Private The Line Between Order and Trust

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace​

He closed his eyes as she touched his face, leaning his head into her hand a bit more, un bothered by the touch and embracing the intimacy behind it.

“I knew how to speak the ancient tongue since before I could remember, it’s engrained into our culture. A second language to us.”

He leaned his head against hers, breathing deeply as he enjoyed the moment with her, his hand that held her shoulder gently holding up the back of her neck for support, his hands also working a slight tension in her neck as he held her close.

Everything around them simply became nonexistent to him. There was scenery but his attention was only on one.

Her hand came up to brush his hair back as she spoke. A gentle tenderness that he knew she did not offer often. A closeness that was developed between them that not only broke and crumbled walls, but shattered them.

He spoke softly to her as his eyes remained closed.

“I think back to our first meeting a lot. How we spoke with each other, even then there seemed to be something unspoken, while we did not even know about it. We both held out a hand to each other, and we both took hold.”

He smiled back at her as she pulled back, the shadows casting leaf-like designs over her face like a mask.

A slight exhale escaped his lips after she spoke, normally he would have some quick comment to say back to her, but the words and how she said it struck him in some way that he could not think of words. Instead he felt a call to action.

Leaning forward as she did, his lips gently pressed to her, holding her close in a warm embrace.

Before he deepened the kiss he pulled back just slightly, he breathed slowly as he whispered to her.

“Wow, you actually got me to shut up for a moment.”

He chuckled as he leaned forward again, a deeper kiss pulling her to him as the heat from the spring danced with small waves around them from their movements, clouds of steam interrupted in small string-like swirls as they moved.

The runic brands among his body ceased their pulsing, faintly did the light dim, still with a slight constant glow. His arm moved from her legs and his now free hand gently placed over her cheek, an almost mimicking touch that she had done with him as his thumb gently traced along her cheek bone.

He slowly leaned her back towards the edge of the pool.

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren melted into the kiss without hesitation, the warmth of the spring wrapping around them like a second embrace. When he leaned her back toward the smooth edge of the pool, she allowed it easily, one arm sliding around his shoulders while the other rested against the side of his neck. The steam curled around them in soft ribbons, the quiet world of the forest holding its breath around the moment.

When he pulled back just enough to whisper, the soft laugh that escaped her was warm and genuine.

"That may be the greatest accomplishment of the morning," she murmured playfully. "Silencing you, even for a moment."

Her fingers slipped gently through his hair where she had brushed it aside earlier, smoothing the strands back again as she studied his face. The golden light dancing through the mist caught in her eyes as she looked at him, her expression softer than it had been in a very long time.

When his hand came to rest along her cheek, mirroring the gesture she had given him earlier, she leaned into the touch without thinking.

"You know," she said quietly, her voice lowered by the closeness between them, "for someone who claims to be full of surprises, you are also remarkably predictable in one way."

Her thumb brushed lightly along the line of his jaw.

"You care deeply for the people who step into your life."

The statement carried no teasing now, only a gentle certainty.

She shifted slightly where he held her, the movement bringing them just a little closer again. The water lapped quietly against the stone as the spring's warmth continued to ease the tension in their bodies.

"And I am very glad," she added softly, her forehead resting briefly against his again, "that I was one of the people who chose to take your hand that day."

For a moment, she simply stayed there with him, her fingers tracing slow, absent patterns along the back of his neck as the morning mist drifted around them.

Then her lips curved into a small, affectionate smile.

"Though if this is what happens when I succeed in making you quiet," she whispered teasingly, "I may have to attempt it more often."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace​

The water rippled as he lifted his arms, resting them over the edge of the pool on either side of her as she spoke. His eyes slightly closed as her fingers ran through his hair, as the touch seemed to circle his neck and back he slowly opened them again.

“I suppose that is an acceptable case of predictability. It’s rather difficult to hide what you don’t want hidden.”

His hand gently cradled her chin as he smiled at her.

“Just don’t tell the boys that I actually do care about some people.”

He paused for a moment.

“Some definitely more than others, but they all carry the same constant. I would be there for any of them.”

He chuckled after she shared her plan of making him quiet more often, slowly shaking his head.

“You know, if this is the treatment you want, you don’t have to ask.”

He thought on his next words.

“Although, if you start pouncing on me like some feline predator, then things would certainly get a bit more interesting.”

He paused again, then his voice came out softer.

“I am…very happy that you did take my hand, Seren.”

His lips curved, offering a soft smile as his thumb gently ran over her chin, his eyes remaining on hers.

“This galaxy is full of paths, and who knows where we would be right now if something different had happened.”

He gently pressed his lips to her forehead as his body drew closer to her.

“But I know for certain,”

“This path is one I would favor the most. Especially right now.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren leaned easily into his touch as his fingers tilted her chin, her gaze never leaving his. The warmth of the spring and the steady rhythm of his presence wrapped around her in a way that felt…grounding, in a way she had not allowed herself to feel in a very long time.

At his comment about not telling the others, a soft, amused breath slipped past her lips.

"Your secret is safe with me," she murmured. "Though I suspect it is not nearly as well hidden as you might believe."

Her hand rested lightly over his, where it held her chin, her thumb brushing faintly against his wrist in a quiet, absent gesture.

When he spoke of being there for others, of that constant within him, her expression softened further. There was no teasing in her eyes now, only a quiet understanding.

"That is not a weakness," she said gently. "It is simply…who you are."

At his next remark, the faintest spark of mischief returned, her lips curving just slightly.

"Is that so?" she replied, her tone light, almost thoughtful. "I will keep that in mind."

Her fingers traced slowly along his forearm as if considering the idea more seriously than she let on.

But when his voice softened again, when he spoke of paths and choices, the world seemed to quiet once more around them.

She felt the press of his lips against her forehead, and her eyes closed briefly at the contact.

When he drew closer, she did not move away.

"The galaxy is full of paths," she echoed softly, her voice barely above the sound of the water around them. "Most of them…fleeting. Easily lost."

Her hand rose to rest against his chest again, feeling the faint warmth beneath her palm where the runes glowed.

"But some," she continued, her gaze lifting back to his, "are chosen for a reason. Not by chance, but by something…quieter. Something deliberate."

She shifted slightly closer, her fingers brushing lightly along his jaw before settling there.

"I would choose this one as well," she admitted, her voice warm and certain.

A small, almost playful smile returned to her lips.

"Though I suspect," she added softly, "if things had gone differently, you would have simply found another way to cross my path."

Her thumb traced gently along his cheek.

"You do not strike me as someone who gives up on something once it has caught your attention."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

“Well, I am not the best at keeping secrets. I guess that itself is also no secret.”

He chuckled softly as her hand found his, the gentle caress of her thumb sending a soft chill up his arm. He eased into the touch, relaxing his body a bit more as she spoke.

A soft smile parted his lips.

“I didn't mean for that to sound like a weakness. If I didn't have anyone to care for then so much of this world would be meaningless to me. Purpose is not a weakness.”

He saw the mischievous look in her eyes about his prior comment about pouncing, then felt her hand move to his forearm, his hand gently moved from her chin to cup her cheek. His fingers gently brushing some of her hair back.

“Perhaps I certainly would not mind a surprise.”

He gave her a playful smirk as she traced over his forearm, the runes on his shoulders lightly pulsed from the thought.

His arms slowly lowered then wrapped around her waist as she spoke of paths as well. His eyes remained on hers full of undivided attention. His head tilted into her touch as her fingers lingered on his jaw.

“I am probably one of the most stubborn people you will know.”

He listened for a moment at the sounds around them. The planet was so full of life, more birds in this small area than he had probably seen on Korriban from his many travels around the planet.

“I tend to work for things that I see are worth working for.”

A breath escaped him.

“And who would have thought, I would be lucky enough to have that opportunity with you.”

He paused when he looked into her eyes again.

“...you are worth it.”

He chuckled once more.

"By far one of the most unexpected, but most welcome surprises."

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

The steam from the hot spring rose in thick, rhythmic plumes, blurring the sharp, crystalline edges of the Iloh landscape and turning the world into a private sanctuary of heat and shadow. Seren held Varin's gaze as he spoke, her expression softening with a vulnerability that felt far more revealing than the measured, scholarly mask she typically maintained. There was no teasing interruption this time, no clever deflection to guard her heart; she simply allowed herself to listen, her breathing hitching slightly as the weight of his words settled into the quiet space between them.

When he called himself stubborn, a trace of a smile finally touched her lips, fragile, genuine, and carrying an intensity that spoke of things she was not yet ready to name.

"Stubborn?" she echoed, her voice dropping to a low, melodic murmur that seemed to vibrate in the springs' humid air. "I had not noticed, though perhaps I was simply too occupied with the conviction behind your choices to label them so easily."

The warmth in her tone was undeniable, yet it was the change in her eyes that betrayed the true depth of her shift. As he spoke of purpose and declared that she was worth it, her fingers stilled against his arm, the rhythmic tracing of his skin faltering as if the sheer honesty of his statement had struck a chord she had spent years trying to mute. She did not look away, but the carefully maintained poise of Darth Eryndis slipped, allowing a raw recognition to surface beneath the glowing amber of her irises. It wasn't fear, but a profound realization of the gravity of what he was offering her, a path she had never dared to map for herself, and one that terrified her far more than any ancient ritual.

Her hand lifted slowly from the water, droplets pearling on her skin like liquid diamonds before she brushed her palm along his jaw, the touch lingering with a heavy, unspoken significance.

"You choose your paths with a terrifying amount of deliberation, Varin," she said softly, her thumb tracing the line of his cheek as if she were committing every detail of his face to a permanent memory. "That is not a gift I take lightly, nor is it a grace I ever expected to find on a world as strange and distant as this."

For a heartbeat, the unspoken truth of her feelings hovered in the air, visible in the way her gaze searched his, wide, bright, and searching for the courage to admit what her heart already knew. But instead of surrendering the words just yet, she exhaled a shaky breath and let the smallest curve return to her lips, drawing her composure back around her like a protective shroud.

"And if you are truly as stubborn as you claim," she added, her voice regaining its melodic steadiness even as her eyes remained filled with that newfound, shimmering depth, "then I suspect I will have very little success in convincing you to see yourself any differently."

She didn't break the contact, her eyes locked onto his as she silently admitted through the heat of her gaze what her lips were still too guarded to say.

"So I suppose I will simply have to see where this path leads us, and hope the destination is as certain as the man walking it."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

The change in her breathing was nearly instantly noticed by Varin. He did not point it out. He simply let the emotion be, and turn into what it was meant to be. He could see the fight that she struggled with inside and his thumb gently grazed her cheek as he held her gaze.

His voice came out in a whisper.

“You do not have to name what it is you're feeling right now.”

A gentle smile came to his face as he spoke quietly to her, his voice just loud enough to carry over the many calls from carrion around them, steam rising from his arms as if reaching for the sky.

“But you don't have to fight with it alone.”

A reminder that they tend to give each other every chance they get. His hands gently wrapped around her hand on his cheek as he slowly pulled it to his chest. The rhythmic beating within his chest, slow and strong; sounded off to her touch. The slow and deep rise and fall of his chest from the calm breath that filled and exited his lungs.

“You are not someone that I take lightly. Everything you do or say has weight to it. Weight that I cherish.”

He gently held her hand to his chest as he maintained eye contact with her. Not threatening, not just a stare. But a gesture of utter honesty that came from his body.

“The path that I walk, the one you wish to join me on, will not be easy. We may even become lost, but there's no one else I would rather be lost with.”

He slowly leaned forward as his hand released hers, his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck as he slowly pulled her closer.

"And there's still time for us to travel this road together."

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren felt the steady rhythm beneath her palm as Varin drew her hand to his chest. The strength of it was grounding in a way she hadn't expected, a stark contrast to the ethereal, shifting beauty of Iloh. For a long moment, she didn't speak. She simply listened to the cadence of his heartbeat and the rhythmic rise and fall of his breath, letting it anchor the storm of thoughts she had not yet given voice to. Here, amidst the strange glow of the wilds, his warmth was the only thing that felt entirely real.

Her gaze lifted back to his, softer now, though the amber of her eyes remained sharp, never truly unguarded. Even in this moment of quiet, the habits of a lifetime, of a woman who lived in the spaces between shadows, did not easily fall away.

When he told her she didn't have to name it, something in her expression eased. It wasn't a total surrender of her defenses, but it was enough to show she had heard him…and accepted the grace he was offering. Her fingers curled slightly against his chest, her nails catching faintly on the fabric of his clothes as if testing the reality of him, making sure he wouldn't dissolve into the moonlit mist of the planet.

"You make it sound deceptively simple," she murmured. Her voice was low, carrying a quiet honesty that rarely surfaced so openly. In the Dark Court, every word was a chess piece; here, it was just a breath.

She studied him for another heartbeat, her thumb brushing faintly against his skin where it rested over his heart. "Walking a path with someone is not something I have ever done lightly," she continued, her tone thoughtful and measured, yet no longer distant. "Most who walk beside me do not stay. Not because they cannot, but because they do not understand what it costs to stand where I stand. They see the power, but they never see the weight of the silence that follows it."

Her hand lifted slowly from his chest, though her touch lingered, trailing upward along the line of his collar before resting at the side of his neck. She could feel his pulse there, vibrant and insistent against her fingertips.

When he spoke of being lost together, her eyes shifted just slightly. Not away from him, but inward, weighing the truth of his words against her own history of isolation. Then, she exhaled softly, the sound lost to the ambient hum of the world around them.

"I do not fear being lost," she said quietly, her gaze steadied on his again. Something more certain was beginning to settle there beneath the hesitation. "I have lived most of my life in places where the path was never clear, where the map was written in shadows. I know how to find my way in the dark."

She paused, her fingers shifting slightly against his neck. "What I have learned to fear…is choosing the wrong direction and realizing, too late, that I am walking it toward a void I cannot return from."

When he drew her closer, her hand moved instinctively. Her fingers rested against the back of his wrist, not to stop the motion, but to feel the deliberate strength of it. To accept the gravity of him pulling her in. She didn't pull away; instead, she let her forehead brush lightly against his, her voice lowering to a whisper meant only for him, shielded by the vastness of Iloh.

"And yet, you make that uncertainty feel…less daunting than it should," she added, the faintest trace of a smile returning to her lips. "That may be the most dangerous thing about you, Varin. You make me want to trust the destination."

The words carried no warning. Only a truth she was finally willing to let someone else see.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

Her words fell over him as he looked at her. The steady breathing and rhythm within his chest seeming to dictate the pace of the conversation. He would only react to her words with a stoicism that showed little to no fear of what she was saying, or any doubt of his own capabilities.

“Easy paths almost never take you where you need to be.”

His voice was deep but soft.

His forehead rested against her for a long quiet moment.

“You and I have both been tried and tested throughout our travels and experiences.”

He took a deep breath.

“We have both faced the darkness and came back.”

He paused.

“Sometimes stronger. But never weaker.”

His head pulled back slowly as he looked into her.

“You are not a weak person, Seren.”

His gaze held hers as he maintained a silent contact, eye to eye.

“Those that broke when they traveled with you were not of the same temperance. They were not tested, worn or used; to be properly tested. They cracked and crumbled under that pressure.”

He fell quiet for a moment as he took a slow breath.

“You have seen my path, where it has taken me. You have seen me nearly broken, but I got back up.”

His fingers gently massaged the back of her neck, easing a bit of tension that had risen up.

“I know I can walk this path with you."

His other hand gently cupped around hers. His fingers holding her hand loosely.

"You only need to ask.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren held his gaze as he spoke, her expression remaining characteristically steady, yet the amber light within her eyes shifted and softened with the weight of every word he offered. There was no longer any trace of resistance left in her posture, nor the lingering instinct to pull back into the hollow safety of distance that had protected her throughout her life. Instead, there was only a quiet, measured acceptance of the profound connection that had finally taken root between them amidst the glowing flora of Iloh.

When he spoke of her strength and his own path, something deep within her guard gave way, yielding to a vulnerability she had never permitted another to see. Her hand tightened slightly within his own, not with the force required to restrain him, but with a deliberate pressure intended to serve as a physical answer to his touch.

"No," she said softly, her voice possessing a calm that was entirely certain of its own foundation. "I am not weak, Varin, and I have never been broken by the shadows I choose to walk among."

The words were not delivered with a defensive edge; they were simply a statement of truth, as immutable as the ancient crystals buried beneath the planet's surface. Her fingers moved against his, tracing a slow and delicate path along his knuckles as if she were grounding her very soul in the physical reality of his contact, letting the humid air of the wilds settle around them.

"And neither are you," she added, her gaze remaining locked with his as if searching for every hidden facet of his spirit. "You have walked through fires that would have shattered the resolve of most, and yet you remain here, standing tall and still choosing the direction of your own path despite the cost."

She shifted closer until the space between them was practically nonexistent, closing that last remaining fraction of distance without a single moment of hesitation.

"That kind of resilience is not something I could ever overlook or fail to respect," she murmured, her breath warm against his skin.

Her hand lifted from his to rest over his own, where he held her, her thumb beginning a quiet, steady rhythm as it brushed faintly against his skin.

"You are right about one thing," she continued, her tone dropping to a whisper that felt as though it were weaving a new reality in the silence of the moon. "Those who attempted to walk beside me in the past were never truly meant to endure the person I have become. I will not insult your intelligence by pretending otherwise just to make this truth easier for you to accept."

There was no bitterness in her confession, only the absolute clarity of a woman who had finally found her equal in the dark. Her eyes searched his once more, no longer testing his worth, but rather seeking to understand the depths of the man who stood before her.

"But you are fundamentally not like them."

The words lingered in the quiet air between them, carrying a weight of devotion that she was not yet ready to name aloud, but which vibrated through the Force nonetheless. Her fingers slid gently along the back of his neck, easing into the touch he had given her and mirroring the gesture with a natural, unthinking grace.

"If you are truly choosing to walk this path with me," she said with a quiet, fierce intensity, "then you must realize that you will never have to walk it in solitude again."

A small, shaky breath left her, her voice losing its edge of command and becoming something meant only for his ears.

"And I suppose that means I won't have to either."

Her forehead brushed against his, her presence merging with his in a way that made the rest of the galaxy feel like a distant, fading dream.

"If there is ever a burden you carry or something you find yourself needing from me," she whispered, her thumb tracing the line of his jaw with a possessive tenderness. "You only ever need to ask, Varin, and it shall be yours."

A faint smile touched her lips, warmer and steadier than any he had seen before, reflecting a bond that transcended mere alliance.

"We are far more dangerous together than we could ever hope to be apart."

It was not a threat to the world, but a sacred promise to the man standing in front of her.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

He had felt closer to her at this moment than he had ever felt since he had met her. Revealing a vulnerability in her eyes that he knew she kept under a tight guard.

His words he could tell struck true through her walls at some of the right points. He knew that what she felt for him was deeply genuine, in a way, she never had to tell him what it was she felt for him. Her eyes told him everything.

Her touch told him everything. Even her breathing.

She had let go of something that she held an iron grip over for some time. He knew what it looked like when someone stripped themselves of armor, revealing their most vulnerable.

Her words were not a strategic fencing match, it was simple fact and it was complex emotion. Both meeting together into something she dared never to show anyone.

And she showed it to him.

He gave her silence as she gifted him words. He gave her arms to hold while she drew closer.

Both gave, and both received.

Her touch lingered on the back of his neck as a slow shaking breath left his chest, his forehead resting on hers as the feeling of the hot spring became a distant memory at this point in time.

anything he would ever need?

What could he need?

His head pulled back as he looked at her and into her. Searching her eyes as she searched his. He already knew what he needed from her.

His hand gently fell back to her waist as he slowly leaned into her ear. A soft whisper escaping his lips as his breath brushed across her neck.

“I just need you. The real you.”

He gently kissed her cheek as his other arm wrapped over her shoulders into an embrace that enveloped her far deeper than any prior embrace he had given her.

His body shaking ever so slightly.

“And I will continue to give you the true me.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren stilled the moment his breath brushed against her ear, the weight of his whispered words anchoring her in a way the Force never could. For the first time since their paths had intertwined, the immediate, polished response failed to surface; there was no carefully constructed phrasing or layered meaning hidden behind the safety of a composed mask. Instead, she allowed a quiet, suspended moment to stretch between them, letting everything he had said settle deeply into her spirit until the truth of it became undeniable.

The real you.

Her breath caught, a subtle, jagged hitch unmistakable in the silence, as his arms coiled around her, drawing her into an embrace tighter and more certain than any they had shared before. She could feel the slight, rhythmic tremor radiating through his body, and that evidence of his own mounting stakes reached through the final fractures of her defenses more effectively than any blade or spell.

Slowly, almost tentatively at first, her hands began to move in response to the heat of him. One came to rest flat against his chest, her palm absorbing the steady, thrumming rhythm of his heart, while the other slid upward along the broad span of his back. Her fingers curled instinctively into his flesh lightly, returning the embrace without a shred of her usual hesitation. This wasn't a move dictated by a master, nor was it a tactical play for influence. It wasn't controlled, it wasn't measured, it was simply devastatingly real.

"You already have more of that than anyone else ever has," she said softly, her voice falling to a near-whisper that was stripped of its typical, melodic cadence.

She let her forehead rest against the rougher line of his jaw, her eyes fluttering closed as she simply allowed herself to exist within the gravity of his closeness. The world of courts and shadows felt a lifetime away.

"I do not let people see me without the walls I have built," she continued, the raw honesty in her tone carrying a physical weight she made no effort to soften or disguise. "It is not because I lack the ability to be vulnerable... but because I know that once those stones are moved, there is no taking the exposure back."

Her fingers tightened their grip against his back, a gesture born of absolute certainty rather than lingering fear.

"And I am not someone who gives that kind of access lightly, if ever."

Pulling back just enough to find his gaze again, she looked up at him with amber eyes that were no longer shielded by the golden sheen of her rank. The strength was still present, burning as brightly as ever, but it was now paired with an openness that was entirely her own, a choice made in the dark.

"But you asked for the real me," she said, her voice regaining its steadiness, infused now with a quiet warmth. "Not the shadow shaped for the Dark Court, nor the scholar obsessed with survival at any cost."

Her hand lifted, her touch light and lingering as she brushed her fingers along the curve of his cheek, mirroring the affection he had shown her.

"So you will have her. All of her."

The declaration wasn't grand or theatrical; it was a quiet vow, spoken with the finality of a death sentence and the hope of a new beginning. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a level meant only for the space between their lips.

"And if what you truly need is me...then you already possess more than you realize, Varin."

A faint, genuine smile touched her lips, an expression that belonged to no persona and served no agenda. It was the smile of Seren, not Eryndis.

"Because I am not walking away from this path we've found," she murmured, her thumb tracing a slow, tender line along his cheekbone. "Or from you."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

He dared not cut her off with words, he let her speak. Responses given in breath, and eye contact. The tenderness of her touch eased his guard lower than he had ever let it. A smile graced his lips when she agreed to give him her, the true her. Though hevalready had more of her than he may have noticed.

The smile was not big by any means, but it held a genuineness that superseded any former he had offered.

“I know you keep yourself closely guarded. I do not fault you for it.”

His hand gently reached and touched her wrist, his fingers lightly running down the length of her forearm to her hand, meeting her touch with a soft touch of his fingers along with hers.

“We all don armor, sometimes that is the easiest part and the way for us to feel safest.”

His eyes closed for a moment, the only sound escaping him was his breathing as he took slow deep breaths. Not a moment of silence to find his words, but a moment to relish in this time with her.

“When you wear that armor for so long, it becomes part of you. It makes it so hard to remove. Some people grow dependent on that armor.”

He looked back at her.

“We burden ourselves with its weight for so long that to lose the weight, we lose meaning in what we carry.”

His fingers gently wrapped around her hand, the warmth of his body wrapping around the both of them as the present of the spring slowly returned to them. Accompanying them with the steam was a soft layer of smoke that had surrounded their spring, a curtain of privacy that his body seemed to react with.

A moment for them and only the two of them.

“I will not leave you on this path. If you stumble, I will help you back up, if you fall, I will carry you with me.”

He looked at the water around them, the scenery returning as the golden light of the sun now rested into the sky above them. Early morning, but now daylight.

“I'm not perfect. I never will be. But it makes it easier to get back up when I stumble and someone is there to help me.”

He looked back at her as a warm breeze blew by them, a small smirk appearing over his lips.

“Also having someone to go on vacations with, makes them more enjoyable.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren didn't interrupt him, just as he had given her the same quiet grace. She listened, truly listened, her gaze steady on his as his words settled into her like something long denied but quietly needed.

When his fingers found her hand again, she didn't resist them. Her grip shifted naturally into his, her thumb brushing faintly along his knuckles as if grounding herself in the simple, undeniable reality of him.

The mention of armor drew the faintest exhale from her, something softer than a sigh.

"Armor can be a difficult thing to set aside," she murmured, her voice low, thoughtful. "Not because it protects us from others, but because, eventually, it begins to protect us from ourselves."

Her gaze dipped briefly to where their hands met, her fingers tightening just slightly before lifting again to meet his eyes.

"You're right," she continued quietly. "After a while, it stops feeling like something we wear and starts feeling like something we are."

There was no resistance in her now when she spoke of it. No deflection. Just honesty.

Her free hand lifted, brushing lightly along his jaw again, a touch that lingered a fraction longer than before.

"But I do not feel like I am losing something by setting it aside here," she admitted, her voice softer still. "Not with you."

The words were simple, but they carried more weight than anything she might have dressed in poetry.

When he spoke of staying, of carrying her if she fell, something in her expression shifted again. Not in surprise, but recognition and acceptance.

Her forehead leaned lightly against his once more.

"Then I suppose I will have to make certain I do not make a habit of falling," she said, a faint warmth returning to her tone, just enough to keep the moment from becoming too heavy. "I would hate to burden you so early into this arrangement."

A small, genuine smile touched her lips.

"Though it is reassuring to know you would not let me remain there."

Her thumb traced slowly along his hand again, a quiet echo of his earlier gesture.

Then, at his last comment, the warmth in her expression deepened, something lighter threading through the intensity.

"Ah…so that is your true motivation," she said softly, a subtle, teasing note returning at last. "Not loyalty, not conviction, but the promise of better vacations."

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting faintly.

"I should have known."

Her fingers slipped more securely into his, not pulling away, not retreating.

"In that case," she added, her voice warm, steady, and quietly certain, "I suppose I will have to stay…if only to ensure your future plans do not suffer from poor company."

The teasing lingered, but beneath it, unmistakable and unhidden now, was something deeper.

She wasn't going anywhere.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace


When she spoke of how she felt safe to strip her armor before him a change in his eyes dawned on him. He knew what that meant. And he felt the same way with her for some time now.

“It is both freeing and terrifying.”

He spoke softly.

He leaned into her, his lips softly touching her hand before they looked at each other, a change in the tone of the conversation. A more playful tone.

“You don't strike me as the type to slip and fall when being chased or hurried. You would certainly survive in some slasher holodramas.”

He chuckled. Then she pointed out his last phrase and a surprised laugh escaped him.

“You caught me red handed. It was my plan all along.”

His voice deepened to a playful menacing tone as his brow raised, a smirk on his face.

“Truth be told, I don't know how I would last on a vacation by myself. Yes it would be peaceful, but I would only do what I normally do by myself. Train, meditate and study.”

He looked around his hands gesturing towards the trees.

“But at least I would have birds here to accompany me.”

He dipped his hands in the water then drug his hands over his head, letting the water cascade off his face and shoulders. A slight hiss rolled off his back that caught his attention for a moment.

Then his eyes found her again.

“I have a question.”

His gaze fell to the water as he hesitated for a long moment to ask. Then he took a deep breath.

“You wouldn't mind teaching me how to swim would you?”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren watched him as the tone shifted, the weight of what had just passed between them easing into something lighter, more breathable. The faint smile on her lips lingered as he spoke, her gaze steady, warm, and just a touch amused.

At the mention of slasher holodramas, a soft, quiet laugh escaped her, rare and unguarded.

"I think I would be more concerned for the one doing the chasing," she replied smoothly, a hint of dry humor threading through her voice. "Though I suppose that depends on how bored I am at the time."

Her eyes followed the movement of his hands through the water, the way it cascaded over him, the moment settling into something almost peaceful again.

When he admitted what he would do alone, her expression softened slightly.

"That sounds…exactly like you," she murmured, not teasing, just honest. "Efficient. Disciplined. Quiet."

Then, as he hesitated, her attention sharpened subtly, sensing the shift before he even spoke the question.

And when he did, there was the briefest flicker of surprise in her eyes. Not mockery. Not disbelief. Just…something unexpectedly gentle.

Her head tilted slightly, studying him for a moment, as if reassessing something she hadn't realized before.

"You can face down enemies, storms, and whatever else this galaxy decides to throw at you…" she said softly, a faint, teasing warmth returning, "but water is where you draw the line?"

A small smile curved her lips, but there was no edge to it.

Her hand moved through the water between them, fingers trailing lightly along the surface before settling briefly against his arm.

"I will teach you," she said, simple and certain.

Then her gaze flicked around the steaming spring, the enclosed space, the softened edges of the rock and mist.

"But not here," she added, a quiet note of practicality grounding her tone. "This is for relaxing, not learning. The heat, the depth…it would work against you."

Her fingers pressed lightly against his arm, just enough to anchor the promise.

"We'll find calmer water. Open enough to move, shallow enough that you can stand if you need to." Her gaze returned to his, steady and reassuring. "And I won't let you sink."

A faint pause, then just the slightest tilt of her head, something softer slipping through again. "You trust me enough to ask…I'll make sure that trust isn't misplaced."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

His body slumped some into the water. Sinking just enough to cover his shoulders as he crouched a bit lower, the hissing of the room drowning out into the water around him.

“I certainly do not see the odds being in the chaser's favor if they were chasing you.”

He thought for a moment.

“Honestly it probably wouldn't be much of a chase. Likely you would hold your ground and show them the evidence of their foolishness.”

After she spoke of his efficiency and discipline a small smile came to his face.

“I still have to learn how to enjoy myself I suppose.”

He slowly made his way back to her, almost as if stalking weary prey in fields.

After his question landed he noticed the look of surprise in her eyes. The thought was certainly not lost on him, a warrior of his caliber unable to swim was practically unheard of.

A small chuckle left his mouth as he found a naturally formed seat near the edge of the spring beside her. He sat down, arms draped over the sides of the edge.

A teasing tone hit his voice.

“Well, everyone has some sort of weakness.”

He smirked before he cleared his throat.

“The water on my planet was much too cold for me to practice in. Other people learned how to swim, but I would not last long in its embrace.”

He slightly shrugged.

“Then I have been too busy to learn everything since.”

When her touch graced his arm he looked at her once more, his attention taken back to her and the present before he had a moment to reminisce. Not in a bad way but more of something nostalgic.

After she had made her suggestions on where they would need to practice he settled a bit more into his position, head leaning back against the stone and eyes closed.

“Well, we have a whole ocean near us, and we have plenty of time on this little trip.”

A small relaxed smile reached his lips.

“For now, I'm happy with where we are right here.”

His eyes slightly opened as his gaze pointed to her.

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren watched him settle beside her, her amber gaze tracking the slow, unhurried ease of his movements as he leaned back into the smooth, water-worn stone. There was something remarkably different about Varin in moments like this, a softening of the edges, a quiet release of the guarded weight he usually carried. It was as if the humid heat of the spring had managed to do what few things could: slow his drive. She found, with a quiet start, that she didn't mind the change at all; in fact, she found herself leaning into it.

At his comment about the chase, a faint, genuine smirk touched her lips, catching the soft glow reflecting off the water.

"You give me far too much credit," she murmured, though there was no real sting of denial in her voice. She let her head tilt back slightly, feeling the warmth of the steam settle against her skin. "But I suppose I've spent enough of my life looking over my shoulder. I would prefer not to run, if given the choice of standing still like this."

Her eyes lingered on him a moment longer, the typical analytical sharpness of her gaze softening into something far more human as he spoke about learning to enjoy himself. It was a rare admission of vulnerability, and she treated it with a quiet, grounding respect.

"You're doing better than you think," she added quietly, her voice dropping to a low, melodic register. "Most people in our position get so consumed by the next move that they forget the galaxy has a pulse. They don't even realize they've forgotten how to just... be."

As he moved closer, Seren didn't shift away or retreat. Instead, she settled more comfortably into the shared space, the spring's natural warmth and the steady, grounding thrum of his presence blending into something unspoken and steady.

When he admitted his weakness to the cold, her gaze sharpened just a fraction, not in judgment, but in a deep, intuitive understanding.

"The cold has a way of discouraging many worthwhile skills," she said, her tone thoughtful and surprisingly gentle. "It's not a failing, Varin...just a matter of circumstance. Even the strongest flame struggles to hold its heat in a void."

Her fingers drifted lazily through the water beside her, tracing small, rhythmic ripples that caught the faint light.

"And now you have the time," she added, her eyes locking onto his with a soft intensity. "The shadows aren't demanding anything of us tonight."

At his mention of the ocean, a quiet hum of acknowledgment left her, a soft, thoughtful sound. But her attention returned fully, focused and clear, when he admitted he was happy right here.

She studied him for a long, quiet moment, the guarded walls of Darth Eryndis lowering to reveal the woman beneath.

"So am I," she admitted, her voice low and entirely unguarded.

Her hand shifted across the damp stone, coming to rest near his, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his skin, a bridge built in the silence.

"The ocean can wait," she continued, a distinct warmth finally threading into her tone. "It isn't going anywhere."

Her gaze held his, steady and calm, reflecting the soft shimmer of the steam and the quiet gravity of the moment.

"But moments like this…they are fragile. They don't always last as long as they should."

There was no urgency in her voice, no demand, just a quiet, profound acknowledgment of something rare they had found. For once, Seren chose not to calculate the next move, but simply to exist within the warmth of the one they had found together.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

The day seemed to pass by like a breath to him. One moment they were in the hot spring, enjoying each other's company and vulnerability and the next, people seemed to start being active again.

Time was not wasted for them both to get dressed again and head back to the ship, and though he had spent that time relaxing in the spring his body still needed to catch up on some very needed rest.

Lounging for the better part of the day and enjoying the nice breeze coupled with the nice view of the planet had lulled him into a very light ease. Some would think he was sleeping, in truth he was just taking time to quiet himself.

The night was shared with dinner and a couple episodes of holodramas before Varin had finally passed out for the night in his bed.

The next morning he awoke, he found his arm draped over Seren. The sunlight shining a pillar of light in through the viewport of his sleeping quarters.

His head slowly lifted, looking around the room as CC-14 rounded into the room.

“Master Varin I-oh…sorry to disturb.”

Just as quickly as he approached the room he made his way back out.

Varin's voice came out as a bit of a mumble and a grumble, deepened from the rousing of sleep.

“What is it, CC?”

CC's footsteps could be heard stopping in his tracks.

“Well, I don't mean to alarm but, we are out of food.”

Varin let out a deep sigh as he slowly sat up, still sitting in bed as his arms stretched out, expanding the muscles in his shoulder, chest and back.

His gaze fell upon a long dock that stretched towards the ocean, then he looked at Seren.

A smirk appeared on his face as he softly spoke to her.

“Morning.”

Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren stirred the moment he shifted, though her eyes didn't open right away. She lingered in that quiet space between sleep and waking, aware of the warmth at her side, the steady presence she had grown accustomed to far more quickly than she would ever have admitted.

At his voice, low and softened by sleep, her eyes finally opened, amber catching the morning light as it spilled across the room. For a moment, she simply looked at him, taking in the relaxed ease in his expression, the absence of tension that usually lived in the lines of his posture.

"Morning," she replied, her voice still touched with sleep, softer than usual.

Her gaze flicked briefly toward the doorway where CC-14 had retreated, then back to Varin, the faintest hint of amusement surfacing.

"Out of food," she repeated, a quiet, almost thoughtful echo, before her lips curved slightly. "That sounds like a solvable problem."

She shifted, pushing herself up just enough to rest against the head of the bed, one hand brushing lightly through her hair as she gathered herself from the remnants of sleep.

"Though I suspect it will require more effort than staying here," she added, a subtle teasing note threading through her tone as her eyes returned to his.

Her gaze lingered for a heartbeat longer, softer now, before she glanced toward the viewport, the long dock stretching out beyond it.

"The water's calm," she noted quietly. "Good conditions…if someone was planning to finally learn something new."

A faint glint of mischief touched her eyes as she looked back at him.

"Or," she added lightly, "we could ignore the problem entirely and pretend the galaxy will feed us eventually."

Her expression softened again, the teasing settling into something warmer.

"But I think you prefer solutions."

Varin Mortifer