Full Circle (Vexmun)

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She was slightly relieved when he stopped and allowed her up, but that relief was short lived as he started to speak. Heaven help her, the poor girl, she really did start to cry at his first words. He was too much…too nice…to…at that moment in time he was just too perfect and it only made things worse. Old scars…yeah…they were revisiting old scars, new scars, and all the scars in between. As that arm wrapped around her shoulder, then was followed by the other arm wrapping around her as he lay down with her again, she turned and clung to him.

…why…why can’t ya just hate me…?

The words would be muffled by his chest as she spoke them through her tears. Lia had all but climbed into his skin she was pressed so tightly against him, shaking slightly from the combination of emotions that fought to work their way out all at once.

Why’d you gotta be so gorram nice, huh?! I’m just a gorram di’kut dala shabuir who’s too laandur to make any half decent choices. Instead I jus’ end up with one shu’shuk after another an’ givin’ you one whopper of a haastal! Bic ni skana’din ukor b’ukor ni gaanad dush, gotal’ur kebise dush’shya par anade. Utreekov mando’ade dala…jatne emuurir yaim’la.

Daryn, you should be runnin’ as fast as ya can in the other direction of me! I dun care what ya think, thought, might or might not feel for me…Gorramit, you gotta just get as far away from me as ya can an’ stay there. You get close ta me an’ you’re liable ta get yourself hurt again, an’ I don’ just mean emotionally!

She’d slipped into mando’a without even thinking about it as she berated herself, allowing him to know just how she felt…how it made her angry that when push came to shove her choices were ‘bad’ and only made things worse for everyone involved. How she was an idiot for preferring the comfortable. Lia certainly wasn’t about to be as nice to herself as he was being and…for once…he would be able to see one of the ugliest parts of the woman…something she tried, at all costs, to hide from the world. It was honestly how she felt about herself since she’d first come into possession of the Ghost Star (if she was honest with herself, before then as well), and since joining up with the Special Ops on Concord Dawn this opinion of herself had only gotten so very much worse. I don’t even deserve any form of mirjahaal after all of this pain I’ve caused! She gripped him tightly and tried to bury herself further into his chest.

Gorramit…why Ixor? Why now? Why HERE?! Manda…why here…

[Vex]

He listened to her rant...listened to her putting herself down in two different languages. She tore herself down and it tore at him. Yeah, she hurt him. Yeah, there was so much that was dangerous about this situation, especially given this new situation with Ixor showing back up in her life. She didn't even give him a chance to get his words in edgewise as she clung to him and spoke so desperately. It was...a sad thing to see...to see her brought down by such emotions and such feelings. It just wasn't right. Everyone made decisions. They couldn't help what happened in the aftermath of their decisions. She'd made what she thought were the best decisions at the time. Whether or not they were, he couldn't say. He wouldn't say either, just because it hadn't been him she'd chosen. You made your choice. You rode out what effects those choices caused.

That's what people called "life."

Finally, she quieted...complaining about Ixor and him coming back into her life now. It was about that time that he pushed her ot of bed. He needed to reach out to her...to get her out, past her current, poisonous funk. As soon as she hit the ground at the side of the bed, he was there, launching himself at her. He slowed down enough, attacking so that she could defend, but not enough to make it easily noticeable. Her reactions, her training, her blood...he trusted that to react.

He'd press her, not giving up or going easy just because she had the injury. "Copaani mirshmure'cye, vod? You made a choice. Life happened. You can't help that. Life and the battle don't always work out as planned. You have to deal with it, adapt, move on. Keep fighting. Keep living." He pushed her back, out towards the hall and came after her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lia. My choice. I'll deal with whatever comes from that. Someone's got to watch your back...least until you are willing to watch it yourself. Gonna let an aruetii keep fighting while you give up? Ixor came back...and there's a price you need to take out of his hide. You think it's coincidence? Nar dralshy'a. It's telling you that it's time to get justice, take blood for blood. Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur. How about him?"

He wasn't as good as her...but he was faster and at the moment he was trying a lot harder. If she didn't get off her duff and get her mind right, she was going to get a couple of good licks taken at her expense.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Mmph!

Italia was stunned to find herself hitting the floor…hard. Green eyes widened slightly as Daryn launched himself after her. Without even thinking she brought her feet up as he flew at her, catching him in the gut and launching him away from her again toward the wall with a shove of her legs before she scrambled to her feet. What the hell had just happened?! Still baffled, she got up just in time to see him come at her again with that freaky speed of his.

A harsh, bark-like, laugh escaped her at his question as she ducked another attack and lept backward away from him. Her back hit solid wall as she bounded backward through the door and hit the bulkhead in the hallway. With him coming after her again, she ducked the next attack, shifting to the side and onto her injured hip. Hissing, her knee slammed down hard against the metal of the floor, but she forced herself to ignore it, shifting and launching herself up and away from him again.

It may not have seemed like the auburn was listening, but that was dead wrong. She heard every word…well…nearly every word, but she certainly got the full extent of the meaning behind them. Nar dralshy’a…that had certainly gotten her attention. Unfortunately it had gotten her attention at precisely the wrong moment and she wasn’t able to move in time, a fist connecting to her side. Well, at least she’d been able to move enough to keep from getting it full on in the gut…but it hurt like hell anyway and had her bouncing backward again as she brought an arm around to block that second swing.

Kriffin’ ‘ell Daryn, what’s got you so riled?! No…don’ answer that…think I already know…but gorram! You tellin’ me ta kill someone?! Somethin’ ‘bout that just ain’t right!

It wasn’t a matter of that she wasn’t willing to kill Ixor, she was certainly planning on it…had been since Daryn had mentioned it the first time to get her aboard the Ante…but now it was the fact that HE was telling her to kill him. As he came at her once more, she recoiled and launched back at him, dipping below his strike, ready to tackle the hell out of him. Her hip was already hurting enough and all this extra trying to dodge a spooky fast smuggler was making her testy. Not to mention that strike to her side and all the pent up anger at Ixor he was goading back to the surface wasn’t going to do anyone any good.

Cut it out! Gorram di’kut, you wanna get hurt bad? You’re pushin’ me the right direction for it so lay off!

[Vex]

He'd found himself launched by her as she caught him with her boots, but he'd landed in a roll and came right back up swinging, forcing her on the defensive, keeping her backpedaling while he spoke and goaded her along. He kept up after catching her in the gut like that, but to her credit, she kept fighting. He listened to her words and his expression held that smuggler's grin...that testy, arrogant look.

"Hell, Lia...you know I don't like killing. That's more than obvious...but I'm a realist too. Some people deserve it. Some people deserve it for the greater good. He's not a person, he's a monster...a personal nightmare for you. He wanted to kill you...let you drop through atmo and burn up or crash. For that...I'd kill him."

Despite her warning, he only pressed harder, seeing her coming in low to take him down. He brought up a knee, bringing it between the both of them as she slammed into him. They both went down an he rocked back, but he used the momentum to flip over and land on her.

"Love to see it....least that would be Mandalorian. What I've seen so far seems more like the way a Coruscant Senator would act. Didn't think you could snivel in a helmet like that." Oh yeah...he wasn't just pushing buttons...he was stomping on them with both feet.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

What a cocky lil’…

Her thoughts were interrupted by him speaking up again. A monster? A personal nightmare? Well…yeah he was certainly the former…and yeah, he stalked her nightmares, but not because she was afraid of what he’d do to her. Yeah he’d wanted to kill her…so did a lot of other people, so kriffin’ what? He’d killed her buir and her teacher, then had her fight and kill her friends to defend herself…THAT was why she wanted to kill the slimy zeltron piece of offal.

Slamming into him…well, more precisely his knee…they tumbled backward, flipped and suddenly he was on top of her. Instinct had her hand moving even as her back slammed against the deck, the heel of that palm jutting upward to strike at his chest. At the last moment she caught her action, shifting the momentum so she would hit his shoulder instead…she didn’t want to risk stopping his heart after all. His words bit at her, sure, but it was that last sentence that did the trick…the exact opposite of what he’d wanted in the beginning.

Or so it would seem.

She didn’t make another move, her face becoming a stony mask, but those eyes were filled with the raging, vehement hatred that she carried. All of the hate that she kept reserved for Ixor was flashing behind her emerald eyes like so much witch’s fire.

Get off me.

Some of that hate seeped into her voice, the venom dripping from her words. He wanted her mind off of her sorrow…he’d gotten his wish, but it was replaced with something far worse. He wanted to see the mando in her…he’d gotten his wish, she was a ball of barely restrained murderous rage. She’d had plans before, plans that had required her to leave the Spec Ops team, plans he could have no part in, plans that Ixor had interrupted…so now Ixor was the top of her priority list…and unfortunately for both him, AND Daryn, the murder that flashed in her eyes now was not something that would be dismissed easily.

Oh yes, Daryn had pushed all the right buttons…now he had to deal with the sleeping monster he’d woken up because of it.

[Vex]

Oh yeah...he'd be feeling that in the morning. His shoulder rolled back, but he knew his chest would be sore tomorrow. Girl knew how to hit...and she had some strength. Despite her size, he certainly didn't feel like he was fighting a woman. Definitely had to recognize the power of a Mandalorian woman. He was about to react and pin her down when he watched the change come over her physically.

It was...disconcerting...to be honest. Maybe he should have been worried. Maybe he should have been concerned that she had dropped back to her previous state. He knew her, however, and he knew her reactions. This...this was not depression. It was dangerous. That was only further evidenced by the venom in her voice and the fire in her eyes. Anger...rage...he would take that over suicidal self-loathing, at least for now.

Nodding, the smirk still curling his lip, he pushed himself up and off of her, getting to his fet. He held a hand out to her to help her up, if she wished it.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Smart man…he moved.

Yes he very much should have been worried, concerned, especially for himself since he was the one in striking distance, but as he got off of her that danger dissipated slightly. ‘Slightly’ being the operative word. As he held out his hand, she ignored it completely, resisting the urge to bat it out of her face, and got up herself, ignoring the strain against the few stitches she had put along that stab wound on her hip. It wasn’t at all a pleasant feeling, but it was at least one in keeping with her ‘normal’ life…something to keep her grounded and focused on herself instead of slamming her fist into something, be it metal or flesh.

Growling at him, she turned her back on him after giving a ‘you had better stay the hell away from me right now if you know what’s good for you’ look and stalked back in the direction of her room. Idiot man had gotten under her skin again, and in more ways that one. Even as she stepped through the door and heard it shut behind her, Lia paused, glaring at the floor. Why the hell hadn’t she known about this side of him before? He knew she was tougher than him, at least in combat, and yet he’d still acted more mando than some of the other louts who claimed the culture. For a moment she stood there, fire filled green eyes scanning the floor but not seeing it.

--Stupid, utreekov, layari flyboy…comin’ after me like that. The hell was he thinkin’?! Coulda got himself killed by Ixor an’ his goons, then coulda died tryin’ ta get my di’kut arse off the Star…coulda been killed by me just now too! Talkin’ ta me like some kinda vod tryin’ ta get his cyar’ika or riduur outta danger. Talkin’ mando’a just ta get my attention…hellfire…damn near sounded mando a few times too…idiot…coulda got himself killed tryin’ ta save me.--

It was true enough, and that was what had her turning suddenly, a swirl of fury and fire as those beads and red hair whipped around her with the motion. Lia was the aggressor now, out the door in one step and had him pushed up against the bulkhead in the next, pulling him down to her height roughly. He thought he’d kissed her roughly before? He was wrong. Her lips met his harshly, a combination of anger and desire as she gripped the back of his neck in one hand and his side with the other, the next moment she butted her head against his and glared into his eyes like that.

Utreekov, layari flyboy…you’re an infuriating fool. You could have died today, dammit. I don’ care if you think you got rocket fuel for blood or not, I could give a crap less what happens ta me, but if you…gorramit Destrell!

The hand at his side had let go of him, recoiling back and flying forward to slam against the bulkhead wall with the heel of it as she stared him down.

[Vex]

He pulled back his hand when it was apparent that she wasn't about to take it. He watched her stand up...seeing the way the hip made her twinge slightly. It was subtle enough...she'd do her culture proud with that. At the look, however, he could only grin wider and arch a brow at her as she moved to walk away. She had to know him better than that by now. Just because he was smart didn't mean that he'd necessarily did what was good for him. Heck...this day was a pretty good example of it. If he'd done that, he'd not be here and she'd likely be dead. He did what he felt was right, not what was good for him.

Turning, he'd been about to begin walking toward his own chambers when he heard the sudden footstep getting closer. He twisted around to see what she was up to, afraid that she might decide to get a little payback for his good-intentioned attack. Of course, turning around was about all he got to do before she hit him, slammed him against the wall, controlled him, and kissed him. That was bruising force right there...but he was all too ready, willing, and more than able to return the sentiment. The kiss had him seeing stars so much that he almost didn't notice the headbutt....until the back of his head thwacked against the bulkhead.

It stung, but it had him grinning wider, his free hand lifting to rub against his brow as he laughed away the pain softly. He sobered up, listening to her words, feeling her slam that fist against the wall. Once she was finished, he reacted by headbutting her back just as hard. He followed it up by switching their position, pushing her back against the opposite bulkhead, one hand on her side and the other behind her head.

She hadn't known about this part of him because there had never been a reason to show it. He didn't take many things seriously...didn't get worked up over a lot. This was different, however, she was something he cared about...something that was endangered. That changed the whole tone of the game for him. He wasn't playing and he wasn't taking it lightly.

He made her look into his eyes, his grin a little harder than normal. "Yeah...Italia... welcome to my world, eh?" He reminded her that he felt the same way about her in danger. Then he kissed her back again...just as hard as she had him.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

That returned headbutt had her chuckling darkly even as he pushed her backward, a slight rush of air escaping her as she slammed against the opposite wall. Her hands shifted, gripping his sides tightly as he pushed her back, her emerald eyes challenging even as he made her look at him. Another dark laugh at his words and she welcomed that bruising kiss as her hands slid from his sides up around to his back as she pulled him closer, short nails pressing into his back through his shirt. For Lia this was more than reassurance that he was alright…it was a way to vent her anger and frustration at him and what he’d done. She didn’t like the fact that he’d put himself into danger because of her, not one lick, and so rather than actually trying to hurt him physically, she settled for something a bit more…favorable…to both of them.

No…I should be welcoming you to MY world.

He had wanted into her life, she was finally allowing him in completely, like it or not. Daryn would just have to deal with whatever consequences, good or bad, that came with his actions. The woman let out a half purred growl and kissed him again. This time around it wasn’t meant to hurt, but it certainly hadn’t lost any of the fire behind it, the action almost seeming greedy when coupled with the way she held on to him. Trailing that kiss down his neck, her breath was hot as she nipped at the soft skin there. Daryn had wanted to get her mind off of her situation, had egged her on into a fight, and now she wanted something more…a different kind of fight. Perhaps it was wrong of her to want this, but she would deal with that regret later…right now she had no room in her mind for thinking about regrets.