lynchpin_castle | Lynchpin---Castle and Surrounding Grounds.

"I know." Replied in a whisper, affirming her trust. His trust. She had his back, and he would have hers. They were safe for now, and he could relax. Unlike the Force however, it was less reaching 'outward' for him.

Instead Trunks let himself go over the last day or so, the battle. Watching as she dropped into a braced stance with that first hit as they were on the mountain. A deep breath, and he focused again. Sectioning it off--he would focus on the memories coldly and clinically first. Strategy, focusing on the IGs that had represented such a threat to her. The sharpening of his focus as he'd seen one strike at her as he reoriented from the stray ion bomb.

Watching as she struck back, fluid and graceful and like some blade-dancer-demon of myth. All flame and purpose with her skin and coloring of her montrals and lekku. Deadly and controlled and beautiful.

Saving that, analyzing, moving on and playing the rest over. Studying the droids in his mind, the different types, and the way they'd finally won. THAT was the victory condition he'd realized. Destroy the tanks, and no more reinforcements had come. Which meant it was likely that their coming challenge might hold similar.

Even if the enemy meant to overpower them, there would be a way to win without fighting to exhaustion. To find the 'tanks' and take them out. If he couldn't, he knew Ahsoka could--and he smiled.

It was comforting, her presence--thoughts drifting over the pool and their teasing. Her grace, the sleek way she moved in the water, how it beaded along her skin and she seemed weightless as she floated. Slender curves--she was all slender curves and arcs! But most of those thoughts he'd already accepted, battled, dealt with earlier.

Opening his eyes slightly, reaching out and studying her ki. Power and presence so different from his as he felt her. Warm and alive and bright--stronger than someone who wasn't trained at all because she was a warrior. Focused on being a peacekeeper yes, but still a warrior.

Still calm himself, blue-eyes half-opened and he bit his lip. She looked... Her skin was darker, but that only highlighted the contrasts between the patterns she bore. Her eyes didn't look like one relaxed though.

Another breath in, and out, and he spoke in a whisper. "You alright over there?" How long had they been at this already?

For a bit, actually. A good amount of time. She had already cataloged what she needed to remember the day before. With the battles. So now was just for today. There was nothing to throw away and a few things she committed to memory. A few things that she was realizing she had completely glossed over earlier. And because of that she had gone back to earlier conversations. Other meetings. Thinking over things and...

'I think I can handle your sword.' Her face burned at that point, to the point that there was even a bit of a redness in the white of her skin and her lekku of all places. Oh gosh, had she said that?

He'd said something.

She missed it for a moment, her mind settling again, trying to ignore a few things now. This was like with Lux all over again. She needed to remind herself that attachments were forbidden.

For a Jedi.

And where did THAT thought come fro--"Hmm?" She again realized he spoke, and she brought her eyes open, blinking, and looking across at him. "Oh, yes. I'm fine." She said and gave him a faint smile, blue eyes searching his face. Damn, what the hell. She can't help walk him through these things if she goes and gets lost and falls out of her own meditation. She let out a huge sigh, letting her arms and back drop a bit. "Are you doing okay?"

Blue-eyes of his own searched hers, expression serious. "Better." He responded, still quiet and slightly above a whisper. "Thank you." Then there was a faint frown, concern mostly. "You looked-" Hot, in both meanings. "-uncomfortable."

A deep breath of his own, and he let himself relax fully. Ducking his head, mostly to hide what he felt was the hint of blush. Leaning forward with his torso, stretching his arms out in front of him.

"Maybe I just needed a partner."

She shifted, sitting back on her hands on the pillow behind her, trying to be very relaxed. "I ah... just something my memory supplied at a strange moment is all. Something I said to someone, a while back." She shook her head, reaching a hand up to rub at her cheek, then smile. "It was good though. Nothing bad. It's just not where I thought I would let my mind go when I slipped into that state."

She leaned forward again though, looking over at him. "And if you need help, or a partner for meditation again. Just ask. I hope that technique helps you though. Sometimes it's just easier to go some place in your head then it is to have nothing in your head at all. Sometimes it's very good to have no place there but only the facts, to cut distractions. There are a lot of ways to do it."

And they had been at it a while. Food might be a good thing soon. "Even if you just try a bit before bed, it could help too. If you ever feel restless that is."

"I'll do that." A wider smile, looking up at her from where he still stretched his arms out. The asking for a partner thing. Coming out of the stretch, then rolling up to his feet. He wasn't as graceful as she was, but it was fluid and practiced and athletic. Reaching up to rub at his neck and shoulders some, before holding out a hand for her.

"Usually when I'm restless, I read. Or I find somewhere I can do something active, but not mentally taxing." Had to be dinner time soon, and he was ready for it even if it hadn't been as strenuous a day as the day before.

Edited 2017-02-27 13:23 (UTC)

She reached up and took the hand that was offered to her, curling her arm as she pulled herself up with it, standing before him and letting go. She was trying to ease her mind back to normal thoughts. She couldn't believe some things she remembered saying now.

"Reading is good, depending on what you like to read." She said, both arms going over her head and stretching out her arms and back, cracking it a bit and starting to roll her shoulders some. That felt good. "My master would do the same, if we had access to books. Generally, I find the screen to be too bright and keeps me awake."

Even as Ahsoka was curling her arm to pull herself up, Trunks was curling his and pulling her up as well. Not just bracing her, but helping as well and with no judgement. Letting her hand go just as easily; part of him enjoyed the contact--but again, his thoughts on the matter had been somewhat dealt with earlier.

That he was now seeing Ahsoka in a new light, did not change who she was or that she was a capable champion and partner. He would not act as if it did. Had no clue how to act otherwise honestly.

"No screens in this place, just the good old-fashioned kind of books." He'd had the advantage of growing up with a mother who was a genius, head of a cutting-edge technology company, and was an inventor herself. Yet Ahsoka's tech she used everyday still outclassed what Trunks was used to in some ways. Books read on a screen, as a hand-held computer, and that being more normal than the paper and binding form he knew. Amazing.

"I read whatever takes my interest. You might like these kinds of books though. You can adjust the light." Waiting for her as she stretched. He could sympathize, as that had sounded like a good one with the crack.

She was almost like a cat in his she moved, yes, as he had noted to himself before. She had that down pretty well, and took in a long held breath a moment, as if to help herself wake up properly from the meditation, though she was also trying not to focus on her earlier thoughts. That was stupid of her, and she can't allow herself to get more attached than she already was.

"I saw the library here. The real books and such." She said, grinning over at him now, waiting for him or moving with him. One or the other. "We have paper books at the Temple, but they are rare and valuable. Most data is on a data bank somewhere. Much easier to protect and to share. Still, I like the feel of a bound book. I wasn't sure if these here were... okay to take and read, or if we had to check with someone first." She said, a bit of a dumb embarrassed feel now after saying that. Generally she's always had to deal with requesting a book, and it wasn't to leave the temple.

Heading out, leaving the door open to show the room wasn't in use, they headed out together. "See, whereas I'd worry about the data banks, even though I grew up around computers and what for us was high technology. Power goes out, one wrong button press, an EMP or a magnet, and poof! All that data gone." His expression was animated, using his hands to gesture as well as he explained.

"I'm pretty sure these are for us, and even if they're not--I'm not far from the library." Part of why he'd wanted that room, when it'd been clear they could settle wherever. A private bathroom as well as easy access to the library? Suite 6 was perfect as far as he was concerned.

As they walked though, he moved enough to bump his shoulder against hers companionably, especially with her last statement and that hint of sheepishness. "Worse comes to worse, leave a book in my room and blame it on me if you get in trouble." Wasn't like he didn't have books on his floor already.

She chuckled. "They aren't all on the same server, and if you take the data and put it else where it's there and here and on other servers and devices. It's hard to lose things all at once." She said with a grin.

As he nudged her shoulder with his shoulder and she tilted her head a bit grinning down as they walked. "I wouldn't dare say something like that. I'd rather get in trouble then have you take the fall for my actions."

"Take it as a sign I don't think we'll get in trouble then." Trunks responded, winking at her playfully. If nothing else, if absolutely nothing else, he was very pleased at how easy it was to be around Ahsoka. If this is what having a crush and liking someone was like, he'll take it.

At this point, they were in the 2nd floor living room and he paused. Smirking, and then looping his arm around hers---it wasn't like she could stop him from dragging her. (Even if he'd stop if she at all seemed like she didn't want to.) "We're taking the long way to the dining hall this time." Meaning a quick detour through the library.

"I would hope not. I suppose they didn't give us any off limits terms." Other than not to mess with servants that is. If having a crush meant it was easy to be around someone, she has both had a crush and might not have had one on Lux. He was... easy to be around but also not. Her experiences on crushes were very limited. If she kept thinking of him as just another trainee like she was, it would be fine.

And then he looped his arm in hers and she looked startled. He was dragging her along suddenly, making her lose footing a bit and stumble step to follow. "Wh-what? Where are we going?" She said, allowing him to pull her along, even chuckling a bit. What was he doing?

Good thing then that the way his arm is looped around hers and their equal heights mean he can help keep her from falling, even if she stumbles a bit. "Where do you think?" Down the hallway, then through a door and they were on the second floor balcony that ran the length and overlooked the library. Even the balcony had shelves and a chair scattered for reading.

Further down on the right was a door, which lead to the suite he'd claimed.

Letting go of her once they were in the library though, and he's still grinning. Having a crush wasn't comfortable in some ways; Trunks was highly aware of Ahsoka, even without sensing her ki. Aware of how warm and soft her skin was, her arms slender but strong. Aware of how her chuckling made her eyes sparkle. Aware of how close they were as he'd pulled her along.

Mildly uncomfortable, but worth it to be around her--and especially to have it be easy to be around her--in Trunks' opinion.

"Right now?" She said with a laugh in return, letting him lead the way and falling into dragged step with him easily. There was something about the way he suddenly took off like that, with the excitement and all that made her smile, fondly.

As they came into the Library she stopped there and grinned, hands coming to her hips as he let her go. She looked around, having peeked into here but not messed with it yet. "They do have a lot of books here." She said, looking around but not touching.

Definitely not comfortable, her smile making his cheeks redden a bit and he felt his heart speed up slightly too.

"As much as I've been able to figure out," Mostly because of his restlessness and proximity, as he moved towards the spiral staircase leading to the first floor. "It's organized by 'section', and you sort of just think about what you're interested in, and then relevant titles are there. Otherwise it seems to change."

She didn't even notice his change. All she did was bounce and follow him down the steps, hearing him talk. "You know, that makes me want to bring up a point but... these books aren't written in Aurebesh or Galactic Basic, are they. Which also makes me wonder, why do I understand you. You sound like you speak Galactic Basic to me, but are you? How can someone from a place that has never heard of the standard basic language speak it so clearly? Or are we being translated?"

A pause, then a tap of her finger on her chin. "Maybe there is a book explaining that. Not that it would take my interest so much. Are there books here on your earth? That would be interesting."

"Probably, but I wouldn't know where to start." But he had browsed a few times, and found stuff that interested him before. Hand running over the bookspines, he turned and looked at her. "I figured the language was probably the same way they're doing food and other stuff."

Accepting it as normal--then again Gods were nothing new in his world, and sometimes very personable. Why couldn't a being in charge of all existence make it easy for them to all communicate with each other and itself? Why wouldn't it, when it would just make things harder?

"Huh. I never thought about how they were doing food." She said honestly, glancing over book spines as they wandered through the library. Finger tips butterfly light over the books, as if touching them too hard might disintegrate them.

Perhaps he was right, about Gods of Creation can basically just make and fix anything. "It seems so strange to me is all. That anything can build what ever they want. It's a bit amazing, isn't it?" She said, pausing at one shelf to look over the books. "That they can create a world and take two people from different places, and we both understand everything we say and see?"

"It kind of makes sense though, at least as far as I can tell." He was a bit more philosophic about it. "They seem bound by rules, or certain conventions, but it all had to start somewhere, somehow, right?"

"You don't have gods in your world?"

Given their topic, a wave of light washed over the books on the shelves around them. The spines and titles suddenly filled with mythology of all kinds, legends, folklore, fairy tales, as well as philosophy books.

"Yes, I suppose it all had to start somewhere, but if 'all things' started somewhere and was created by beings, who created the beings that create all of the things they did?"

"Some... cultures have gods. I would never say that it isn't true for them. I have the Force. It's not dark or light but is there. I was trained it believe some of it is dark and some is light and if you use it one way or another it is good or bad. But it's just the Force. It's just there. I have my doubt that something had to create it, if that makes sense?"

She paused though, as the books appeared to change, her hand drawing away as she poke, fingers curling. How curious. Were the books really there, or where they else where? Were the creators able to just change knowledge at will? Shift it to ones thoughts or topic choice? An endless resource. How curious.

"I suppose that makes me a bad believer, doesn't it?"

"It's not my place to judge whether you are or aren't." Trunks offered, a small, understanding smile on his face. "My universe has some pretty strange things too, that don't always make sense." Leaving the books and coming to stand with her in quiet company. "I mean, one of the 'gods' on Earth was also a twin to the 'demon king', and both were really members of an alien race, come to Earth."

Shrugging his shoulders, as he honestly wasn't sure what he'd believed now. Definitely not religious, but he could be spiritual in some ways. Given his familiarity with ki it only made sense.

"We haven't really known each other that long, Ahsoka. But it seems to me, that this here..." Turning his head and looking at the library, but also out the windows where the sky had started to fade from the day to the night. "...if it's a break for me, it's a break for you too." Back to her, expression serious but understanding. "Whatever you've been through, it's clear you're questioning a lot of things and have had your views shaken. Maybe this can be a time and place where you work out what you want, while also having a purpose you believe in."

Edited 2017-03-01 01:30 (UTC)

"If you trace back some gods on some planets, you find that they are just a very old race of alien from another planet that some how ended up on that planet. Misconceptions pushed to a new form. Old stories told wrong over time to make them more grand than actual." She said, giving a tiny shrug.

"Then again who is to say if there is something more out there." She commented, as he came to stand beside her. When he spoke again it seemed serious but soft. And the way he said her name had grabbed her attention for some reason.

Then the rest of the words grabbed all her attention, like he had seen right through her for a moment. She looked down for a moment, away from him, then back to a book shelf. It felt like he was looking right into her heart to find the roots of her problems. It was true though. She had so many questions, her heart was broken over everything, and the last thing she wanted to do was make friends and attachments, just so they could turn on her like Barriss did.

"For right now, I think my only purpose in being... is to be here and help."

"Not a bad purpose at all." That same serious smile, and he was looking towards the window again, seeming to remember the grounds and see them now. "You know I'll help, while you're here, if I can too."

A grin, and he turned back to her. "Come on, we should get to dinner." A pause and waiting for her, then starting to head down the Tapestry Gallery's long hallway in the direction of the dining hall.

Turned away, and if asked--he'd deny he said anything. Especially because he hadn't realized just how good her senses were. But his head down, definitely speaking away from her--the gratitude was clear though in the whisper. "You've already helped me."

Edited 2017-03-01 01:44 (UTC)

He did bring up some good points though. She had a lot to think about here and she shouldn't just brush them under a rug and ignore it to run about free, playing war games and flirting with a boy. Not that she knew it was flirting. Still, there was a lot to consider, and a lot of it she considered already while on trial.

She simply nodded once, unsure what to say to all that. And then he said they should go to dinner. "Yeah, dinner sounds good."

Moving along with him, she reached out to take his hand, hearing him whisper because of her good senses, and smiled to that. Giving his hand a squeeze, then smiling, trying to put pep in her step again. She came up right beside him and shoulder bumped him back, letting go of his hand and tucking both hands behind her back again as they walked. "Maybe I'll just eat nothing but sweet things tonight." She smirked. "That'll surely give me a bad time later but could be fun." Yeah right, she's way too into leafy greens to do nothing but sweets.

The hand squeeze was a pleasant surprise, cheeks flushing slightly in a blush, but he squeezed back. Chuckling with the shoulder-bump, and letting her move slightly ahead of him. "If I have to come wake you up, try not to hit me with a lightsaber okay? Those things look like they hurt."

Teasing her in turn, smiling as she smirked. "Mom swore by ice-cream. Especially if it had raw chocolate chip cookie-dough." An eyebrow-raised in amusement.

Lynchpin---Castle and Surrounding Grounds.

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