The Fragile Cannot Endure

[Lief]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz_j7nVCJJ0​

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Carannia, Serenno​

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These mean streets held no familiarity within her mind. While she knew that they were the self same she had spent several years within that did not give her any sort of connection to them. They were foreign, inhuman... Wrong. Through the market she wandered, knowing full well that it was here that she had once swiped a book from [member='Phylis Alince']. And while she could pull up the memory, it was as though she was looking through the eyes of another.

Whatever the Butcher King had done to her, it had dug deep into the depths of her mind.

Why she was here at all, Jyn could not say. There had been no urge to see the place she had been raised, no pull through the Force she despised. And yet she had come all the same. Perhaps to make sure she was not entirely insane? To confirm, like she had with Coruscant, that the memories which had been unlocked were true?

She had expected a far greater reaction, but her skin did not so much as prickle. Not even when she stared upon the home of those who had tossed her aside when they were granted a babe of their own. Would the child who had taken the place of an orphan still be found within? They would be almost an adult in their own right by this point.

But not even that elicited a response. She felt hollow, which was likely a good thing given how busy the streets were. She couldn't very much be bursting into flames now could she? That would garner attention she did not want.

It was here though. All of the things she had remembered, right there infront of her eyes. Able to be touched, heard... The whole experience felt very surreal. In one regard she was seeing it all for the first time, and in another it was home. Home? What an alien concept.

She had always believed Dromund Kaas was her home, the world of perpetual rain. She had always believed her parents belonged to the Empire. That her first steps into the Force lay upon Korriban.

Turned on its head, all of it.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

He lacked purpose. There was no direction in his life.

It had always been one hurdle after another, just one more struggle to get through before the next meal came. That's how it had always been. Dark, brooding, depressing, and nothing short of nihilistic. Judas enjoyed likening himself to an animal, just a beast with simple and raw needs. He held no consolation for gods or regents. It was a simple life albeit largely dull and dreary when not occupying himself with winning wars for the Dominion or ensuring that he was indeed the strongest being that existed.

That was the end goal, really.

But that being said, there had to be a means to that end. Which was sole reason he was here on Serenno. Archlord [member="Cedric Grayson"] had suggested that he familiarize himself with the Dominion's holdings and their people. Note their customs, observe how they live their lives, and possibly find value in what he saw. The former Sith Lord highly doubted any of that would happen but it couldn't hurt to stretch his legs and take a break from the usual routines of pain and strife.

And so, clad in a simple black tunic and boots, the man strolled quite gloomily throughout the streets and bazaars of this aristocratic world with impunity.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She had circled through the few key places three times now. Part of her wanted to feel something, anything. It did not make sense for her to be so apathetic. Had she not been searching for answers for most of her life? Had she not always felt as though something was missing?

It wasn't until next she stood before the gates of her first home that something ignited within her.

The vibrant blue doors were not shut against the world, instead thrown open. And within the doorway stood a beautiful woman and an equally beautiful child who could not have been more than 14 years old.

"Don't be home too late, Rhy. Your Father returns this evening."

It felt as though the whole world stopped still, yet her vision tunneled and span once the weight of the words truly hit her. She reached out for the wall, using it to both brace and hide her from sight.

They named her Rhy? But that was my name...

Her heart hammered in her chest, a very visceral sensation taking over. She felt heat even before the tell tale prickling became evident, and fell back against the wall as the fires took hold of her core. Her skin was already becoming ashen, with what looked like pools of magma dotting the surface irregularly.

They stole my name...

[member="Judas Foster"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

There had already several occasions on this world that made him enjoy it more and more. It was just the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Nobody here was a soldier or a warrior. Students, merchants, construction workers, gardeners, barbers, teachers. It was an experience wholly opposite to what he'd seen for the majority of his life. Typically it came in the form of a starship with their grey corridors and viewports that opened out into the vast dark void of deep space. It was all so blank and stale.

This, this was rather refreshing.

Judas inhaled deeply, sucking in the cool air and continued on his way.

Serenno was home to a plethora of wealthy beings. Aristocrats. Luxurious manors, glorious estates, and many other architectural feats that could only be performed with a heap of financial backing. For just a moment, Judas envied them and their ignorant, wasteful lives. He doubted there was any sort of real toil that faced these soft palmed investors and businessmen. All they had was sweet talk and fiat money.

Shaking his head woefully, something sparked in the corner of his vision. At the gates of one of those first manors stood a girl. Her pale, lithe form just stood there, staring at the manor until something sparked again. That snow white flesh of hers slowly darkened, deep scarlet cracks carving themselves across her skin. Then she stumbled, moving against the wall for support.

Judas felt it too. Raw emotion. It radiated a deep, numbing sensation that pierced him to the core.

A flicker of golden eyes to the left and right saw the former Lord jogging across the street.

As he grew near, the man gave her figure another cursory glance. "How are you doing this?" He inquired, lowering his voice to nearly a whisper.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Coming here she knew that her existence had spiraled the way it had due to the fact that they had wanted to replace her. The babe they had promised to protect, who they had brought into their fold and so lovingly cared for, did not fill that empty void of infertility. So when the Force favoured them, rather than keep both they chose to discard the previous apple of their eye in favour of another.

Why they did this she could not say. It was not as though they hadn't the wealth to support two girls, or the time, or the patience, or even the love. Looking back, now that she was able to remember, Jyn realized that something simply must have changed within them. Not a very good excuse for throwing a child out to fend for themselves, but she could not blame them. She wasn't a parent. What did she know?

But to take the name of the child you had abandoned... Was there any crueler act? Not just for her, but for the replacement. For the parents. To constantly live with the reminder.

Sat where she was, Jyn was yet again soothed by the stone wall at her back. It seemed to be a recurring theme, and she hoped that stone would never lose its intrinsically cool surface. It was an anchor within the waves which pulled her asunder.

To say that she had been wanting a response, now that she had it Jyn could not wait to be rid of it. The burning was unbearable, and though she grit her teeth to avoid crying out internally she was screaming.

Her skin was covered in sweat which all but dissipated as it trailed down to meet the skin-deep magma. After so long fighting it, after all the work Sargon had put in to teaching her to control it, her inability to quench the fire was somewhat disheartening. Humiliating, even.

Not even the death of the fiend that had caused it, by her own hand, had helped. The Force was not so kind to one such as she.

When a voice broke through the darkness which was enveloping her Jyn for once did not jump. What did she expect, being out in the open with skin that looked like the embered remains of a fire?

Usually she had more warning than today. Usually she felt it a solid minute before it erupted. But this had taken her completely off guard. No alleyway for her, darkened street. Just an ordinary road, infront of an ordinary home.

As if people didn't have enough reasons to hate forcies already.

Whoever had found her had asked a question. Doing it? Did he think this was purposeful? That she would choose to have her skin boil and burn out here in the open? Her cracked lips parted in a short laugh, hoarse with exhaustion.

No words though, at least not right away. Just further heavy breathing. She could still hear the woman and her replacement in the distance, and it only sought to keep her from reigning it in as she usually would. She had to get away from here, she had to breathe air that wasn't heavy with corruption.

Using the wall to brace herself she forced herself to her feet, and keeping her hand to the stone she blindly sought to stumble free from the bounds of the estate. Only then could she calm herself. And each step away seemed to invigorate, allow air to flow through her while the fires soothed down to a gentle glower.

"I'm not" she finally croaked, when the distance had become great enough that she could breathe, though she doubted the stranger was close enough to hear.

She didn't care. She was done with this place.

[member="Judas Foster"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Sun-hued eyes scoured her body for every little detail. He could feel the heat radiating off of her as if she had been bathing in napalm. Ashen flesh and magma seeping through the cracks and pores of her steaming skin. Judas made a few attempts to stoop his head, watching her grit her teeth in pain, though at a safe enough distance to prevent his eyebrows from experiencing a fiery demise.

It was a rather peculiar scene.

Just a girl who'd caught herself on fire and some passerby who'd been interested enough to get a front row seat to the spectacle.

What a strange child. He was utterly and completely thrown off by the whole ordeal. He'd expected to simply observe the everyday life of the people he "protected" and ended up witnessing a flaming woman who shrugged off the flames and heat like they were nothing. Convection was something he'd learned about long about but it felt so much more... different than that. So much more unique and personal.

"Stop," he barked as she began to slowly depart from the estate. He quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing her by the wrist with the intent to halt all of her forward motion.

"Do that again."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

As she stumbled on she heard the man's voice once again, quick at her heel. Delirium was a typical side effect whenever she let the sensations linger for too long, and so as she turned her head to the direction of his voice it felt heavy and water filled.

A hand seized her wrist, no doubt causing the one it belonged to no small amount of pain. Just as he had felt the heat from her, now his hand would feel it in full force. Not quite as strongly as she did, but enough that it would leave an impression upon his palm. No blisters, more like a brand. But like her fiery state it would fade in time.

She did not try to stop him. She did not fight off the grasp. She faced him head on, though he towered over her, and looked almost dumbfounded at his demand. Do it again?

Was he insane?

She lifted her free hand, as though demonstrating that the charred effects still remained for the most part, before giving him an odd look. Clarity finally returned to her gaze, and she blinked away the last of the haze which had set over her mind.

"It's not some... P-Parlor trick" she whispered, swallowing to try and ease her dry throat. Now that the estate was more or less out of sight and mind, mostly because the man took up her entire field of view, she took a very firm hold on her emotions and tried her best not to let the situation goad her into further outbursts.

But the way he looked at her, like some freak at a circus, stirred within her a feeling of disdain and yet again the prickling made itself known.

She did not know if she would last through a second round so soon. She needed something to drink, she needed a moment to breathe - to truly breathe.

[member="Judas Foster"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Hot.

It burned, badly. The very second his hand made contact with her skin, it felt like he'd set it right onto a burning stove. A sharp inhale and the grinding of teeth were the only things he did to stifle the painful groan that threatened to erupt from his throat. But his golden gaze narrowed ferociously at his own weakness. Judas made it a point to deal with the searing pain for just a few seconds more before slowly releasing his grip on her.

The man reeled his hand pack. The burn was intense. Blisters and charred flesh, but it only took even a few more moments before the cells slowly began to replicate and begin the healing process. Within a minute or so the brunt of the burn should be gone, or at least Judas sure hoped.

Sweat beaded down his forehead.

"I know it's no trick, girl." The man retorted sharply. "Who are you? Where are you from?"

Why in the world was this girl here? What being could just spontaneously combust whenever they wanted? Why had she?

So many questions.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Just as the pain worked its way through him, so too did it flash upon her expression. She had never quite gotten the hang of closing herself off completely from the emotions of others, they ate away at her almost as ferociously as her own. Acknowledge, and release. That was the best method she had found, give the emotion just a moment and then brush it off.

She exhaled when he finally released her wrist, looking down at her hands which had flared back up and waiting for them to die back down before finally speaking.

"I can't just do it on demand" she said, further explaining herself though why she was entertaining him was anyone's guess. One slight step back put a little ground between them, and she wiped her head with the back of her hand. The heat was normal to her now that she didn't even really feel it. Just the small beads of sweat. Thankfully that too seemed to be slowing, her body regulating itself back to a more manageable temperature.

He asked a lot of questions, and his tone brokered no relief. He expected them answered, that much was apparent.

"Jyn" she said, having dispensed with the aliases. The other question was harder to answer, so she simply shrugged. It felt odd standing in the shadow of a giant, so much so that she took yet another step back. Prepared, as ever, to flee should the need arise.

Times like these she wished she'd listened to the lessons of Tirdarius and the others. Maybe she could've dispensed with a mind trick, and fled the scene. Made him forget what he had seen.

She wasn't stupid though, she could sense something about him. For all her faults and flaws, people remained something she could read as easily as a book.

And this one was no ordinary passerby.

Which made him all the more dangerous to the likes of her.

You gotta get out of here, Jyn, and fast. Make some excuse, or turn on your heel and scarper. You know these streets better than anyone, even if you feel no association to them...

[member="Judas Foster"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

If she couldn't do it upon demand, then how?

Jokingly, he wondered if simple walks down the street triggered her volcanic eruptions, but that thought sharply ceased to exist the second the girl took another step back. Fear lidded her eyes, it laced every little morsel of her being. As many flaws and faults that he had, fear and anger were two things he knew. When the shoulders bucked, when the eyes dropped to inspect the ground, when you backed away from a challenge rather than face it head on. Surprisingly enough, this girl, apparently named Jyn had remained longer than he initially expected.

Judas took another step forward to offset her rearward motion.

"I'm Judas." He sighed through his nostrils, extending his hand towards the woman. "I'm really only here because a colleague of mine felt it was imperative that I get out and get some fresh air. I'm not really from the area so I've been wandering aimlessly."

Perhaps a change of the atmosphere would get some answers out of her, or at least get her to stick around just for a bit longer.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

For each step she took backward, he strode forward. Never once allowing the gap between them to expand for more than a second. She swallowed back uncertainty and instead stood her ground. A time would come, a chance, an opening, and when it did she would be gone. Until that point, she simply need only focus on keeping the beast within in check.

She wouldn't be something for him to watch in amusement, to study under a magnifying glass.

He gave his name, and extended a hand which she simply stared at. What was he doing? Did he expect her to take it? Shake it? Burn it as she had the other? She had noticed that he had healed the other in no time, sensed it on him. The relief which so often came with the soothing of pains.

That didn't prove that he was sensitive though. Plenty of races, even human-looking ones, were capable of regenerating.

"Judas..." she repeated, forcing her feet to remain rooted in place. Her gaze finally lifted from his hand, though she still made no move to reach out for it. "If it's air you're after, you may not want to remain near me."

She had a habit of heating it up, drawing from it precious oxygen. At least.. That's how it felt to her. Whether the same could be said for others she did not know. It was suffocating to her, whether in her head or not.

"And what do you want?"

He had said his colleague had suggested it. That hinted that Serenno was not the place he wanted to be. She might be able to work that in her favour, give him cause to leave her be.

But he had a curious look in his eye, and she knew those chances were slim.

Why did she always get herself into such stupid situations?

[member="Judas Foster"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Oh but she was so much more than an experiment, so much more than a fidgeting little test subject beneath a magnifying glass. She was a work of art, a perfection creation of pain and endurance. Those sterilizing flames of hers, he knew they hurt her down to the very core of her being and she was able to continue living, able to continue enduring those manifestations of fire.

While he didn't want her gift, he wanted to know how she did it. It was a gift, truly.

He figured he'd made headway with her. Apparently not. She hadn't taken his offer of a casual handshake, she continued to back away from him until she finally turned both of her shoulders to face him. An animal cornered was always the one that fought back.

Judas frowned.

"I want to know how you do that." He waved his hand nonchalantly, as if batting her initial assumption away. "Not the fire, the pain. How do you do that? Does it not feel like molten rock all over your flesh? Does the heat not choke you?"

His golden eyes sparkled with delight. An absence of pain. It sounded like a dream.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Laugh or cry. Why did it always come back down to that choice? In the end a slight laugh was the victor, though it held no humour. She shook her head, she always forgot that others could not sense the emotions of others as she could unless they were painted upon their faces. How odd it must be to live their lives without that extra sense.

"It... It is all those things and worse."

Her voice was whispered, as though by virtue of speaking the words the beast within might stir.

"It is suffocating, it is agony, like a thousand heated needles pressed under the skin, and the only way to combat it is to switch everything else off." She shuddered for a moment. Not even Sargon's attempts at teaching her to control it had really worked in the end. "Emotions set it off, anything. My emotions, your emotions." She turned her sights to some random passerby across the street. Another shiver. "Even his."

Coruscant had been far worse than Serenno though. While there were plenty of people here, most lived in wealthy apathy. Never really having to worry, leisurely going about their business. By contrast, Coruscant's undercity was ripe with all manner of suffering. If not for Ar'ekk she felt certain she would not have made it through the night there.

This stranger seemed morbidly fascinated. What she wouldn't give to be able to pass along the curse, see how he liked it. No backsies. Only she couldn't. It was she the Force sought to torment and no other.

She had not explained the intricacies of it to anyone save Sargon until now. And why she had so stupidly told him at all she did not know. Another step back. What if he were one of the Sith from her past? Those who had sought to use her Empathic abilities against her? They would laugh if they saw her now. No escape from their will.

[member="Judas Foster"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

And worse?

The dark jedi nearly swooned with delight.

This was too perfect. It was the most spontaneous, unexpected meeting he'd ever experienced (not that he experienced many), but everything felt right and fell just right into place. This was no curse, this was no branding of suffering and pain, it was a sign. A sign that he, that Judas, was meant to find her and truly discover what pain really was. It was so much more than just one's nervous system reacting to various chemicals and impulses in the body, this was something even science couldn't answer. Maybe not even the Force.

Grimly, the brute lowered his golden gaze to rest upon her form once again.

"You are a special person." Time to get straight to the point. "Whatever you have, I want it. I need it."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

He did not hold back in his glee. Clearly something she had said struck a chord within him, and when his eyes turned down to gaze upon her she felt as though the only course of action was to shrink away into nothingness. What she wouldn't give to be as small as an ant in that instance, to scurry away and become one with the cracks in the otherwise pristine wall she stood beside.

But she couldn't. Nor could she really run, there was nowhere to turn to and the rush of adrenaline would only bring about a worse fate. So she stood her ground, all the while praying that something else might catch his attention.

No such luck. Instead he seemed intent on learning her secrets. Secrets she had never been privy to. What had happened that day, when Arthos had broke open her mind, was a blur. It didn't entirely feel real.

"Have it" she said, with a shake of her head. "Were there a way to give it to you I would." But there wasn't. This was no ordinary curse, there would be very few if any instances of it throughout the whole of Galactic history. Just some stupid girl who hadn't known when to stop fighting. "You would not want it if you felt it."

Another step back. She did not know what this man wanted, but there was intent in his gaze that could not be disguised.

[member="Judas Foster"]