lynchpin_castle | Lynchpin---Castle and Surrounding Grounds.

Definitely an interesting time--and Trunks honestly wasn't sure whether he'd made the right choice or not. But--he'd already changed the past once, altered things in ways he was only now learning. Maybe this could help, and it was certainly important enough.

A glance at his companion out of the side of blue-eyes, sword slung over his back and hands hung at his sides. Standing tall as much as he could, for all that he was slim, Trunks had been a warrior his whole life and it showed in his build. Dark blue jacket with the Capsule Corp logo on his left arm, and his usual black loose pants and tank top, and his boots.

His companion was an alien, and no race he'd heard of--but that didn't bother him. Trunks had grown up well aware of the existence of other worlds and planets and species. He himself was a hybrid. It was hard to gauge her age, given he did not recognize her species--but he was willing to be she was a young adult. She held herself well, and her titles and the way she spoke indicated maturity.

Hands at his side, he bowed low after she did to the being, respectful and eyes down. "I am honored and hope to be useful." Straightening back up to the being, before turning--and while the bow to her was not as low, it was still polite and formal. "My name is Trunks Briefs." Coming up with a hint of smile, he continued. "It is nice to meet you Ms. Tano."

He spoke a bit like a young Padawan as well. respectful to the master and to her. She wondered if they were both of similar training, or if he was something completely different. That sword he carried was different at least. An elegant weapon, as Master Kenobi would say, but also old.

She gave a half smile, one that didn't meet her eyes just yet, her hands coming to rest at her hips once again. "A pleasure to meet you to, Mr. Briefs." What an interesting name. Clothing? She was unsure on that. She had no place to judge names.

"it looks like we might be working together, for a bit."

"Please, Trunks is alright." Reaching up, rubbing the back of his neck a bit, eyes glancing to the side. "It's...sort of a family name tradition." Not that it stood out that much at home, considering some of the other names he knew.

"I look forward to working with you." Back to formal, after that brief moment of shyness. There was an understated confidence in the way he held himself. Someone who kept themselves alert without seeming to, and ready to move.

That brought a bit more of a smile to her face as he said Trunks was enough. "Than please call me Ahsoka. Let's do our best." She said, then looked back to the Master. Her head lifting a bit to look to them.

"Is there anything we should know right away? This entire place is new to me and other than taking meals together, what else should we know?" She asked it as politely as possible, side glancing to the other as if to check to see if he had information or not.

The being studied the two champions before them, silence reigning for a few seconds before it nodded. They had chosen well, for unknown trials to come. Strong in spirit and mind and body, each with their own complimenting talents to the other.

"You are not forbidden anywhere within the castle or the grounds, although the plane here has its limits. It is not safe to venture more than a few kilometers out from the edge of the floating land. We also ask that you accept the servants as they are--unseen and invisible. It is not recommended you take over their space, although rest assured they are here free of coercion or domination. They are special beings."

Holding their sleeve out, they gestured in such a way as to indicate a direction. "If you will follow, we shall see to your first meal. The steward shall take custody of you from there, and may have more answers for you." The being seemed to glide as they turned a corner, skirting an indoor glass enclosure that held flowers of all shapes and species, some known and some not. Snow seemed to flurry in the air, and sparkle in the sunlight.

Past that hallway, they were met by another being, all in a functional grey robe that hid their gender or identity. Their voice was lower, as they bowed. "I am the steward. Please take seats at the table, and we shall begin."

Their host, the Master, once more inclined its head towards them. "You have our gratitude, champions. We shall give you what aid we may, though our means be limited."

Trunks still kept himself alert, his posture relaxed yet ready in a way that came natural to a warrior. A glance to Ahsoka, to see if she wanted to follow first or if they'd walk together. He would not blame her if she did not want someone unknown at her back--even if they were supposed to trust each other and work together.

The banquet hall seemed far too large, and the formal table was ignored--shoved against one wall and laden utensils and dishes. A smaller table, cozier for two or a small group, was set instead with dishware. Considerately, the placement allowed each person to have a their view of all entries and exits.

Trunks approved.

"I see." She said simply to the first answers, and though the Master eased her first thought at the word 'servant' she still was curious if that was true or not. She would not ask though, as that would be insulting, but he would like to talk to one or two if she could. Though she'll find that might be impossible. It was just how she was.

When Trunks looked to her as the Master started to glide off, she gave a small nod for him to walk with her. It wasn't lack of trust to have someone behind her. She had even Ventress behind her before. It was more a sign that she wanted to try and be on equal footing here. This wasn't the Jedi Order, and even if it was, she wasn't part of that. This was... different.

Walking along beside the other, she watched where they were going, hands behind her back, as if not to touch anything, and walked, easy and relaxed, but she too was ready for the surprise twist at the end. When they got to the hall she saw the table for them but also noted how much bigger this place could be. How many it could hold. How interesting.

When the steward said to take seats, she gave him a polite bow, moving a bit towards a seat, but giving another slight bow to the master. "I look forward to being as much help as I can be, Master." And then she gave the steward a half smile as well. "Thank you."

At least the table was somewhere they could keep a clear view of all the ways in or out.

They would have a chance to 'see' the presence of those who served them, at least. Strange forms that resembled a figure--but light seemed to bend around them and go through them--only the barest hint of a figure--entered carrying trays of food and drink, placed upon the formal table for ease of use. They were silent, seeming to glide--and registered faintly in the force as a 'presence' but nothing more. Their ki likewise registered low--just at the edge of awareness, akin to a sentient being but nothing more.

The Master simply nodded, before taking their leave and vanishing. The steward moved closer, speaking now. "In time, we shall have more champions which may require more formality. For now, ascertaining your tastes and habits is our goal, so we hope you will enjoy our hospitality." A pause, being sure they both followed.

"There are designated areas in the castle for training, along with recreation. We do not know what form the challenges shall take, but the Master has created 3 dedicated zones that hopefully shall mimic or prepare you for the challenges. They may be reached by following the signs, outside the grounds. Two reside on this plane and land, one accessible via teleportation as its location may shift.

If there are any other questions, please ring the bell-pull and I shall answer. For now, we wish to let you have time to become accustomed to your situation and each other. We thank you again."

Before they were left alone though, Trunks had one question that was important--given he wasn't sure he could trust his senses here even if he was used to navigating in odd ways. "Is there a way we can find our way around the castle, or are we simply doing trial and error?"

The steward nodded in answer. "A map and floorplan will be available to you after dinner, as you exit the room. It shall be laid upon the table."

Other than that, Trunks wouldn't deny part of him was...ready for food. And some quiet. It had been a whirlwind for him since he'd come to the past again, and time to think would be good. A surreptitious glance at his companion, wondering about her too. Blue eyes studying her for a moment, attempting to sense her ki although it was likely she could be masking it like he was.

She thanked the steward once more when he gave the answer, and raised a brow at the other blue eyed individual. A map will be left when they were done eating? Well, okay then. So far she's had a lot worse first encounters with strange things. This wasn't so bad.

She had followed, moving to take a seat at the table, resting her hands at her lap and looking. Food was brought out and... and she couldn't really SEE the people doing it. Invisible, huh. She could sense them, a bit. But still. Strange.

As for her own, she was masking it a bit more then maybe she had to? But by leaving the order, she was trying very hard to hide herself, and getting better at it. A lekku twitched a bit at her side and a hand reached out to touch it, hold it a moment while looking over at the other.

"So... this is strange." She said as if to break the ice.

A hint of laugh, and grin, if a bit tired. "Yeah..." Not sure what to say, or do--and yes, she was definitely masking it. He could just barely sense her, which contradicted with how she held herself and spoke and acted.

"I have the impression this might be a new thing for them too." He commented, reaching up to brush a bang out of his eye, before getting back to his feet. "Which means, we should probably try and help make it clear we appreciate it." Moving over to the table with his plate, surveying the spread of food. Some he recognized, some he didn't, and some he honestly didn't care as it smelled good and would probably be safe for them to eat.

"It's too much set-up to be a trap, unless we both have an enemy we don't know about." This was waaaayyy too much work, in his eyes, to be anything the Androids would cook up. The Gods and Kais didn't seem interested in his world either, and he'd only just arrived in the past so who knew how they felt about it?

For now, he was going to try and relax some--at least get his thoughts in order. "At..the risk of being rude, how old are you?" A pause, and seen he was thinking. "that is, how do you reckon a year's measurement? I'm from..." Pausing again, as he brought his plate and a mug back to the table. "...a planet with a 24 hour rotation of day to night, with 365 of those cycles to a year. I'm 18, almost 19."

That tiny laugh and grin did help to make her smile back. This was strange, and awkward, and she had so many questions. For them. For him. For herself, really. "You make a good point." She got up as well, to follow his lead, plate in hand and looking at the rows of food. SO much of it, for just two people? She picked at a few things, and put this and that on her plate, to try a few.

"There are some... enemies of my own, though I doubt any of them would look my way at the moment. Much less put something this... fantastical together." he had to agree. Balancing her plate in one hand she picked up a mug and sniffed it, curious to it also. Hmm. She'd try it.

As the two of them relaxed, she could feel the others presence there, but it felt off. Small but not. An aura that read of power but was toned down at the moment. He was clearly a fighter, but he didn't feel Force trained. But something different. She wanted to ask about it, but first, to answer the easier questions.

At least he understood about other planets. She sat her plate and mug down, and tucked one foot under her as she settled into the chair, looking over at him with a faint smile. "It's not rude. At least I don't think so. I'm from Coruscant. It runs on a Galactic standard that sounds a lot like what you just described. Ah, I suppose I'm almost eighteen now?" A pause, and he frowned, trying to think back. Her hand reached up to rub at her neck. That was right, wasn't it? "With the war going on back home, I might have missed my last Life Day." She gave a small shrug to that, popping a small greenish fruit pulled off a branch into her mouth. mmm.

"I have never heard of a planet called Coruscant, but I think I understand otherwise." Definitely had more food than she did (but not nearly as much as his father or Goku or Gohan would. Not that she'd know that.)

His hands came up together briefly, something murmured under his breath, before digging in. A guy--but a guy with manners at least. "The other thing is, if they were your enemies...why do this? I've never met you, and have no idea who you are." A pause, as he also hadn't talked with his mouth full--but this was a full pause. "Of course, you only have my word for that."

A shrug, and a hint of grin. "Then again, we can overthink this and overthink this in circles all we want. I'm in favor of the simplest solution for now." Namely, that this was all that it seemed.

"War?" It seemed the best place to start, if she wanted to talk about it. But he also would accept if she didn't.

Never heard of Coruscant? Interesting. Clearly either he's from a backwater planet, or not at all the same place as she. And honestly, she had seen some weird things. She wouldn't put it past him.

"In truth, I doubt it would be anyone looking to harm us. I... didn't feel anything dark or foreboding from the Master, or the steward. I feel as if they are honestly grateful to our help. What ever that help might be." There was a training hall though, so she had to wonder what 'help' would be needed in general. A champion meant something needed to be won. Represented. Them, clearly.

She had no idea what it was she was eating, but it tasted pretty good. "My masters are very fond of simplest solutions, when they are there to have." She said calmly, watching the boy before her.

"Mmm, yes. Where I am from there is a very long war going on. It's effecting so many planets and so many people have been lost. I sometimes feel like it will never end."

A pause, understanding in his eyes although his face was carefully neutral otherwise. "I understand." He did, it was in his voice. "I'm...not from that situation. I've never heard of it. It's likely we're not from the same universe."

Simplest solutions right?

"...but I understand a conflict where you keep losing people, and how it's gone on for so long you wonder if it will ever end." A full pause, lost in his thoughts for a bit as his head turned down. Studying his plate, then moving to eat some more. Unsure how to break that awkward serious moment.

She glanced up, serious herself, and saw the look on his face. She gave a small nod, looking away again, down to her plate. She poked at a bit of food there. For her the war was over anyhow. No longer a General. No longer trying to help troops stay alive and help free innocent people.

She didn't know what to say either, and silence lapsed over them for a moment, before she cleared her throat. "So... it seems like you've come from hard times as well. Or have, at least dealt with them. I ah, noticed your weapon. You're a fighter as well?"

"I am. My father..." A pause, and definitely conflicting emotions there. "My father was a warrior, as were most of my Mother's friends. But...they all died when I was a baby." A sigh, and he might as well tell her. They had to work together, right?

"Everyone except myself, and my mother..and then a friend. He became my Master when I was 14. He died though, later that year."

She had no family, herself. No mother or father. Not really. She had been three when Master Plo had found her, and so she had no memory of her parents at all. Raised at the temple, that was the only family she had.

Leaving Anakin felt like she was walking away from her family though. None of them believed in her except him, in the end. That felt heavy to her, in her chest, in her heart. "I am sorry to hear that. It sounds as if you've felt a lot of loss in your life as well."

Looking up, blue-eyes meeting blue--studying her. But he nods, accepting the sympathy. "It can't have been easy for you either, as the conflict you describe sounds more...large in scale, and more organized." Raising his head up, a resigned smile. "I mean, there are different types of war, but that's my impression."

Looking eye to eye back, she tried and gave a faint but confident smile. This was a serious top for both of them, but it was telling as well, wasn't it?

"Growing up in War is never easy. I was sheltered from it in some ways though. I was taken when I was young to go and train at the Jedi Temple. It's ah, an order of people who are... trained as peace keepers. When I was old enough, I was given to my Master for more practical training. Which meant my first day in meeting him was in a large scale battle. He had taught me much."

She poked at her food, and picked up a bit to eat, focusing on a few things at once now. Eat. She needed to eat. The last meal she had was prison rations, and that one sweet bun that Padme brought her. She hadn't realized how good the food was tasting until she thought of that.

"At least it looks like we'll both be worthy Champions?"

"Yeah..." Even though he sounds more thoughtful about it, almost grim. "I had to kind of teach myself, until Gohan started training me." And he hadn't mastered the super-saiyan state until Gohan's death.

Sometimes he wondered if it was worth it, considering the loss. But he would make it worth it. He had to, and he would be worthy of Gohan, and the fallen fighters, and his mother, and father. Eating again in silence with her, before heading up for seconds. A look back, paused. "Do you want anything while I'm up?" Polite, and it was a good way to defuse the seriousness again.

"I suppose I was lucky in that." And in the fact that her master was still alive. She had no idea that her leaving was going to help push him over though. For now she was trying to look out for herself.

She was silent for a bit, eating slowly. As a Jedi she wasn't used to huge meals. Just enough to get by, or field rations. When he stood, asking if he could get her anything else, she shook her head no. Then, paused, looking at her mug. It was mostly empty. It had been hot chocolate. It had also been really good. "Ah, do you know what this was? The brown liquid? I wouldn't mind a bit more of that..."

Leave it to her to want to drink the sweet stuff.

"I do. It's similar enough to something in my home." There is a definite smile there, as he gathers more and then balances two mugs and the plate. "It's better than what my mother swore by in the mornings." He got it, in that he understood the technical ideal of caffeine and its benefits.

Then again, Bulma had also often lamented and whined about the energy he'd had, and how it was in his blood. Even if she'd always described his father as...calmer. Or at least more controlled, disciplined.

"Assuming they don't have a different name for it, it's a hot drink made of chocolate." Passing her the mug, and holding his own up for a toast. "Which is a dessert item where I'm from, and a very good bribe when wives and mothers are upset with you."

"I admit, at first I thought it was an off color Caf." Which is basically coffee in space, but still. "But it turned out to be far less bitter. I think I might like it more." She was smiling a bit more. Maybe subjects like this will be less serious.

She lifted her mug to his when he held it up. "Chocolate. That I have heard of. Or something like it. I've never had it in liquid form, but I can see why it bribes someone into a better mood." He settled back to hold the mug in both hands. Still a bit of food on her plate, and she would finish it all, but she held this close and smiled over the rim before taking a sip. "Thank you." She said after, for his bringing more back to her.

"The food is different here, but not all that bad." She nodded to his plate. "And you went back for more, so it must be edible to you as well."

"Comes from my father." Trunks offered shyly, but clinked his mug to hers and took a sip. "I'm used to taking advantage of it when I can, too." Especially if he was going to be running into a dangerous situation. Which was often.

"Caf...caffeine?" Attention pricked there--looks like chemistry really was the building block of the universe. Mother'd be proud. "There's a drink on Earth--where I'm from--with caffeine that's bitter, called Coffee. There's also tea, which is less bitter, and has less caffeine." Reaching up to tuck a bang back once more, there's a grin. "I wasn't allowed coffee. I was barely allowed tea except on some occasions. Mother was always worried about keeping up with me anyways."

Then back to his food, trying to actually identify things now. He thought he recognized some kind of egg-pie with meat. Veggies--but he wasn't sure what kind. It was good though, which was all he really cared about.

Lynchpin---Castle and Surrounding Grounds.

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