Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He didn't resist, he had realized this this morning that trying to avoid falling when Kira was around was hopeless.

Instead he allowed himself to fall on top of her, letting her dead weight move him, a considerable feat when taking his bulk and her lack of it into account. He placed his hands in front of him to the right of her ribs and to the left of her head, propping himself as to not crush her completely with his solid weight. The cloak made an interesting little tent around them, trapping the heat of their bodies beneath them.

Solials face ended up close to Kira's own and for a second he simply lay there.

“At least were clothed this time.” He said with a smirk, he didn't even feel the cold snow surrounding his palms.

 

[Kira Talith]

Her body would sink into the snow, much like her bed but with puffs of snow flying upward in the wake of their tumble. And here they were again, feeling the weight of his body sink against her for a moment before his smug face went hovering over hers. At least it didn't wind her, the way they landed allowing that at least to be a measure of comfort.

Granted, that ended when her jaw would drop open in sputtering indignation. She should really get used to his teasing, but it could not stop her flush.

"Why you..." well what was one to do at this point? She did the only thing she could considering the ample amount of snow she now lay upon.

"Here let me help you.."

A fistful of the white fluff would go flying right to his face as she'd throw it.

" -- cool off!'

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

White powdered splashed across his face followed by a hint of playful anger. He shirked slightly, shuttering with false rage an indignation. She was being playful, but she had made a mistake. Kira had forgotten who was on top here, and who was quite a bit bigger by more than a few inches.

His hands moved quickly, one stretching out to grab Kira's outstretched arm, the other grabbing her still loose one. In a matter of seconds he pinned both of her arms in place, grasping them above her head and using one hand to hold both of the appendages in place. His eyes then became filled with mock evil, his smug smile growing into a playfully malicious one.

Soliaels free hand dug into the snow, coming back with a fistful of frozen white.

Before the tiny blonde girl could object Soliael deposited the handful of snow directly into Kira's shirt.

 

[Kira Talith]

Her smug look of victory would be short lived. Oh beans! Struggles could not hold his determination back as she found her arms pinned, sinking into the snow above her.

She caught the devilry in his eyes in an instant. Ohno. No no... nonononon no NO!

"Don't you dare!" she'd say in warning, "Don't you... " She gave a sharp intake of breath as that handful of snow would fall smack on her chest, the subsequent poofs of ice crystals scattering over her face, on her hair. "Pfft!" she'd blow a small clump of it from her mouth, squirming intensely at her indignation!

At this distance, he'd likely catch the lingering scent of eau de bantha steak and potatoes she'd hearitly enjoyed not thirty minutes ago. But that would just be a passing thought, as she'd writhe under him to enact her vengeance! Her knees would draw up, and despite the bruised hips that heavily protested, she'd give a sudden buck amplified by the Force to hopefully toss him to the right.

Oh he was soooo going to pay for that.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael didn't exactly go flying. Instead he was shrugged off, thrown slightly to the right of Kira and landing only about a foot away from her in a similarly thick pile of now, though this one was closer to the edge. For a moment he didn't realize what was going on, the fluffy white beneath him then began to shift and change, moving below him.

He realized that was going on.

“Should have held on harder.” Soliael said to himself as the snow bank slowly collapsed under his weight, and fall off the side of the mountain.

 

[Kira Talith]

As soon as she'd roll him off she was on him, ready to send a handful of snow onto his smug swarthy face. That's when, well... they began to slide.

Her eyes immediately bulged, and she gave a sudden yelp, clinging for dear life with her arms round his neck. That free fall sensation would overtake them anew, the night sky the sole witness to the absurdity of this domino effect.

"JUST DO IT AGAIN!" She'd yell, pressing herself as close as she could, free falling along with that avalanche of snow following them. Oh beans! Beans! BEANS!

'It' being that ability to blink -- or whatever it was called. Wind would whistle in her ears, her hair flying everywhere as she lost her hat. The frosty chill of the air would bite at her exposed flesh.

Why did she get herself into these situations?! Just her luck... Really, she had the worst luck.

One might wonder if she was cursed to a life of constant falling.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He felt Kira claw desperately at him, hanging on to him and pulling at him. She screamed in his ear in a panic, which of course was her right. They began to fall rather slowly, the snow tumbling from the side of the mountain inch by inch until an avalanche began, pouring white setting off the mountain in a torrent.

Soliael and Kira tumbled.

There was no controlled fall this time, no steady progress made downward. Instead the two Masters fell end over end towards the bottom of the mountain, speeding faster and faster among a river of snow. His head swiveled from side to side, his eyes darted around, he looked for a vantage point, a place to go, somewhere to hop to.

His arms wrapped around Kira, holding her tight, then they disappeared.

On a distant peak, miles away from the Fortress and the coming avalanche Kira and Soliael came crashing down. He landed, striking hard ice that had long since frozen over, Kira still held tightly against him, safe and protected from the impact. His breath left him for a moment as the hit traveled through his body, though a deep gasp of air fixed that problem almost immediately.

Still clinging tightly to her, he let out ragged words. “We need to get you a repulsor pack or something.”

His arms slacked slightly, but only slightly.

 

[Kira Talith]

They were on top of some glacier peak, the flat terrain providing some comfort at the back of her mind that at least, they shouldn't be subject to another avalanche. The hard pack ice here would reflect the glow of the heavens, not only of the moon and stars but that of the streaks of dancing lights.

But Kira didn't notice it. The shock of impact would run down her body, the bulk cushioned by Sol's body under her own. Her heart would thunder in her chest, roaring in her ears she was sure he'd be able to hear it.

Her face had found the crook of his neck during the fall, her breath hot against it as she would try to control the adrenaline rush pumping through her veins. It would jackknife through her, giving a slight tremble to her fingers as she'd find her own breath. Hands would unlock behind his neck and she'd start bumbling out, "Ohmyggoodness, are you okay?"

Panic would edge her slightly quivering voice, his joke relieving her some but not enough to sate her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-- you didn't hit your head did you?" fingers would start to press and search for any injury by his neck, moving up as she would start to look him over, worry blanching the color from her face.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" She'd ask as she'd start to pull back from the hold of his arms to get a better look at him and any of his injuries. If his body was protesting the series of aches and pains as hers were...

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

There was a dull throbbing in his neck, and a slight tinge of hurt running through his back. He had taken worse falls before, but this was definitely in the top twenty. A slight groan escaped him as she touched the sore spot on her neck, though the pain reduced to its throb once again when her hand moved away.

“Nothing you can fix, I'm afraid.” He unlocked his arms from Kira and placed one hand on the sore spot of his neck, testing it through a small range of motion with Kira still on top of him. “Unless you want to try and kiss it to make it better.”

It was difficult to tell whether or not Soliael was serious.

He probably was.

Thankfully, Soliael already knew that he wasn't in any danger of passing out again. This time he had managed to keep his head from smashing into the ground, hence the now very strong kink in his neck and back. That pain wouldn't cause much of a problem though, not like another headwound.

 

[Kira Talith]

A huff of hot air would billow from her mouth as she'd scramble onto her knees at his side. "Hah, fat chance. I bite." she'd quip back, her focus more on the location on his neck that was tender. No, she needed a better position. Another scooch and she'd encourage him to get up and use her knees as a makeshift pillow.

Without further ado, she'd start to tug off her gloves. The thick fabric made it difficult for her to really get a feel of what she was doing, and she needed to be able to reach even the tiniest flinch. The cold would bite, but she'd use the Force to counter the cold. Warm hands would drift along his nape, tenderly moving the pads of her finger tips

"Right here?" she'd ask, gently probing in massaging circles.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Biting wouldn't be so bad either.” Soliael said as he lay down with his head in her lap. “As long as You're doing it.”

He murmured the last bit, though he made sure she could still here it. Again it was difficult to tell whether or not he was joking, though the smug expression on his face leaned towards truth, rather than just a silly little quip.

When her hands touched his neck his eyes bulged slightly, they were cold at first, likely from poor circulation as well as the cold air. Seconds after they contacted though they became warm, and very quickly Kira's touch began to press into his flesh, soothing a knotted mass and causing it to flatten slightly. Pain melted away, and he looked up at her with a smile, not smug this time, but warm.

“Now if you could only get to my back.” Thats where most of the dull ache was coming from, but he'd be damned if he was stripping up here.

He had nearly frozen to death once already.

 

[Kira Talith]

"You are a weird one," she'd say back, grateful that the cold was drawing the blood away from her face, hiding the flush that he'd cause that put her in a dither.

"Is that better?" she'd ask, grateful that he wasn't seriously hurt. Her fingers would continue the steady pressure, using the tell tale signs of his body to guide her movements. Granted, both of them were more than a little sore with the events that had transpired to see them validate the state of gravity the past twenty-four hours.

"Maybe later... How bad does your back hurt?" could he get get up? She'd nibble at her lower lip, the cold quickly starting to chap them. Her survey would reveal nothing but the glaciers around them and the streak of dancing lights above. Stars... just how far off from the fortress were they?

"Think you can get up?" she'd ask aloud her earlier thought, her own aches and pains starting to remind her that falling off the balcony was not a way to taking things easy.

So much for a simple walk...

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael arched his neck slightly, then used his hand to push himself up from the ice below him. It was slippery, but not enough that it knocked him off balance when he first rose. His back ached, but it was not debilitating in any significant way, still, as soon as he rose to his full height he flinched slightly, a lance of pain shooting up his back that very nearly brought him to his knee's.

“I'll keep you to that.” Then for the first time since the two had met, he lied. “Its fine for now.”

He had no idea where they actually were, in his panic he had simply picked a spot and gone to it, a dangerous thing to especially since they could end up anywhere in the galaxy that way, especially if Soliael didn't focus. From the stars however Soliael could tell that they were still on Exocron, and still in the far north. He had managed to retain some control at the very least.

All they had to do was find a vantage point, and from there Soliael could bring them back to the fortress. Failing that, they would have to find someplace to spend the night until morning, perhaps that would be a better option from the start.

He mulled things over, casting a slightly worried glance over to Kira.

This was his fault.

 

[Kira Talith]

If there was one thing that was hard to pull the wool over Kira's eyes, was a lie. Especially when it was accompanied by the slight tensing of his body, the flinch. He was hurting. Blue eyes would look at him critically. She got her answer soon enough.

Her lips thinned. For the first time since she met him, he lied. Because of her.

This was her fault.

She'd take a deep breath, and dropped her gaze. There was no missing it, he'd know she knew. Her slightly trembling hands began to move to slip the gloves back on. A noticeable wince would flash over her own face as she'd move to stand. That hip? Yeaaaah. This wasn't good.

Not good at all.

Her shoulders would sharply rise as she'd straighten them, taking a deep breath. Slowly, she'd take the few steps over to him.

"Got any idea where we are at?," she'd ask quietly, avoiding his gaze as her hands would dip inside the heavy snow dusted cloak. They'd snake round his rib cage, until her palms would lay flat at the small of his back. There was one thing she could do, one thing Master Bethany Kismet taught her long ago.

Lids would fall shut and she'd start to concentrate with all she had. Accelerate healing was not her forte, but it would do what it could in this situation. It was better than nothing, even if she had to use all she had to help him.

Warmth would blaze like a fire from her hands, searing through his bodysuit onto the sinew and bone underneath. Every bit of focus would be solely concentrated in manipulating the Force to accelerate the mending of torn and sore muscles, easing what bit of pain she could. Her forehead would fall to rest against his chest, fingers and palm moving up his spine to be a thorough as she could.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael felt the head course through his body.

It seared through him, he felt muscles twist, tendons connect, and bones shaking slightly. Pain rushed through him, but it was a good kind of pain, a hurt that rushed through his entire body but centered on his back. His teeth clamped together, grinding slightly as the pain in his back slowly melted away and turned into nothing but a dull throbbing ache.

He knew she knew.

It was obvious.

His immediate instinct was to gloss over it, was to ignore her knowledge of it and just push on, but that wasn't the right thing to do. He couldn't do It, worse, he didn't want to. He didn't want to lie to her, and he felt bad about doing so, but he felt worse about her trying to fix his mistake, fix his injury. He frowned, putting a hand on her chin and pointing her head up to him.

“Kira...I'm sorry.” The words did not come very easily at all. Soliael Devin Talith hardly ever apologized, and least of all to Jedi. What he was saying sorry for was difficult to tell. The Lie? Bringing her out here? Taking her away from her friends? His sister? All were applicable. “You're still recovering.”

He implied that what she had just done, and what he had done to bring her here were all very bad moves.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira would slump slightly against him, that high focus of energy wearing her out. She'd use him as support for the moment, hands pressing against his back to steady herself. A little bit woozy, she'd barely register the gentle lift of her chin, lids at half mast as he'd guide her to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.

Flanked by the inky black sky and the streak of aurora borealis, in her woozy state his eyes would pop with vibrant color. Funny, how those eyes so similar to Nememe had begun to slowly fade her association with the former Rakata Queen.

He apologized, but for what exactly it was hard to say. What mattered was that which she could read in his expression, in that he meant it. The right corner of her mouth would perk up.

"I'm made of sterner stuff, Sparky," she'd latch back to the affectionate nickname, perhaps to comfort him. There she was, looking more after others than herself.

"Besides," she'd take a deep breath, slowly pulling back as she'd gather her bearings. "My fault for tossing you over a mountain," she'd say. "I"m sorry... I've been nothing but trouble for you since yesterday." there came a sigh, her hands slipping from his back to rub her now clammy face.

A gust of wind would toss her blonde hair away from her face, prompting a subsequent shudder as its cold bite would send a chill down her spine.

"...You don't take I.O.U's do you?" she'd try to make a joke, but failed horribly. Off in the distance one would be able to see the start of a ravine. How deep that was anyones guess. Exploration to the west would reveal niches in the glacier belt more akin to ice caves, but one miss step could very well be their last. North would direct them towards the fortress, but how many miles lay between them and it would be rough to say.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael held on to her for a few moments, and he found himself somewhat enthralled.

Her voice, the way she lazily looked at him, the way that she carried herself, and most of all, her willingness to sacrifice. Even now, even in this situation when they were both weak, and only one of them was to blame, she decided that it was her fault. Soliael looked at Kire, stared into her eyes. At that point he made a decision, one that would likely work out badly in the end.

“Tell you what.” Only a second after he spoke Soliael leaned down and planted a peck on Kira's lips. “Consider us even.”

Another gust of wind, but this time from behind Soliael. He felt the cold strike against his back, the fur cloak fluttered and flapped, but Soliael stayed perfectly still, the throbbing in his back quickly forgotten.

 

[Kira Talith]

The touch would be brief, so quick that she'd barely register the sensation of his lips against hers. For a moment, she'd stare at him wide-eyed and frozen. That didn't just happen... did it?

Her breath caught in her throat. Cold as it was, there was that lingering sensation. A small rush. It was strange as much as it was alarming -- unsettling. Emotion would flicker across Kira's face, that dawning awareness that she did not just imagine what he'd stolen. Her first kiss.

Funny, how such a small thing as a peck would be such a big deal. More so because of the expression that went drifting across his face before he did it.

That gust of wind would lift his cloak to box her in, his body taking the brunt of the chill. Her cheeks would bloom with color, head dropping to hide her eyes. If he was expecting a slap, a yell, or retribution, he would be sorely disappointed. That wasn't Kira. No, she was too busy trying to figure out what in the Force just happened.

"W-we should get moving before we turn into tweedle dumb and tweedle dee popsicles." she'd start to draw away, her hands gesturing in her flustered agitation. Her face was hot. Why did he do that? He'd just --

"North or south?" she'd shoot out with questions, filling in the awkward silence. "East? West?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He let go of her as soon as she reacted, the flustering beginning anew. Soliael watched her cheeks reddening, her hair frizzling, and her hands jutting out all over the place to try and make sense of the situation. Amusement played across his face, but he didn't comment on her slight freak out. It would eventually come around, and she would bring it up in her own time.

Instead of trying to speak to her about it like a fool, Soliael simply tilted his head upward.

The Sith Lord looked to the stars, his eyes scanning constellations and star patterns. Relative distance to the fortress was easy to figure out, he knew the landscape well enough and the northern lights as well as Exocrons two moons provided more than enough illumination to make out a few landmarks, of course after a few moments he realized just how far away they actually were.

Frowning, Soliael thought about trying to blink them back into the fortress, though he quickly realized that the Sith Magic entranced into the walls made that Impossible. His original plan had been to simply walk back down into the valley and take the front doors, something that was rather impossible now.

“North.” He answered her finally.

They would have to make their way on foot, find a cave or a snow bank to dig out and wait until the morning. At that point travel would be easier, and Soliael would hopefully recover enough to return them to the fortress. Blinking as Kira had called it was difficult enough normally, when he was in pain, even more so. Granted it had lessened since her healing, but it was still there, and he didn't trust himself enough to carry them any significant distance.

“We won't make it back to the fortress.” He said with a slight hint of regret, he still thought he was at fault. “We need to find a cave or something similar, try the trek tomorrow. Maybe we'll see some Wampa's”

Neither of them had deep winter clothes, and it was too windy for them to continue walking for hours. He threw in a joke to try and settle her nerves.

 

[Kira Talith]

"North it is!" Kira would say with a bit too much gusto than warranted for the situation. She'd glance up at the northern lights, knowing that they would be a guide.

She'd take off, moving ahead of him. Nope, not running away, just being expedient. But even that would sound like an excuse to her. At the very least, the blood was pumping to warm her frosty red tipped nose.

"A Wampa? With how bad they stink? We'd smell them before we'd see 'em." she'd say, pushing her hair away from her face. Her eyes would skim along the Northern trek. Off in the distance the mountain range would rise, "If we can find a cave there... all the better. I wouldn't recommend going beyond that in the event we'll have to dig for shelter." Both of the were already weak as it was, wasting energy beyond her suggestions would be the sure fire path to a quick death to the exposure of the elements.

She'd lick her lips. That only prompted the image she'd wanted to banish to come to the fore again. "Nek take it," she'd murmur under her breath.

"Alright, I guess this is the walk part that you mentioned earlier," she'd say, trying to keep any possible awkward silence at bay.