Private The Depths Below

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Good, make yourself comfy," he let his hand trail over her cheek one last time before he stepped back and fixed up his own clothing a little. Without a doubt, he felt a little surprised that things were happening this quickly, but it was hard to take it slower when the feelings were so strong. It just felt... natural.

But for now, this would give them both a little time to think, and probably something to look forward to as well.

...

<T> "Alright, I think I got it just right for you," Kyell said when he returned after a little while, two plates with steaks in his hands. He put them down and quickly ran back to the kitchen to get the fries and a bottle of fancy Alderaanian red wine. Glasses were set down and filled up, the holo-tv was turned on, and gently he lowered himself onto the couch, right beside her.

Of course, he had picked a more romantic movie, but nothing too cheesy, he hoped. Then again, he wasn't exactly a movie expert, so he was more than willing to change it to something else if she hated it.

<T> "I hope you like it," he continued with a smile before he dug in and shifted his attention between her and the movie.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<You know, I’m not a bad cook myself,> Miri remarked as Kyell appeared with plates of food. <I should make you something sometime. Keep things even between us.>

It took her a moment to realize she was suggesting that they take turns cooking in the future. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead.

<Looks like it.> She watched him run around picking things up and setting them down and turning on the holo, before he finally took a seat beside her. Was he nervous, too? Had she done that?

Alderaanian emerald wine, she noted, turning the bottle over in her hands. She had a curious and analytical way of looking at new things, giving them her full and undivided attention. Setting the bottle down, she glanced up at the holo and seemed to instantly recognize the movie. <I’ve seen this one before. Have you?> If he hadn’t, she’d try to keep her mouth (mind?) shut so that he could enjoy it.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

He was definitely nervous.

This was the first time he ever felt like he wanted to impress someone, and it was a hard thing to get right. If he tried too hard, he'd just look silly but if he made it seem like he didn't care... well, he cared too much, so it would never work out. Luckily, having to cook and move around to grab drinks and glasses kept his mind distracted enough so he wouldn't overthink everything.

<T> "I'd love to try your cooking!" he exclaimed, clearly excited at the thought.

Finally, after plopping down, he took a bite from his steak and looked at the screen, <T> "Oh uh, I've not seen anything but we can change it to something else? I haven't seen much of anything, so I don't mind trying a different movie," he offered with a smile. Kyell then reached for his glass and was about to sip from it when a thought struck him.

Maybe a toast first?

He looked at her and raised his glass, <T> "To... not getting eaten by mermaids again? To us?" He blinked and began to blush as his nervousness spiked for a moment.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<It’s a good movie,> she said, cutting into her steak and taking a bite. <I just don’t want to ruin it for you by talking over top of it, or… anything like that.>

She looked a little flushed herself, though it could’ve been the wine.

<I do watch a lot of movies,> she confessed. <Probably more than I should. But it’s nice to escape for a little while. If it's not your thing, we don't have to watch it, though.>

At the offer of a toast, she raised her glass and clinked it against his. <To us, and to not dying anytime soon. In fact, let’s live forever, if you don't mind.>

She took a sip, then asked, <Has anyone else ever tried to communicate with you using telepathy?>

The question may seem like it came from out of nowhere, but in truth it was something that had been bothering her ever since she first established the mental connection between them. It seemed like such an obvious solution, especially for a Jedi, and yet… he had seemed so surprised. Like he wasn’t used to it, maybe hadn’t even considered it an option.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Forever? I... wouldn't mind that at all," he said as he gently clinked his glass against hers. The idea of spending every bit of time he had with her was really tempting, and while he knew it wasn't possible for various reasons, he did want to spend as much time as he could with her.

<T> "And Nah, let's watch the movie. I never watched many because I was usually busy with music, but with you, it'll be fun," he grinned a bit and gently leaned against her side while he tried to follow the story. The hopeless romantic in him actually enjoyed it more than he thought it would... and it sure added to the tension. Especially in the spicier scenes.

<Has anyone else ever tried to communicate with you using telepathy?>

Kyell blinked and his smile turned a little more awkward, <T> "For the longest time, I wasn't able to talk back to people. But one Jedi Knight managed to help me, and after that, I was able to do it decently with some. Especially if I felt a connection to them, like I do with you," he smiled more brightly again and raised his glass to his lips for a sip right as a kissing scene appeared on the screen.

Great timing, as he could hide his red cheeks decently with his glass.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<I should think most people wouldn’t mind a little immortality, especially if they could spend it with their loved ones.>

Watching the movie, she didn’t remember it being this… amorous. Maybe the context was just different now that she was watching it with Kyell.

At the mention of his music, she remembered something. <You still haven’t showed me your Mindharp yet.>

His reaction to her question was awkward, though she didn’t know why. <I don’t mean to pry,> she said. <I just… feared the worst when I sensed how surprised you were to be able to talk to me, I guess. I was afraid that people didn’t do enough for you, or that they were held back by some ridiculous rules regarding how Jedi are supposed to use the Force.> There was a fierceness to her words. She would’ve fought to give him a voice.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she continued to watch the movie, gently threading her fingers between his.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

Maybe he should have looked more into the movie beforehand.

It was one thing to watch it, but another to make eye contact with her as it went on. At least he didn't seem to be the only one affected by it.

<T> "Yeah that does sound pretty great, and if you'd like, I can show you the mindharp later. Maybe tomorrow..." he said as he glanced at his drink. By the end of tonight, he probably wasn't going to have it in him to play an instrument anymore. His eyes then shifted to her when she talked about the Telepathy situation, and especially the fierceness in her tone was something that surprised him a little, in a good way. She seemed caring and protective all the way through, and he loved that about her.

<T> "Most Jedi have been helpful, although not being able to talk makes it hard to really... connect with them and make friends. I'd attend classes and get some private lessons so I could learn at my own pace, but most of my training and practicing I had to do alone." He blinked and realized that it probably sounded a little sad and lonely, but it didn't bother him as much anymore now, so he tried to show that with a smile.

<T> "But now I have you, so all of that is behind me," he gently squeezed her hand when her fingers slipped into his and rested the side of his head against hers for a moment while he watched the movie. <T> "I appreciate the concern, though." he almost whispered as he slooowly slipped an arm around her to pull her close.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Tomorrow, hm?> She cast a sidelong glance his way. <You know a day on Jerrilek is rather short, and the nights are long…>

He spoke some more about his training and growing up as a mute Jedi. <I didn’t have many friends either,> she said sympathetically. <We moved around too much, and I was shy. I learned not to expect any friendship I made to last.>

<T> "But now I have you, so all of that is behind me."

Smiling, she touched his cheek lightly, feeling heat against the back of her hand. He was flushed. She hadn’t exactly been keeping track, but she suspected he had drunk more of the wine than she had.

<Do you mind if I stay?> she asked, right as he wrapped his arm around her. Her words might’ve referred to both spending the night and ceasing her wandering to stick with him a while.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Seems you'll have to wait a little longer before I play then," he teased before he listened to why she had few friends growing up herself. It explained a few things about their earlier interactions and the apprehension, but there was no longer a reason to be hesitant. He wasn't going anywhere, and he knew she wasn't either.

<T> "Well, we are going to last," he promised with determination in his tone while he leaned into her hand with his cheek, a soft smile on his lips. He was still blushing, and the wine likely played a part in that, but above all else, it was because he opened himself up to someone he had grown to care deeply about.

<T> "I'd love for you to stay..." his voice trailed off as he leaned in, closed his eyes, and placed a hand gently underneath her chin before pressing his lips against hers. The movie that played in the background was almost entirely forgotten as he drifted off into his own little world with Miri.

She could stay as long as she wanted — through the night, and for many more to come.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

As they drew even closer to one another, Miri was again reminded of just how truly thin hospital clothing was. The contour of Kyell’s warm body against hers, combined with his scent and the feel of him through the Force was taking up all of her attention. Then the touch of his lips as they met in a searing kiss sealed her fate.

The movie became little more than background noise, colorful holographic lights shining on her back as she rolled over on top of him. Her hands slipped beneath his hospital gown, running across his chest.

<What’s the sleeping situation to be?> she asked. One of the advantages of telepathy was that she didn’t need to stop kissing him in order to talk. <Is your bed big enough for two, or should I take the couch?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

Slowly, and with Miri carefully locked into his arms, Kyell rolled onto his back without breaking the kiss. He didn't bother to turn off the movie, lower its volume, or even think about the food that was still on the table — her touch and the feedback loop of emotions and desires that echoed between them was all he could focus on.

Feeling her hands against his bare chest, Kyell let out a soft and shaky breath that was followed by one hand sliding down her side while the other caressed her cheek. This time, he fully gave in and committed to how he felt. There was no holding back any of it anymore.

<T> "We'll make the bed work," he replied while his lips still searched for hers, and finally, he set aside his nervousness, his doubts about himself, and just enjoyed the moment with her, wherever it would take them.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Kyell’s hand running down her side made Miri quiver and arch against him. <I’m glad,> she murmured, before all further conversation ceased.

Darkness began to descend—oh, so you’re just gonna leave the holo on? How will you sleep with the volume blaring…?

As the two lovers sequestered away to the bedroom—seriously, all that food’s just going to go bad. What a waste. Yeah yeah, go ahead and fool around, just don’t try to eat that steak in the morning. It might be contaminated with potentially lethal bacteria, you know.

The long Jerrilek night—sorry for interrupting, but it’s still so funny that it only took them three days—

Okay, okay, sorry. Fading to black…

The next morning, Miri lay in a bed that was arguably too small for two grown adults, though she was hardly complaining about the closeness. They made it work, just like Kyell said they would.

He hadn’t awoken yet, and she was reluctant to get up without him. Her eyes wandered around the room, searching for something that might be the Mindharp, but also simply perusing the scenery. It was a little like dreamwalking, being in someone else’s bedroom. After all, they did most of their dreaming there, and so people’s rooms tended to reflect their minds.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

The night really had been long... and definitely drained him of all his energy.

But morning eventually came, and as rays of sunlight hit his face, he grunted and slowly opened his eyes to see himself with an arm wrapped around Miri, holding her close in his relatively tiny bed. At least this meant it hadn't all been a dream — with how amazing it was, it easily could have been, but he was very glad it wasn't.

<T> "Morning..." he muttered while he lightly squeezed her against him, and pressed a kiss down on her neck. <T> "Did you sleep okay?" he asked before he slowly tried to sit up and stretch a little bit. The room around him was a lot messier than he was used to, but it wasn't that strange all things considered.

Luckily his Mindharp was stored safely in a cabinet placed against the wall. There was no way it could have been knocked over or stolen. You never know, after all.

<T> "I can make us some breakfast... once I wake up a little," he smirked.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

The room was messy… had they wrecked it last night? Whoops. Maybe they should turn the lights on next time so they can see where they're going.

Kyell was awake.

<I slept just fine. Even though you did your best to keep me up half the night.> She winked at him. <But I don't mind at all. We Jedi don't deprive ourselves anymore, after all.>

Miri’s eyes closed blissfully when he kissed her on her neck, wild thoughts galloping through her mind. Nothing too crazy, just running away together somewhere far, far away… Well, more far, far away than the galaxy they were already in.

<Breakfast?> That drew her out of her lovedrunk reverie. She glanced at him with dark slanting eyes. <Oh, if you’re having trouble waking up, I have a Benandanti technique to help with that…>

Her tone was quite suggestive, but rather than ducking under the sheets or dragging him back into bed, she reached over and pinched his arm.

<Awake now?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "I can't take all the credit for the lack of sleep," he said with a grin in response to her wink. <T> "And I definitely don't mind either. It was great," he said before he yawned and tried to focus his thoughts. It probably wasn't a surprise to anybody that he had very few things keeping him up usually, so to have stayed up all night for...things... had actually made him more tired than he realized.

However, a suggestive tone snapped his eyes back to her expectantly and curious, only for a sudden pinch of his arm to really wake him up.

<T> "Yes, and you better be careful... I can play that game, too," he smirked and gently rubbed his hand over the side of her arm. A very loving gesture, if it didn't shift into his hand playfully poking into her side moments later to test just how ticklish she was. A gamble on his part, but totally instant victory if it worked.

<T> "Awake as well?"

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Miri’s wide eyes and instant kneejerk reaction to being jabbed unintentionally revealed one of her worst kept secrets: she was very ticklish. But she didn’t give Kyell a chance to take further advantage of her newly discovered vulnerability, grabbing his hands with quick reflexes.

<A shower would wake both of us up,> she said, planting a kiss against his bare chest. <I assume the ‘fresher is as small and cramped as the rest of your ship… but not so small that we’d be forced to take turns, hm?>

Clearly Miri’s suggestion was motivated by a desire to not waste water.

<And after breakfast…> Her grip on his arms loosened as she trailed kisses down the length of his torso, pausing only to give them both a chance to breathe and think. <The Mindharp. Unless you’d prefer to do something else today...?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

Oh he had her now.

This new revelation was something he'd have to keep in mind, but with her grabbing his hands and offering an even better idea, she had stopped him for now. The kiss against his chest also helped very much. <T> "We'll make it work..." he responded with a grin, choosing to use the same words that had led to them waking up here.

Wasting water was a terrible thing, after all.

<And after breakfast…>

He blinked and looked down as she planted kisses along his torso that drew shaky breaths from his lips. After everything, he felt a lot more sensitive around her, and she was able to really draw him in with everything she said or did because of it. Not that it bothered him even a little.

<T> "I'll show you the mindharp, and we'll see where the rest of the day takes us. I uh, didn't really plan much beyond the dinner." He wasn't going to claim last night had been part of his plans, but it had without a doubt been on his mind. <T> "But first things first," he got up to his feet and offered her a hand up to lead her to the bathroom.

<T> "You don't use all kinds of fancy shampoos, right?" he teased. Kyell only had the basic things he needed, nothing more. So as expected, the bathroom was a fairly small space with an even smaller shower cabinet.

They'd make it work.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<T> "You don't use all kinds of fancy shampoos, right?"

<Yeah,> she admitted. <I do.> Kyell probably didn’t even have conditioner. The thought made her giggle. Boys. <But I won’t mind smelling like you for a day.> Or rather, smelling like the soaps and shampoos he used.

They made it work. After the shower, while Kyell saw to breakfast, Miri took the time to clean up a little, getting rid of the leftovers from last night and fixing anything they may have displaced in their haste to get to bed. The only clothes she had for the moment were her swimsuit and the hospital pajamas, so she settled with stealing one of his shirts.

She felt ridiculous, and was enjoying herself terribly.

On her end, absolutely none of what had occurred over the past few days had been in any way planned. She had a few suggestions, however.

<Would you like to spar with me?> she asked over breakfast. <Or, I don’t know—some type of practice.> She wasn't exactly sure what type of fighting he was used to beyond the lightsaber.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "I was going to offer a quick trip back to your ship to get you some clothes, but this is way too good," he said when she showed up in one of his shirts, which practically looked like a dress on her. She seemed to be enjoying herself in it too, so it made it all the more fun.

Sitting down on the couch with breakfast, he let himself relax from the more wild moments behind them and focused on his food for a moment. But when she asked her question, he looked up and gave it some thought.

<T> "A spar sounds like fun." Even though he'd likely get his ass beat. <T> "But first..." he got up and quickly made his way to the bedroom and back, this time with the Mindharp in his hands. Rather than sitting down to play it himself, he offered it to her and sat back down with a big grin.

<T> "I think you'd actually be able to play it very well. You don't need your hands for it, so there's no muscle memory you have to develop. Just... connect to it with your mind, and allow the bridge you form to carry along the music you hear or feel. I tend to tap into my environment or focus on a memory that sparks some kind of emotion for inspiration," he explained.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<It’s better than walking around without clothes,> she said. <I think I’ll keep it.> The shirt smelled like him, which she found comforting.

<Unless you want to go back to those ruins,> she murmured. <Now that the mermaids are dead, it should be safer. And if not… we’ll just come better prepared.>

Kyell finally brought out the Mindharp. Miri smiled at the sight of it, then turned to him and said, rather anticlimactically, <Not until I finish eating.>

After breakfast, Miri examined the device. She was tentative about connecting her mind to it, taking her time to adjust to its strangeness. Once she was fully “plugged in” so to speak, she was at a loss of what to play.

She soon discovered that looking at different things triggered a change in brain activity that the Mindharp would react to. A mundane object might create an instrumental solo, while something more significant—like Kyell himself—could produce a symphony. She closed her eyes and thought of Coruscant, composing a rhapsody in silver and blue.

<Wow,> she said. Or tried to—the Mindharp lyricized her telepathy into a musical expression of awe. She laughed, and it laughed along with her. “This thing is crazy! I love it!”

Kyell Laysel​