Hawk Eyed | Safira

[Isran Varad]

H A W K..E Y E D​

LOCATION: Golbah City, Geonosis
TAG: [member="Safira Varad"]

One of the greatest gifts was freedom of movement.

What many failed to realize was that the life of a mercenary was the definition of liberation. One was able to truly determine their fate without tying themselves down to any one particular region of space. For those with wanderlust firmly squared away inside their soul, freedom of movement was certainly a lucrative part of the job. In fact, even for the Mandalorian, the ability to see foreign worlds and experience the best of the various nations was an opportunity he did not sit on. And it was certainly one that his companion longed to embrace.

Though, by now, the two had been traveling together for months, there was still quite a bit that Isley did not know about Safira Varad. The nature of their occupation was such that they did not exactly have "heart to heart" moments frequently. In fact, their conversations would become deep when the subject of their shared culture was involved. Yet, whenever the Mandalorian poked the subject of where she came from or her own Clan, the conversation did not last too long thereafter. Nonetheless...despite knowing so little about her, the young woman had wormed her way into the man's affections.

With the rare exception of rotating watches when staying with a particularly hostile environment - or being evicted so that she might hog their newest companion for a short span of time - there was not an evening that the two did not spend together. Their waking hours flew by as he imparted to her the tools of the trade for their people, instilling the values of Glory and Honor into her heart. And, when time permitted, he would share with her glimpses of his own life instead. The world he had unwillingly left behind would slowly become apparent to her over time.

In the present, this day was shaping up to be much akin to those that they had shared thus far. The hour was yet very early in the morning - so much so that the sun itself had not even begun to rise. Regardless, Isley was the first to arise, taking care not to awaken the slumbering [member=Nya] as he scooted off the side of the bed. On the way to the refresher, however, his hand would unceremoniously lift the cover on the edge of the bed, revealing Safira's foot. One icy touch later and she wouldn't be slumbering any further - though he had to dodge her flail in the process.

After freshening up, the agenda for the day would be laid out. Golbah City was ripe with job opportunities, and the trio would spend time attempting to pick up enough credits to comfortably move on. Additionally, it would have been a disservice to his companions to not see what the southern capital had to offer. So they would certainly visit the Hub a little bit towards the evening. However. Now was the time set aside for instruction. And thus Isley had directed Safira to the rooftop of their temporary lodgings in order to start her next lesson.

Upon ascending the stairs and opening the door, she would be greeted to the sight of the Mandalorian with a rather intimidating rifle in hand. She'd recognize it as a marksman rifle - complete with a tripod and heavy scope. "You tend to favor getting up close and personal." he began, motioning for her to draw near. "Versatility, however, will keep you alive longer. Sometimes, picking off a chunk of the opposition at range before charging in will make the job a lot easier. Sometimes...well, they have rocket propelled grenades and you're better off just saving your ass."

He chuckled. Clearly joking. The weapon was leaned upon his person, but he turned and set the tripod upon the balcony's ledge. He then motioned for her to take the weapon as if she were going to fire. "Show me how you'd aim. Let's see if you'd be able to hit anything." Or fire without dislocating her shoulder.

 

[Safira Haran]

Golbah City | [member=Isley Verd]​

​

​

A chill spread from the tip of her toes all the way up through her carefully honed muscle, dragging Safira kicking and screaming away from subtle but comforting grip of a deep sleep. The raven haired woman startled awake with a shudder that traversed the length of her spine. If it weren't for the fact that one of her arms rested under the fair skinned companion she had grown exceedingly fond of, Safira would have swung for Isley, and she wouldn't have missed. With the decorum and grace of a dancer Safira freed herself from the weight of the sleeping figure beside her. She might have been clumsy but this she could manage, at the very least. After affording herself a sleep filled grumble, and one last look at the curvaceous figure Nya cut in the soft light of the moon, Safira managed to drag herself from the clutches of the warm sheets. Cringing at the way the mattress sunk under her weight Safira crept her way to the edge of the bed. The only thought in her tired mind was joining Isley in the fresher where she coax him into waking her in a different manner. She deserved that at the very least.

Once showered and satisfied they made their way up to the rooftops. As they climbed the stairs, drawing far away enough not to disturb their shared lover, Safira formed her first groggy words. 'Dammit, Isley. Did your buir not teach you to never wake a sleeping woman?' Safi stifled a yawn, stretching her slender arms up to shake the ache from her muscles. Her sweet voice, while sleepy, was filled with an amused undertone. She loved him really. Amongst many other things she loved him for his insatiability, his tenacity, and his dedication to showing her the ways of their shared heritage. Safira hadn't realised it at first but she needed someone like him. 'If I were you I wouldn't try that on anyone else. Not sure you'll get the same reception.'

Their trip to the fresher, and their impromptu early morning dalliances, had certainly perked her up sightly. Yet, as they opened the door to the roof Safira couldn't help but lift a hand to rub lazily at her raven eyes. The wild attempt to shake the heavy feeling that weighed them down did not work, just as she had expected. When she finally relented and allowed the onyx pearls to finally open the first thing she admired was the sky. A slowly breaking dawn cast shades of lilac and peach that blended perfectly into deep blue tones left behind by the night. The next thing she drew into her sight was whatever he had planned for them to do so early in the morning. Isley's set up forced an excitable, grin that made a somewhat permanent home on her face.

A sharp, shuddering breath of excitement filled the still morning air, black marbles glimmering in the steadily growing light. 'Lek. I can't argue with you there.' Her voice had finally shaken the grog of a forced awakening, she even rewarded his joke with a bell like giggle that brought some back some life to her face. At the twitch of his fingers beckoning her over, the Mandalorian woman obeyed. 'Let's have it then.' With a firm nod of the tangled curls atop her head, Safira swayed across the rooftops with the gait of a drowsy, but deeply satisfied, woman. As one hand reached out to smooth over the grip, to feel the cool metal against her slightly damp skin, her eyes seemed to light up. She had never played with a gun of this calibre before and considering what had happened the last time they'd tried something this big, Safi was surprised he even had the mind to let her near it.

She needed no further prompting to grasp the grip and settle the stock against her shoulder, a willowy finger stretching out over the trigger in a torturous way. Her other hand came to rest under the rifle snugly. 'So, tell me.' Safira spoke as she adjusted herself to peer down the scope. 'How bad would the damage be if I pulled this trigger right now?' She swept the aim over the city skyline, unable to allow herself to settle on anything for fear actually would. 'A bruise or two? A dislocated shoulder?' She knew Isley would be keeping a keen eye on every minute movement she made, she expected it at this point. Luckily Safira wasn't the type to turn her nose up a little constructive criticism.

 

[Isran Varad]

Location: Golbah City, Geonosis​

Tag: [member="Safira Varad"]​

She was the sunrise.

There were mornings aplenty that were like this. Days where the Mandalorian would devote as much time as necessary to educating the young woman. Safira was like a sponge - studious and open to instruction. When she fell short, it was never taken as something to be ashamed of, but rather a sign to push herself forward. Her grit and spirit were among the many things that Isley had come to love about her. And, frankly, she was slowly becoming apart of the foundation he quietly craved. As a whole, Isley was still a stranger to this Galaxy. All that he had known was left behind in another reality - and thus he was bereft of even the smallest shred of true support. Yet, with every evening spent in her arms and every day fighting alongside her, Safira was becoming Home.

Thus, when the woman joined Isley at the top of the stairs, she would be able to tell that he was genuinely happy. His expression was light - a smile plastered upon his features as she attempted to rub the remnants of slumber away. This early in the morning, they both had not taken the time to armor up just yet, and so he also stole for himself a glance up and down. He wasn't subtle about it either - as she usually would throw an elbow his way when caught staring. Those little moments? Isley loved them. From the way she'd roll her eyes at his terrible puns to the way she'd swing on him for his "transgressions." At times, Safira might have even wondered if the Mandalorian was a glutton for punishment.

Dammit Isley...

Her words were alive with the last vestiges of grogginess and coaxed a chuckle out of the sable-skinned man. "My buir only taught me to put my women to sleep." came his quick response. And, like any good son, Isley lived up to that "expectation" - as evidenced by the fact that there was a blonde woman snoozing in his bed right now. His words were punctuated by a wink. "Oh? But what if I like uppercuts in the morning, hmm? Would you have me deny myself a good time?" Another chuckle escaped him. Yet, following this, there was excitement shared between the two warriors. Isley thoroughly enjoyed showing Safira new things - and she enjoyed learning just as much. Thus, after he voiced his thoughts and the lesson for the morning, Safira immediately asked for the weapon.

She placed the stock upon her shoulder and Isley stepped back to assess her form. It was evident that her only experience was with smaller arms, with the largest being the carbine he had first instructed her to use. If this was such a rifle, then how she stood would have been just fine. But for a weapon with as much kick as this? When Safira posed the question of how much damage she'd inflict upon herself by firing right now, the Mandalorian grimaced ever so slightly. "You'd definitely feel this one in the morning. Probably wouldn't dislocate anything, which is good for picking it up the first time." He stepped closer and began to guide her by hand. His touch gingerly adjusted where she placed the weapon and how it was held, guiding her to better stance.

"Commit how this feels to memory. You'll need to remember how to stand, even if the entire world is falling apart around you. Now then." His fingers indicated north of their position, to a building that screamed condemned. Boards had been placed over the uppermost windows - which made for perfect targets. The rifle they had today, a silenced slugthrower, wouldn't draw too much attention either. "You've used a scope and a viewfinder before, take your time and line up the shot. Breathe. Your target is the third window from the right. You manage to hit that, first try, and you win a prize." He stepped back once more and folded his arms, giving her the go ahead to try her best to hit the target.

 

[Safira Haran]

Golbah City | [member=Isley Verd]

When she caught a glimpse of his expression Safira felt her heart flutter against her ribs. To make him smile in such a way, to feel the contentment radiating from him, it was all she ever wanted in life. The soft curve of her hips swayed at the heat of his eyes glazing over them. With the flat of her palm she swatted at his chest playfully, a sleepy grin on her face. 'Insatiable.' Her words came in retaliation to his hungry stare. Despite her gentle chastisement, Safira lapped up every minute of his attention. When they had first invited Nya into the group part of her worried it would be divided, both her affection for him and his for her. But instead she had found it had been doubled and she was made all the more grateful for it with each passing day. Lucky would have been one way to describe the way they made her feel, but even that didn't seem to quite cover it.

Safira snorted at his comment, shaking the raven curls on her head lightly. 'What makes you think it was you who put her to sleep like that?' The grin on her face widened as she stared down the scope, sweeping it slowly over the line of steadily breaking dawn. 'If you like uppercuts, next time make sure my arm isn't under Nya. You're just lucky we didn't wake her.' Silence crept over the couple as Isley glanced over her form. Safira wasn't surprised to hear that firing it would cause some nasty bruises, but she did let out a rather heavy sigh at the fact. When Isley moved to correct her she eagerly allowed him to, sliding her hands wherever his gentle touch commanded. When he finished she could already feel the difference. The rifle sat better in her palms, moved easier when she guided the sight, held steadier as she leaned forward to take aim.

His words were encouraging, and she followed them to the letter. Inch by inch the aim crept toward the window at the end of his finger. As it came into view Safira drew an audible breath that she held as her finger grazed the trigger. A few moments passed by where she made microscopic adjustments at the dictation of the viewfinder. As the weight of her slender finger came to squeeze down against trigger it hesitated only momentarily. The muted sound of a bullet exploding from a barrel overtook the quiet morning air as it zipped toward what she hoped would be a bulls-eye. Her eyes creased at the corners as she squinted to make out the aged wooden boards she was aiming for. 'That totally counts...' The bullet had lodged itself between two of the thick nails that held the boards in place. More the window frame than the window, but Safira turned to Isley with a gaze that was a mixture of both excitement and disappointment. 'Right?'

 

[Isran Varad]

Location: Golbah City, Geonosis
Tag: [member="Safira Varad"]

Insatiable.

Though her tone was alive with amusement, that really was the correct label to apply to their relationship. In the moment, the Mandalorian offered a light chuckle in response to her playful swat of his chest. But overall, when it came to the young woman and the man before her, they could never get enough. Not just of the physical, mind. But of the moments outside of training, hunting, and surviving. The moments where there was still and calm. The seconds were it was just them, able to dive deep into their innermost thoughts and grow - together. Isley ate that up like a chubby child after ice cream. And, he could always see the changes in Safira following.

Ah, change. How she had adapted so quickly. How things had evolved so quickly. For a time, it had just been the two of them against the Galaxy. Their every day, a battle for credits. But, when their blonde companion entered the mix...there was a night where Safira held his arm so tight that it was alarming. She never voiced it aloud; and Isley genuinely held in the beginning that she only signed off to make him happy. But, he felt as if she were concerned about losing him. In the here and now, there was never even a sliver to worry about. He never gave her reason to cling to his arm for dear life again.

"You were there when she did the thing. Pretty sure that was all me." With but an affectionate wink, he put to an end their discussion about the night prior and the morning, for there was work to be done. And following the righting of the rifle so she would not maim herself, Isley stepped back and made his promise to her. A present. But he did not mention a word beyond that. She fired, causing a muted explosion that propelled her round across the gap. It struck...close. Imbedding itself into the frame more than anything - but for a first try, it was impressive. If the target were large enough, she would have hit a live victim with that shot.

"Sure was better than my first try. Definitely because you had a better teacher." He chuckled aloud at the thought before briefly releasing the rifle from her grasp and leaning it upon the balcony. "And as for your prize." He first gave her the obvious, stealing her breath away for just a moment. But once he stepped back, his hand produced one of the two knives he always had on his person. The other was unremarkable - a trophy from one of their many bounty hunts. But the one in his grasp? It bore the crossed, infinity symbols of Clan Verd. It had accompanied him from that world to now.

"This is my last piece of home." he said simply. "I've had it since my verd'goten. It's saved my ass on many occasions...I realize now, I don't need to carry the old home with me anymore though. I have you." He flipped the weapon's blade into his palm and offered her the handle. "Don't lose it, alright?"

 

[Safira Haran]

Golbah City | [member=Isley Verd]​

As Isley lent the rifle against the wall, Safira rolled her eyes and formed an amused grin her face. He was always brim full of confidence, so much so that she often wondered how his head fit through doors. Some might have called it arrogance, but she had come to know it for what it was. No matter the situation she could always turn to him to find that confident smile and that bold tone that made everything feel alright again. Isley's self-assurance was one of the qualities she admired about him most, and it was often very contagious. His original comments did draw her eyes back to shattered window frame for a brief second. Perhaps it was something to be proud of. Safira turned to say just that when he delivered her prize, leaving a blushing smirk on her lips as he stepped away.

Safira had seen the knives many times before, wherever Isley went they went too. A raven brow lofted as the engraved handle settled into his palm, in her direction. 'You can't be serious. I can't take this.' Deep raven pearls darted back up to his face, only to return a second later to the knife. 'Isley...' Her mouth hung agape as she fumbled for the right words. Tumbling curls shook gently. 'Are you serious?' Safira was more grateful than she could put into words, so grateful that it presented itself more as shock and confusion. Her question wasn't only meant to shake away her disbelief, but also to give Isley a chance to take it back. The blade in question was the only tangible thing he had of the life he had known, of the place he had once called home.

'I've never seen you without this. Not a single day since we first met.' Caramel coloured fingers timidly reached out to glide over the symbols worked into the silvery metal. 'I don't know what to say.' She wanted to embrace him, but it felt too precious a moment for her clumsy feet to attempt any form of movement.

 

[Isran Varad]

Location: The Sprawl, Golbah City​

Tag: [member="Safira Varad"]​

Such was his language.

The Mandalorian who stood before her was many things. He stood upon a warrior's foundation, but when it came to matters of the heart? Well, he was hopeless. He wanted to give those who cared about the world. Moreover, he wanted to give them constant assurances that he cared. Not for lack of confidence on his part mind...but because there was no guarantee that he'd come back from the next mission. Many couples from Mandalore lived within that uncertain reality, where they'd never know if the next raid was to be their last. And thus, from every example Isley had seen growing up, loving hard and loving true was the way to go. That was what he laid at Safira's feet as often as he could. She was the closest thing to a riduur he had - and he'd always treat her as such.

Thus, when the gift was offered to her, it didn't feel s though he was losing a momento from his past. It felt like bliss, for the expression on her face meant everything to him. The shock. The joy. The care she took in holding the weapon. It all meant that, for one, she cared - for she saw how much value he had in the hunk of metal. And two, it meant that he made her happy. "What you can say," he began, with his tone alive with obvious bemusement, "Is that you won't lose it first off." He offered her that same, toothy grin that always characterized him in these moments.

"But know, that knife comes with a job. If anything happens to me...promise me, you'll look after whatever clan we build together. Alright?" The fact that he'd say as much meant one thing. Though she wasn't a weaponmaster or anything of the sort yet, he trusted that she would be. And, above all, he trusted Safira. Plain and simple. He knew that she would never let him, or anything they grew, down. And thus, he felt confident in placing this weight on her shoulders - for she could handle it like any beskar'gam. She could handle anything really.

 

[Safira Haran]

Golbah City | [member=Isley Verd]

Safira grinned, and shook the bouncing curls on her head briefly. He was always so willing and ready to give up whatever he had to make others happy. To make her happy. As the slender fingers curled around the hilt to release it from his grasp, she found her mind lingering on what the gesture meant. Perhaps she was imagining it but it felt as though there was a deeper meaning to it all, it meant something more than just a reward for hitting a window. The blade caught a ray of breaking dawn and cast a slither of bright light on her sable skin. 'I won't lose it. I promise.' Though she directed her speech at him, the might night pearls in her face wouldn't move from the from the engravings on the knife. Safira knew she was clumsy, she knew she had a bit of a tendency to being absent minded about things, but she wouldn't be about this. Whatever the reason for it was, the gesture alone meant too much. She knew that if she defaulted on her promise, there would be no forgiveness, at least not from herself anyway.

He spoke, drawing her out of the cycle of thoughts that ran through her mind as she looked at the blade. An ebony brow lofted in response, the hand holding his gift dropped so the blade could be tucked into the one of the pockets of her shorts. 'I don't like hearing you speak this way.' Safira moved forward, for once graceful in her movements, like a river navigating a bend in the bank. She pressed herself against him, tucking her head under his chin as she encircled him with her arms. 'I promise, I'll watch over everyone.' Just the idea of not having Isley in her vicinity for any length of time, for any reason, was enough to make her violently nauseous. Such was the life of a warrior. You spent every day, every job, every battle wondering whether or not you'd get to come back to see the familiar, smiling faces that gave your heart a reason to keep beating.

Despite the warmth of the rising sun, Safira shuddered. 'As long as you promise not to make me keep that promise.' Drawing closer to him and burying herself into the embrace was the only thing that would stop the torrent of anxious thoughts running through her mind. 'Loosing you, in any way...' Her tone came quietly, whispered against the coffee coloured skin covering his neck. There were connotations behind his words that made her excited, he trusted her enough to look after Nya and whoever else would join them in the coming years, but that wasn't what she focused on. She focused on the pit in her stomach that only grew deeper the more she lingered on thoughts of loosing her other half. Part of her heritage was to be brave, but Safira couldn't be brave when it came to this. 'Promise me you won't ever leave us.'

 

[Isran Varad]

Location: Golbah City, Geonosis
Tag: [member="Safira Varad"]

I don't like hearing you speak this way.

There were times when the Mandalorian could tell that he pleased his beloved. At times, the signs were obvious, as they dominated her face with a smile. At others, such as when her buy'ce obscured her features, Isley just relied upon knowing the woman he had come to adore. Only mere seconds ago, he had made Safira's day with his gift. She knew how much the relic of what was meant to him - and to entrust it to her spoke volumes of his affections. If he had left his thoughts at that, she might have been pleased until the next time he decided to rudely awaken her. But.

While he tasked her with the responsibility of watching over their clan if anything happened to her...there was a fork in the meaning. His focus was upon the trust he had in her to rise to the occasion. Her focus was upon the circumstances that would cause her to have to step up. Mainly: his demise. It was a sad reality that every Mandalorian leader had to face. No battle was guaranteed to go off without a hitch. No job was guaranteed to go according to plan. Something routine could turn into his grave. Something severe could turn into his last breath. He never knew - but as his world quickly grew to encompass others in the form of a clan?

He had to think about the future. Had to think about those who would be left behind. Safira could handle the burden...but that didn't mean she'd want to. And he certainly would never want it to come to that. The way she pressed into his arms and hugged him said as much - for she was obviously now marred with a grey cloud overhead. The Mandalorian melted at her touch. His arms raised and ensnared her waist in response and held her tightly. "Hey now..." he said, speaking softly. "I'm not going anywhere. You know that."

"But, as my future riduur, we have to plan for tomorrow is all. I've no intention of leaving your side. Ever. Especially not without showing you how to hit a window, upside-down. Blindfolded. While flying." He chuckled aloud at the absurdity of his jest. "Now Saf'ika, do you want to practice more? Or would you like to call it super early and get some grub? I'm fine with either." It'd be hard to focus with the weight of the world upon her shoulders - so he'd give her an out. Just this once.

 

[Safira Haran]

Golbah City | [member=Isley Verd]​

​

They wouldn't ever know when they were going to meet their demise. It could have been today, tomorrow, or in a hundred years time but nobody had power enough to truly see. Safira couldn't do anything about the slow and eventual death that came to humans with time, but she could damn sure make certain Isley wasn't going to lose his life on a battlefield somewhere far away from home. Not only did she want to improve herself in the art of all things Mandalorian, she now had a reason too. Isley and Nya would be her motivation, the driving force behind the insatiable need to learn and grow as a warrior. From now on she would train harder, listen closer, be better. They would not die on her watch.

Isley's question came at the perfect time. Where he had assumed the pressure of her promise would distract her, it had done the opposite. For a moment she let the question linger and allowed herself to enjoy the warmth radiating from his skin. The moments of affection between the two warriors were few and far between, when you're on the battlefield you don't have time to touch, to kiss, to hold. They shared an unspoken love, a love that meant she relished the times they could be close to each other even more. She wanted the moment to last forever, but the sun was rising quickly. Soon it would be too bright to stare down the scope. 'One more try.'

She spoke as she broke the embrace, an affectionate smile lighting up her face. 'I want to see if I can get it right. Then you can take me for breakfast.' As she turned to try and set up the rifle herself this time an amused tone followed. 'But I hope you're ready to shell out. You owe me big time.' A smirk crossed her expression, which she turned to show him as she rested the rifle on the top of the wall.

 

[Isran Varad]

Location: Golbah City, The Sprawl​

Tag: [member="Safira Varad"]​

I won't lose it. I promise.

Though her words formed and escaped the sweetest lips in the 'verse, they immediately descended. Down towards the weapon that rested within her grasp. Safira was transfixed by the offering of affection that the Mandalorian had made. And, like a child during the winter holidays, her teeth were visible in a dazzling display of joy. Yet, despite her adoration of his offering, it took only a few words for the spell to be interrupted. Her eyes rose from the weapon - and in that moment he could see it in her face. She was happy...but they had set foot into the terrain that no vode wanted to acknowledge, but it existed.

She didn't like to hear him speak that way. Of course she didn't. What lover wanted to think about the plausibility of waking up one morning, knowing that the love of their life was not laying beside them? Safira certainly wouldn't want to think about a world in which her personal feet warmer was no more. And Isley didn't want to think about living a life without her frigid karking toes awaking him in the wee hours of the evening. His gift was promptly tucked away in her pocket for the time being, so that it would not be dropped, and Safira promptly crossed the distance between them.

She halted right where she belonged. Her head came to rest underneath his chin and her arms ensnared his form. Isley found his eyes lulling to a close for a moment as he breathed her in. Listening. "Well..." he began, speaking in that confident, almost arrogant tone that she'd never admit to adoring. "If the rumors are true about that Sith running around with my mug, it takes a planet exploding to kill me. Temporarily. So, if even a planet going boom can't keep me down.." He leaned back slightly so that he could see her eyes.

"Then you won't have to keep that promise. You won't lose me. You're stuck with me, actually." And with that, the Mandalorian dipped his head for a moment, stealing just a taste of those sweetest lips in the Galaxy. "Now then. Breakfast. What're you craving? Caf? Tea? A side of me?"

Who was he kidding. He was the main course.