INBOX.

[ascetical]

// ben

TEXT • AUDIO • VIDEO

XIMILIA

Comments

ACTION — before march mission, during the bachelor post

[edraith]

[ that day, while everyone else seems to be busy voting for bachelors and bachelorettes over the network, lúthien has abandoned her network connection entirely, instead focusing on running through some self-defense moves in the now-empty training room.

the door is open, though, and she pauses in her very slowly executed moves to look at who it is that is walking past — and when she sees it is ben, she smiles. ]

I thought I may be the sole soul here, not focused on whatever is happening over the earpieces, but I see I am not alone.

[ascetical]

[ A soft chuckle, relieved: ] In fact, I had the same thought.

[ Truthfully, the goings-on in that post haven't done a particularly good job of instilling him with any kind of confidence for their upcoming mission. Out of curiousity for the sheer size of the thing, he'd taken a brief glance in and had seen what he had to, resisting the inner-Master (or General, perhaps) in him tempted to provide them all a lecture on frivolity. Get the ranks back in line, that sort of thing.

But he doesn't know these people, and he'd steeled himself with the reminder that he also doesn't care. Can't really afford to. That isn't his job anymore, and it's dangerous to think that he might resume any of those positions any time soon.

It's a surprise when he comes across Luthien in the training room, and all of that prickly demeanor seems to vanish immediately. Obi-Wan was never very good at that anyway. Distance for him was only achieved by physically staying away.

And even then ... people seem to find him. ]

While I certainly don't want to ruin anyone's fun, I didn't think the reason we've all been recruited was to figure out each other's marital status.

[edraith]

[ her laughter sounds strangely like the tinkling of bells, as she joins in the amusement — she had not had the same feeling of wanting to reprimand anyone, but had felt no need to join in... ultimately, it had little meaning to anyone, and while some may have participated for a joke, she felt others may not, or those nominated may not have wanted the attention, and so she left the entire thing to its own devices. ]

Nay, surely it must not have been... and though I do not begrudge anyone their amusement, I would rather meet those I call my partners on this team without any preconceived notions of them, true or not.

[ she sighs, glancing behind her in the training room. ] I confess, perhaps my time is not much better spent here, but I was instructed to practice... it is not in my nature, but as I believe it will not be long until we are to leave again, I do not wish to be a burden on anyone.

[ascetical]

Then we are of the same mind.

[ In a nutshell: he ain't wanna know these personal deets. Better that this information be far from him; he's got much more important things to worry about.

And perhaps, in part, he's a little nervous about this first mission, the feeling exacerbating his slight irritation. Firsts of anything generally have an air of the unknown to them and they can be quite a bit daunting. And while Obi-Wan has never turned down or turned away a challenge or an opportunity during his youth and the peak of his career ... the last ten years have been a whole other story all together.

He feels old and very much out of practice, and he isn't even sure he belongs here, even now. But his regret is too great, and the offer to undo it is too strong, and so: here he is. ]

Well, I came here to practice too. It's been some time — [ Too long, in fact. ] — since I've had to fight. But if you can forgive an old former soldier for the undoubted blunders he is about to make, I could practice with you. If you'd like.

text | un; 20/20

[hindsights]

What happened to laying low?

[ascetical]

Oh, please don't start

[ dO NOT PERCEIVE HIM, CAL

These are not the droids you're looking for, and all that. ]

[hindsights]

I mostly wanted to say 'Thank You' for it.

[ you're not the boss of him, ben, but he'll give you this one :) ]

action;

[kenpachi]

（ his reputation, you see, precedes him. one of the two men that had initially chosen to speak to the hivawei about their impending fate. one of the vectors that ensured their success. ultimately, she is of the opinion they made the correct choice even though it would not have been the one she herself made. they were able to help many of the hivawei — the mood on the station is somber, but settled.

when she finds him in the sunlight room, he is seated on a rock. eyes closed, hands held loosely in the repose of meditation. she stands a polite distance away, a basket of baked goods is tucked over one arm. she is dressed very simply, her hair loose and flowing down her back nearly to mid-thigh freed of its braid, a shirt that very carefully covers the aching scar between her collarbones.

to the seated man, she says: ）

Hello — I apologize for the interruption. Ben, is it?

[ascetical]

[ There is always so much activity occurring on this station. Being in such close quarters with fifty-some others makes an interruption (or a distraction) inevitable, but these things do not frustrate Ben. Learning from his Master before him he could, frankly, find the right mind-frame to meditate in a breath's pause in the midst of a battle if he wanted to.

Even so, after hearing the sound of the woman's voice, he takes a breath, two, before he slowly opens his eyes and straightens. Wearing a loose, tan-coloured tunic and darker brown pants, one might assume that he isn't dressed warmly enough for the chill that still settles in this room to reflect the last of the winter, but he seems unbothered by it.

He offers her a polite nod of the head, and his undivided attention. ]

Ah, hello. There's no need to apologize.

[ A small smile. ]

Yes, that's me. Can I help you?

[kenpachi]

My name is Retsu Unohana.

（ it's offered with a polite smile as she steps in closer, proffering the basket. there is a delightful assortment of baked goods hiding beneath a tea towel, the smell of sweet and savory filling the air. ）

I'm one of the medical practitioners here — Doctor McCoy and I are presently sharing our quarters, and he was kind enough to speak on the aid you rendered him on Cirawei. （ just to explain the connection there. ） Would you care for something to eat?

video ↪ un: うちは

[blackfire]

I have an item that may be of interest to you.

May I bring it to your quarters?

[ascetical]

[ ah, hello itachi. ]

Oh, certainly.

[blackfire]

（ and so he goes. finn's lightsabre is carefully tucked into a weapons pouch — though the oddity of the familiar length of it and weight is... curious.

he kept it for the man once, and gave it to him on his return. but he has never seen someone leave twice and arrive thrice in all his time here, and so holds little hope of seeing him again.

weapons are meant to be used. and while he could certainly wield the lightsabre himself — it does not belong to him, nor to his culture. but it does belong to someone else of whom he has only lately become aware.

ergo.

he knocks on the door, and enters politely when bidden, giving the man a nod of greeting as he removes his shoes. ）

Ben.

（ it's carefully, pointedly done. he knows the other name — but has a keen understanding of discretion, and as far as the ximilia is concerned, he has chosen to go by ben. ）

audio | un; cal

[hindsights]

[ the audio channel opens up and it's quiet for a while, before it's turned off. this happens four times but it's easy to miss, really.

then finally --- ] You were right.

It only got worse with the Empire.

[ascetical]

[ There's a weighted exhale.

Ben's heart is heavy. ]

I didn't see you upon our return. [ So he can only guess at what happened. ] I'm sorry.

[hindsights]

Yeah. I-- I went back for a while. Five years. [ what feels like a lifetime. ]

It wasn't all bad.

text ↪ un: うちは

[blackfire]

（ does this occur in the midst of this series of shenanigans? maybe. maybe not. either way, this is a measured text: ）

Ben.

You are acquainted with Anakin Skywalker, are you not?

text — un: ben ;

[ascetical]

[ Can you just feel the exasperation emanating from this text alone? ]

What's he done now?

[blackfire]

（ ... well, that's telling. ）

I would not say he has done anything of note.

（ what's a little attempted force choking between ... crewmates? ）

He is terribly protective of you, isn't he?

text; un: skywalker

[facultative]

[Anakin is literally standing outside Obi-Wan's door as he sends this.]

Do you have a moment?

[ascetical]

[ Ah. Yes. And despite the lack of strength in his connection to the Force these days, there are some connections that can never really fade completely.

Ben sighs when he sees the text message across his vision. He speaks aloud, instead. ]

Anakin.

I can sense you hovering on the other side of the door.

[ He flicks at the button and the doors slide open, revealing his former pupil in all of his gloomy glory. ]

[facultative]

[He could make a joke here and lighten the mood, but he doesn't and merely walks in quietly. He stares at Obi-Wan, trying to read him. Could his master be hiding this from him?]

I talked to Ahsoka.

video; un: tinuviel

[edraith]

[ during the weeks they spend on the station, waiting for the final orbs to be found, during the early hours of the morning, when the simulated sun in the sunlight room has barely just risen, lúthien sends ben a short video — that of her, sitting over a log under some branches heavy with snow, bracketing her; in front of her is a small fire, in her hands a cup of tea. another cup rests on top of the log, the steam of the hot liquid misting the air. ]

I made one for you, too, [ she says, grey eyes sparkling. ]

[ascetical]

[ Well, if that isn't an invitation he isn't sure what is.

Ben chuckles. ]

Then it would be rude of me to decline such a generous gesture. [ He doesn't even ask of the occasion, nor the tea type, nor how long she might have been out there.

(To say that he has it bad would be an understatement.) ] I won't be long.

[edraith]

[ for her, what others might consider "long" hardly counts as such — and yet, she finds herself impatient for him to be there, simply for the joy that his presence brings.

and, of course, for the fact that she wants to speak with him.

when he arrives, there is space on the log to sit next to her; there are no blankets, for she knows he can withstand the cold the same as her, that the small fire will be enough to warm them both. she hands him the tea (a herbal blend native to her home of doriath, one she found among the foods brought in for the winter celebrations), exhaling softly. ]

Thank you for indulging me. I realise the time is quite early. [ lucky for her, he doesn't seem to mind it.

for a moment, they sit in companionable silence; then, she speaks. ]

The longer we are here, waiting to be sent off... the more uneasy I feel. How fare you, with the knowledge we will soon be sent out for the last time?