Who do You Think You Are: Another First Kiss

[Gitane Van Derveld]

So much had changed in the time she'd been gone. The former Sith barely knew what to make of it all.. Or at least the parts she'd been told. The life she'd once known had vanished, and this revival sent her into a cyclone of confusion and mystery. When would it release her..?

Gitane sat on the roof of the Van-Dervelds' home, barely put to use anymore, but it was secluded from the galaxy. Rain beat down on the slates, creating the illusion of a black river as the water washed down. Her arms were draped over her knees, each hand clutching the opposite shoulder. The Falleen's hair was scattered and clinging to her skin, her pale eyes slit open, watching mud slide across the pathway leading to the large house. Her voice was nearly drowned by the thundering storm, although the song was quite fitting.

"I'm only happy when it rains / You want to hear about my new obsession / I'm riding high upon a deep depression..."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Any presence on Helios was noted by the probe droids in constant orbit of the terrain. Seeing as how the family had relocated from the manor mere weeks ago, they were on high alert for anyone trying to enter the old property. Earlier on in the day, one droid had picked up on some movements and a possible landing craft, provoking Vega’s curiosity. He paced through the thick mud in the forests of the Hadou quarter on the way to Ares and Athena, sensing the presence in the distance.

Her. Under the shelter of his hood, he smiled.

As he drew closer in, to the foot of the path that weaved into the houses, he pulled back the cowl from his head, immediately showering him in rain. The drops matted the strands of brownish hair against his temples and streaked down his cheeks. Whilst standing, Vega could hear Gitane’s voice clearly even over the thudding of the rain.

… He remained silent.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

Her eyes caught onto Vega before she even realised it, causing her voice to fade into silence. She pressed her hands to the roof and gave a small push, the slick wetness of the tiles allowing her to slide to the edge of the roof. Even upon seeing her husband; the single person she'd ever loved, her face remained monotone, her eyes dim towards any sort of emotion.

"Fix me now, I wish you would..fix me now / Bring me back to life...fix me now" She whispered the small tune before letting herself drop from the house, landing in a low crouch as she looked at Vega.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The Lord strode forward, the smile slipping away so that his expression become akin to Gitane’s. His palms slipped within the folds of his drenched robes as he looked up towards where she had sat moments ago, his eyes closing to shield his vision from the rain.

“Why are you out here? You’ll catch your death of cold.”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"And that would matter...how?"

Gitane tilt her head as she looked up at Vega, her voice rich with sarcasim. She folded her arms across her chest and lifted an eyebrow, remaining silent.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Are you saying you’d be happier dead?” he replied blandly.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"...If that were so, then I would already be dead."

The question seemed to slap her across the face as she bowed her head. Sighing after a moment, she turned and took a few steps away before looking over her shoulder.

"..Would you?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“No,” he spat out immediately, brow knotting again.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"Death and life both seem to have lost their meaning.."

Gitane lifted her head to look up at the skies, her eyes squeezing shut.

"You still haven't told me everything that's happened. I know of Thanatos' death... But little more."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“…Athena has passed away also.”

Vega paused.

“There has been very little transpired. Galatea has left to persue her own goals, whilst Darius grows stronger under DarkStars tutelage.”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

Sighing quietly, Gitane turned to face her husband, an almost frightened look upon her face as she choked out a final question.

"And what... What shall become of us?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Why don’t you tell me?”

Vega questioned as he looked down away from the rain, opening his eyes slowly.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"Because I haven't been alive to allow my feelings to waver or change."

She took a few steps towards, him, her gloved hand lifting to touch his cheek with the back of her fingers.

"You have."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“I have,”

The Lupine nodded.

“…And they have changed.”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

Her hand flinched lightly as she let it drop to her side, her teeth clenched for a moment before she nearly forced herself to respond.

"Then perhaps you should be the one to decide...What shall happen?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“You are to me now what you were when I first met you, in my mind. A student.”

Vega folded his arms behind his back, squinting as rain rolled over his eyelids.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

Her head bowed slowly as she closed her eyes, a sudden gratitude for the rain as tears stung over her cheeks. He voice wavered, breaking slightly as she whispered again.

"If nothing more than that, then why am I alive?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He paused for a moment to think, eyes wandering over the jade figure before him.

“Though I may not love you in a profound sense, none the less you are a friend and apprentice. The loss of your life was senseless.”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

The woman lifted her head to look at Vega, her teeth gritting, eyes glistening with tears. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she drew in a breath to speak.

"I'd prefer death to seeing you yet being unable to be close to you."

She was nearly screaming the words before she spun around, taking off down the slick path. She leapt up and grabbed onto a window sill, climbing her way back onto the roof.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He followed quickly, though his composure remained calm. With one quick bound he thudded onto the uneven roof top, clattering a tile down onto the ground below.

“There is nothing to stop us being close, Gitane,” he called out to her.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"I won't become your whore, Vega."

She growled quietly, taking careful steps backwards, over the slick slate, her fingers hovering at the dagger on her thigh.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

A sound something like a snort came from the Sith as he stalked forward.

“I didn’t suggest that, nor would I ever. All I am implying is that just because we are not romantically involved does not mean we cannot be close!”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"You acted..." She began, her voice trembling as much as her hands.

"..acted like you still loved me when I first came back, Vega."

She took another step back, nearly slipping on the wet, angled surface.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Perhaps I did,” he said more calmly, “or perhaps I just wanted to.”

Vega shrugged somewhat.

“You can’t force love on yourself.”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"I can't do this.."

Gitane closed her eyes and turned sharply on her heel, taking off over the roof. A scream escaped from her mouth as she felt the edge drop away beneath her feet, her body hurling into the empty air. Her hand shot out, finding a cold, metal bar of the house's surrounding fence pressing to her palm, its neighbor impaled through her shoulder. She slit her eyes open and cursed under her breath as she dangled painfully on the tall row of bars.

"Not again..."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

A barely adible squelch could be heard as Vega paced forward to see what had happened. His eyes widened somewhat as he looked down onto the again impaled Gitane, a growl passing through his now clenched teeth. He cursed loudly in some Garou tongue before dropping down in a blur to by the fence.

“What are you doing?!” Vega yelled, his words barks.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

Her head lifted ackwardly as Gitane moved her hand up, her knees leaning between the pieces of the fence. She growled quietly and wrenched herself up, crying out as shepulled her shoulder off of the fence before toppling onto the ground.

"You think I meant to impale myself?!" She snapped back bitterly, before studying the wound.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He frowned deeply. He wanted to say that he would have expected it from her now, but refrained.

“What did you think was going to happen if you threw yourself off the roof? You’d land nice and softly?” he replied in a snide tone.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"I didn't throw myself, Vega." Gitane pratically spit out the man's name as she stood, gripping her shoulder tight within her palm.

"I've died enough to know that I don't want to do it again. And you should know that I've never been one for pity."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“I don’t even know why I bother with you sometimes,” he snorted, looking down his nose towards her.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"If you didn't want to bother with me, then why are you still here?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“I thought I might be able to salvage some of what you once were, but I can see that it was stupid of me to think that.”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"You don't know that.."

Gitane let her bloodied hand drop to her side as she felt for her saber, her eyes becoming narrow slits.

"The only thing you've ever seen me be is loving and devoted. You have yet to pay witness to something otherwise."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

"Oh really?"

Vega folded his hands behind his back still, thumbing his sabers hilt as he did so.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

Without even responding to the question, Gitane whipped her saber up and into life, her other hand palming the small dagger as she rushed forward, the violet blade swinging hungrily down at him.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Seraphim instantaneously sprung to life with a hiss and carved up through the air with little effort to bat the violet beam to the side.

“What are you trying to achieve here?” he said, raising his free hand to push the Warrior backwards with a light push.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"Damn you.."

Gitane let her saber drop as she looked up at him. She truly didn't understand why she lunged at him. Closing her eyes, she tossed the knife down, letting its blade sink into the mud.

"You were my life, Vega. Did you know that? You were everything to me and even more."

Her voice seemed drained, gentle, and hurt. Despite the rain, blood managed to stain over her arm in twisting rivers, leaving her stature weak.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The yellow beam shrank away slowly.

“You were my life, what you once were. You are another person now, a person I do not love.”

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"Vega.."

Gitane fought back the sting of tears as she looked up at him, biting down on her bottom lip. She sighed quietly, slowly crouching as she pulled her dagger from the ground and placed it back in its hilt.

"How would you know..? You've barely given me a chance.."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“You have shown no sign of change…” he replied quietly.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

"I needed to get used to things..."

Closes her eyes for a moment before standing, looking at him.

"I had to learn how to actually live again."

Her head tilt slightly as she wet her lips, her shoulder aching.

"I'm not the only one who's changed, Vega... You have. Greatly. And yet I'll still love you to the ends of time."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He sighed somewhat and turned away.

"We need to get a bandage on your arm."

[Gitane Van Derveld]

Gitane paused before taking a step forward, her unharmed arm slipping loosely around his waist as she whisperd.

"I love you, Vega... Just tell me there's some bit of hope you can leave me with.."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He did not say a word, but instead nodding somewhat. He doubted inside that he could return what she felt without a long time to regain his trust and emotions, but there was a small feeling of faith.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

His silence struck a sharp note upon her heart, her arm slipping away as she sank to her knees. Gitane forced a quiet laugh and pushed herself back to her feet, wandering in the opposite direction from Vega, a quiet tune leaving her lips.

"She knows the human heart/And how to read the stars/Now everything's about to fall apart /I won't be the one who's going to let you down/Maybe you'll get what you want this time around/The trick is to keep breathing.."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He looked back over his shoulder and shook his head somewhat.

"My transport is on the outskirts of the estate... I'll be waiting there for you when you feel like heading home."

This said, he headed over into the shadows of the words to the Praetor Fenix.

[Gitane Van Derveld]

The rain had faded into a cold mist by the time Gitane found her way to Vega's ship. Her arm was limp, almost numb with bloodloss from her shoulder, her jade skin rather pale. She sighed wearily, looking up at the ship silently, her body sinking into a heap in the mud.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega rose up out of his chair, feeling the fade in signature, to see Gitane outside. He jogged down the ramp and lifted his apprentice into his arms, retreating into the ship with slow trudging steps, ready to set off to Fascinataru ...