Star Nomad Cast (starnomadnpc) wrote in starnomad, @ 2016-05-24 10:42:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: darius vandreen, character: jaxa, character: tahiri veila, date: [63.03], location: mon calamari (dac) |
Tahiri comes home and she's been away for longer than she thought.
Who: Darius Vandreen, Tahiri Veila, and Jaxa.
When: 63.03
Where: New Coral City, Dac (Mon Calamari)
What: Tahiri comes home and she's been away for longer than she thought.
Rating: Low
Status: COMPLETE.
The sun across the streets of New Coral City was positively brilliant. Brilliant enough that it was difficult to believe that elsewhere in the galaxy a war was being fought, perhaps even more difficult to believe that a microcosm of that war was being fought in the body of a small blonde teenage girl who was walking past the shopping booths in the market not paying much attention to any of them. It wasn't until an overly enthusiastic Twi'lek placed herself in Tahiri Veila's path with the sample of a fruit that Tahiri noticed them at all. "Try one?" It was on the tip of her tongue to say no thank you, not interested, when Tahiri realized that she was a little bit on the ravenous side of everything. "Thanks," she offered as she took the fruit. "It's really good, I'll have to come back later maybe?" And she slipped back into the crowds, ignoring the disappointed look on the Twi'lek's face. She knew where she was, but what she didn't really know was where she had been. Out. But she really didn't remember going out. And while she knew the way back to her apartment, or really Jaxa's apartment, she couldn't remember why she'd left it in the first place. But probably it had been something simple. She had been having difficulty sleeping, so the fact that she couldn't quite put her finger on why she'd left - well, when you didn't sleep enough then your memory didn't work as well. That was something Tahiri knew well, it was one of the reasons why Master Skywalker had always encouraged them to get a good night's rest at the Academy - sleep was good. So she'd go home and she'd sleep, and maybe it would even come back to her. But first she might get food, because she was honestly starving and the fruit, far from whetting that, had actually just made it worse. She scrambled quickly up the steps into the apartment building, ignoring the musty damp smell that permeated the halls. It was impossible to get rid of on a planet with such a high humidity level in the first place. Her key worked, and there was a sense of relief as the door swished open and she stepped inside. It had been three days. Three days ago Tahiri had walked out while darius was sleeping and disappeared. It wasn't as if she owed him anything, but it seemed unlike her to not tell him at least what was going on. At first Darius had assumed it was some urgent call for the Jedi, even if they were not calling him to combat as well. That was until he went to the Jedi and they had no idea where Tahiri was or what she was doing. Anakin had already disappeared months ago. Daria knew despite her saying otherwise that she wanted to be able to follow him, to be able to fight against the encroaching threat that was tearing the Galaxy apart. First he tried to find if she had stolen a ship. Jaxa had spliced into holdings to find any record of missing ships. Next was seeing if she was lost within the underground that had popped up on Daq. Darius even dragged Lyric out, questioning him on the refugees on if they knew or had seen anything. Only for on the third day for the door to slide open and Tahiri to be standing on the other end. "Hells." Darius breathed as he rushed forward, his arms wrapping around her tight and pressing his face to her hair. She smelled like Tahiri, underneath the grime of the past three days. Jaxa got up as well, her eyes wide. "Where in the kriffing seven hells have you been?" Tahiri was pulled into a Darius hug, which to be honest, wasn't the worst place in the world to be. Darius' arms were strong and warm and she felt safe in them and considering that she really had been struggling with feeling like things were safe as she walked back, having Darius hugging her seemed like the best of feelings if she were being honest. She slid her arms around him and breathed against his chest. But as Jaxa's questions hit her, Tahiri pulled back, looking at Darius and then Jaxa, and a sinking feeling threatening to drag her heart down into her abdomen. She looked at Darius. "I - I think-I just went out, for a bit." "You just... Went out." Darius looked at Tahiri with a shock that he knew wasn't kept from his eyes. They had spent the better part of the last three days trying to track Tahiri down, to find any trace of her no matter the rumor to no avail. And right now she was within arms length saying she had simply gone out for a walk. "Tahiri, it's been three days." Jaxa offered as Darius fell numb. Tahiri looked between Darius and Jaxa and the sense of worry deepened into something that threatened to overwhelm her if she thought about it too much. "Three..." she breathed in, and her knees felt weak, and she dug her hands into Darius's shoulders for a moment. She had no memory of any of it - no idea where she'd gone or what she had done. She'd had periods where she couldn't account for her time, but she'd been trying to pretend that it was nothing particularly, nothing large - but this was... three days. "I - Darius, I don't..." her voice faltered and she stopped - unable to go on further. Darius arm slipped around her immediately. For a moment it looked as if she might give out, her knees buckling and falling. While Tahiri stayed up stringer Darius couldn't help but see the dread overtaking her face. Her skin had gone pale and with it Darius led her gently over towards the couch. "Jaxa, can you?" Darius didn't even have a chance to finish his question before Jaxa was nodding along, turning to go into the kitchen to grab something for her. Now that Darius had the chance to look at her Tahiri looked thinner than usual, gaunt. "Sunshine we were going crazy trying to find you." He breathed out as he guided her to sit next to him. "Are you okay?" "I don't know," she managed to say quietly, her arms wrapping around Darius as if she couldn't get quite close enough to him. Her name, or her nickname anyway, on his lips made her smile, made her think that maybe things would be all right, even if she had absolutely no idea what had just happened. She looked over at Darius, her eyes jumping up to catch his. "Was I really gone for three days?" She asked. "I don't... I don't remember it." "You don't remember?" Darius frowned, reaching out to press his hand against her forehead. The ridges pressed against his palm but she felt normal, staring up at him with wide and worried eyes. What could have happened to make her forget three whole days? And to have disappeared so completely. Jaxa came out, pressing a glass of water into tahiris hand. "Last time was when Darius was hurt." She looked down at Tahiri with blatant worry. "But this time was just in the middle of the night." Darius' eyes went wide and he pulled back enough to hold her out in front of him. "Wait, was it her?" Tahiri took the glass of water from Jaxa and took a sip of it, and then another. Perhaps she'd been almost as thirsty as she was hungry. Three days? Had she eaten or drank during any of that time? Where had she been? What had she done? Had she hurt someone? If it was this other person that she had hiding in her dreams and in her head? Did Tahiri know anything about her other than that she was Yuuzhan Vong and everyone knew what the Yuuzhan Vong could do. Although she had saved Darius. She looked down into it, and she felt tears swimming in her eyes despite herself. "Can I um," she looked up at Jaxa. "Is there something to eat? I'm starving, and I don't know when I ate last." The request completed she looked back at Darius. Despite the water, she felt as if her throat was dry. "It was last time. I keep trying to reach her in meditation or... something. She keeps not allowing me too." "Sure, I'll be right back." Jaxa nodded as she cast a finale worried look before walking back to the kitchen. There was a slight relief in seeing Tahiri though. At least the Jedi was alive instead of the alternative. Though right now she looked like skin and bones. Darius reached into her hair, brushing it out of her face to comfort as well as reassure himself she was still there. So many thoughts had run through his head since she disappeared and somehow her being taken over by that voice inside her head hadn't been one of them. "And she took control." Darius finished, quiet as he pulled her back into his arms. "Tahiri you could have died." It wasn't a judgement but it was what had plagued him the past three days. He knew this terrified her as much as it had him. "Do you think. I mean. Is there anything your order can do to help?" Tahiri knew this. It wasn't something she thought she feared until she was face to face with it, and then it held some weight. Then again, she was a Jedi and everyone knew that in the Force there was no death, it was just the Force, and eventually she would one day become one with it again. Although did she have access to it as this other person? Yuuzhan Vong weren't felt in the Force, if she took over and became Tahiri would Tahiri... disappear? That was worse to think about than the idea that she might one day die and return to becoming part of the Force. "She must have," Tahiri pulled herself up and together, tired of being a drain on everyone around her. Even Darius and Jaxa - they had lost days worrying about her, and she hadn't even known that they would worry because she'd been unaware. "I keep almost catching at her. I'll get a glimpse, I'll ask a question," she pulled up her determined face and stared at Darius. "She'll be there, and then she's gone. But I'm aware of her then, and more importantly I'm aware of me. But I don't remember anything - it's like I just wasn't there. It was even worse than that day you got hurt. There I was vaguely aware like I was pushed to the side and she took over, and while I couldn't tell you everything I could tell you something? This is... quieter than that." This was all way out of Darius' depth. All of this was something that the Jedi should be dealing with, not him. It wasn't as it he could somehow swindle or shoot or fly his way out of dealing with a yuuzhan vong personality buried deep in the girl he was coming to terms with loving. But the situation was here and Tahiri wasn't reaching out to the Jedi. His train of thought was cut short as Jaxa came back, setting a plate in Tahiri's hands before kneeling down in front of Tahiri. The togruta was so tall that she still nearly saw eye level with Tahiri, only tilting her head slightly to look up into Tahiri's eyes. Jaxa's hands rested gentle against Tahiri's knees as Darius' arms found their way firmly back around her waist. "What's the last thing you remember?" Jaxa asked, quiet and steady as she squeezed Tahiri's knees. Food placed in front of her, Tahiri ate. She was famished and it was really all she could do to not just engulf everything that had been put on the plate in front of her in one or two bites. The fact that her mouth literally wouldn't hold it, helped some, and after she'd taken several bites, she stopped and considered Jaxa's question. "I was here. I'd taken a shower. I was thinking about going down to see Tekli and Cilghal," she considered this. Both of the Jedi were healers and she had been thinking they might be able to help her connect dots that others hadn't. Then again she wasn't certain that they weren't going to be working with the goal of trying to get her to erase the other personality and more and more Tahiri had been thinking that wasn't helpful. But then this - and if she was going to be taken over, constantly pushed out... maybe she should be looking at erasing. "I don't think I ever made it to see Tekli and Cilghal, or if I did, I don't remember that." "You disappeared in the middle of the night." Jaxa reached up to cup Tahiri's cheek gently, looking over to Darius with worry. When he had woken up to Tahiri gone he had nearly pulled Jaxa out of her own bed with questions on if somehow she knew where the other woman had gone to. Darius leaned in, pressing his forehead against Tahiri's hair as he held onto her tight and looked away from Jaxa's questioning eyes. None of this seemed to actually answer anything. The jedi Tahiri mentioned, he knew they were healers from Tahiri and Avani. But none of this seemed like something that would trigger the other woman inside Tahiri. The last time had been because of a threat to him. A slow, cold realization sank in Darius' stomach. "They're the ones that were trying to get rid of her, weren't they?" Darius asked, his thumb stroking gently against Tahiri's side. Jaxa's eyes went wide as she caught onto Darius' train of thought. "Do you think she was trying to protect herself?" Tahiri frowned at this, because it had sort of occurred to her, but not in so many words. "Did I make it to see Master Cilghal?" She wondered aloud. She took another bite of food and straightened her shoulders. "I don't think I need to get rid of her," she said with a fair amount of determination and more confidence than she really felt, particularly after this. "I think I need to know how to live with her, together, but so we aren't blocking each other out. Like this..." The confidence faded into worrying and she chewed her lower lip as she thought about it. She picked up a piece of the fruit and ate it. "This is amazing I don't think I've eaten while I was gone. I'm just like, famished." A quick, pained smile twitched on Jaxa's face as she lifted herself up to take a seat on the other side of Tahiri. "When you're finished that we'll see how your stomach settles and you can have something else." she offered gently as she brushed some of Tahiri's hair out of her face. "So." Darius frowned as he tried to puzzle his way through exactly what Tahiri was saying and what might help. "We need to figure out a way to do that. And not have you disappear for days at a time." He groaned softly as he closed his eyes. "Well, I'm fresh out of ideas." Jaxa's hand reached around Tahiri to brush against Darius' hair. "You never have any ideas to begin with." she teased, a gentle fondness inescapable. "I have plenty of ideas, just not on Jedi stuff." Darius took a deep breath and pulled back, opening his eyes again. "But we need to figure out a way to talk to her, without her just taking over." "I keep trying to talk her," Tahiri said quietly, reaching for the last of the bread on the plate and tearing it into smaller pieces to eat not all at once, but to spread out a little bit. "I've tried in meditation. I've succeeded a couple of times in dreams, but I'm not sure it's actually her there. I think it might just be me trying to figure out what to say, you know?" She looked between Jaxa and Darius, and her hand went over to Darius' and settled over it. "I'm sorry. I don't - I just - I wasn't myself, obviously. I didn't mean to make either of you worry." "It's okay." Darius leaned in to kiss her cheek as his fingers tangled together with Tahiri's. It wasn't okay, not really. Tahiri was losing time and losing control. But none of that was her fault and Darius would be damned if somehow he made her think it was. "You're safe now." And she was for now, back in his arms. But they all knew that it was impossible to predict how long she would remain there. If these episodes increased there was not much that could be done. "Is there a different meditation technique you could try?" Jaxa asked tentatively. With the food mostly eaten, Tahiri leaned into Darius. He was warm and supportive, and he made her feel safe even if they both knew that wasn't entirely true. It was true enough for right now. He loved her. The realization came a startling clarity as she leaned into his chest, and she glanced up at him to offer a small smile at him. It was hope in the middle of everything that felt unbearable. She took a deep breath and considered Jaxa's question. "There might be something I don't know. Tionne might have an idea. It's like... she hides from me. I don't know how to make her stop hiding from me, you know? I can't talk to her if she keeps hiding. Well... I mean, I guess I could..." she didn't know if that would work. If she was there, but hiding, but near enough... would she hear Tahiri if Tahiri tried to talk to her? Darius' arms wrapped fully around her, one around her waist as the other settled into her hair. Right now he could hold he close, keep her here and safe against the entire galaxy and even from within her own mind. It was an illusion but Darius was all right with lying to himself at least for a little bit. He needed the chance to at least pretend that she would still be here no matter what. Jaxa reached out and gathered the plate from Tahiri's hands. "You should get some rest." she reminded them gently as she stood. "Maybe if we sleep on it. I'll keep watch out here to make sure she doesn't take you anywhere else." It made sense, and now that she was here, Tahiri could realize just how tired she was. Who knew how much she had slept in the three days she had been gone. It was entirely possible this other woman inside of her had worn her nearly to a ragged edge with no food or sleep, and if she had slept, then where had she slept? Those were questions she couldn't answer, so instead of answer them she simply nodded at Jaxa's suggestion and turned her head up to Darius. "Will you come with me?" she asked him softly. Darius smiled gently, leaning in to kiss her soft before he pulled back again. He was surprised the she felt the need to ask the question. But right now nothing in Tahiri's life made any sense. Really nothing in their lives did. What Darius did know though was that he would do just about anything this blonde ray of sunshine would ask of him, no matter how terrible. She had reached into his chest and pulled out his heart and he wasn't keen to ask for it back. "Of course." Darius brushed his forehead against hers. "Want me to carry you to bed, Sunshine?" A quick grin came to Tahiri's lips, both prompted by the relief that he would come with her even if she had known before asking that he would, and by the idea of Darius carrying her to bed. She shook her head was she pulled back from him. "What, you think I can't walk just because I've been out of your sight for three days?" She teased. "Maybe I should carry you to bed and prove how strong your Sunshine is." "I don't think you're ready for how turned on that'd make me." Darius teased affectionately. He leaned in sneak a kiss as his arms slipped beneath her to lift her up into his arms. "I'll carry you for now." He smiled bright. Jaxa watched them with the worry and concern at the forefront of her features, creasing them as she watched from the doorway. "I'll have something ready for you to eat when you get up." She offered. She already planned to stay awake to keep watch in case Tahiri attempted to slip out again. Not that she could stop a Jedi or a Yuuzhan Vong, but at least she could try. |