Private The Depths Below

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

When Miri's blade impaled the siren, Kyell felt huge relief instantly as her claws were no longer tightening into his arms. But it was short-lived, as the last of the three attacked Miri, grabbed her by the throat, and bit down into her with its razor-sharp teeth. The adrenaline within him, but especially the anger he suddenly felt made him completely numb to his own pain.

It was unlike him to ever feel this way about anything but to feel her pain echo between them was too much for even his calm nature to accept.

So with great speed, he closed the distance and jabbed two fingers into the Siren's eyes, ensuring that in its pain, it would first remove its teeth from Miri's flesh. It screamed in agony as blood muddied the water all around them, but Kyell wasn't done yet — his other hand gripped tightly around the Siren's throat with so much strength that it crushed something inside. Anger flashed into his eyes as his jaws clenched, and with his free hand, he summoned Miri's lightsaber into his hand.

The emitter turned and with a quick tap of the activation switch, he burned a hole through the brain of the Siren, killing her after having nearly crushed her to death in his grip.

<T> "Miri..." he blinked several times, the anger fading, and quickly swam towards her to apply pressure to the injury if she needed help. <T> "It's alright, they're gone..." he looked worried and looked into her eyes to see if she was going to be okay.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Miri was only distantly aware of the death of the siren or Kyell’s rage, pain overtaking her senses. Saltwater stung the wound, though it would at least provide a form of rudimentary sterilization.

A more sinister burning sensation in her veins warned her of the presence of venom. Reaching out through the Force, she tried to purge her body of the toxin. It dissipated in the water along with her blood, but she still felt lightheaded.

Kyell’s hand upon her shoulder made her flinch, kicking her feet in the water as an automatic reaction to the pain of the pressure on her wound. She gradually began to calm down, noticing the deep scratches gouged into his shoulders.

<We need to get out of here,> she said. The breath saved in her lungs felt spent. She needed fresh air. <Forget exploring the rest of this place. You’re hurt.> In her delirium, she seemed to have forgotten her own injuries. <There’s got to be a way out.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Easy there," he said with a more gentle smile after she reacted to his touch. She was getting weaker, either from blood loss or the need to get some air again - perhaps both. Either way, he agreed that it was time to get out of here. Whatever these ruins held, it wasn't worth getting badly injured over.

<T> "You're hurt, too, and I couldn't agree more," he said before he moved to swim towards the door. It had closed on them, but it was the first logical thing to try and get to open up again. But while he looked for something to trigger the door, or some kind of idea to break it open, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. <T> "Hey uh, sorry I keep getting you into these situations," Kyell began as he tried whatever he could to force the doors to open.

<T> "I know it all really sucks, but... I'm glad at least you're with me for it," he tried his best to show an underwater grin, knowing it probably sounded a bit cheesy. But with poison running through his veins, both of them suffering from blood loss, and a need to get fresh air again, he was afraid.

A frown followed as he gave up on opening the door and looked at her, <T> "Do you think your lightsaber can get through? It's pretty thick, and we're definitely pissing off some more scholars with it... but I can live with that."

 

[Miri Nimdok]

A feeling of intense fatigue permeated Miri’s muscles. Struggling to keep up with Kyell, she wished she could just latch on to him and be carried back to the surface. But she forced herself to stay awake and aware.

She could only muster up a weak smile at Kyell’s apology, but his comment about ruining the door made her scoff. <Forget the scholars, loverboy. No artifact is worth dying over.>

Taking her lightsaber from him, she plunged the blade into the door and tried to cut through it… only to black out from the strain, losing her grip on the hilt as she went limp.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Loverboy?"

He blinked and turned to watch her plunge the lightsaber into the door, but right as she did, he felt a shift within her. She was completely spent and lost all her strength very rapidly before blacking out completely. Panic struck him instantly, but without any hesitation, he swam over and wrapped an arm around her to pull her close against him.

With his other hand, he grabbed the lightsaber and pushed it deeper into the stone until it began to crack. Come on... he gritted his teeth and pushed everything he had to set them free.

...

<T> "Miri? Miri, wake up, come on..." he tried to tell her after he had laid her down on her back on the beach, and towered over her. It hadn't been easy to carry her back up from so far below, but helping her was more important to him than anything, so he pushed through. Now, he could feel that she was still alive, but she felt weak and it worried him greatly.

<T> "It's okay, you're going to be okay," he continued as he checked for breathing and readied himself to apply CPR if he couldn't hear her breathe.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

When next she awoke, she was being carried through the water. Too weak to do much, she let Kyell do the heavy lifting of dragging her onto the beach, relishing the fresh air she now had access to.

Blinking against the sunlight, she saw Kyell leaning over her, looking very worried even as he insisted she was going to be okay. “I don’t know about that,” she muttered, her expression deathly serious. “Maybe you should do mouth-to-mouth just to be sure.”

She was a little loopy, perhaps, but not totally incoherent. “Or we could go to a hospital, since I’m pretty sure I still got some venom in me, and those look nasty.” She gingerly tapped the edges of the torn flesh on his shoulders, then looked at his face. Her gaze softened as she sensed how tired he was, and she was hit by guilt. “I’m sorry, Kyell. Next time I’ll carry you.”

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Alright," he said, having heard the mouth-to-mouth comment. The rest hardly mattered for a second, as he leaned in close and pressed his lips against hers. Still salty, but he loved it anyway. <T> "But you're right, let's get you some medical help first. I'll be fine," he tried to assure her.

It was sweet that she cared so much about his injury even now, but he was more worried about her in this case. Getting bitten in the neck and blacking out underwater weren't things to take lightly.

Then she apologized, and he just shook his head with a smirk while he lifted her off the ground <T> "You don't have to say sorry, I'm glad I was able to help you," he said before he began to move away. In this case, he wasn't sure if she needed to be carried but unless she asked to be put down, he'd carry her to the closest road so he could get her to a hospital as quickly as possible.

<T> "Once this is over, we'll have some fun without getting hurt, hm?"

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Miri didn’t expect him to actually take her up on her suggestion, but it was hardly unwelcome. In fact, she groaned audibly when he pulled away, her face then coloring with embarrassment. The flush was a welcome sight compared to the waxy pallor she’d had when he first pulled her from the water.

“I can walk,” she said, determined not to be carried around anymore. Calling upon the Force to steady herself, she managed to make it off the beach and onto the street.

<T> "Once this is over, we'll have some fun without getting hurt, hm?"

<Yeah,> she said cheerfully. <Provided I don’t turn into one of those siren things because it bit me.> She took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. <If I do turn into one, I promise I won’t eat you.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

Kyell could only smirk when he heard her groan, thinking she was quite cute when she blushed. He then gently swept aside some of her hair before helping her up to her feet. This time, she seemed adamant about walking herself and that was no problem for him. At most, he offered his shoulder for support, or just a hand to hold if she wanted to.

<Provided I don't turn into one of those siren things because it bit me.>

He paused a second and seemed a tad nervous when she squeezed his hand, <T> "Yeah... you better not eat me," he finally said before some air escaped his lips to show his amusement. <T> "There's so much more that I'd like to do before I get torn apart," he smirked and squeezed her hand in return.

<T> "Once we're cleared from the hospital, maybe a movie night on my ship? Or yours if mine is too... basic." He then turned his eyes to the road and tried to signal for some help, or for someone to call an ambulance. They didn't exactly have a car, so they'd need help to get there.

Luckily, he expected that it wouldn't take too long. The injuries looked bad but bacta fixed everything.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<You know what’s funny about all this?> Miri mused. <When I was a kid, I wanted to be a mermaid. Or a Melodie, I guess. But that—> She pointed toward the ocean. <That is definitely not what I had in mind.>

Kyell, undeterred by their little misadventure, was already making plans for what to do after they got back from the hospital. <Yes please,> she agreed with his suggestion. <Well, I don’t know what your ship looks like. Is it that bad?> Pausing, she added, <Speaking of which, how much time do you have before you have to go back to… Jedi duties?>

While he tried to catch the attention of passing speeders, Miri waved him off. <Here, let me try. I saw this in a movie once…>

Tossing her wet hair back and stretching one long leg forward, she struck a pose on the side of the road in full view of passing traffic. Within seconds, the brakes of a passing speeder screeched to a halt beside them.

<Looks like this bikini is good for something after all.>

…

“You got bit by a what?” the hospital nurse, a droid with a feminine voice, asked.

“A man-eating mermaid,” Miri replied, fingering the bacta patch now affixed to her wound. She pointed toward Kyell. “And this quiet gentleman was scratched by another one. We killed them in self-defense and got away, but I’ve felt terrible ever since, so I’m pretty sure they were venomous.”

The nurse stared at Miri, probably copying the information down somewhere in its droid brain, but it looked like it was gawking at her. “We don't having man-eating mermaids here on Jerrilek. Where were you when this happened?”

Miri hesitated. Should they lie to avoid getting in trouble? What if there were other sirens in the ruins, and someone else got hurt because they didn’t warn them? Ugh, the last thing she needed was more deaths on her conscience. “We were exploring those million year old underwater ruins,” she admitted. “We found a key that opened a door, and they were inside.”

The droid gasped. “You were trespassing on the galaxy’s oldest known archaeological site?”

Miri raised a slanted eyebrow, looking more annoyed by the second. “No, I said we were exploring it. I have an archaeology license issued by the University of Alderaan.” Glancing at Kyell, she quickly added, “And he does too, but he forgot his at home.”

<I’ll get you one later if we can make it through all this bureaucratic red tape,> she told Kyell telepathically. <Then you can go to any archaeological site in the galaxy, and nobody can stop you.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "I'm glad it's not what you had in mind, I'd be a bit worried," he said with a grin as he tried to get the attention of vehicles passing by, but it didn't seem to really work at all. Then again, two bloodied young adults in swimwear weren't exactly something most people would want in their speeder probably.

<T> "It's not bad, just a little... small. But it can work if you don't mind that," he answered before he paused at her question, <T> "I still have a week or so, then I can be expected to be given a new assignment. Plenty of time, right?" he said before he finally gave up on trying to get people to stop. Miri, however, seemed to have an idea.

Watching her toss back her hair and stretch out her leg got his eyes to widen for a moment, and within a literal second, one of the speeders stopped and someone got out to greet them. Kyell blinked, and quickly took a subtle step closer to Miri while one hand gently settled against her back. <T> "Seems like it," he smiled sheepishly as he almost felt a need to be a little protective. It was possible some weirdo stopped, right?

Luckily, it wasn't the case and they'd soon be on their way.

...

In the hospital, Kyell just quietly listened to the conversation between Miri and the nurse droid, who seemed to be getting on her nerves with all its questions, especially the accusation of trespassing. In a way, they were probably doing something that most archeologists didn't really like... but it was just innocent exploration.

<T> "That would be useful. I have a feeling this won't be the last time we find ourselves in a place like that," he said with a grin, but it was the truth. As dangerous as it was, adventures like that were too exciting to give up on, even if they sparked frequent trips into a bacta tank.

Speaking of which, once everything was sorted out, Miri and Kyell were separated and given care in their own rooms. The flesh wounds on his shoulder were quick to be healed up, so he soon found himself in the lounge, waiting for her to get back.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Hello there.>

Miri appeared standing in front of Kyell in the lounge, her hands on her hips. Looking much better, she was now clad in hospital-issue clothes—the kind that looked like pajamas. Unfortunately, they were not purple.

<I believe we have a date. > She held out a hand to pull him to his feet. <You said something about movie night at your place?>

After all that had transpired, Miri just wanted some peace and quiet. With the venom treated (turns out her attempt at filtering it out with the Force hadn’t worked very well, but her connection to the cosmic web had always been fickle) and some painkillers in her system, she was more or less back to normal.

But despite her tough exterior, when Kyell stood up she suddenly moved to embrace him. All the worry and tension of their past encounters with rats, evil masks, and hungry sirens were in that hug. She sighed, relieved that they were both okay, but the tension didn’t completely go away.

She didn’t think it ever would, so long as more adventures lay in store for them.

<About those sirens…> she began, resting her chin against his chest as she looked up at him slyly. <Why do you suppose their tricks worked on you, but not on me?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Hey! You look much better." he said as he tapped his neck where she had been bitten not that long ago. <T> "Feel better, too?" he asked before he took the extended hand and pulled himself up. Much like her, he still had the strange hospital clothing on, so they looked like quite the pair, but it didn't bother him at all.

He was just happy to be somewhere safe with her for a change.

<T> "A movie, I'll make us some dinner and-" he paused and raised his shoulders as she suddenly moved to embrace him. Her worries and relief echoed into his mind, and his own were there to match them. Gently, he then wrapped his arms around her and kept her in a tight hug while a hand rubbed over her back in a more comforting manner.

<About those sirens…>

He looked down and tilted his head slightly at the question that followed. It wasn't really something he had thought about much, probably because he had been so focused on surviving it, but he had an idea as to why it was. <T> "Well, probably because I was the easier target? Even with the lessons, your mind is still stronger than mine," he said but his serious expression quickly shifted into a more playful smirk.

<T> "Or maybe I just looked tastier so they focused on me, but I kinda doubt that." Kyell then leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead. <T> "I'll keep practicing so it won't happen again. Nothing feels worse than putting you at risk because I can't control myself."

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Yes. I trust you’re feeling better as well?> The scratches on his shoulders were covered up by his clothes. She knew his injuries were less severe compared to hers, but focusing on them allowed her to deny her own vulnerability.

Well, that and she did have something of a… maternal instinct, as it were. An inclination to care for others at the expense of herself.

A movie and dinner? This date was sounding better and better. The thought crossed her mind—stay the night—but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. She kept forgetting that they’d only known each other for a few days. It felt like weeks or months had gone by.

His explanation of the sirens’ hold over him was a sound one, but she wasn’t through teasing him yet. <It had nothing to do with their beauty?> she asked, raising an eyebrow before laughing. <Come on, let’s get out of here. Maybe I can give you some more lessons in psychic warfare later.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Much better now," he said while he kept her close a little longer. The injuries had healed perfectly fine, but the real reason he was feeling better was that she was safe. Shielded and cared for in his arms, and no longer threatened by his lack of self-control or, well, dangerous creatures that tried to kill them during their adventures.

Looking down at her, it was almost strange to think how he went from having no friends to having someone he cared for so deeply already, and only after a couple of days. Was it the Force that brought them together so naturally, or was there just something about her that made it easy for him to love her company so much? Maybe both? He wasn't quite sure yet, but he intended to find out and enjoy each minute they spent together.

<T> "Well, they were very, veeery beautiful..." he teased right back, <T> "But no, I don't think so. I had someone much more beautiful with me, after all," he smiled at her and joined her laughter with his silent version of it. Finally, he pulled back from the hug and took her hand before he began to guide her back to his ship.

...

<T> "Well, what do you think?" Kyell asked as the doors opened and they entered the ship together. It was rather small, definitely built for a single person, but it was very clean and cozy. He clearly took good care of his living environment, so as long as she didn't mind squeezing a little to move around or sit together, it would be just fine.

<T> "I was thinking I'd cook something up for us first, and we relax on the couch with a movie?" he suggested, which got his mind to think about what came after the movie. Would it be too much to have her spend the night here already? It was a little nerve-racking to him, but at the same time exciting... maybe he'd just see where the night took them. <T> "I have some wine as well and..." he moved over to a cabinet with a big smile, and pulled out some candles.

<T> "Gotta have a good atmosphere, right?"

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Ah!> She grinned at him and shook her head, her cheeks flushed. <Nice save.>

And then they were off to Kyell’s ship. It was a fairly unadorned shuttle, standard issue for Jedi with nothing but the bare bones. <You know, these things are courier shuttles,> she remarked as she squeezed inside. <We had them in the Silvers too. They just slap the Jedi logo on the side and call it a “Jedi shuttle”. They are kinda cute, though—in a dinky sort of way…>

She wasn’t a fan of small enclosed spaces, but this wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t like being confined in a coffin-sized box. She couldn’t handle that, not after what she’d been through as a child. But that… was a story for another time.

Right now she was just happy to be here.

<You just happened to have wine lying around?> she asked, using the limits of the space she could stand in as an excuse to hug up close to him. <And candles?>

Of course, he might’ve bought them recently, but it was far more amusing to think he’d had them for a while, just waiting for the right opportunity to use them.

Wrapped around him as she was and in private now, Miri became more conscious of how thin the material of those hospital pajamas was. The nature of her touch changed, growing a bit more cautious, but it was hard to pull away completely. She was still holding back, if only by the thinnest of threads.

<...What will you make for dinner?> she asked, trying to keep her mind on track.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

With his confidence boosted a little by his 'nice save', he walked through his shuttle and looked at her. Somehow, she seemed to know more about his ship than he did, which... wasn't all that surprising, really. <T> "Yeah, it's not much, but I don't really need a lot to feel comfortable."

His eyes then shifted to the candles and a more sheepish smile covered his lips, <T> "Well, I uh, got them for this, actually. I never really drank wine before, but I read somewhere that it was perfect for a good romantic, steak dinner..." he trailed off, having answered her question about what was for dinner at the same time. He wasn't an amazing cook by any stretch of the imagination, but he knew how to prepare a good steak. Together with a salad and some fries, it would hopefully make for a good dinner.

<T> "Just need to know how you'd like yours," he continued as he tried his best not to burn bright with how close they were standing, still in their hospital pajamas. Her touch was more sensitive, and so was his, which made it all the more exciting and nerve-racking at the same time, especially for someone as inexperienced as him.

But with her, it hardly mattered — she made him feel comfortable, and every moment spent with her felt right. It was just getting increasingly more difficult to keep going slow.

<T> "Oh and let me know if you get cold, I'm sure I have a sweater laying around somewhere." he smiled sheepishly again and looked down while he gently tightened the hug and let his hand trail over her back with a careful touch.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Sounds pretty good.> She shrugged. <I like mine with just a little bit of pink in the middle. If it's not too much trouble…>

She smiled faintly at a sudden vision of how they must look from the outside. Two people standing in complete silence, yet perfectly content with each other's company…

<T> "Oh and let me know if you get cold, I'm sure I have a sweater laying around somewhere."

Blinking, she flushed, her skin prickling at the sensation of his hand trailing down her back. Man, these pajamas were too thin. <No, I'm not not cold. Really. I just…>

No words seemed to be enough. So she shut up and kissed him.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Not at all, I'll make sure it's perfect."

Just a few days ago, even his wildest dreams wouldn't have put him in a situation like this, hugging a girl in his tight little ship, wearing hospital pajamams because some mermaids tried to kill them. And man, these pj's were really thin...

His thoughts trailed off for a moment until he was snapped back to reality when she moved to kiss him. It forced him back against the wall, where he found his balance again and brought up a hand to cup her cheek. This time, there was no need to rush anything, so he enjoyed the moment and allowed time to pass without even thinking about it.

<T> "I'll go ahead and make those steaks before we get too... distracted," he whispered against her lips after the kiss finally broke for a moment, <T> "If you make yourself comfortable, I'll be right there with you again." It was hard not to just stand here kissing her for hours, but he figured it would only add to the tension if he took a moment to make their food. And he was enjoying the romantic tension between them quite a lot.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Just when it was starting to look like they wouldn’t even make it through dinner, let alone a movie, Kyell stopped her and reality came rushing in.

<Right… right, yeah.> She stepped away, smoothing her clothes and trying to steady her breathing. <Okay. Yes. I’m hungry.>

Miri took the walk of shame over to find a seat while Kyell cooked. Three days. That was apparently all it took…

Unlike Kyell, she’d been in a relationship before. But that had been over for a couple years now, and between the death of her father and everything else that had been going on lately, she didn’t have much of a love life. At any rate, she wasn’t used to crazy passion-fueled whirlwind romance. It was nice, but also terrifying. Like being on a roller coaster.

In other words, she didn't know she had it in her to behave this way. It was quite unsettling.

Kyell Laysel​