Private Nightmares Never Forgotten | Alora

[Rylan Kordel]

Memories flashed and rippled through the sleeping mind, long forgotten or repressed horrors the mind didn't want to remember anymore, lately, they had become more and more frequent, attacking the Dark Jedi's sleep as nightmares, triggering panic attacks and almost forcing insomnia in some cases.

Smoke filled the air, as the sound of blaster fire filled the air, Master Cyrus Vol stood tall deflecting blaster fire back at the droids as they moved forward, 'No, no no no, not this again...' Rylan muttered to himself, his voice so much younger as a hand gripped his arm, pulling him to his feet, looking over, it was Commander Jaeger. A clone the young Jedi had grown to love and respect as a brother over the first years of the war, but Jaeger was dead, how could he be... "Jaeger!" there was an explosion...

The scene changed but remained the same, the battle was far different though. The torn and tattered bodies of men and women laying around the village brought rage to the man, he gripped the axes in his hands with newfound hate, striking down the invaders who attacked this place, killing the innocents who helped him after his crash landing. The fight was brutal and bloody, the smell and taste of the air were full of death, and he gasped as he felt the bite of a blade...

Rylan bolted up, sweat pouring off of him as he quickly moved to the edge of the bed, trying to fight back the panic and anxiety, his hand moving to his side, feeling the long scar inflicted on him, a groan escaped his lips, it was still slightly tender, and after the last few weeks he had experienced, he only more aware of the scars, both physical and mental. He shuddered slightly, trying to keep himself from a breakdown, breathing hard, he was barely aware of his surroundings, almost forgetting he was sharing his bed with another, who probably was startled awake by his panic...

Tag: Alora Fae

 

[Alora Fae]

Sleep had never been any trouble for Alora. They had a passing if a little turbulent friendship. Sometimes, she would go a day or two without it purely by choice, other times she could hardly force her eyes to remain open. Tonight in particular had been one of those occassions where it was eager to take her, and she was eager to allow it. After spending the night with Rylan, Alora and sleep were on exceedingly good terms.

Time passed differently in sleep. Whether hours felt like seconds or minutes felt like hours, you were never quite aware of it until you woke up and glanced bleary eyed at the clock. So, when Alora was forcefully dragged from her peaceful slumber, it had felt like days since her head had first hit the pillow. So, when she forced her emerald eyes to stare at the burning lumencant time displayed on the clock, Alora couldn't help but sigh.

It was too late for her to have woken up naturally. As her hand did its best to shift some of the sleep she turned to face the man she shared a bed with. Half expecting to find him still sound asleep, she was more than surprised to find him instead sitting on the edge of the bed. His whole body seemed to be shaking softly, vibrating the sheets and the bed around him. "You are hurt?" Her eyes fought to remain open. Even the silvery light of the moon that invaded the room through the thin spaces between the blinds stung her retinas.

As she shuffled closer his outline became a little less blurred, enough to see the hand clutched at his side. Without meaning anything by it save for the immediate concern that shadowed her mind, Alora frowned deeply. The question she had posed earlier had been doused in the remenants of sleep, but now she was awake, and she could tell that it was moot. In fact, it wasn't just pointless, it was stupid. Rylan wasn't injured, or at least not in a way that Alora could fix with a bacta patch.

Flame red hair sticking out in all directions shifted slowly as she pulled herself nearer. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, but she could see how violently it shivered. A slender hand covered in milk-white flesh reached out to touch the chistled muscles rippling across his back. "Rylan?" Her tone was soft, gentle even, one that she may have even used for a frightened child. When she was close enough to wrap her arms around his middle, she did just that. Her shocking ginger locks splayed wildly across his back as she nestled her head into the crook of his neck. "What is wrong?"

Rylan Kordel ​

 

[Rylan Kordel]

He tensed up at the feeling of hands, almost reaching for his saber before snapping to reality, he hadn't realized he had awoken Alora, which made him feel rather guilty, and she likely would tell "Nightmares... the past." he whispered, his body still not unwinding from the adrenaline coursing through him from the vivid memories. Why they had kicked up so much more frequently, he didn't know, and the guilt of surviving those events was eating him alive the more and more they came to mind, all the years of his long-lived life seemed to be breaking free from the confinements of his mind.

With Alora pressed into his back, he let out a sigh, trying to relax his mind, still, the images flashed when he closed his eyes, haunting him, reminding him of the things he'd seen and dealt with, maybe it was just the force and the galaxies way of reminding Rylan of all the horrible events and things he'd done and been a part of...

"Sorry I disturbed your rest, my love..."

Alora Fae ​

 

[Áine]

Wrong char, please delete <3

 

[Alora Fae]

Alora’s brows knitted together, until fine creases formed across the bridge of her nose. She disliked when he assumed he inconvenienced her. Most would have considered trying to convince Rylan that he was nothing but a pleasure to be with like trying to chew through stone. There were, from time to time, some cracks in the stone. But at times like these, when shadows of the past plagued him waking or sleeping, it was almost as though they were cemented shut again. Most would have felt frustrated at the fact and given up long ago, but not Alora.

Rylan, in these moments, did not seem hard like stone. He seemed vulnerable, and timid, even if he tried not to let it show. She wanted nothing more than to hold him, and to promise him everything would be alright, but they both knew it was an empty promise. The future was uncertain, it always was and always would be. “You did not disturb me.” Her soft lips peppered a few gentle kisses over the curve of his neck as she settled against him.

One of her free hands reached up to stroke through his hair tenderly. She knew of the things that plagued his mind, but he spoke of them more in his sleep than he did when he was awake. “This has been happening more, yes?” She spoke in a whisper as her lips pulled away and her gaze fixed on the side of Rylan's head. The hand that had stroked through his hair pulled away long enough to make the sign for affectionate concern in his peripheral vision, followed by the sign for comfort.

Rylan Kordel ​

 

[Rylan Kordel]

He melted against Alora at her touch and kisses, his eyes closed tight trying to push the nightmares back and away, he could hear her words, a small sigh of relief at not disturbing her escaped his lips. The next question made Rylan nod just a little, "Yes..." was all he could really manage to say, he didn't know how to explain it any better, or convey what was triggering these nightmares again.

Seeing the signs, he lifted his hand, signing his appreciation and admiration for her presence in these trying times. "How many nights do you just sit here and worry about me while I toss and turn with these troubles?" he asked quietly, voice barely more than a whisper, his hand signing the feelings of sorrow and regret. He felt like he wasn't being fair to her with how often he'd been fighting his inner demons and thrashing in their sleep, always twisting and contorting, trying not to lash out and things not there.

Alora Fae​

 

[Alora Fae]

When his body relaxed into hers, Alora put a soft smile on her face.

“I do not worry for you.” She spoke gently, a quiet whisper that even in the silence of the room was hard to hear. “You are stronger than you know.” Her hand lowered from his head to press against his chest, where she could feel his heart beating a familiar rhythm. It was slightly more erratic than she was used to, no doubt due to the nightmare that had woken him, but it was still his. “We have a saying, at home. What is trouble now is later defining.” Though he likely couldn’t see her face, she still grinned. “It sounds better in Ocatan.”

When he began to sign, Alora caught his hand, entwining her fingers around his until it was impossible to tell whose was whose. “You should not be sorry, and you should not regret. I know you do not believe, but everything takes place for a reason. One day you will look back and you will be able to mark the path that makes you the man you will become.” Alora brought his hand, and hers, to join her other on his chest.

When they met, she moved her left hand to form signs of her own. Dedication, admiration, love and unwavering trust. “I will be here with you through it all, no matter how long it takes and even beyond that. We share this unknown path, and together we will map it.”

Rylan Kordel ​