Deep in the ocean, dead and cast away // Where innocence is burned in flames
TITLE: Obey Your Master
AUTHOR: Ashe; promisethesun
FANDOM(S): counted_stars
CHARACTER(S): Catty Turner & Kyp Durron
PROMPT: #037 Fall
RECIPIENT: myseeeeeelf
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: Sob...
SPOILERS?: Naw
PREVIEW/SUMMARY: In order to control darkness, you have to become darkness.
WORD COUNT: 2,060
Catty rubs a hand over her face, breathing in deeply as she waits for Kyp to show up. She shouldn't involve him in this, but she needs the help. Already she can feel the excess use of the Force tugging her down, tiring her out. But it's not just that. She knows what she's been doing, calling up the darkness in herself, using it to trick the Regulators into listening to her. It feels like standing in the middle of a see-saw as a kid as others are going up and down, precariously balancing and hoping to not take a tumble into the sand. Distantly, she remembers her earlier moments with Maggie, before everything became a mess, before she forgot to trust her mentor, before she disappeared, and the meditation techniques she worked with.
Her eyes close for a second, and she takes another deep breath, focusing on nothing but her breathing. In, out, in... But it's different here, than it was back home. Then she could drift in the dark silence that came with attempting to center herself. Now? Now she feels so much more, drifting along quietly in the Force. When she feels Kyp approaching, her eyes open again.
He glances over the edge of the roof before looking at her. “So if these things are immortal, what happens when they hit the ground, exactly?”
“I'm hoping that they'll become like mush and can't move,” she explains. It's not a perfect idea, but what else is she going to do? “I've seen it happen before, to a sl-” There's a pause as she stumbles to keep that word to herself, eyes averted from Kyp. “To a servus.”
It takes him a moment before he says anything, and she's afraid that he's caught her slip up. That's something she doesn't want to talk about, not to anybody. Her time in Nefandus is hers alone to carry.
“Okay, so... Let's get started then.” There's a light in his eyes, she notices, excitement and determination, and it brings a smile to her lips. “How... do we find them?”
Catty glances out over some of the city before shrugging. “I can feel them.” It's a calling, their darkness reaching out to her, their needs and hunger tugging at her as she pinpoints them. Even the one she just shoved off the roof is still there, still waiting, needing and wanting. She pretends to not feel that call, even if she wants to. “There's another one not far from here. If we hurry, maybe we can catch him before he... hurts anyone.”
There's a nod of understanding as they set off together. Her eyes roam over the boy again, and she wonders absently if her master would have done this with her, if he would have come along. If he would have felt what she was doing was leading her down a path she shouldn't be on. But that Kyp isn't here, and in any case, she's happy that someone is.
Before they step out onto the streets, Catty grabs his arm, forcing him to stop, a look of confusion written all over his face. “Regulators aren't the only thing out there.”
“I can take care of myself. And you. Don't worry about it,” he tells her with a cocky smirk, too much like the Kyp she knows, and it's a mixture of confidence and apprehension that fills her at the sight of it.
Could be worse, she thinks. And at least we come back from the dead.
“I don't need anyone to take care of me,” she mutters before they leave the relative safety of the building. Back home, she had seen plenty of zombie movies and the like, but it never prepared her for the actual noise and activity of a place under attack. The screaming, the sirens, the fighting. She glances around before jerking her head to the side and motioning Kyp to follow her. This is something she's going to have to get used to, with the war going on. She's not going to sit on the side lines; that's something she's already made up her mind about.
“A lot of people are hurt.”
His voice cuts into her thoughts, and for a second, she looks at him in surprise. She must be really tired if she's so caught off guard, but she nods, teeth sinking gently into her lip. “I wish there was something we could do...”
“Well, we are, right? We're taking care of these weird immortal things,” he reminds her.
In the back of her mind, she can feel the Regulator they're after, and even more distantly, she can feel the one she turned into space roadkill reaching out. “Yeah... Yeah, you're right. And that is the most important thing we can do.”
They move carefully, and she almost wants to grab his hand, bring herself some comfort. Or even make this journey easier by sliding them into the shadows. Her fingers twitch, but she flattens her mouth into a line, determined to carry on this way. In case they run into anyone who'll need their help.
She glances at him when she feels his stare, and then she remembers that he has the Force, too, and that he's more powerful than herself, and she's wide open right now. A small sigh escapes her.
“Who did you see get... absorbed?”
A thrum of pain shoots through her, and thoughts of Kyle come to the front of her mind unbidden. It sours her stomach, but she keeps her neutral face, careful to make everything on the outside seem like nothing. “Some friends of mine.” Her tone is clipped; she doesn't want to talk about it, don't make her, that tone says.
And he doesn't. He just looks away, nodding. She pushes Kyle far back into her memory again.
She grabs his wrist, tugging lightly. “Let's make this quick.” Her body is aching, but she wants to run. He sends her an awkward smile, but follows after her (he's got no choice, because even just holding his wrist is more comforting than lying to herself).
Despite the noise of the attacked city around them, their feet slapping against the ground is louder than anything else, and it makes her nervous that something will hear them. The zombies again, or maybe darkspawn this time. Zombies were okay to deal with, but she wasn't looking forward to meeting up with them.
When they're close enough, Catty pulls him into the shadows next to a building, lowering her voice. “He's up there.”
He leans out, holding on to her arm as he tries to spy the thing, shivering. He can feel it, the evil aura that surrounds the Regulators, and she attempts to send calming feelings towards him through the Force. It's probably a waste of energy on her part, but she can't have him alarmed. The aura pushes against her harshly, choking her.
“Wait here, Kyp.” She steps out, but his grip tightens on her arm.
“No way am I letting you go up to that thing alone,” he tells her.
She shakes her head, grabbing his hand. “Please, I'd feel better if you waited here.”
“No. Catty, I'd feel better if you didn't go alone.” There's a small quiver to his voice, and she knows he's as afraid for her as he is for himself, and she has to admit that it makes her feel good to know people care about her. She pretends that she doesn't care, but it means more than anything, even if it's coming from a kid she's barely known for two weeks.
“Okay, but don't... Don't do anything, please. Attacking him might set him off.”
The moment they step into the light, the Regulator spots them, and she can see the remnants of a person in the last stages of being absorbed before whoever had been unfortunate enough to be caught disappears. Revulsion flutters back and forth between her and Kyp, but he doesn't move, doesn't leave. She almost wants to tell him to run back, because she's afraid. Afraid and weak, and why does she think she can do this? Her hand reaches back so that it's pressed to Kyp's chest, and there's a silent command telling him to stay there. In case...
In case she needs him to grab her, in case she needs him to run away.
If you exist inside of a Regulator, will Revan bring you back?
Catty doesn't want to risk it.
“Pareo vestri vinco.”
He stops, head tilting as he stares at her.
She concentrates, pulling at the dark tendrils coming from the monster. The words repeat, laced with more power as she continues to tug at the darkness. He moves closer to her, and she feels Kyp stirring behind her, pressing close to her back. She wants to tell him to back off, to push at him, but she just can't. “Pareo vestri vinco.” The Regulator's hand reaches out, and with Kyp at her back, she has nowhere to move.
Rotten fingers stroke her cheek, and Catty fights to keep in control. Dark, dead eyes stare at her, and she wonders who she will find swimming in there. Will Kyle be there, looking back again? Will Samuel or Obie or Berto be there? Anger replaces her fear and disgust, driving her forward, giving her strength. It's a bitter taste in her mouth as she takes the initiative and steps forward, hands cupping the face of the monster who used to be human. A dark smirk plays on her lips as she drowns herself and the Regulator in her power, plucking carefully.
“Obey me,” she says quietly, and she feels a shudder run through Kyp. A hand strokes the molten face gently, more power pulsing from her touch. “Your master commands it.”
It's not as strong as it was with the first couple of Regulators, but the connection is there, and she knows she will be obeyed. She is the master. She is the only taste of the Atrox that he will get, and she has to accept that. For the safety of the people around her, for the people she's grown to care about, for Kyp. She has to accept the darkness or she will fail.
She doesn't look at Kyp when she talks, keeping eye contact with the Regulator, but her words are directed at him. “Find me a tall building. I don't know how long I can keep this up.”
“O-okay,” he tells her breathlessly, and she feels him move away for the moment, a reluctance rising up in him. He doesn't want to leave her, but he doesn't want to disobey.
Time stops and she can't be sure how long it takes Kyp to come back to her. Seconds, minutes, hours... But he grabs the back of her shirt and leans in to quietly whisper for her to follow him. And so she commands her Regulator to follow her.
When they get to the roof, she lets go, unable to take it anymore. Kyp delivers, though, and she watches him shove the thing off the edge with more power than she could muster before her legs give out. Her knees hit ground hard, causing her to wince. She wants nothing more than to sleep, but she's released something that shouldn't have been released. The boy turns to her after he's made sure the Regulator has hit the ground, a broad grin stretched across his face, and she finds it in herself to give him a bright smile in return.
“I think you might need to rest,” he finally says, coming up next to her and plopping down. She leans against him, catching her breath.
“I just need a few minutes. We can't let them hurt anyone else.”
“Are you sure? You look...” He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck before he turns away from her. “Tired. Really tired, Catty.”
“I promise, I'll be okay. I just need you,” she mumbles, pulling back in on herself, shutting herself down for a second. “Just help me, Kyp. Please.”
He agrees, and it brings a smile to her face.
AUTHOR: Ashe; promisethesun
FANDOM(S): counted_stars
CHARACTER(S): Catty Turner & Kyp Durron
PROMPT: #037 Fall
RECIPIENT: myseeeeeelf
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: Sob...
SPOILERS?: Naw
PREVIEW/SUMMARY: In order to control darkness, you have to become darkness.
WORD COUNT: 2,060
Catty rubs a hand over her face, breathing in deeply as she waits for Kyp to show up. She shouldn't involve him in this, but she needs the help. Already she can feel the excess use of the Force tugging her down, tiring her out. But it's not just that. She knows what she's been doing, calling up the darkness in herself, using it to trick the Regulators into listening to her. It feels like standing in the middle of a see-saw as a kid as others are going up and down, precariously balancing and hoping to not take a tumble into the sand. Distantly, she remembers her earlier moments with Maggie, before everything became a mess, before she forgot to trust her mentor, before she disappeared, and the meditation techniques she worked with.
Her eyes close for a second, and she takes another deep breath, focusing on nothing but her breathing. In, out, in... But it's different here, than it was back home. Then she could drift in the dark silence that came with attempting to center herself. Now? Now she feels so much more, drifting along quietly in the Force. When she feels Kyp approaching, her eyes open again.
He glances over the edge of the roof before looking at her. “So if these things are immortal, what happens when they hit the ground, exactly?”
“I'm hoping that they'll become like mush and can't move,” she explains. It's not a perfect idea, but what else is she going to do? “I've seen it happen before, to a sl-” There's a pause as she stumbles to keep that word to herself, eyes averted from Kyp. “To a servus.”
It takes him a moment before he says anything, and she's afraid that he's caught her slip up. That's something she doesn't want to talk about, not to anybody. Her time in Nefandus is hers alone to carry.
“Okay, so... Let's get started then.” There's a light in his eyes, she notices, excitement and determination, and it brings a smile to her lips. “How... do we find them?”
Catty glances out over some of the city before shrugging. “I can feel them.” It's a calling, their darkness reaching out to her, their needs and hunger tugging at her as she pinpoints them. Even the one she just shoved off the roof is still there, still waiting, needing and wanting. She pretends to not feel that call, even if she wants to. “There's another one not far from here. If we hurry, maybe we can catch him before he... hurts anyone.”
There's a nod of understanding as they set off together. Her eyes roam over the boy again, and she wonders absently if her master would have done this with her, if he would have come along. If he would have felt what she was doing was leading her down a path she shouldn't be on. But that Kyp isn't here, and in any case, she's happy that someone is.
Before they step out onto the streets, Catty grabs his arm, forcing him to stop, a look of confusion written all over his face. “Regulators aren't the only thing out there.”
“I can take care of myself. And you. Don't worry about it,” he tells her with a cocky smirk, too much like the Kyp she knows, and it's a mixture of confidence and apprehension that fills her at the sight of it.
Could be worse, she thinks. And at least we come back from the dead.
“I don't need anyone to take care of me,” she mutters before they leave the relative safety of the building. Back home, she had seen plenty of zombie movies and the like, but it never prepared her for the actual noise and activity of a place under attack. The screaming, the sirens, the fighting. She glances around before jerking her head to the side and motioning Kyp to follow her. This is something she's going to have to get used to, with the war going on. She's not going to sit on the side lines; that's something she's already made up her mind about.
“A lot of people are hurt.”
His voice cuts into her thoughts, and for a second, she looks at him in surprise. She must be really tired if she's so caught off guard, but she nods, teeth sinking gently into her lip. “I wish there was something we could do...”
“Well, we are, right? We're taking care of these weird immortal things,” he reminds her.
In the back of her mind, she can feel the Regulator they're after, and even more distantly, she can feel the one she turned into space roadkill reaching out. “Yeah... Yeah, you're right. And that is the most important thing we can do.”
They move carefully, and she almost wants to grab his hand, bring herself some comfort. Or even make this journey easier by sliding them into the shadows. Her fingers twitch, but she flattens her mouth into a line, determined to carry on this way. In case they run into anyone who'll need their help.
She glances at him when she feels his stare, and then she remembers that he has the Force, too, and that he's more powerful than herself, and she's wide open right now. A small sigh escapes her.
“Who did you see get... absorbed?”
A thrum of pain shoots through her, and thoughts of Kyle come to the front of her mind unbidden. It sours her stomach, but she keeps her neutral face, careful to make everything on the outside seem like nothing. “Some friends of mine.” Her tone is clipped; she doesn't want to talk about it, don't make her, that tone says.
And he doesn't. He just looks away, nodding. She pushes Kyle far back into her memory again.
She grabs his wrist, tugging lightly. “Let's make this quick.” Her body is aching, but she wants to run. He sends her an awkward smile, but follows after her (he's got no choice, because even just holding his wrist is more comforting than lying to herself).
Despite the noise of the attacked city around them, their feet slapping against the ground is louder than anything else, and it makes her nervous that something will hear them. The zombies again, or maybe darkspawn this time. Zombies were okay to deal with, but she wasn't looking forward to meeting up with them.
When they're close enough, Catty pulls him into the shadows next to a building, lowering her voice. “He's up there.”
He leans out, holding on to her arm as he tries to spy the thing, shivering. He can feel it, the evil aura that surrounds the Regulators, and she attempts to send calming feelings towards him through the Force. It's probably a waste of energy on her part, but she can't have him alarmed. The aura pushes against her harshly, choking her.
“Wait here, Kyp.” She steps out, but his grip tightens on her arm.
“No way am I letting you go up to that thing alone,” he tells her.
She shakes her head, grabbing his hand. “Please, I'd feel better if you waited here.”
“No. Catty, I'd feel better if you didn't go alone.” There's a small quiver to his voice, and she knows he's as afraid for her as he is for himself, and she has to admit that it makes her feel good to know people care about her. She pretends that she doesn't care, but it means more than anything, even if it's coming from a kid she's barely known for two weeks.
“Okay, but don't... Don't do anything, please. Attacking him might set him off.”
The moment they step into the light, the Regulator spots them, and she can see the remnants of a person in the last stages of being absorbed before whoever had been unfortunate enough to be caught disappears. Revulsion flutters back and forth between her and Kyp, but he doesn't move, doesn't leave. She almost wants to tell him to run back, because she's afraid. Afraid and weak, and why does she think she can do this? Her hand reaches back so that it's pressed to Kyp's chest, and there's a silent command telling him to stay there. In case...
In case she needs him to grab her, in case she needs him to run away.
If you exist inside of a Regulator, will Revan bring you back?
Catty doesn't want to risk it.
“Pareo vestri vinco.”
He stops, head tilting as he stares at her.
She concentrates, pulling at the dark tendrils coming from the monster. The words repeat, laced with more power as she continues to tug at the darkness. He moves closer to her, and she feels Kyp stirring behind her, pressing close to her back. She wants to tell him to back off, to push at him, but she just can't. “Pareo vestri vinco.” The Regulator's hand reaches out, and with Kyp at her back, she has nowhere to move.
Rotten fingers stroke her cheek, and Catty fights to keep in control. Dark, dead eyes stare at her, and she wonders who she will find swimming in there. Will Kyle be there, looking back again? Will Samuel or Obie or Berto be there? Anger replaces her fear and disgust, driving her forward, giving her strength. It's a bitter taste in her mouth as she takes the initiative and steps forward, hands cupping the face of the monster who used to be human. A dark smirk plays on her lips as she drowns herself and the Regulator in her power, plucking carefully.
“Obey me,” she says quietly, and she feels a shudder run through Kyp. A hand strokes the molten face gently, more power pulsing from her touch. “Your master commands it.”
It's not as strong as it was with the first couple of Regulators, but the connection is there, and she knows she will be obeyed. She is the master. She is the only taste of the Atrox that he will get, and she has to accept that. For the safety of the people around her, for the people she's grown to care about, for Kyp. She has to accept the darkness or she will fail.
She doesn't look at Kyp when she talks, keeping eye contact with the Regulator, but her words are directed at him. “Find me a tall building. I don't know how long I can keep this up.”
“O-okay,” he tells her breathlessly, and she feels him move away for the moment, a reluctance rising up in him. He doesn't want to leave her, but he doesn't want to disobey.
Time stops and she can't be sure how long it takes Kyp to come back to her. Seconds, minutes, hours... But he grabs the back of her shirt and leans in to quietly whisper for her to follow him. And so she commands her Regulator to follow her.
When they get to the roof, she lets go, unable to take it anymore. Kyp delivers, though, and she watches him shove the thing off the edge with more power than she could muster before her legs give out. Her knees hit ground hard, causing her to wince. She wants nothing more than to sleep, but she's released something that shouldn't have been released. The boy turns to her after he's made sure the Regulator has hit the ground, a broad grin stretched across his face, and she finds it in herself to give him a bright smile in return.
“I think you might need to rest,” he finally says, coming up next to her and plopping down. She leans against him, catching her breath.
“I just need a few minutes. We can't let them hurt anyone else.”
“Are you sure? You look...” He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck before he turns away from her. “Tired. Really tired, Catty.”
“I promise, I'll be okay. I just need you,” she mumbles, pulling back in on herself, shutting herself down for a second. “Just help me, Kyp. Please.”
He agrees, and it brings a smile to her face.