fandomhighdorms | The Salle, Late Late Late Wednesday Night

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The Salle, Late Late Late Wednesday Night

She'd been trying to sleep when the familiar unsettling feeling hit her, the stirring in the back of her mind that meant Riina was awake. Tahiri wasn't sure what had brought it on this time; she'd had a good week so far, and with Firekeeper back safely that was one less thing to worry about. Riina didn't usually stir unless there was something that triggered a strong reaction from her, or if Tahiri was under stress.

She didn't like it, though. So Tahiri slipped out of her room and down to the salle with a stop at the weapons locker on the way. She could have gone up to the sixth floor quiet room, but this would serve her purposes better.

Settling into a cross-legged position on the floor in the darkened salle, Tahiri closed her eyes and gripped the hilt of her lightsaber in both hands, feeling its cool metal surface beneath her fingers. Metal. Non-organic. Riina hated it, and Tahiri could feel her snarling. She wrapped her fingers more tightly around the hilt, defiantly. This is me.

Her jaw clenched against the sudden impulse to Force-hurl the lightsaber across the room, and in response Tahiri thumbed the blade on, casting the salle in its ice-blue glow. She could hear the hum of energy, feel the vibration . . . and felt Riina recoil indignantly, snarling something about abomination. This is me. This is who I am. Get. Kriffing. Used. To. It.

Riina didn't back down, though, and Tahiri got to her feet, reaching out in the Force to activate the remote lying a few meters away; it rose into the air and added to the noise of machinery. Take that, Riina. Deal with it. The first bolt sang toward her and she whirled to block it. Then the second, and the third.

Riina never backed down, but Tahiri let herself fall into the rhythm of the drill and the flow of the Force around her, focusing on that and only that. If she could just keep this up until they were both too exhausted, she'd count it as a victory for now. And buy herself a little more time.

[OOC: Mostly establishy, but open if you're up at stupid o'clock, why not?]

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The look Tahiri turned on Karla was a confused one -- in other words, it was Tahiri and not Riina for that moment.

They're just words. I'd never hurt you. She remembered saying that once. She was sure it was supposed to be true.

And there was Raven, maybe unconscious, and --

She froze. Sithspawn, did she just do that?

Karla was raising a hand to send another blast of power at Riina when the psychic scent changed. "Tahiri?" she called, rising to her feet. She didn't lower her shields, though, nor remove the ones on Raven.

She looked damned exhausted, besides confused, and she sounded like herself again when she spoke. "Karla?" Tahiri asked uncertainly. "Oh, stang, what did I do?"

"You did nothing," Karla said firmly, jumping down to the floor. "Riina got out. She and I tried to prove whose balls were bigger, then I pushed her some and tried to get her to chase me. You aren't hurt are you?"

Karla immediately crossed to Raven, though she gave Tahiri a small smile and sent a wave of comfort and understanding down the link. "She should be fine. Riina has a bitch of a scream when she wants." Her movements were precise, yet gentle as she checked Raven for injury. As she'd thought, the other girl was stunned but ultimately unharmed.

"How are you?" she asked Tahiri. "You don't remember anything?"

"I remember Raven offering to help me," Tahiri said slowly, looking embarrassed and kind of miserable. "Offering to take the pain away, when the pain wasn't the problem. I didn't know what it would've done to her if she'd tried. And after that . . ."

She shrugged and rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, staring down at the floor. "It's all jumbled up between then and now."

"No real harm done," Karla promised. "Though I think this means that you and I should really sit down and figure out a plan to deal with her."

She stood and walked over to Tahiri, wordlessly offering a hug if she wanted one. "This wasn't you," she said firmly, knowing Tahiri needed to hear it again to believe it--if she ever would.

"She'd been getting stronger, hasn't she?"

She could use the hug, yes, and Tahiri might be a little clingy about it. Guilt issues were fun.

"Not for the usual reasons either," she said by way of confirmation.

Raven pushed herself up from the floor. Her head was still spinning from Riina's attack, but it was her pride that was more wounded than her body. "Then you agree now that something must be done," she said.

Karla offered a hand to help Raven to her feet. "I don't know if Tahiri was ever arguing that something shouldn't be done," she said quietly. "Just that reacting blindly might be a dangerous propsition. It's a complicated situation."

She was keeping things vague. It was up to Tahiri how much she wanted to reveal, up to and including that she and Karla were already trying to work on Riina.

"How's your head?" she asked.

"A little quieter, now," Tahiri said, considering. She turned to look at Raven. "She's right. It's complicated. I didn't mean to . . . to lose control like that."

And she'd lost control and gotten friends hurt, which made the guilt palpable. "I know you want to help. It means a lot to me that you do. But this isn't something as simple as taking pain away, and I'm not sure what will make it worse instead of better."

Raven accepted Karla's assistance in standing, though she was still a little unsteady on her feet. "For my part in provoking you, I apologize," she said. "But...pain is not the only damage I can heal. I do not know if I can completely free you, but I am certain I can help. Do not underestimate my gifts."

"Perhaps a more thorough understanding of your gifts might be in order before she makes any kind of decision," Karla pointed out. "Though I'd say it's a moot point anyway. It's too late for an extended discussion and you are having trouble even standing. I think a good night's sleep--and a bit of Healing--are in order for all of us."

She sent a delicate psychic thread to Tahiri, not wanting to wake up Riina again. *Sleeping draught tonight? Should keep you both under.*

I'd appreciate that, Tahiri sent back cautiously, managing a tiny smile and nod for Karla just in case she hadn't made her meaning clear enough.

"I think we need to talk this over sometime, definitely," she said out loud, to both of them, as she summoned her lightsaber back to her hand. She thought of what Jaina had said about her Tahiri and a worried look crossed her face; biting her lip, she added, "And probably soon. I'm not the only one who needs it."

"I am fine," Raven said. "But I am certain rest would be welcome." She looked Tahiri over. "Not the only one?"

Karla called in a vial of her sleeping draught. She could pass it off to Tahiri in a moment. "Can you heal your own wounds, or would you like some help?" she asked Raven.

"I am uninjured," Raven said. Maybe a little bruised from hitting the floor so hard, but that was easily dealt with.

"Are you sure?" Tahiri asked, and bit her lip. "It's . . . whatever we figure out, I know someone who'd like to know that information, that's all."

Karla went to Tahiri's side and patted her on the shoulder. "Why don't you go lay down," she suggested gently. "Are you meeting up with Ben tonight? We can call him, if you'd like."

She'd noticed his psychic scent there, too. Which had been part of the reason she would have continued waking if she hadn't scented Riina. "Go to sleep and we'll figure out what to do about this later." She passed the vial on in a subtle movement while leaning in for another hug.

"As for you," Karla said, turning to Raven, "let's get you back to your room, okay? Maybe make some tea?"

Raven nodded. "As long as we are certain Tahiri will be all right," she murmured. For now at least. She did not want to sleep, however; she wished to meditate and sort out some of her own inner turmoil. She wanted to be calm and centered for Ethics in the morning.

"I'll be fine," Tahiri said for whatever value of convincing she could make it, and she wasn't above putting a touch of the Force behind the words as she hugged Karla again and tucked the vial into one of her belt pouches. Looking at either of them right now was a difficult prospect, though. "I am so, so sorry about all this. And Ben's probably waiting for me by now."

Karla sent a bit of warmth towards Tahiri, letting her know that she understood and didn't blame her for anything. "You'll be fine if you're with Ben," she agreed, meaning it as a reassurance for both Tahiri and Raven. "He won't let anything happen."

"Let's go back to the dorms, then? Class is early tomorrow and neither of us want to be late," she said, giving Raven a small smile.

"Do you wish to walk?" Raven asked. "Or I can take us there instantly."

Show off.

"Showoff," Tahiri said with a hint of her usual spirit, and busied herself with resetting the knocked-over practice dummies and generally setting the room back to rights.

"Oh, instantly!" Karla said with a bit of ~~Zackish~~ puppy-like eagerness. "That's a kind of magic I've never experienced before!"

Raven couldn't help but smile at Karla's enthusiasm. "It will be dark and may seem cold, but it will only be for an instant, and I promise you will be perfectly safe." She looked over to Tahiri. "Good night, Tahiri. I hope the rest of your night is more calm." Then, to Karla, "Are you ready?"

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The Salle, Late Late Late Wednesday Night

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