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« 𝙼𝚢 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎'𝚜 𝙲𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜--- 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚑. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝙲𝚊𝚕. »

TEXT ◆ AUDIO ◆ VIDEO

XIMILIA

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action; while flying back to the hivawei settlement

[doooooog]

[ The flight was a long one; half a day's worth of ground to cover between the Sage's distant home and the Hivawei village. Whatever time was saved by knowing exactly where they were going was cancelled out by the added weight from the sage himself. Jake was having trouble finding a good spot for him, eventually opting to simply hold him in his hands as his wings beat against the pursuit of Skullmasks and harsher nighttime winds.

It was all he could do to stretch a set of reins up for Cal to hang onto, latching to the boy protectively as they dipped low to avoid yet another flock of Skullmasks. ]

You alright, kiddo? [ He asks, mouth moved around up to the back of his neck. It's a little surreal, speaking to a mouth independent of anything else, but for Jake it's mere practicality. He doesn't want to swallow bugs, either. Nor does he want to have to scream to be heard. A single eye floats around as too, hoping to get a good look at how Cal was doing. ] Sorry for the turbulence. I think that might've been the last of 'em.

[hindsights]

[ overall, cal's been pretty calm about the whole shape-shifting dog to dragon moment or the fact that jake can grow new arms. he's met enough different species to know many things are possible.

he's not even really confused by jake's choice to carry the sage in the end. he holds on to the reigns and does his best to help with the skullmasks, turning around to tap into the energy of the force to slow them down as much as he can for as long as he can to give them some headway. he alternates between freezing them in place and pushing the others back against the wind.

by the end of all that maneuvering, he's tired as he holds on. so he doesn't hold back the surprised jump as a mouth appears in front of him and then an eye follows. he's panting a little, looks worse for wear because suddenly the emotions of the day are catching up. so maybe he's not all that sincere when he says. ] Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay.

It's not as hard as taking down an AT-AT. [ but a story for another time. well, he's physically okay so maybe he's not wholly lying. cal swallows, looking at the eye. jake's eye. yeah. yeah.

this isn't any weirder than if he ever has the misfortune of meeting a gen'dai out of their armor. he swallows again. ] I-- Thanks for carrying all the weight, Jake. Are you okay? I can try to pull up his weight?

[doooooog]

[ It's hard to miss the scattered way Cal replies in the affirmative. There was something almost comforting in how familiar it was, for all Cal's world was so alien and distant from Jake's own. It's as if teenage boys all read from the same playbook or something. Jake included, once upon a time.

Jake smiles, a second eye rejoining the first; he had six in this form, he could spare an extra set. From the little face, an entire Jake grows. It's a bit of a surreal thing, seeing a (very blue, very dog-shaped) Jake sitting on a body he was still very much connected to. The effect of it made it feel as if Jake was simply another passenger along for the ride. He reaches out, cuffing Cal gently on the shoulder. ]

Don't worry about me, bud. I'm plenty strong, trust me. You look like maybe you oughta save your strength a little. [ Jake hadn't seen it, but he'd heard the way the Skullmasks fell all around them. Whatever magic the kid was working with, it was powerful. ] You could even get some shuteye, if you wanted?

[hindsights]

[ the new appearance of jake's body is, well, that's unsettling. cal's seen a lot of things in his short lifetime but this is finally what crosses the line into things he cannot explain or try to logic through. then again, everyone has their own powers and to call it out--- to other it -- that's no better than what the empire plans, what they're doing.

he watches as jake cuffs him on the shoulder, then looks back at him. at jake's limb-body? he's not sure. but he sees that deflection too and teen boys are stubborn no matter where they're from. ] We're a team, right? We have to help each other out.

[ but then there's the matter of rest and cal shakes his head, there's a stubborn set to his jaw before he slouches forward a little. he's sitting legs crossed, hands in his lap. ] I don't think I could, knowing what's coming. They'll know now, sure, but...

[doooooog]

[ The sentiment is sweet and Jake responds accordingly, smile taking a turn for the appreciative. They were a team, but there was no missing the youth behind that stubbornness. It was nice to see, familiar, but worrying too. ]

Heh, yeah, I get that. You're wired, buddy. [ He says it fondly, sensing the nervous energy channeling through the kid. It's hard not to, in this form. ] All the stuff you were saying back there to the our mutual friend down below... I get the feeling this stuff hits ya where you live.

voice; un: jtd (the morning after ciraiwei)

[doooooog]

[ It's midafternoon that the text comes through. Jake isn't sure what the routines of teenage boys on other planets are, but he knows that his teenage boy seldom liked to wake before noon. That went double for days that followed exceptionally, exceptionally hard experiences.

Jake hadn't seen much of Cal through that final evacuation push, but he... felt him, in some strange way. Maybe it was because of how much time he spent in his true form, or maybe it was because of the subconscious thread that had formed between the two of them, but there was just something in the air that made it impossible not to feel Cal. Even if he was miles away.

That drags Jake's thoughts to him now, too, voice gentle and deliberately warmed up with good spirits. ]

Hey, buddy. You up? Had lunch yet?

[hindsights]

Been up a few hours, actually. [ cal's not like most teenage boys in that regard; he's been up for a while already. he's crossed the following off his list: training, meditating, drinking plenty of water, delivering a note to unohana.

what he hasn't done is actually eaten anything. he smiles at the sound of jake's voice. ] But nope, haven't eaten yet. I was just getting hungry.

Are you sure you don't have mind reading powers?

[doooooog]

I like to think of 'em as stomach reading powers. [ But the grin is obvious in Jake's voice. ] Meet me in the kitchen, you can help me put the finishing touches on this bibimbap.

You ever had it? 'Cuz you're in for a treat, buddy.

[hindsights]

No. What's that? [ but as jake can hear, cal's setting some stuff down and then he's walking along through the halls of the station that lead away from his private room and toward the kitchens.

it's actually not long before he's sticking his head into the kitchen. ] Have I mentioned I'm not so good in the kitchen?

action —

[realists]

[ during the gala jyn proves to be a chameleon once more (perhaps that is why people don't notice her on the ship, she blends in too well,) nearly unrecognisable from the flower dusted ghost girl on a forsaken planet. instead, she looks every bit the coruscanti girl the empire took away her chance to be as she strides across the ballroom to intercept cal before security can bear down on him. ]

Darling, how can you be tall and yet so easy to misplace? [ she even sounds coruscanti, posh and well bred as if she's gone to all the best schools instead of school herself almost entirely on her own. her smile borders on indulgent as she curls her arm around cal's, grip shockingly tight despite how casual it seems. she sees the security pause out of the corner of her eye as she looks up at cal. ]

Come along, I need to you fetch me a glass from the top of the tower and then I have some of Daddy's friends for you to meet.

[ who needs jedi mind tricks when you can just be a liar. let them think cal is just the hick trophy husband of this fancy twat. she gives his arm a tug, toward the tables heavy with so much food and drink it makes her stomach ache looking at it. ]

[hindsights]

[ it takes a moment for cal to recognize the woman that's swept him away from the path of security guards who'd perhaps identified that someone doesn't belong. and it's true, cal kestis does not belong at a gala.

he's dressed in a suit, sure, tailored to his frame and came with a date but he looks like a fish out of water. he feels like one too.

cal's used to bracca's worn down structures made of metal, to the ships he helped scrap. there was no finery there; nor had he attended anything like this before--- before. he'd been a padawan on coruscant, meant to be a soldier. a jedi at that and jedi didn't exactly attend corusscant's galas.

maybe, in another life, cal could have had that. but in truth, he doesn't remember his parents faces, let alone if the life he could have had was one that lead anywhere sunlight touched on coruscant. likely not if the jedi order was the best option.

'what?' he mouths before his brain catches up with what's going on, why jyn's holding on so tight. he's used to hiding but that involved more ommision in cal's life than lying about who he was, creating a cover story not at all pulled from scraps of reality. ] Sorry. I was just admiring the art.

[ there was a painting next to where he'd been standing and the rich and powerful love their art, right? looking back, he realizes that it's a poster for the event and he probably looks like an idiot.

when they're out of earshot, cal's not sure if he should actually get jyn something to drink in thanks. but he does owe her a 'thank you' -- whispered in case someone's listening in. ] Thanks. I have no idea what I'm doing here.

[ gathering intel isn't going so well. ]

[realists]

[ immediately jyn's rough and round accent returns, all the finesse gone in an instant. ]

You're not the only one.

[ jyn also has very little idea of how to exist in polite society, but she's a fast learner and she spent enough time in the casinos on five points to figure out how the rich and richer comport themselves. cassian is the reason she looks like she fits in — dress that covers her chest and her wrists but shows off her biceps, simple but elegant hair, magnetic earrings he promised could double as a weapon if need be.

it reminds her with a pang of getting ready for inusagi with maia and saw. hopefully this gala isn't a massacre; she doesn't relish the idea of seeing so much blood again. ]

Never been to a gala before?

[ she doesn't release him immediately, leading him toward the drinks and a food. her dress doesn't have pockets and she hasn't stolen cassian's jacket yet, but she can get a plate! they can get plates. ]

[hindsights]

In my defense, I wasn't going to come? ( which is probably not the best defense, jedi. after all, cal let himself get roped into coming instead of sticking to his intuition.

he shakes his head in answer. ) No.

They don't usually invite scrappers or wanted fugitives to those sort of things back home. ( he walks in step with jyn and when they're close to that tower of drinks, he glances up at it. ) Did you actually want one?

( at his height, it's an easy reach and he hasn't caught on to the fact jyn's thinking of weapons. given the risk of using one's powers on this world, cal's trying not to reach out to the force on his own. if it reaches out to him, sends him a blaring beacon of information then he'll listen but -- well -- better be careful? which is a sentiment that only lasts so long for him. )

action;

[deferences]

[never in his life did lan sizhui ever think he might be skulking about the underbelly(?) of some foreign alien planet in search of forged documents; one does what they have to, to make sure things get done, but it's still somewhat questionable work and he knows he has to be careful with who he's talking to when it comes to sensitive situations like this.

it's part of why he stays mostly to himself, bobbing and weaving here and there between people, asking for information until he's finally turned in the direction of someone who will be able to better help him. discussion of payment is no big deal, they can figure that out with very little problems, it's when the individual mentions ease of actual access to the gala being simpler when there's a chance they can go in pairs rather than by themselves. sizhui's brow knits thoughtfully, like a date? he wonders, raising a sleeve-covered hand to tap his cheek while considering the benefits.

from his periphery, he spots a fellow orber nearby, which causes him to straighten somewhat, realization dawning suddenly alongside the idea that'd been planted in his mind. does he know this person? no, he sure doesn't, but it won't stop him from approaching cal, his lips faintly quirked and the same hand he already has lifted moving to give a small wave.]

Hello there, [he politely greets first, head tilting once he's gotten closer, though he's careful to keep a respectable distance between them.] Are you busy currently? Would you like to help me with something?

[hindsights]

( while his intuition is telling him that the gala is not the right places for cal to spend his time, something about it is also calling to him. he has a bad feeling about it, like something will go wrong. maybe it's that they're drawing to four months on this planet and the reality of it is coming to a head.

it reminds cal too much of the federation back home, of the way things crumbled from within as those in power betrayed others; betrayed the jedi and the republic.

no, the gala feels wrong. he's better put to use back on nuhri where he can help fight if something goes wrong. he can do more than he was able to do back on the aldebo in the last moments before the ship's core blew it into trillion's of pieces and he watched from the window of his escape pod.

he's lost in thought, stopped outside of the office of a shady character known to forge invitations when he hears someone approach him. it's someone cal doesn't know but he looks like an orber, someone familiar enough though he doesn't reach out to the force to confirm. ) Hey.

( he lifts a hand, waving to the other young man. ) Uh, what do you need help with?

( he frowns, tilting his head. )

[deferences]

[following natural instincts and avoiding the gala because it feels like something will happen is fair, let's be real, but it's also part of why sizhui does want to attend, that way he'll have the ability to help without having to fight his way in. (besides, switching things up will be a nice change compared to all the careful tiptoeing sizhui's been doing for most of this mission.)

if something happens, at least he's prepared, and if nothing does... well, then they can enjoy the party, right? right.

of course, it seems more likely that things will go sideways in some form, so there's reason to go, regardless of if it's positive or negative. sizhui hopes for the best yet prepares for the worst, just as he'd do with any night-hunt back on his homeworld; a mission is no different and he'd prefer not screwing up his very first one.

he bows his head after his fellow orber's acknowledgment, smile widening ever-so-slightly, even if he's quick to stifle the happier expression somewhat before he gets ahead of himself.] Well, you see, [he gestures vaguely over his shoulder,] I find myself in a bit of a bind with this, ah, merchant. [sure, that's what he'll call them.] My funds are a bit short and, try as I might, I cannot get the price of a single invitation lowered... however, I do have enough for a paired one.

So, I will be straightforward: you and I, we are the same. [orbers, he means, which he'll assume has been conveyed well enough for cal to understand because he isn't certain how much more subtle he can be.] If you'll help me, I'll return the favor someday, in whatever manner necessary. [a beat of consideration then,] And today, I shall treat you to lunch. [this way, if cal does accept his offer, they can get to know each other better.

is this a little unprecedented? yes, absolutely, but heavenly immortals, he hopes it works.]

[hindsights]

( the mention of the gala makes cal's hackles rise a bit. because it would happen to him; it feels wrong and here's the opportunity to go, something thrown in his path like fate woven by the force.

he shouldn't turn his back on it. he's tempted to though and it might show on his face that he looks dubious at best, before the other mentions lunch. cal's stomach growls, loud enough to startle him and earn a huff of a laugh. ) Lunch? I could go for some lunch.

( the smile melts into something wry. ) You don't have to repay me later. We're on the same team, right? Same goal while we're here.

( it feels wrong to take a trade. the jedi, after all, are supposed to take no payment for their help. cal can't let the order go, as much as he's been hiding that he's been part of it for so long. )

un: lioncub | text, post mission

[heyciri]

Welcome back and all that, no one looks too horrified this time, was it actually nice on that mission?

Anyway, I mentioned knucklebones before. If you still wanted to learn, I made the machine build a set while everyone was gone on that last mission. It's pretty decent, hard to tell it's not actual bone.

[hindsights]

I was wondering where you were. Are you okay?

Wait... did you tell me there were real bones involved??? [ that's not him saying 'no' now but he's gotta know. ]

[heyciri]

Fine, just frustrated. I'd heard things like this could happen, but I didn't think they would. Then again we all got warped to the earlier falling apart Ximilia with Olivia not that long ago. What even happened? This was a shorter mission, that's about all I knew about it, and some guy getting back asking about something that made no sense to me.

No? Wouldn't matter, the only ones here are made out of whatever that machine in the armoury has. My original set was all sheep bone! Why, you're not fond of dealing with animal bones?

[hindsights]

Some guy getting back asking about what?

Uh... this this one was weird. We had companions called Cubits and they were being used by the locals to fight battles together. One of them had made a wish for his owner on accident.

Bones carry memories a lot of the time. Especially if something died in a painful way. [ people bones, sheep bones. he doesn't like seeing it all. ] But you're right. It doesn't matter if they're not made of real bones -- I still want to learn.

un: rey_solo

[jedied]

[ Rey's slightly more aware of her own connection to the Force since she's returned, which means she's slightly more aware of something feeling... bad... in Cal's direction. ]

Cal?

What's going on? Are you all right?

[hindsights]

Rey Solo? That's a new one.

I... Uh. I'm fine. Just went home for a bit. [ read: no one is remotely fine. ]

haaaa it autofilled to hers from penance let's just ignore that

[jedied]

Oh.

Me too, actually.

username? what username???

[hindsights]

Yeah?

For how long?