Time Stands Still

[Jairdain]

While she had been blind, some of her senses had become stronger to make up for her loss of sight. Hearing was one of them, so she actually heard the approach of Vanessa and was on the way out of the tub when she walked in. A brief flash of flesh might have been seen before a dusty towel was grabbed to start drying off with.

"I am done actually. Washed first thing and then just laid in the water."

Jairdain noticed her skin was no longer clean, she looked at the towel and held it up. Shaking her head and no caring if Vanessa got a look at her or not, bent over and rewashed her arm she had started to dry. Grabbing her cloak, she ended up just using that to dry off with and put her clothes back on.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"I'm terribly sorry." She responded. "I suppose the towels - and everything else here - needs to be dusted." Vanessa proceeded onwards, having seen nothing different she had not already seen before at some point in time. "Did you at lest enjoy the bath? Would you like a massage?" She raised an eyebrow, curious as to how she could further relax the Jedi and get her acquainted with her new surroundings. After all, hopefully the heat from the warm bath had stimulated her blood flow and further spread the poison throughout her body. If she could just get that light snuffed out... A whole world of potential would be opened up.

"I also have a small stipend of alcohol here, if you're the drinking sort."

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

"Yes I did, was rather relaxing."

When it was pointed out things needed dusted, it was greeted with a shoulder shrug. Not something Jairdain had to worry about ever. At the offer of the drink, her eyes narrowed slightly before she spoke.

"No, I don't trust you not to slip something into it to make me some sort of slave to you. As for the massage? Well, I'm never had one so sure."

Her statement was fully​ true, but the first part was actually spoken more because of that poison than something she would actually ever say.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Jairdain"]

"Well, it's good you were able to enjoy yourself." She shrugged at the comment relating to the alcohol. "I have you collared and confined to this particular building. The only difference, I suppose, is that your will hasn't broken yet." She answered. "But putting something in your drink is cliché and stupid. I already captured you and brought you here. What do I get out of that? Nothing." She stepped over to the folding table and put a hand on it. With a zap, all the dust on it gathered together into a tiny ball that fell off the table and landed on the ground - it was as clean as the day it was made. She unfolded the table and motioned for Jair to get on it. "Go ahead and get on here, face down. Stick your head in the hole of that pillow. Should make sure your nose doesn't get squished."

This would be fun - putting talents to work she hadn't tested in decades.

 

[Jairdain]

"And don't expect it to either."

A clear stubborn set was ​on her face when Jairdain spoke. It was a sign of the mental fortitude she had. Even without the Force, the former Jedi was going to be difficult to break. That poison was slowly making its way through her system, but her own control was fighting it naturally.

Vanessa made a point though since she did have far more control of the whole situation than Jairdain did. It would grant her more control though and she wasn't about to give up what she had right now. Not bothering to point that out to Vanessa, she watched what was done with the dust and the table.

Looking quizzically at the table when she was done, Jairdain ran her hands across it to get a feel for it. Having relied on touch for so long, it was difficult to not revert to some habits of life. Climbing on, she did as Vanessa instructed and made sure her nose wasn't squished.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa began with gentle kneading of the mid-back muscles, a good starting point. “If you feel more discomfort in the upper or lower parts of your back, let me know and I will move my hands there.” It was the simplest form of massage, after all - simple caressing of the muscles loosened and relaxed them, though how immediately receptive her body would be to the manual stimulation was unclear.

“This is what I did before I became a Sith.” She sighed, applying a bit more pressure with her fingertips. “A long time ago, before anyone cared and back when I had my original body, I was a slave. As a slave, it was required of me to learn how to give massages. It’s been decades since I’ve done this.” She said. Moving a bit higher, she began to hit the lower part of the shpulder blade. Trying to get in with her thumbs and loosen up any knots in Jair’s muscles.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Most of her muscles were relaxed from the bath, but it would clear the closer Vanessa felt up near her neck there was a little more stress in the muscles. Since this was the first real massage Jairdain had given to her, the request of Vanessa meant nothing to her. Everyday aches and pains from her muscles were normal to her.

The little information provided about her captor's past was intriguing and if Vanessa could pick up on through the Force, it would be felt. With her facing away, that curiosity wouldn't been seen on her face.

Based off any knowledge Vanessa might have of the human body, by touch alone it would be known Jairdain was not built for physical fighting.

"What was it like being a slave? My people didn't have them."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Well... imagine being like you are right now. Only instead of wearing clean clothes and getting to enjoy relative luxury, you're a dirty, filthy mess whose collar is full of explosives, not Force suppressants, expected to cater to the whims of your master. There's a reason I try to be nice to my servants - you'd be surprised at how far a slave can rise if they get the opportunity to murder their master for his or her cruel treatment." Likely this was a hint as to what Vanessa herself had done at one point. "Your muscles are surprisingly malleable. I'm quite shocked - and you say you've never had a massage before? Ever?"

She found that hard to believe, in all honesty.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Listening to what Vanessa said, gave her some insight to the other woman.

"How did you learn you could use the Force?"

Jairdain would keep up the question and answer session up as long as Vanessa allowed it. Many people liked talking about themselves and enjoyed having a willing audience to listen to them. She was curious to know more about her, but Jairdain also wanted information to use in the future for when the time came for her to break free and escape.
​
When she asked about getting a massage before, Jairdain shook her head as much as she could.

"No, I've never gotten one."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Just happened one day." She said, getting a bit of extra pressure on a knot near Jairdain's shoulder. "How about you? What sort of code do you follow? Jedi? Certainly not the Sith. Something more esoteric, perhaps?" She raised an eyebrow in curiosity, trying to determine precisely what it was that was happening with this woman. She had to figure out where her allegiances lay prior to trying to find a way to undermine her purity, break through that shell of light surrounding the potential of her inner darkness and let it flow forth from her. She would break Jair one way or another.

And it would be irreparable.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

"I was born blind so have used the Force all my life."

It was a simple statement of fact. Though it wasn't revealed until she was about ten when her people tested her and sent her to school. Then the code she followed was told to her. While she allied herself with the Jedi, she didn't follow their code. It was a code she did not share with people and was now being asked to do just that.

"Call it a mix of the two."

Adjusting her shoulder just slightly, it allowed Vanessa a different aspect to massage.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Oh come on. There has to be some code you follow." She said. "Don't cop out on me now, Jair. I'd rather not have to try and pry through... other methods." She sighed, proceeding onwards with the massage as she tried to get at Jair's neck. "Oh right... the collar. Well, you've probably felt a pinprick recently. This collar injects ixetal cilona into your system - a force nullification substance. Even if I take this collar off, you'll still be unable to use the Force for a period of around two hours." She thought for a moment. "If I take this collar off you in order to massage your neck... will you give me your word that you will not attempt some sort of struggle, and allow me to put the collar back on after I finish?"

She decided now was the time to attempt to trust the woman.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

"Oh of course I have one. Doesn't mean it is Jedi, Sith or anything you might understand. As I said, it combines the two codes. Not copping out on you at all, Vanessa. You can poke around all you want. I have nothing to hide and not exactly in a position to stop you."

In time, that code would come out, but that poison was providing Jairdain a touch of stubbornness and a desire for conflict. So, she resisted the attempts of Vanessa to get herself to open.

"Pain and discomfort come with captivity usually I've learned. So it may have happened and I did not notice."

What she said was true and that prick had not been felt.

"Did you not say earlier that a simple word wasn't enough? I will not attempt to struggle or rip your throat out."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Well, in that case, you don't you tell me tell me the code?" She asked politely. It was the least she could do - better than forcing her way into Jair's mind after all. She considered the collar for a bit before using the Force to open it up as she took it off from around Jair's neck, setting it aside as she started to massage said neck. "Well, I guess this massage is a bit different from any other times you've been in captivity." She responded, trying to relax the woman. "Well, you are fighting with the Dark Side within you, further stimulated by the poison. It only seemed sensible that you would be desiring to cause me significant personal harm." She thought for a moment as to another way to break Jair.

"Have you ever been in a relationship with someone, Jair?"

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

'Why are you so interested in knowing the code of my people?"

The full truth of Jairdain was still a secret from Vanessa, but little bits came from time to time. Her being banished, but not why. That she still followed the code of her people. Though it was asked in a polite manner, she didn't know why and kept her secret.

"We all have light and dark within us. I am not fighting mine and accept what is a part of me. Truth be told I still want to rip your throat out, but have enough control to not do so."

When asked if she had been in a relationship before, she attempted to nod before saying one word.

"Yes."

He was dead now and couldn't be used as blackmail or anything against her. Karl wasn't her only one, but Vanessa did not need to know.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Because by knowing your code, I can know best how to break your spirit and ensure that darkness reigns." She said. "We do, and it reflects as a part of us in a myriad of different ways, depending on the individual." She said. "As for that throat-ripping - I did give your nails a trim . They're as short as I can reasonably get them, and you have nothing else sharp on you - no ripping of any sort for you." She thought about the last statement before deciding to dive right in, seeing what sort of reaction she could elicit from the Jedi.

"Have you considered having a new one down the road?"

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

The open honesty of the answer Vanessa provided was rather surprising and caused Jairdain to give a small chuckle.

"It's been tried before, but in the end it failed. Going to be harder than you expect, I think."

​One thing Jairdain appreciated was the fact Vanessa didn't deny her observation of the fact there was light and dark in everybody. When it was pointed out her nails had been trimmed, she felt at them with her fingertips. Having always kept them short, there really wasn't much of a change. If they were long, they got in the way of her being able to feel things.

"I'm young enough, but nobody has interested me seriously."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

She gave a bit more pressure with her hands, smiling. "It's a good thing that I have control of the situation. You will end up breaking down the line... and when you do, that will be a date I will most definitely savor." She could not help but appreciate Jair's aggression, her resistance - it was, to say the least, impressive. "All I need to do is find the right string. Then you are like a puppet without a master - moldable, malleable into the form that I desire you to be." She could not help but remain happy in the face of the trouble this Jedi was causing her. "Well, if it means anything to you, I do find you to be quite attractive." Perhaps a mild bit of flattery would be a way to worm herself into Jair's heart.

And hopefully she would have her prey all to herself.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Even after the bath and the attempts of Vanessa to fully relax Jairdain that poison was just about finished working its way through her system. As her captor spoke of being in control and the fact she was so confident that she would be able to force a break in her again, Jairdain tensed up.

It would have been better if she had the Force, but that was still deprived of her. She pushed up off the table and sat up. Looking Vanessa clearly in the eyes, there was anger in Jairdain's. Not at all calm at the moment and being controlled by that poison, she couldn't stop herself.

"You're not going to find anything, hure and I'm not going to break as easy as you think. I'm stronger now than I was when Krest had me captured. I am who and what I want to be and will never be what you want, wichser."

When Vanessa commented on attraction, it actually stopped Jairdain's sentence of colorful language and she shut her mouth.

"Thank you. However, I'm still going to rip your throat out sometime. Easy or not, I will do it."

At the spilling over of her anger, the connection between Krest and Jairdain would appear to vibrate. Their connection had nothing to do with the Force and was of a very a dark nature. As that poison filled her veins, the dark and anger she held in check so well was starting to boil over.

"Hurensohn."

If any of these words were understood, then Vanessa would know she had just been cussed out. Jairdain had done it twice to Krest before and that outlet of her aggression helped to calm her down. That last word wasn't spoken in anger and was rather calm. She now just sat on the table and rather calmly waited to see how Vanessa was going to react to her outburst.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"] [member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

In his empty throne room the elder Sith sat, silent in his contemplation. [member="Jairdain"] had been silent for some time now, and it was noticeable. The woman who dove into the dark to bring him back and have enough sense to control him wouldn't just disappear. Not unless she died. A frown settled on his lips as he thought about her dying. Would it be a good thing? He would be free to choose his own path again. Yet at the same time he had just started getting use to having her around.

It was then that her whispers of anger leaked into his heart, sending a profound sense of joy through Ferus. She was alive, and whats more she was angry. Her anger seeped through him like a drug, savored like a dessert. But with it came a new sense. She was captured. Again. A laugh echoed out in the throne room. Darth Ferus stood with a wide grin on his face as he moved towards his ships hanger.

"You've done it now, haven't you?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]