to you, I can disguise myself very well. I like gardens. And visiting the woefully small number of friends I have. I won't complain if you feel some need to hold my hand, either."

As the discussion turned to lightsabers, Evard shrugged.

"I haven't held a lightsaber in five years. To fight, I mean. I've got a collection of beautiful and unusual ones, but I've never felt any desire to fight with anything but my gun and this cold phrik fist of mine. Crazy-colored crystals are fun, though. Wish there was a way to find crystals the color of your hair... Black as night, and just as pretty."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

The compliment caught her off guard, and she blinked, a faint blush coming to her cheeks. Sure, she had received compliment on her looks here and there, but something about it was new, this time. Maybe it was because Mallisi knew that this time, he meant it. But regardless of what it was, she turned her head to press a kiss to his cheek, her smile seeming more shy in nature after what he'd said. "I don't think I'm much help, when it comes to knowledge regarding lightsaber crystals. But I'm sure you're clever enough to figure out a way to make one of your own. After creating your own arm and leg, that has to come easily."

Glancing down to where his yacht sat she judged the distance from their ledge to the ground, before looking back to him. "I don't think walking back through the Academy to get to your ship would be our best bet, so I think we might have to go through the window. Not that I'm implying it bothers you, because after your surprise entrance..." She smiled. "I don't think anything else would quite faze you."

Once again she looked to the ground with her lips pursed thoughtfully, the distance not being too far by her estimate. Without warning she pushed herself off of the ledge, landing on the ground in a slight crouch, straightening and making somewhat of a show by dusting herself off, looking up to him with a smile and a wave. The landing had gone better than she thought it would, but part of her knew it was her own subconscious use of the Force to cushion what would have otherwise been a jarring fall that helped her.

"Are you coming?"

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard winked at Mallisi, and flipped off the ledge, landing neatly on his metal leg. He tapped it fondly, but it didn't make much of a noise through the heavy pants he was wearing.

"Lucky I've got this. Using too much energy to keep my mind intact to actually manipulate the Force. You're very graceful, though. Anyway."

He hit the button that opened the ramp into the yacht, and theatrically bowed to Mallisi.

"After you, Mally-cat."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

Smiling again at the way he wove compliments into their conversation she walked slowly up the ramp and into the yacht, studying her new surroundings for a long moment, unused to any kind of luxury. It wasn't that she'd grown up in a necessarily poor family by any means, but they certainly hadn't been able to afford anything this seemingly expensive. And with her new life as a Jedi, there wasn't much that could be done to remedy that now. Until, of course, she'd met him. It seemed he would be exposing her to more than just the occasional adventure, but perhaps a more carefree way of life as well. That was something she could definitely use.

Now she turned on her heels and looked back to him, seeming just a bit more relaxed now that they were out of the Academy, though she couldn't pin that on any particular thing. It could have been the fact that she was new there just as much as her not wanting another Jedi to intervene when no harm was being done on either of their parts. "It's a beautiful ship. This must have cost a fortune." Her voice was slightly breathless, but it was more due to the novelty of the situation. "It's not everyday that someone ends up at the Academy and offers to take a Padawan out for a trip."

Mallisi made her way back out onto the ramp, stopping once she was about halfway down, the same smile still on her face. "But I suppose it's not everyday you do the same, either."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled back at Mallisi, and shrugged.

"If it makes you that happy, maybe it should be everyday. Being cooped up anywhere is boring."

He grabbed her hand, and gestured toward the pseudo-dining room attached to the main room.

"I've got shiny things and weird weapons hanging in there. And, that funny sword I was talking about."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

"It's not all necessarily a bad thing. I've had more experiences within the Order than I have anywhere else." Here she smiled almost shyly. Despite her twenty-two years of age, she had never been one to consider any kind of relationship, so all of this was new to her. But after seeing the way Evard smiled at her, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. It was then she decided that the Jedi could say all that they would about attachments, if someone made her feel this at ease and happy, then they couldn't be all that bad, in the end. "I did get to meet you, after all. That's an opportunity I wouldn't have been able to find anywhere else, I don't think."

Blinking in surprise as he took her hand she smiled and snaked her fingers between his, walking with him into the small dining room, studying the weapons that decorated the walls and otherwise the span of the room. And, although she hadn't been exposed to the specific facets of her culture, her eyes fell on the sword he had been speaking of almost immediately, its slender blade making it easy to pick out amongst the other weapons, even the swords that were vaguely similar in make. The only other weapon she'd handled had been a training lightsaber, specifically that of the saberstaff model, but that was far different from something like this, or at least different enough that it made no matter.

"I don't think I've seen more weapons in one place at any time." Mallisi looked to him with another smile. "But I still think my favorite thing here is you."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard felt a little bit dumbstruck, and he stood there for a moment, before giving Mallisi's hand a gentle squeeze, and then snaking his other arm around her shoulders. He closed his eyes and pulled her close up to him. He couldn't help but feel weird about it, because the only other girl he'd held was his fiancee, and she'd ended up dead on Ashera. But he needed to hold somebody now, and that was this pretty Cathar girl holding his hand. His voice lowered to a whisper.

"Silly cat... Everybody around me gets hurt. I hope you'll be the lucky one."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

Although the hug from Evard came as nothing less than a surprise, Mallisi didn't hesitate to return it, a slow, satisfied smile spreading across her face as she simply enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her, and so she didn't do anything other than hold him as well, resting her head on his shoulder. The only other person that had held her in any way similar to this was Diego, but that had been something rather different, and not quite as gentle as this. It was a different feeling, but a pleasant one.

The whisper in her ear only caused her smile to widen, and she pressed a soft, careful kiss to his cheek, not speaking even then, content to let her actions do so for her. She was going to be there for him, a fact that was obvious to her even if they'd only just met. It might have been the Force, or her own happiness with the situation, but that was a fact she knew to be true.

"That doesn't matter, Evard. I'm here to stay."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled sadly, and looked into Mallisi's eyes. He believed her, but it was possible that she was wrong. Everybody always said they were there for him, but they all seemed to die, with two exceptions. One was the ghost who haunted the lightsaber he had hidden in the cockpit, and the other was here, in his arms. He squeezed the hand he was holding in his right.

"I do hope so... You seem like somebody I should be around for a long, long time."

He returned the kiss on the cheek, and grinned crookedly. Not moving his arm from around Mallisi's shoulders, he gestured expansively with his left hand.

"Now, how about we look at some sharp objects before I have to fly you back up for the night?"

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

With a smile Mallisi squeezed his hand in return, his first comment bringing a blush to her cheeks. As time passed she'd begun to realize that she felt the same way about him, and being told that her feelings were reciprocated only served to heighten her mood. But she didn't like to see him sad for any period of time, so her next comment was meant to inject some kind of humor into the situation, given the fact that they'd just had a very interesting discussion regarding his views of the Jedi not that long ago. "As long as you don't mind keeping a Padawan around for company, I'm most certainly okay with that. But you should know that I do plan on becoming a Master eventually." She squeezed his hand again.

Her gaze returned to the room stocked full of weaponry, and she laughed quietly. "I would be happy to. But I'm afraid I don't know too much about bladed weapons or blasters, so you'll have to show me around. I've not learned much about them other than through Holos in the Archives." The sword that he'd mentioned as being Cathar made still caught her eye, and she attempted to bring it closer with the Force, only managing to shift its position a few inches to the side. But with her lax amount of training, it was the best she was capable of.

"I'll have to return the favor, someday. I still think a tour of the grounds would be something you'd like."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled broadly, and shook his head, as he moved them a tiny bit closer to the couch.

"We'll have some fun, then. Me, always sneaking into the temple to see you. You, trying to figure out how I dressed that day. And then, we can just sit and be like this. Padawan, or Master, you're still Mally-cat."

Grinning even wider, Evard swung them both down onto the couch, still holding Mallisi's left hand in his right. He laughed, and then thought of something odd. He reached up to stroke her hair, and raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

"I know it's a weird question, but is your hair fur or hair?"

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

At his question she blinked and smiled, laughing quietly at the overall absurdity of it all, but it really was a good question, if he was curious about it. Not many knew too much about the Cathar species as a whole, and less knew of the subspecies that accompanied it, who were arguably less cat-like in nature, beginning with their lack of fur. As one belonging to one of those subspecies, specifically that of the Myr Rho, she had expected a question of a similar sort eventually. And she had a feeling that more of them would come up eventually. "Hair. The baseline Cathar have fur, but I don't fit into that category." She squeezed his hand gently with another smile. "I don't think I can ask you the same question."

His nickname for her only caused her smile to widen, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Maybe you won't have to sneak in, eventually. Eventually, I should be able to convince them to let you come and go as you please. I won't be a Padawan forever, after all." She gently ran her thumb along the top of his hand. "Which means that hopefully neither of us will have to worry about anyone objecting to your presence here."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]