Private Day 72

[Jem Fossk]

Valery Noble
Spintir | Dawn Temple -> Caves of Light and Shadow
Day 72

Jem sat cross-legged on the rocky cave floor, a stick at her side to keep the wolves back.

They didn't seem aware of her today. Maybe they had just witnessed enough of their kind repelled by Valery to know it was a fight they could not win. Jem wasn't suppose to be down here alone, but today she felt compelled to come.

Two days ago had been bad. Corin Trenor 's visit had brought out a slip of control that left her frustrated. The darkside would never leave her, she was beginning to understand what that meant, but she struggled to accept it. Even her dim-witted replacement seemed to think it was all a matter of choice.

Choice, choice, choice.

She couldn't count the number of mouths that had come out of over the weeks, but what did it mean? She let her mind relax on that cave floor, her walls falling as she let the force enter her in slow, careful increments. She had to be careful here. Light and dark, the energies here were also in conflict. Just like her.

And yet it persisted.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Spintir | Caves of Light and Shadow
Appearance: Link
Tag: Jem Fossk

A little over 2 months had passed since Valery brought Jem to the Dawn Temple, and started what was destined to be a lengthy journey of recovery for the young woman. But as difficult as it was to take steps forward, Valery did feel like they were making progress — Jem wouldn't still be here if it wasn't the case.

Sure, there was the occasional hiccup, especially with Corin paying a visit, but she felt confident that they could work through it all.

That did require them to spend time together to address it though, and unlike most mornings, Jem was suddenly nowhere to be found. Luckily, on a Mountain as remote as this one, it wasn't too difficult to pinpoint the woman's location, and after a careful search with her Jedi senses, she finally found the woman in the one place that was dangerous to go into alone.

But after after making a quiet entry into the caves, Valery spotted Jem and watched her meditate and focus on her own. The wolves made no move, and the Force was swirling all around her - both the dark and light. After a few moments though, Valery finally approached.

"What are you feeling, Jem?"

 

[Jem Fossk]

"Frustrated," came the explosive whisper, the dark energies flaring in sync with her honest response. Jem tried to regain the balance but every moment she failed made her more frustrated.

She cut herself off from the force in response. Her eyes gleamed with her agitation as she opened them to face Valery.

"I was doing so well. He showed up and ruin it all." It felt like her momentum forward had been for nothing. In truth, it had been for everything. She had regained control in the end, even if the Warden had to step in to assist with it. She couldn't stay sheltered forever. Corin had just been akin to her first test.

"I hate him," she admitted, ashamed and angry all in one.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Spintir | Caves of Light and Shadow
Appearance: Link
Tag: Jem Fossk

"He hasn't ruined anything," Valery said as she stepped closer into the caves and looked around for a moment. Like Jem, she felt the tension between Dark and Light weighing on her mind as well, but it didn't phase her much at all, "Your control has improved greatly since we came here, and especially since we started going into these caves."

She paused a moment and just judging by her tone alone, there was more that she wanted to add to it.

"But finding balance is something you need to be able to do when you're being provoked as well. Whether it's Corin, the Sith, or anybody really, you can't allow them to bring you down with just their presence or words alone," Valery said with a soft tone that gently echoed through the open cave.

"He hasn't ruined your progress, he just exposed that there's still work to do. You can blame or hate him for it, but I think you'll find it more productive to be introspective and find the core of the problem."

 

[Darth Solipsis]

Sith’ari | Dead and Dreaming
Jem Fossk

What is real and what is delusion?​

Drip. Drop.

Smoldering tar dripped and dropped along the surface of the damp cavern splattering across the hard rock.

Hisss.

The black tar spat steam from it’s underbelly as it touched the cool liquid collected in the indentations of the rock. Between the midnight drops of scalding liquid, a clump or two came down, rolling off a pair of suspended feet coated in the thick substance. Slowly, the figure descended, floating gently until it touched upon the ground bare foot.

Ash dusted off the brilliant white robes of a familiar evil, a dark icon of dread that shared more than just a name with the tortured youth that had fallen into darkness. Bold eyes burned with sulfuric hate, pools of enduring flame riddled with suffering beyond what one could ever endure. Transparent blue fingers barely visible in the spectrum of sight grasped for the robes of the man, if he could be called that still, spurring a reaction as he shook off the ghostly reaches that threatened to drag him back into the abyss. He straightened his posture and smiled wide with an insidious snare.

Kaigann Fossk.

Sith’ari. Dark Lord. Father.


“Pathetic.”

 

[Jem Fossk]

"He hasn't ruined your progress, he just exposed that there's still work to do. You can blame or hate him for it, but I think you'll find it more productive to be introspective and find the core of the problem."

Jem glowered and stewed over the words.

"I hate his face. It's a stupid face," she offered, her fingers digging into the gravel and dirt around her. "Dagon keeps talking like I'm going to go back with him, but how can I-- I'd have to see him every day. And I can't-- his face it's it's so st-" Her words cut short, a gasp ripping through her lips as stared center left.

All color left her skin and the warmth left the air. Jem could scarcely breath with the fear that had come over her. It would be a familiar reaction. Today was not the first time she had seen her father.

Hallucination or otherwise.

The dark energy exploded in the caverned. Jem would appear a million miles away in it, her head shaking as she faced him down. "No-No, you're dead," she told vision that Valery couldn't see.

"You're not real, we've been over this." She could feel the stress sweats slide down her torso, her heart beating rapidly. "Please," she reasoned.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Spintir | Caves of Light and Shadow
Appearance: Link
Tag: Jem Fossk

With a frown, she listened to the way Jem talked about Corin and her hatred for him. It was something she'd slowly have to address but before she could say anything now, something changed about Jem. A puff of air escaped her lips and almost instantly, she seemed a lot paler. Her breathing grew erratic and without a doubt, Valery knew that she was seeing something again.

It had happened a couple of times before, but she couldn't tell if the intensity of these visions was getting worse, or if it was simply because they kept coming even though they had been here for over 2 months to fight against them. Either way, Valery stepped forward and gently placed her hand to help Jem snap out of it, but just that alone was often not enough.

Not with her father speaking to her in a hallucinating form.

"Jem, you're stronger than these visions, push them out," Valery said before she focused and allowed her strength in the Light to expand into Jedm through the touch of her hand. She hoped to either drive the visions out of her mind, or offer the woman the strength she needed to do it herself. If Jem struggled to resist, Valery would be her anchor.

"You can do this. Focus on the light."