Lynchpin---Castle and Surrounding Grounds.

[lynchpin_castle]

The servants are unseen and unknown. Residents are welcome to take over the Servant’s rooms or not, but it is not recommended. Likewise, it is unclear where the Master resides. Usually s/he will call a meeting of their champions and meet them within the reception all or Banquet room.

Meals are typically taken together as a group, and if requested--training times for the champions as a group may be arranged. Both of the mundane variety, and also recreations of challenge-zones, such as the Labyrinth and the Mirror Gallery. The castle and its immediate surroundings have been set to mimic Earth with its single moon and 24 hour cycle of time, along with a standard Julian calendar for convenience.

Comments

[light_of_willpower]

That kick met the floor, and the only reason he pulled back and didn't follow it up was because of that huff. A moment to assess, studying her in turn. "That's right...you sense things, with that Force don't you?" Trunks had been paying attention, after all--it wasn't like he had people he could compare notes with before.

Blue-eyes narrowed a bit, thinking, before he dropped out of the combat stance. "It's a spar, so I'm definitely not trying to hurt you. But...yes. I'm hiding my ki." A head-tilt, and there's that hint of smirk. "Most fighters who read ki or have some kind of device to assess a power level, will try to do so. So masking it is a good survival skill."

[neveraknight]

Look, she was only 'standard' organic. She was well fit and trained, but even the most awesome Jedi Masters got winded sometimes. It didn't mean she couldn't keep up. And maybe she shouldn't use the Force so much as she moved, but she knew no other way. It was an extension of her life really.

When he dropped out of combat stance, she drew back a bit as well, not in combat stance, but at the ready, in case it picked up suddenly. "I didn't think you would try to hurt me, but yes, I can sense some things. You have... a power that reads through the Force, but it's different. Natural but not." She said and lifted her head a he said most people read ki through a device. "I'm not sure if there is a device to read the Force, but I do understand hiding it. I've... learned to hide my presence a bit as well." Not like Barriss, who could hide herself so well, but she did a good job of it. On top of all that, her montrals were very good at picking up senses as well.

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks was impressed though, at least enough that he thought he could work well with Ahsoka. They were similar in ways that complimented each other, but had different strengths. "I can...sense you, but if I didn't know about your Force I'd think either you were masking it, or just untrained."

Confirming for her, and chalking up the difference to the fact that the two were different concepts. Some overlap, but enough differences to matter. "Should I stop masking it?" Trunks was amused, more than anything--a genuine grin on his face.

[neveraknight]

She rolled her neck, her hand coming behind a lekku to rub at her neck a moment. So far it's been a good spar. Enough to learn a bit of how he worked, though she had the feeling she hadn't seen him at his best. He's more than likely holding back, which is fine, but it felt good to have an idea of it all.

"If I concentrated and tried hard enough, I could shut down my presence all together, but I was never the best at that. Good, but not the best." She said, then lifted her head a bit as he said he could stop masking. She was curious. "If it would make you more comfortable. I have the feeling you're going to surprise me, if you do."

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks shrugged. "I'm comfortable now, honestly--I've had to learn how to do it as easily as I breathe." The masking, along with some other things she had no idea about. Watching her, the smile was easy and sympathetic as she rubbed her neck. Maybe her..hair? skin? whatever it was? Maybe it got itchy like the back of his did, when he sparred.

Another step back, keeping his hands out where she could see them, and obvious. A deep breath in, and out, and Trunks let the 'veil' drop so to speak. That feeling of presence intensified--this was a strong presence, burning bright like a spotlight filling a dark room to brighten it to day.

[neveraknight]

"That's a concept I understand too." She nodded as he said that, about learning to do it as easily as breathing. She settled, more relaxed a moment as he stepped back, hands to his sides. She would admit, she was curious. His hits and kicks were strong, and had she been a mote slower she'd have taken a damn good hit or three. She decided that if there were battles to come, he had the upper hand at being an unstoppable force. Then again she had THE Force, and she would do her best to be unstoppable as well.

As he unmasked, she watched... then a brow raised, then it raised a bit higher. Eyes wider, she watched him a moment. "I've felt Master Jedi and Sith alike with a presence as strong as yours." She admitted. Perhaps not as strong as Master Yoda, in a way, but still outstanding. It was a bit intimidating.

[light_of_willpower]

Ahsoka would be unstoppable in other ways, that she and Trunks would both come to find out. His role usually lay in being the shield for other people, and he was good at it. That she had been fast, and skilled, made him glad they would be working together. The hints of spirit she'd shown just cemented that feeling--as he suspected she could be as stubborn as he could, if not more so.

Her words though, and the clear surprise on his face, brought about a blush and his head ducked, eyes looking down slightly. "My Father's people were warriors, naturally adept at using ki, and stronger than humans." Offered as an explanation--not that Trunks hadn't put in his own hard work on it. "Like I said, it's in my blood." Then more quietly, a bit awkwardly too, as he went back to masking it once more. "...thank you for the compliment."

[neveraknight]

She grinned as he looked bashful at her comment. Hands on her his and head held high, she chuckled. "You were born of warriors. I was born of artisans. My people do not handle war or fighting, except for a small few. So I can't say I have that advantage, but I have life long training. Something which I have the feeling you have done as well. Or at least trained in general."

She gave a small bod of her bead to him next, hands together and low at her middle. "Thank you though, for holding back enough to spar with me." She dropped her hands again to her hips, head tilting a bit, smiling at him. "I think we might turn out working very well together. Put my sabers in my hands and I might even have a small chance against you." She teased.

[light_of_willpower]

"Yes...and no." Trunks responded, about the training. "I've been a fighter my whole life, but hadn't had anyone to properly train me, until Gohan when I was 14. That was just a few weeks...before he was killed." It still hurt, remembering--maybe if he'd BEEN there he could've done something. Part of him felt even worse, because he knew he wouldn't have listened---Gohan had been right to knock him out, or he'd have died too. A slight head-shake, bringing himself out of the memories.

Bowing low, to her and formal, a hint of laugh in his voice as he stayed in the position. "Thank you. Besides, sparring is a form of learning. You test someone, and challenge them--you don't hurt or kill them." Decidedly serious, but then his own eyebrow is raising. "Sabers...? Besides, I think you were holding back at times too."

[neveraknight]

She gave him a sad soft smile at that. One that said she does get what he might feel there, about losing someone. She tries not to focus on that for now. they only just met. No reason to drag the poor guy through bad memories. "Well, I'm impressed."

"Sparring is how you learn and grow, yes. And maybe I was holding back a little." She said, and brought both hands up and pushed forward, holding them there. He would feel a push. Nothing like she might have done to an entire army of Clankers, but a push that if he wasn't ready might knock him backwards or even off his feet. If he noticed much, the things on the walls near by, on either side, shook from the push as well.

"Sabers, yes." She also agreed, and while one hand was still up to that force push, the other darted out to the side, her full lightsaber called to her hand, floating swiftly through the air like a dart and into her palm. She swung her other hand over to do the same.

A moment later she had both weapons in her hands, one right side up, and the shorter one reversed. She stepped back with one foot, activated both with a woosh, and stood there, as if to be at the ready, smiling like a demon child, before relaxing, and holding the beams out to the side. "Lightsabers. A weapon of the Jedi."

[light_of_willpower]

The hint of blush remained, when she said she was impressed. Looking down a bit, then she was speaking again and he had a half-second to sense...something. It wasn't like dealing with a ki user--but he recognized whatever it was as the same thing she'd done while touching his hand earlier.

That half-second, arms coming up to brace himself and he was pushed back. Noticing the effects around him too, cataloging--it reminded him of the force expelled with certain ki attacks. Or powered-up transformations.

Eyes-narrowed, staying crouched as he slid an inch or two back, and then they were widening as she... did those two tube-things just fly into her hands and become weapons? That impressed him. "First--I can't do that. Secondly---I want one." For the first time in a long time, Trunks actually was grinning like a child.

[neveraknight]

She didn't intend to shove him very hard, but she was impressed that he only moved back a few inches. She wondered if she had really tried to blast him, if he would or not. Even Sith lords couldn't stand up to a full blast.

Still, she grinned back at him at that comment, and drawing her swords up, she touched the two together, making them hum, displaying what they sounded like. Withdrawing them she turned them off, the lights going away instantly.

"Not everyone can handle them." She said with a wink, and hooked one on her belt at her hip. "They are energy blades, focused through a crystal. These crystals I found myself. It took a while to focus myself into them, but they are mine, and we work well together."

A bit of a show off move, but she held the lightsaber out before her, and let her hand go, both hands whirling around it a moment, before it broke apart into 20 or so pieces, carefully disassembling it, to show a green stone in the center of it all. She let it all hover there a moment, before smiling from behind. Holding it there in the air. "If it was something I could teach you to learn to build, I would." She held it there, allowing him to look if he wanted to.

[light_of_willpower]

No, he was definitely impressed. Once it was clear there would be no more unseen shoving, Trunks moved closer. Looking properly with his eyes, not his hands--and they are wide. "That's...amazing." Oh his mother would LOVE to study this. Grinning at her though, examining each piece thoroughly without touching it. "Focusing yourself into a crystal sounds...more mystical than I thought. But I understand the concept, considering some of the things I do with ki."

[neveraknight]

She was beaming again. Something about this made her feel pretty good, for a change. then again she always enjoyed watching the younglings as someone opened a lightsaber up too. She turned her hand and the parts started to spin and mend together once more, settling into place properly once again. She turned it away and clipped it to he hip.

"It's not so much as putting myself into it, I suppose. More... this crystal called to me. I had to focus to find it. To bond with it enough for it to call to me. It's called a harvesting, and it's one more step to becoming a padawan. I had two call to me." She said with a wink, hands on her hips again, proud. "Come on. We should explore more while we talk. See what else they got here for us to do. Oh, u, and sorry for that sneaky push."

[light_of_willpower]

Reaching up, Trunks raked a hand through his bangs and grinned at her. "Don't be--but that was the Force right? Lived up to its name." Moving over and grabbing his jacket, and buckling his sword on again over his chest.

"Still sounds more mystical than I'm used to, but...I get it. Enough to at least understand it's not something anyone could do." Coming back to walk with her. "But this was fun, so thank you." A nod and smile.

"So your people were artisans? I don't suppose you're familiar with Namekians or Saiyans, are you?" Reaching up and brushing the back of his neck as they walked. "I'm aware of other planets and so on, but not actually familiar with many aliens." Just the two he'd mentioned, and whatever was in Frieza's forces--which he'd not really bothered to care about other than killing them. Then Frieza and his father.

[neveraknight]

"Yes, perhaps a touch mystical? Though we were always taught that we had a deeper connection to the Living Force is all. That because we have this connection, we must respect it and do with it what we can to help others." She chuckled softly though, and gave him a nod. "It was fun, and I think once I get a little rest in me, I might like to spar with you again. Now that we both have a better idea of what we can do. To an extent."

As they walked she rested her hands at her back, crossed over each other. "My race, Togruta, are from a planet called Shili, in the Ehosiq sector. I doubt that will mean much to you. The race decided that they would rather devote themselves to art and beauty instead of hunting and fighting. The planet is said to have a lot of creatures that would hunt Togruta, but... I wouldn't really know about all that." She said, a bit sheepish.

"As for those races you just named? I... don't think I've heard of them? But the universe is a huge place, and we're still reaching out past Wild Space as it is."

[light_of_willpower]

"Add in that there are multiple universes, and I'm not surprised." Trunks responded, hands kept to his sides as they walked. "They didn't let you learn much about your home, in the temple?" In some ways, that made sense--but it seemed harsh.

Not that Trunks could claim to know much about being a Saiyan. Most of what he knew came from Bulma, who'd only gotten snippets from Vegeta himself other than the attack on Earth. Part of why he'd gone back a second time, besides that he wanted to help his Father and allies. He was curious about so many things and people, not least of which Goku, and his own father Vegeta.

"I'm from a planet called Earth, one of 9 planets orbiting a single sun, which we're 3rd from. Most of the planet is populated by humans, or humanoid-animals. Most of the population also has no idea what to do about aliens, but are familiar with the idea of magic and demons and other things like that. We had 2 resident Namekians--a race of humanoid-male-style beings who are more akin to plants, in how they eat, sleep, and reproduce. They're green, and have little antenna on their head, and are adept warriors and ki-users, but they're more...spiritual."

Speaking as they went, exploring the rest of the basement areas. Aside from the training room, it was all designated as Servant's space and various utilities. Occasionally they had that strange not-seen-and-barely-felt presence around them, but never intrusive. The overall feel of these areas was that this was not where they should be, but they were not unwelcome. A separation of purposes, in some ways.

[neveraknight]

"You make a good point. The multiple universes does make things a bit more interesting." She gave a shrug, hands tightening a bit behind her. "There was no reason for it. A Jedi isn't suppose to hold on to attachments. They cloud your mind and cause you to lose focus. I do respect the fact that it is my home planet, but I was taken away when I was three. The Temple was my home after that."

Her brow raised as he spoke though. "Nine? My goodness, are they all inhabited?" She knew the Hosnian System had at least five inhabited planets, but it was rare that a system had so many livable. She doubted all nine were.

"Earth sounds... interesting. Maybe a bit like a lot of planets out there though. Though I might note, you too are alien now. Alien just means that you are foreign to that planet. Earth is your homeworld, so you are, what? Earthian?" Earthling. "Here however? We're both aliens." She winked at him at that. It was a small thing you learned while in space. No matter where you go, if it isn't home, you are alien to that location. Otherwise, they referred to people by race or type.

And on a side note. "These seem like the servants areas, but I really cant... detect much here. That's going to... weird me out a bit."

[light_of_willpower]

Her comment though, made him grin too and laugh. "No, I get that. Earthling is the usual term." Leaning in enough as they walked to nudge her shoulder against his own in camaraderie. "Only Earth is inhabited in that system. It barely has interstellar travel. Most people don't deal with anything other than mundane every day lives."

Then his eyes looked down, a bit bashful again. "I sort of had the advantage, even if I don't really think so. Mom is a genius and at the technological forefront of most of modern culture on Earth. Then she also hung around with a group of highly-trained martial artists, including one of the Namekians, and one of the Saiyans, along with others. She was an adventurer." Clear he thought very highly of his mother too.

What she'd said about attachments...it sounded counter-intuitive to him. Then again, he was used to warriors--not just the Saiyans--who got stronger because of their attachments, especially having someone to protect and care about.

Trunks pulled out the map from his pocket, and checked. "These are, and it's weird to me as well. I can sense them--sense that they have ki, but it's...odd." And unsettling, considering his dealings with the androids. A sigh, and a reluctant smile. "Which means, I kind of just have to trust our host and their good intentions."

It was the simplest solution...

Eventually they came to a set of stairs to head up, to the first floor near the Banquet Hall where they'd started.

[neveraknight]

"Earthling." She said with a nod, committing that to memory. She found it interesting, to learn more about him and other planets. "Having an advantage like that is clearly a godo thing. Your mom sounds amazing." She doesn't even know her parents. Other than Master Yoda and the others who trained her. "Sounds like she wasn't an warrior but a genious adventurer, which truthfully, seems a lot more fun to me." She said with a chuckle.

Coming to the steps she looked back calmly, critically. She didn't like putting blind trust into things. Especially ones with power, but maybe this was one of those times that she would have to. "Maybe you're right. They've been open to us so far." And she didn't feel anything dark off them. Yet at least.

Starting to jog up the steps, taking them two at a time she moved up to the top with a hop step. "Wars are riddled with good intentions, but some times they truly are good. I should not judge too swiftly." More to herself than anything.

[light_of_willpower]

Her energy was infectious, Trunks keeping pace with her but letting her take the hop-step to pull ahead. "I have to have hope." Almost to himself, but also reminding her if she wanted.

"My mother is amazing." Still with that admiration, and then if she doesn't object he'll tell her about Bulma. About her running Capsule Corps, and the capsules, and her meeting Goku and the hunt for the Dragon Balls.

[neveraknight]

She was full of energy too, even for someone so tired. And she really was tired, though that Spar got her alive again, for a bit.

She liked hearing about his history. His family and past. She liked knowing that he was kind of normal in some ways and special in others. While wandering around the place looking here and there, they spoke. Sometimes about his family and past. Sometimes about her Masters or other races. If she spoke highly of anyone, it was Anakin.

It was nice, getting to know someone who didn't know anything about her war, Coruscant, or her trial, which she didn't mention at all.

[light_of_willpower]

Maybe Trunks understood that, given how different their upbringings had been. Maybe it was what she said about the war. It could've been her tone, or body language, or any number of cues. But he was choosing to stay on safe-topics. Sometimes he'd ask about the technology she was from, and the other races and places she'd been to and seen were definitely interesting to him.

He wanted to know more about Anakin, but he didn't want to pry too. It was clear the man meant a lot to her--and he was reminded of Gohan. At least his own relationship with Gohan. But it was nice to focus on things that weren't the Androids, or trying to find survivors and help them be safe, or start rebuilding.

[neveraknight]

SHe didn't mind talking about some things, and other things she spoke about but deflected a bit as well. It was easy to tell what buttons not to push and which doors to go through. She enjoyed hearing what he had to say as well, and when they had nothing to say it wasn't uncomfortable either. Walking around, exploring, checking out places as they went.

"I wonder where we're allowed to stay. If we get a cell to sleep in or if we have to find a place on our own." She said, and yes, she called it a cell. She was used to the temple 'rooms' being cells, and not in a bad way. Never locked up, but never really a lively place to live either.

[light_of_willpower]

He honestly wasn't used to being around many people, given the state of the world he'd grown up in. Not to mention his mother's fear of losing him, and his own frustrations. That they could be quiet around each other, it wasn't awkward, was a welcome revelation. He respected when she avoided or deflected, and if he was a bit more formal than he had been when they sparred, he was still polite and respectful.

The castle was huge though, and again part of his mind turned to trying to tactics. Worrying if all the rooms would need to be filled and what that might mean. The variety of rooms available though, reminded him a bit of Capsule Corps and the pictures he'd seen. The parts of it before West City was destroyed, and he and his Mother had fled and lived under the ruins to hide effectively.

"I'm not sure it matters where..." But he looked over in surprise and a little horror. "Why would we have to be in a cell?"