But everyday there's a new thing comin'

[Curupira Hawk]

Another shot went down her throat as [member="Marek Starchaser"] spoke again and she shook her head. She felt him approach then. Unlike most, Curupira didn't shut off the Force. It was always around her. Sometimes, she focused a little bit harder but most of the time, it was an old friend beside her, sometimes butting in, sometimes just plain leaving her alone to do her business. Right now, it was a welcomed friend as she looked to the side, his ink exposed. She fell quiet, watching him as he spiked up his hair, a tiny little smile slowly spreading.

Exposing her cheek ever so slightly, her eyes closed for the split second in which she gave her the kiss on it. Curupira poured herself another shot before turned her head to the side, reaching out with the force to the cupboard. The doors opened slightly and another glass flew towards her, landing into the hand she extended. She poured another shot, slowly pushing it towards her mate before Marek got another shot for himself.

While [member="Ket Van Derveld"] introduced his apprentice further into the Dathomiri lore, Curupira just took her third shot. She didn't mention the scars on her own back. That wasn't part of the lore. No male claimed a Witch, it was only the other way around. But these two were unique. As she swallowed, her eyebrows rose at the burning sensation. With each shot, it stung a little less and pleased her a little more. "It's a private act. But it's proof you belong to someone. No Witch can attempt to lay claim on you if you belong to another," she elaborated and let her eyes wander up to Ket as he winked at her.

Was she a part of Marek proving himself? "Every day's a test in this galaxy. Every breath, every action. You live another day, you've passed." Something Curupira learned years and years ago in the mines. Every time you lay your head on the ground still alive, no matter how badly beaten, you won. Each day was a victory.

The dark thoughts was suppressed as Marek commented on her mind. They were always there, somewhere in the back of her mind but these little statements were always good to push them away. She grinned. "Careful what you ask for. Dathomir is like nothing you've ever faced before." Curupira was sure of that. If someone had never been there, they'd never seen anything like it. No matter how much similar it may have seemed from the storytelling, it was completely different.

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Ket actually flashed a hint of a grin, if only for a moment. Taking the glass from Ruu's hand, he let his index finger brush the back of her hand a moment before taking the glass to his lips and downing it's contents. Listening to them both, he quietly contemplated the words, moving to the liquor cabinet as he did. He reached back, wrapping lithe fingers around a rather dusty old bottle. It had seen the ages, as if not touched in centuries. Truth be told, that was much the case, a little something he'd put out of sight and out of mind in one of his myriad caches across the stars. He uncorked the bottle, and let the fiery brown liquid pour into his glass, filling it three finger's full. Turning to both his mate and apprentice, he shook his head a bit as Ruu's definition of winning.

"Morsel, whilst I usually dislike having an opinion contrary to your own, this happens to be one of those times. That is not winning. That is surviving. Survival, while admirable, is not living. Living is not laying your head down no matter how broken, but how many broken lay under you when you do. After all, I find flesh more suitable than rock to sleep on, however cold and dead it may be."

Drinking the contents of the glass slowly, he set it down upon the carved obsidian table in the middle of the room, sitting upon a rather unique leather chair of oxblood hue, with twisted iron work along it's lines. The cold, dead flesh he spoke of just a moment ago... It made a rather handsome chair, he thought. Comfy, too.

"And no, Marek. It only tells me that you are not nearly as gullible and ignorant as most whom seek me out. Nothing more, nothing less. Still, the fact that I have not yet choked you with my bare hands yet speaks volumes."

Spoiler

[member="Curupira Hawk"], [member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

Marek was used to hiding. Being raised among the Zeison Sha, he was used to keeping himself hidden. Away from others on the Force. Not anything special, just turned off to reduce the number of unskilled users finding him. Of course, it preventing him sensing most people. But when he did see [member="Ket Van Derveld"] the Force opened up. "Survival is something I know well of. Surviving from day to day. Against the odds. Against the world. Preparing to survive against another. That is the major change. The one where it becomes more than living. It's the edge. And only one will walk away." He had been there at times. Not enough lately with his life being cushy. He thirst for the risk in life. The knowledge. The change. Was that why he was here? Part of it, for sure.



The Dathomiri had their own ways. And as much as Marek was fine being himself and on his own, forging a connection with someone was important, wasn't it? Really, a non issue. If it was to happen, for him to connect and perpetuate his family line, or whatever the end game was for him, it would happen.

Looking between the two and listening to their words, Marek was starting to put a lot together. One thing was certain. This was where he wanted to be. Among these people. The risk takers. The ones who will never back down. The ones who could show him a whole new level of existence.

Looking from [member="Curupira Hawk"] to Ket once more, he nodded. What was keeping him alive? Was there something the Master saw in him? What was it? How did he get himself here? "I know what I want to learn. What I hope to accomplish and where the best place to learn this is." These were statements he accepted as fact.

 

[Curupira Hawk]

When [member="Ket Van Derveld"] disagreed with her, for a moment, it really did feel odd. It was foreign to her. That is not winning. That is surviving. She blinked and stared at him for a few moments, understanding perfectly what just happened. "I said you pass the test if you make it through another day," her golden gaze fixed on her mate. 'Please stay out of my head around strangers, be their your apprentice or not,' the Force sent a line of thoughts to him. It was her history, things she didn't share with anyone. She didn't mind Ket reading into her surface thoughts but some things were too private for others to know. She never talked about any of it. And whether she liked [member="Marek Starchaser"] was not the issue here. Some things were not for everyone's ears.

Shifting her gaze back to Marek, she took in his own words of survival and nodded. "There's always an opponent. Easy if it's someone of flesh that you can strike. What about when you have an opponent you can't strike?" It wasn't one of those questions to linger in the air, Curupira was genuinely interested to hear how Marek would respond to that.

Ket made a point to tell the kid about how relevant it was that he wasn't dead yet. "Told ya," the redhead just told Marek and smiled before pouring herself another drink and took it in quickly as Marek talked about learning and accomplishing. That's nice, she thought as the liquor slipped down her throat. At twenty two, Curupira still didn't think much about the future. She knew now part of what that future would be or rather who would be in it but she didn't ask questions, she didn't want to know too much about her future.

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

"Apologies, Morsel. I find it hard to break old habits." He said with a wink to Ruu. He gazed upon her a moment, letting her visage worm it's way into his mind in ways that nothing else ever could. He closed his deep sapphire blue eyes, inhaling a long, deep breath through his nostrils, letting his chest expand fully. He held it but a moment, before slowly exhaling through his mouth, eyes opening and in direct line of sight of Marek. He was powerful, indeed, but this man was but a boy. a whelp, a nothing compared to Ket. His mind raced with a thousand scenarios playing out over the course of but a few fleeting moments. Concentrating upon the Force, He violated Marek's mind in the worst way, becoming something of an unwelcome houseguest within him. His voice amplified, his will exerted over him like a grown man stealing candy from a newborn. In that moment, Marek found himself helpless within Ket's grasp, as he spoke to him as a master spoke to his slave.

"So, yOu WAnt tO lEARn tHaT whICh onLY I caN TeACH? WhAT mAKEs You WorTHY oF mY KNowledGE? WhY shouLD I ALLow YOU to KeeP brEATHing, BOY?"

 

[Corey's OOC]

There were things even Marek wasn't going to touch. And that was definitely anything that involved a mated pair. He just had zero intention of getting in between that. Especially when both of the pair had information and skills he valued and wanted to learn. There was not going to be a place to get in the way.

Looking away, by the time he turned back, he did not realize what was going on. The next thing he didn't realize was that he was on his knees. Something was in him. He was holding in his anguish. When the voice came out he was doing all he could to hold his mind and body in check.

"Because I am the one who can... Learn. I'm the one who can and will earn this!"

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

"EarN? YoU wISh tO EarN WHAt i CaN SHow You? THen I haVE an IDEA. ONlY yOU CAn HEaR Me. aTTAcK CURuPIra. BRiNG HeR to HER knEEs. NOW. Or I SHAll END YOU, BOY."

Ket kept his gaze upon Marek, grinning the whole time. He cared not for this apartment, or anything within it. All that was precious to him was quite safe. The REAL question was, would he do what he was told? Or would he fight it, trying to avoid that which he was told?

 

[Curupira Hawk]

To Ket's wink, Curupira smiled. She wasn't all that upset, just uncomfortable. It was all normal between them but he usually didn't respond to the most private things this way. But alright, that was over with. Instead, her golden eyes observed him closing his eyes, deepening his breathing before his gaze focused on his apprentice.

Picking up the glass again, the redhead poured herself another when Marek spoke, making her gaze dart back him to him for a moment before putting the bottle again. Shifting her pupils from one male to the other and back again, it took her a second to see that she was missing a bit of the conversation. She just shrugged and took in the shot of whiskey in her glass. Her eyes widened for a moment. Okay, maybe that was a sign she should take a small break and slowly put the glass down.

[member="Ket Van Derveld"] | [member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

The pain in his head, the invader, was not something Marek was used to. He idly would think later that it shouldn’t be something anyone was used to. It just … was wrong. Was there even going to be a later? He couldn’t get his head around that, nothing seemed like it existed beyond the Master’s voice.

Frell this!

Fight Curupira? Marek opened his eyes, forcing himself to focus on the world around him, the apartment, on [member="Ket Van Derveld"], on [member="Curupira Hawk"]. He wasn’t sure about this, but Curupira could handle herself, couldn’t she? She and Ket had chosen each other, she had to be able to keep herself in a conflict. Reaching out with the Force, he pushed his hand out in an effort to throw her away from the table, even if his aim was off, and the table was going with her.

 

[Curupira Hawk]

She's barely let her fingers touch the table when she felt her body move back, then the table followed after her, glasses on it falling behind. Her face switched expressions to surprise to a frown. Curupira had drank a little too much, she was a tad bit tipsy but her mind told her she had to respond.

Pink lips moved, barely any sound coming out as she inhaled deep and muttered "allya, ascoltami. Proteggermi da quello che viene a modo mio!" She closed her eyes as and raised her hand, channeling the energy of the magic building up in front of her. A couple of moments passed before the shield before her manifested, red waves showing in an almost transparent energy field. It stopped her from moving, blocking the push coming at her. The table slammed into her, the glass making a loud bang as she hit into the food several times before rolling under.

The energy flowing through her, which manifested through the shield shook her up, gave her mind a jolt. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had raised her shield but right now, it was the most natural thing to do.

[member="Ket Van Derveld"] | [member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

If Marek had one useful power that wasn’t saving his own skin, it was telekinetics. Maybe that was part of the Starchaser line, they were able to move a whole lot with their mind, but as a balanced Force user? He couldn’t do much else unless he had either a power source, or the dark side, and for him, the dark side itself wasn’t cutting it. He needed more. If he could find a way to absorb power… Maybe that was why he was chasing the Sith.

Keep fighting, that would keep everything at bay, wouldn’t it? It had to. Getting to his feet, struggling to his feet, Marek kept his eye on the redheaded witch. Now she was… chanting? Now that was a new trick. Still, he could feel the Force spool around him. Then there was a shield… really?

Reaching out to the glass, the bottles, the glasses, anything he could shatter, he moved the Force in such a way to shatter the pieces, collecting the glass in his mind. Now what? Shield. Not turning away to take his eyes from the person he was supposed to fight, he dropped the glasses and started to approach the shield, unsure of how to handle it, but having one trick up his sleeve.

Pulling the Force to him, he reached out to the shield and was pulling on lessons he had learned form one Phoebe Verd. Could he drain this shield? He wanted to break it, so he could get to [member="Curupira Hawk"] on the other side. Get the shield weakened, and that meant pulling it into himself. Red tendrils came out from his hand to touchy he shield, and he had no idea how bad of an idea this could shape out to be.

 

[Curupira Hawk]

Curupira didn't have to see who was doing this. [member="Ket Van Derveld"] wouldn't attack her but it did beg the moment's question why [member="Marek Starchaser"] was doing it. She could see him through the shield now. The question parted from her mind quickly though, her concentration solely on the shield. After she'd been attacked, her mind was on defense mode. There was no way she was going to drop it of her own free will.

She felt the doings of the dark side next. She didn't know which power he was using but she could feel darkness surrounding it, reaching to the shield. Her eyes closed and head leaned back as she concentrated on what the Force told her, holding the shield up. She could feel it fighting with the darkness, weakening but it still held, her energy keeping it strong.

There seemed no reason yet to drop the shield or attack the kid. Then again, nothing on the surface of the female was truly evil to want to strike. There was only one thing he could do to invoke that and he wouldn't dare change his line of attack. Then she realized. Her mate was quiet and this was the second attack. Something stirred inside her.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Who else would be attacking her? All he knew was that he needed to get her to submit. To prove he could take her down. This was all he needed to do. It was what the Master. That voice in his brain needed him to do.

And to fight the witch, he was going to need to use his arsenal. It wasn't great. But he was strong with all he had been learning and working with. He had his top powers but those kept him alive. The ones he could use here were the ones from the dark side. And that had his options limited. Marek was not much for light side powers. Without his emotions they felt weak. That was why he gravitated towards the darker abilities.

The trick was, did he have it in him? The Zeison Sha were working for defense of those you loved. Of your life and that which was under your protection. Here, Marek was fighting to learn. To survive. To become more than be was. The tendrils of dark side energy found Curupira Hawk 's shield and he started to pull the energy to him.

 

[Curupira Hawk]

She could feel him taking the energy she was sending into the shield. Her eyes darted to the side for a millisecond as she rose from her knees to her feet, the shield taking her full height into account, making it adjust its own height. Curupira inhaled deep as she concentrated. She had literally seconds to act and she had two whole steps she had to do it with.

Two...one... with the help of the Force, she pushed her hands forward, pushing the shield toward Marek. It was her energy, when not protecting her, it wouldn't bring harm to someone else. The shield was only defense, not offense. But if someone didn't know that, they could easily think it could be. Her knees pulled down a little and she sent the Force to her feet then and as she released it, she jumped into the air, to the side, landing near the end of the room. Golden eyes now focused on a clear [member="Marek Starchaser"] and then to [member="Ket Van Derveld"]. It was refreshing to be using her powers, without him wanting to do things instead of her. It still stirred something inside her, something unpleasant. It darkened her golden gaze.

 

[Corey's OOC]

There was the feeling he was hoping for. The draining of the shield. The assimilation and absorption of the power. He needed that. Craved it. Really this was what he wanted to do. He could use tutaminis well enough, but that was reflexive, like the Force Reflex he was known for. This... was much more heady.

That was when things changed. Grabbing the Force and reaching for the shield that was coming at him, he kept his eye on it. Moving with use of the Force, he dove out of the way. Shaking his head, one hand on the floor to prop him up, the other hand went to hos weapon belt. For either his lightsaber or fire arm. Finding neither, he cussed. Getting to his feet, he surveyed the room.

Broken glass soon lifted from the floor and was being propelled at the redheaded witch.

[member="Curupira Hawk"]

 

[Curupira Hawk]

A smirk formed on her face as she saw [member="Marek Starchaser"] in a new position. Clearly, he didn't know how the shield worked. Good. That was exactly what she was looking for. Her eyebrow arched as he went for a weapon which he clearly didn't have. Now, that would have been cheating. "Come now, kid, you don't need a weapon," she said, a pinch of teasing in her voice before the glass rushed through her.

Without so much thinking, her eyes registered the glass coming at her and summed the Force, taking control of the shard, stopping them inches from her with her advanced telekinesis. Her head tilted, watching him before she threw them right back at him with the same power. It was the first actual attack she had launched at him. Whatever he was doing, Curupira wasn't amused anymore, the smirk completely fading from her face.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Marek, like most of his line, preferred to do things from a distance. A degree of separation. His cousins were starpilots, he was a gunslinger. Not much time to get into the gritty fight. He was used to having something to assist him. To amplify his killing ability. Looking up at the teasing tone, he shook his head. She was right.

He could take her down from here.

That was when she intercepted his glass barrage. Normally Marek was using telekinesis to throw things at people that aren't fighting back. His eyes momentarily widened as he lost control. One hand up, he was doing his best to create a wall of telekinetic power to stop the shards, while the hand he extended the Force from to throw the shards was working to deflect it into the wall.

Neither action was doing its not well and he could feel the glass knick his skin. Fighting back the pain, he reached out, straight for her being, and pulling on the excitement, the thrill of the fight, the red tendrils reached for her. He could use her power against her.

[member="Curupira Hawk"]

 

[Curupira Hawk]

When it hit her, her eyes widen. She could feel him draining her, it felt similar to what he was doing to shield but still, it feel like it... just stronger when it was aimed directly at her. Curupira inhaled deep, her lips parting as she exhaled involuntarily. This was cute before, now it was just plain annoying. Instead of using her powers directly on him, she found the table near by and wrapped her mind around it. Then just threw it at him, exhaling sharply.

"That one, I really don't like," Curupira muttered. "Use it again and you'll need a medic." Really didn't like it. The feeling it gave her was as if she would become helpless and the redhead refused to be helpless.

[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

See, this was what he could do. He knew that there was a whole block, a block on him, his family, whatever, that just didn’t allow them to access the deeper powers of the Force. He would get there. That was half the reason he sought out [member="Ket Van Derveld"] and [member="Curupira Hawk"] in the first place. Of course, the latter was a result of the former. Still, this was going to be one hell of a learning experience. Feeling her shift in the Force while he was hitting her with his energy, trying to sap what he could out of her, he could feel her reaching for the table.

Falling to the ground, in an effort to dodge the table, it narrowly avoiding him, through luck or the Force, either really worked for the Corellian, so long as he could get back up, and he looked at her. What? She didn’t like the power he was using? A grin crept across his features as he nodded. “Well, I’ll just have to be creative.” Grabbing the table leg with the Force, he tore it from the fastenings on tabletop and hurled it straight towards her.

What he needed was a deeper pool of ability.

 

[Curupira Hawk]

Golden eyes noted [member="Marek Starchaser"] on the ground. Finally, Curupira felt the drain ended, making her release her hold on the table which fell not too far from him. Which she now noted as a bad idea. But when he pulled the leg with the Force and hurled it at her, the redhead knew better than to tap into the Force again for a minute.

Instead, she spun to the side, adapting a choreography of her ballet dance to further herself away from the projectile. "You also owe me Corellian Whiskey," she pointed out as she settled, her ponytail end resting to the side of her her face. She didn't care about furniture so much but that Whiskey had a nice taste to it, she'd grown quite fond of it.

"Now, you were saying something about creativity? I'm waiting," Curupira said, letting a small smirk appear on her face. She could feel herself slowly recovering but instead of jumping back to the Force, she did have some other tricks up her sleeve.