Taming the Shrew

[Gar]

Ni sat next to Gadeon with the box that the mysterious man had given her, dressed in her usual leather attire. She was abnormally quiet and still as she seemed to stare of into space. After a moment of pensive silence the Zeltron said slowly, "Hey...hey, Gaddy?" She looked down at her friend, a strange expression on her face, "Thanks for, Uh...You know...Thanks..." She leaned to the side and pulled him into a hug, which caused his feet to dangle a bit.

[aipsylon]

Gadeon looked to Ni, then to the box. He was quiet and patient. He did not mind giving people the time they needed to work through their thoughts. When she called his name he'd look over to her "Yes, Ni?" He'd take a moment to try to see just what that expression meant. "You are welcome, but you know" he tightened his muscles to stop the air from being squeezed from his lungs. He wrapped his upper pair of arms around her paying her back lightly a couple of times. "You know that I would have done it for anyone. There is no need for you to thank me and you know what I always ask just pay it forward."

[Gar]

Ni set him back down and placed her hands on top of the box in her lap, staring down at her fingers. "I don't know if I can pay it forward," she replied, "It seems any time I try to help I just make things worse..." her lip trembles a bit, "I pay it backwards..." After pausing a moment to sniffle back the tears she says, "Back when it was just us I thought I was your best helper. Was that all my imagination? Did I make things more difficult?"

[aipsylon]

Gadeon frowned and shook his head. "Ni, I know you and should you have done nothing you would have been of no help at all, as far as that goes, I think that we should have to talk with everyone, it is something that I have wanted to do, and expected to have time to do on the way here. There never really was the chance, just like I never really had the chance to speak with Unna about the chancellor's request. Ni, many here do not see you as helpful, and you do not help yourself with that perception, the greatest problem is that there are not those here that have patience enough to learn who you are. Of the things I am unable to change it is one of the most personal." He gave a little frown. "I think what we need is a chance to work together as one, to learn each other and learn to trust each other, this decisive nature will be our undoing if anything will."

[Gar]

Ni sniffed and cleared her throat as she pondered his words, rubbing her eyelids defeatedly. "So," she said hoarsely, after a moment, "doing nothing...makes things ~more worse~... than doing something..." she picks at a corner of the box, "...Yeah, I guess that makes sense..."

Ni suddenly pointed a finger in the air, the epiphany lighting up her face as she added optimistically, "So! By NOT doing nothing, I'm doing something!"

The Zeltron slowly deflated and paused in thought for another moment before dropping her hands again and pouting, "But it's no fun when things go wrong. And a lot of things have been going wrong lately..." She absently touches the purple ring of bruises around her neck. "You said that our group needs to learn about and trust each other. How will we do that, Gaddy?"

[aipsylon]

"I am not sure, but getting together to talk about it might be a good start. Words will not earn trust, but they can create a feeling of openness that I have felt is missing since my return." He pressed his lips together looking up to Ni.

"As for how you feel about doing nothing. Waiting and doing nothing are two different things. Like when I was atop the ship I was not doing nothing, I was watching to make sure that things were safe for Duncan and Unna keeping an eye on the area in case anything went wrong, you never know when it will and when it does you get what happened when I came in to save you from being chocked. it is an important role one that I have chosen to take."

[Gar]

Ni nodded solemnly. "Whatever they did to me was one of the worst sensations I've ever experienced. I thought--and I hoped--that you and the others had all escaped. But Im grateful that you stepped in when you did..." After taking another moment to digest Gadeon's words she frowns and remarks, "It's strange...that thing you did? It never hurt me before. But this time...for a second I thought I was being burned up by a big laser."

[aipsylon]

"I had escaped, and had you escaped as well you likely would not have seen me until we were safely back to the ship. I was not the only one though, did you see the drone ships crash overhead, that was not my doing, I am sure that one of the others." He gave a little frown. "I am sorry about that. The technique is one that feels the light side of the force then pulls it into being, almost like the manifestation of a force spirit only with no consciousness. The light will burn away any darkness in the area, that is what you felt. When there is no darkness within you all you will feel is the warmth of the light side of the force flowing through you."

[Gar]

Ni's eyes widened. "So I had...dark stuff inside of me?" Her expression seemed conflicted; partially in awe, partially disgusted, and also a little bit thrilled over the new experience. "When could that have happened? I don't remember ever being mean spirited or nothing."

[aipsylon]

"Well I have an idea after hearing what happened, but why don't you think back to your lessons at the temple then think about the encounter when Trista and Jaden had been captured." He said, his concern over Ni's flippant attitude always there. How easy it would be for her to go dark and not even realize it.