[MillietheWarrior]

Kom’rk didn’t even bat an eye when Chayah hit the ground, although there was an inkling of remorse in the far back of his mind. She wanted to learn to take care of herself, and he was going to teach her. That meant pulling out all the stops, and toughening her up through experience. She’d need to get used to the bruises she was going to have from training. He now effectively had her pinned to the ground. He hovered over her, eyes locked on hers, and frowned.

“Focus,” he said quietly. “Don’t let them get the best of you. Forget about me; focus on your powers. Concentrate on channeling them, on controlling them.” His hands clamped down on her own, holding them tightly. “Don’t worry about burning me, cyar’ika. I can take it. I’d rather not be extra crispy though…so you need to focus.” He furrowed his brow, seemingly intent on forcing her to use her powers in some way, shape, or form.

“I’m not moving until you do. So if you’d rather not turn me to dust, then you need to focus on controlling those powers. They obey you, not the other way around. Remember that. Just concentrate and stop panicking; when you panic, you make it worse. Relax. Take a deep breath, and keep your mind on the task at hand. Once you control yourself, you control your powers.” He could feel her fingernails digging painfully into his skin, leaving small, blood half-moons on his wrists. But he did not relent, nor did he let go. He seemed either suicidal, or hell bent on teaching her to control those powers.

[8/27]

[Jessari]

Was he crazy?! Chayah looked up at him, green eyes wide and terrified. He knew what her powers could do; on the day of her sister's kidnapping, he'd witnessed it himself. Two of the kidnappers had tried to capture her as well, and they'd been set aflame like dry wood doused with kerosene. Yet she saw no fear in Kom'rk's eyes, simply determination to hold out until either she got control of her powers or until the worst happened. Her body shook with fear that it would be the latter that would come to pass; already her skin was nearly hot enough to cause blisters to rise.

His voice, quiet and firm, cut through her panic like a glimpse of sunlight to a miner buried in a cave-in, and even though she was consumed with disbelief in her own ability to control her powers, Chayah reached deep within herself, searching for the strength to end what had begun. Her abilities didn't harm her, but if she couldn't stop her fire from consuming him, her heart would perish right along with him.

It wasn't an easy battle; of the two sisters, Chayah had always been the less disciplined in nature. Her care-free attitude had made it easy for her to enjoy life, to make friends quickly, but that trait was working against her now. The iron taste of blood filled her mouth as she bit her lip. Her mother had found this as easy as breathing, but Chayah had never cared to become acquainted with the strange power she'd inherited, so she wasn't exactly sure how this worked. Could fire be contained? The feeling of it so filled her that she felt close to exploding if she didn't allow it the release it craved.

Trying to focus as Kom'rk demanded, Chayah fought against the rising temperatures. For a few moments, she was able to hold them at bay, and though she was still hotter than could ever be considered natural, at least it had stopped rising. But as the seconds ticked by, the pressure continued to build behind her defenses, and she knew she was about to lose it.

Working half on instinct and half on desperation, she pulled one of her hands from his grasp and flung her arm out straight to her side, palm facing up. There, she allowed an opening in her shield, and a large tongue of flame appeared above her skin, flickering and snapping wildly as if in resentment at its long containment. Chayah gasped as the abnormal heat within her body raced through her torso and down her arm to escape, and her skin began to drop in temperature. Finally, when all the built-up pressure had been released, she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Although the heat hadn't affected her, sweat dampened her face and hair from the exertion of dealing with her abilities.

For a moment, she allowed her tired muscles to relax. Then, her eyes popped open again. Her free hand, skin covered with a light dusting of ash, curled into a fist and swung towards Kom'rk. Are you crazy?! she all but shouted through the link made with the hand he still grasped. I could have killed you! What did you think you were doing?

[MillietheWarrior]

Kom’rk watched silently as Chayah regained control over her emotions and over her own body. He was fairly impressed with her abilities; he certainly wished he was able to control one of the elements the way she did, even if she didn’t see it necessarily as ‘control.’ Kom’rk saw it as a gift, a gift that needed to be nurtured and trained until it was more than just an unwilling part of her that she hid away form the world; she needed to embrace her powers, learn to use them. Only then, would she be able to fight off the all-consuming fire that raged inside of her.

Kom’rk’s hands burned hotly, the skin turning an angry red shade as small blisters formed on it. He could feel the heat coming from her own hands, but he did not let go, and he did not relent. His face was warmed by the heat, and when her hand shot out and the flames licked the open air, Kom’rk released her hands, shielding his face from the intensity of the heat. He could feel his skin growing hotter, and soon, he was forced to step back to avoid being burned outright. He held his hands out, looking them over with a faint disinterest, before the sudden-ness of Chayah’s fist colliding with his shoulder startled him into looking up.

He winced slightly, faintly amused and impressed that she had such a vicious right hook. “There’s the fight; where was it a few minutes ago?” he asked, a faint glow of humor lighting up his face. “I think I was helping you figure out how to control those powers of yours. Was I right? When you focused, did it help?” He stroked his chin briefly, then winced when his skin came in contact with it. “Didn’t think it’d actually work. But I guess we know a good method for keeping it under control, now, huh?”

Kom'rk almost seemed to be speaking to himself, before remembering Chayah was there. He gently patted her hand, ignoring the pain in his own hand as he did so. “You did good, cyar’ika. I’m proud of you. Now!” This time, he refrained from clapping his hands together. “What’s next? Anything in particular you’d like to try? Vibroblade? Spear? Blaster? Or more hand-to-hand combat?”

[9/28]

[Jessari]

Chayah crossed her arms tightly over her chest, a small pout on her lips. She could tell she'd hurt Kom'rk; it was obvious from the care he was taking with his hands, but at the moment, she was too darn mad to care. Well, that wasn't true, exactly. She did feel pretty bad about hurting him, but she'd warned him to let her go. He had known the risk, and he hadn't cared. It was his own fault he got hurt.

"Was I right? When you focused, did it help? Didn’t think it’d actually work. But I guess we know a good method for keeping it under control, now, huh?”

Chayah's eyes widened in shock, and she stepped forwards to grab him by the wrist, careful despite her irritation not to brush against his injured palms. You what? You didn't think it'd work? What did you think, if you were thinking at all, Kom'rk Skirata? Do you know how stupid that was? If you'd wanted me to try to get a handle on it, surely there must have been a safer way to do it - say, one that wouldn't have risked me sending your ashes back to your brothers? She wasn't crying, no, she wasn't, but it was pretty difficult at the moment. As she ranted, her eyes were filling with tears, and she knew if she blinked even once, she was in for it.

With a sniff, she turned her back to him, gazing upwards at the clear blue sky as she pulled herself together again. A muscle jumped in her jaw as he listed the options, and she frowned at him over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow as she silently wondered if they'd even finished the hand-to-hand lessons. Her bruised backside protested the return to that activity, but she wasn't quite ready to handle a blade or a blaster. If Kom'rk kept antagonizing her like this, however, it wouldn't be too much longer.

[MillietheWarrior]

Kom’rk waited patiently for Chayah to finish her rant, letting her hold onto his wrists as long as she deemed necessary. He couldn’t help but notice that she was careful not to burns against the burns on his hand, and it brought a smile unbidden to his face, although he was sure smiling while she was angry was not helping his situation any. When her words faded from his mind and she let go of his hands, he allowed his arms to fall at his side, staring at her quietly.

She had guts, he had to be honest. To have dealt with a power like that, and basically getting her butt kicked by a Null, then dressing down said Null…well, it took bravery that Kom’rk knew most people didn’t have. It was…alluring and impressive. He took a step forward, placing his hand gently on her shoulder, as if hesitant about approaching her. He hadn’t missed the beginning of tears in her eyes, nor had he anticipated them. He was merely trying to help her overcome her inability to master her own powers; he hadn’t thought about the psychological affect it would have.

He didn’t know how to comfort a crying woman; he didn’t do comfort. He was just terrible at sensitivity, he had to admit. So maybe the next words out of his mouth were a insensitive or stupid, but he blurted them out before he could manage. “Cyar’ika, you had to learn some way, even if it meant experimenting. It’s not like I’m not expendable, right?” He chuckled lightly, as if it was nothing more than a joke.

“Besides, even if you’d burned me to ash, at least you’d have control over your powers and be able to use them effectively in the future. That’s what matters, right? I mean, that’s what you want, isn’t it? To be able to control your gift?” Her anger confused him; he was only doing what she wanted, and helping her out as she’d requested. Had he done something wrong?

[10/29]

[Jessari]

Chayah's frown deepened as she heard Kom'rk approach, but she didn't so much as flinch as his hand came to rest upon her shoulder. Mad wasn't her normal mode, and although her stern visage might say otherwise, she was already beginning to soften towards him inwardly. Then he opened his mouth.

The slender woman swung around to face him, mouth slack and eyes wide as she tried to gauge how serious he was about what he was saying. Disturbingly enough, despite his short laugh, he seemed to mean everything he said. Like a comic strip character, her jaw dropped a few inches as her emotions swung back and forth between anger and immense sadness.

Although she'd been lucky enough to live in a relatively peaceful area, she'd heard stories of the Republic army from him and Ruach, about how they considered the Clones nothing more than tools with human features. Being the firm optimist she was, Chayah had been unable to believe that things were quite that bad. How could anyone think her smart, funny Kom'ika was anything but a living, breathing human being? Now it seemed the stories had been completely true after all. Did he really believe that the army was correct? Did he really think so little of himself?

In the end, sadness won out over the anger. Taking his hand gently in hers, she turned it over so the burns on his palm were glaringly obvious to both of them. Her face was tilted down, her eyes fixed upon the angry red skin. That's not what matters at all, Kom'ika. Yes, I want to control them, but not just for the sake of controlling them. If I'd been more proactive about learning to use them properly in the first place, I could've kept Ruach and the kids from being kidnapped. I want to be able to use them to protect my family if I have to. A finger lightly touched his wrist, tracing the crescent marks her fingernails had left, then moved down to indicate the burns. But this isn't protecting. This isn't what I wanted at all.

Her voice was soft when she spoke again, so soft that had the words been conveyed through a more conventional method of speaking, they would have been lost to the wind. Hurting you was bad enough. If I'd lost you for any reason at all, I'd have been crushed, and if I'd have lost you because of my stupid powers- She stopped abruptly, unable to complete the sentence in her mind or his. At the mere suggestion of what might have happened, her heart wrenched tightly in her chest. A salty drop rolled from her eye and dripped off the tip of her nose to land in the center of his hand. Don't you get it, Kom'rk? I'm in love with you. No one else, not even one of your brothers, could ever fill your shoes where I'm concerned. You are the least expendable person I know.


Chayah: 41/165 (current posts made/total posts needed)

[MillietheWarrior]

Kom’rk was slightly surprised by Chayah’s sudden movement; he hadn’t exactly expected her to whip around quite like that. The look on her face, coupled with her wildly swinging hair, sent him backpedaling a few steps. Had he done something wrong? Mentally, he berated himself; he never was good at things like this. He wished he was…well, more experienced. Or was at least able to sweet talk his way out of the dangerous and wholly awkward and uncomfortable situations he kept getting himself into where Chayah was concerned.

He allowed her to reach out and take his hand, managing to hide the wince of pain before she saw it as she turned his hand over to survey the damage she’d done to his palm. The skin was charred and puckered, bright red and already looking as if it was peeling. Kom’rk would need to bandage them up when he got home; he imagined it’d be an interesting story to tell his brothers at some point. Especially Corr.

His eyes lifted to watch her face passively as she ‘spoke,’ soaking in every word she said, and listening at rapt attention. Whenever she spoke, Kom’rk instantly seemed to forget everything around him; all that existed in those few, brief moments, was him and his Chayah. “Learning to control your powers will help you to better use them when the time comes. Sometimes, you have to tear down before you can rebuild. It’s all right, Chayah. I don’t mind, you know? Anything I can do to help you, I will. You know that.”

It was almost hard to hear her words; they had become nothing more than a whisper in his mind, a brief, fleeting touch that he could hardly make out. He strained to hear them, though it did no good; how could you hear something that was not audible? His brows drew together, and he sighed, a small smile on his face as he pulled his hand from hers and tugged her almost roughly into his arms. “I’m not that easy to get rid of, you know…You’re stuck with me…for life.”

He closed his eyes briefly, breathing in the fresh, crisp scent of her hair, and holding her securely against him. His heart has slowed and relaxed; he no longer felt the thrill of the battle, or the worry that he’d upset her. “Don’t cry,” he said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. “Don’t ever cry because of me.” Silence, and then; “Will you marry me?”

[11/30]

[Jessari]

Chayah listened, still not meeting his eyes. As he spoke of rebuilding, she nodded. Kom'rk was making sense, but it didn't feel right, knowing how bad she'd burned him. At the same time, knowing she had a way to vent her powers if they arose was a relief. It wouldn't happen again, she promised. She wouldn't ever hurt him again this way again.

It was only part of the problem, she knew. Her main concern had been to keep from harming the people she loved, and she'd done that. The other issue was how to keep her powers from coming to the surface unless she summoned them. Using them tired her out, which made not being able to control the timing of it very inconvenient. She puffed out a sigh. She wasn't going to mention that to Kom'rk, not right now anyway. It wasn't the right time, considering the amount of energy she'd just expended combined with her not-too-friendly stress levels. It was a problem for another day.

Chayah blinked as Kom'rk pulled her to his chest. You're stuck with me too, you know, she said, a gentle smile tilting her lips. No matter how often you run away to play soldier, I'll always be waiting for you when you come back. This was where she was happiest - not out on the dance floor, as some might suspect, but right here in the circle of her soldier's arms. No matter what happened, she knew she'd always be safe here. All the tenseness melted out of her, leaving her more relaxed than she'd been before they'd begun her 'training'. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat, and her heart slowed down to match its pace. Her tears were gone and forgotten. For once, all was right with the world.

“Will you marry me?”

It was the last thing she thought she'd hear come out of his mouth, especially today of all days. For a moment she was silent, then something occurred to her, and her body began to shake with silent laughter. Her fingers sought out his arm. "You bring me out into the middle of nowhere, dump me on my butt, hold me down and make me shoot fire out of my hands. Then, after all of that, you ask me to marry you? She continued to shake, and this time her good-natured laughter was audible in both their minds. You're the most romantic man I know, Kom'ika!

Her body stilled, and she pulled back a little to look at him, suddenly serious and thoughtful. "Elek, cyar'ika. Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum. The last was a phrase she'd practiced over and over, although not exactly for this situation. She'd intended to surprise him with it, an expression of love in his own language, but up until now, she'd been too distracted to attempt it. Chayah hoped she'd gotten all the words correct; Ruach had lectured her on how the entire meaning of a sentence could be changed by adding or dropping a single letter, or placing emphasis on the wrong word.



Chayah: 42/165

[MillietheWarrior]

She was laughing at him. Kom’rk’s face fell slightly. Did she think the idea of marrying him was a funny idea? He certainly hoped not. He could feel his hopes and expectations crumbling, and his arms loosened ever so slightly. He was slowly readying himself to let her go and move on with his life…if it was what she wanted, then he’d be glad to do so. Whatever made her happy, if it was within his reach and ability to give, would be hers. Her words stung worse than her laughter, and Kom’rk didn’t seem to catch the undertone of amusement there. He heard only rejection, and silently willed himself to let go.

She wanted someone else; if that was what made her happy, then that was what she would have. “I’m sorry,” he began. “I shouldn’t have…asked…I should’ve…I know you probably want someone better…” Her laughter stung almost as much as her words, and Kom’rk turned his gaze away for a brief moment, before her words brought him back to reality. He blinked slowly, as if wondering if he’d heard her right. He turned back to face her, staring down into her chestnut eyes, confused and elated, thinking maybe he heard wrong, but knowing he did not.

He picked her up, spinning her around in his arms, his heart feeling like it was about to leap right out of his chest. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, then to her forehead, and then her nose, and then her lips, grinning like a love struck fool. “I love you too. More than anything in the world,” he said quietly, burying his face against her neck, inhaling her crisp, cinnamon scent. “Mandalorian marriage ceremonies aren’t…aren’t big or lavish, like normal ones. Just a few simple vow exchanges, nothing more. But if you want a real wedding, then I can give you one. Whatever you want, you’ll get,” he muttered, keeping his head resting against her shoulder. He was trying to soak in the moment for all it was worth; it wasn’t every day you asked someone to marry you, after all.

[12/31]

[Jessari]

Before Kom'rk, Chaya had dated a lot. All of those relationships had been brief, short-lived; it was in Chayah's nature to become easily bored, and although she hadn't felt badly towards those she'd dated, she couldn't seem to settle on one for long, either. She was like a butterfly - harmless, beautiful, but impossible to pin down without causing damage. After meeting Kom'rk, she kept waiting for that feeling of restlessness, a sign that it might be time to move on. She'd continued watching and waiting as weeks turned into months into years. It wasn't until she'd admitted to herself how completely she dreaded the moment that feeling would arrive that she finally realized it was never going to arrive. What she and Kom'rk had was too strong to be shaken.

If she'd had access to a mirror, Chayah was sure she'd have discovered that she was glowing brighter than the sun. At the moment, she was filled with so much happiness that she felt she'd burst with it. She squeaked as Kom'rk spun her about then hugged her close. Then he was kissing her, and she turned her lips to meet his.

All I want is you, Kom'ika, she said as she wrapped her arms around him as tightly as possible. A few quiet seconds went by before she added, ...and a party, of course. With his face nuzzled in the hair that hung down near her neck, he couldn't see her face, but the movement of her facial muscles against his neck would certainly have given away her half-teasing grin.

Honestly, I've always had trouble sitting through a traditional wedding ceremony without yawning, and to be the one up on the platform sweating in a tight dress and veil? No thanks! Besides, no one but you would be able to hear me say, 'I do', so what's the point? Your marriage traditions are far more practical for someone in my condition. Just...take it slow, okay? I'm not too good at this Mandalorian stuff yet, and I don't want to end up saying 'We will raise poodles' or something like that.