[ 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.
[ 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.
[ 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.
[ 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.
Oh — [ his offer makes her frown, almost seeming embarrassed by something; what that is she soon reveals with a sheepish, ]
I am afraid to say I am no soldier at all. While I am no stranger to battle, there is no fight I would not rather solve with words than by picking up arms... some may think me naive for it, but I have never learnt to fight, not until arriving here and being told it might be a good thing to do.
[ she offers him a tentative smile. ] If my inexperience and poor skills do not offend you, I will gladly practice with you.
Oh, believe me my lady, if I didn't have to fight, I wouldn't either.
[ The Jedi have been trained to only enter a fight in order to end it and never to begin one. They had always been beacons of mediation, or so their teachings had originally decreed anyway. Only in the last years during Order 66 did their role as soldiers (or as desperate survivors more like) seemed to become their last, sole purpose.
Still, he doesn't sound at all put off by her confession of inexperience and his expression is still mild, still polite as he listens.
And by the initial looks of him (without his cloak this time as compared to the first time they'd met) in loose-fitting roughly-hewn fabrics the colour of sand and dust and dirt, he might not even look like a dangerous opponent. ]
I was a teacher once. [ It's ... a heavy confession to make, and one he isn't even sure why he brings up so soon to someone he'd quite literally only just met.
But in his attempt to reassure her that he would not judge, he says it anyway. ] There is no level of inexperience that could offend me.
[ there's a grateful look directed at him, not only at his understanding of her unwillingness to do battle, but also for his kindness; however, when he speaks of having been a teacher, she can hear it, feel it — the heaviness of his past clinging to him like the cloak he is now lacking. ]
Do not let your past prevent you from being one again, [ she says, tone soft; she cannot see the way her mother can, past and future, the destinies woven around people. she can only guess, and that she is not willing to do: there is no pressure in her voice, nothing to reproach, or push. it is simply a statement, one made not unlike the jedi creed of letting go of your past. ]
I place myself at your hands, then, mellon nin. [ she inclines her head to him, and then falls into the defensive stance taught to her. she may not be well-versed in the art of combat, but she is a dancer, and that fluidity, along with the elvish ways of moving lightly will follow her through every move... even the ones not so expertly performed. ]
[ At that, Ben offers her a small smile of acknowledgement but doesn't add anything else. He isn't sure what there is to say. It's a nice sentiment, and an easy one to make without the context and the detail, though he doesn't presume to think that she's only speaking out of obligation to be kind or polite. He doesn't get that air about her.
Instead he watches her take her position, feet spread apart, hands rising before her and thinks that for someone inexperienced, she does seem graceful nevertheless. Ever ethereal, like teaching a goddess to fight like mere mortals. It's almost sacrilege.
He takes a step forward to inspect the way she remains poised, falling almost too easily into his role now that he's more or less embraced it here. ]
Mellon nin — [ His imitation of the words actually isn't so bad, his tongue fairly malleable from his experience speaking a great number of languages in his time. The Jedi are taught as many as they can learn in order to communicate more easily in foreign worlds. ] — what does it mean?
[ And as he does, he reaches out, pausing before he can touch her clenched fists to provide a small adjustment in her position. ] — may I?
[ she may not be experienced in fighting, but she is quick on her feet, used to running in the forests of doriath; and she has seen plenty of fights, though usually fought with swords. ]
My friend, [ she responds with a smile, an answer to his first question as well as the start for his second, ]
[ — which in turn is a response to the answer to his question, but also the sentiment behind the words. Friends these days are very hard to come by and people have become so hard to trust. It's almost surprising to hear the words said without hesitation — or to find himself trusting this woman with such ease.
He closes a hand over hers, tilting the rotation of her fist. It's warm and gentle, but firm in the way that there is meaning in his action. He wants her to remember that this is where her fists should be when she readies herself for a fight. ] Always have your thumb over your fingers like so, otherwise you will find it too easy to break these bones. And same with your wrist — like this.
[ He steps back now, getting into position opposite hers, the movements so engrained into muscle memory it feels both too familiar and strange all at once. ]
[ he will find no resistance trying to move her hands to the right place — where he struggles to find trust, she has it in abundance, letting him maneuver her fists and wrists so they are in their proper position. ]
Thank you, [ she says with a grateful look, before breathing out and concentrating.
the move she makes is not quite a pure martial art move taught to her, but something elvish, as well; for someone with no real combat experience, her first try isn't bad, but one that is still easily blocked, especially for someone like obi-wan. ]
[ And it really is; there's nothing condescending or overly praising in his tone of voice. Her strike could do with a little more strength if she means to do him any harm, but that's all a matter of practice and conditioning.
As for himself, he finds it fortunate that his reflexes have at least stayed more or less the same even after these long years. Not quite as quick as they had been ten years prior, but that only needs some honing. He isn't sure how he feels about that. ]
That was good. [ He smiles. ] Though I do wonder if perhaps your skills are better directed in defensive fighting rather than offensive. You're quite quick, you should play to your strengths.
Edited (added more im so sleepy why am i tagging when i'm half-dead idk) 2023-03-05 05:55 (UTC)
[ she doesn't try to deny it — fighting has never been her strong suit, at least not fighting like this. a battle of minds she can manage, anything that requires her elven arts, but physical battles? not so much. ]
In truth, it is what I would prefer — and I have other means of subduing an enemy, should the mission not take my arts from me.
[ Time seems to pass without either of them noticing, each round bolstering Ben's confidence in his ability to offer kind and patient direction, and reinforcing Luthien's efforts to adhere to his teachings — while, of course, always playing to her strengths.
There is a back and forth that feels like conversation without either of them having to speak at all. One might even think that the world (and certainly that network post) has fallen away from them while they remain so focused on this task.
It's only after they've finished, Ben pushing back the loose strands of hair that had fallen into his face, that he speaks again with his voice. After feeling a little shamefully out of shape, and yet invigorated all at the same time, he sounds almost more energetic now. Pleased, even. ]
Well, one thing is for certain: I suspect you'll be quite capable, no matter what the mission reveals about itself.
[ lúthien, in turn, doesn't seem to be out of breath at all, nor even taxed — but upon his words, she directs a smile at him that's bright as snow on a winter's day. ]
You are kind to say so, but I hope it is true. And you, my friend, are a wonderful teacher.
[ Way to make him feel completely out of shape and more his age than ever!!!
But truly, he doesn't seem bothered by either fact at the moment. Her smile really could light up the entire room, turning the dark spots bright and chasing those shadows away.
He shakes his head a little, humbled by her compliment. ]
What I am is woefully out of practice — both in my own training, and in teaching as well. [ He resolves to work on that. ] But if anything we've done today helps, then I am glad to have done it.
[ A small smile crosses his features now too, still mostly hidden in his beard but at the very least, reaching his eyes. ]
I don't suppose you'd join me for a cup of tea in the kitchen, would you?
[ her suggestion is hopeful, her grey eyes shimmering — what a wonderful thing it would be, to be taught by someone as kind as patient as her friend... certainly far better than training alone. ]
[ The prospect of this being a regular occurrence would have ordinarily sent him running for the hills were he back on Tatooine. Making any sort of connection or habit would only put them in danger, and worst of all it would put the boy in danger. And yet his short time here has put him at least a little at ease despite himself. Perhaps its their mission or the people he'd met so far, the stretch across universes he'd never even heard of ...
Of all the things that he longed for during his time in exile, it was a sense of community that he missed the most — his connection to others, and to that feeling of being part of something greater than himself.
He embraces the opportunity now without reserve. ]
Tea it is then. [ He pauses to grab his cloak, draping it over one arm while he waits for his companion by the doors. ] And I've seen some rather interesting choices in the kitchens.
[ though she is named a nightingale, the smile she gives him as he agrees to her suggestion momentarily rivals the sun. she, too, has rarely been alone — always surrounded by other elves in doriath, in constant company of some at least. having that same feeling of companionship here is no small thing. ]
Oh? We may have to see what those are, then. [ there's a glimmer of humour in her eyes. ] And should they prove too interesting, at least we shall have tea.
[ she follows him through the doors with a laugh. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ACTION — before march mission, during the bachelor post
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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
I am afraid to say I am no soldier at all. While I am no stranger to battle, there is no fight I would not rather solve with words than by picking up arms... some may think me naive for it, but I have never learnt to fight, not until arriving here and being told it might be a good thing to do.
[ she offers him a tentative smile. ] If my inexperience and poor skills do not offend you, I will gladly practice with you.
no subject
[ The Jedi have been trained to only enter a fight in order to end it and never to begin one. They had always been beacons of mediation, or so their teachings had originally decreed anyway. Only in the last years during Order 66 did their role as soldiers (or as desperate survivors more like) seemed to become their last, sole purpose.
Still, he doesn't sound at all put off by her confession of inexperience and his expression is still mild, still polite as he listens.
And by the initial looks of him (without his cloak this time as compared to the first time they'd met) in loose-fitting roughly-hewn fabrics the colour of sand and dust and dirt, he might not even look like a dangerous opponent. ]
I was a teacher once. [ It's ... a heavy confession to make, and one he isn't even sure why he brings up so soon to someone he'd quite literally only just met.
But in his attempt to reassure her that he would not judge, he says it anyway. ] There is no level of inexperience that could offend me.
no subject
Do not let your past prevent you from being one again, [ she says, tone soft; she cannot see the way her mother can, past and future, the destinies woven around people. she can only guess, and that she is not willing to do: there is no pressure in her voice, nothing to reproach, or push. it is simply a statement, one made not unlike the jedi creed of letting go of your past. ]
I place myself at your hands, then, mellon nin. [ she inclines her head to him, and then falls into the defensive stance taught to her. she may not be well-versed in the art of combat, but she is a dancer, and that fluidity, along with the elvish ways of moving lightly will follow her through every move... even the ones not so expertly performed. ]
no subject
Instead he watches her take her position, feet spread apart, hands rising before her and thinks that for someone inexperienced, she does seem graceful nevertheless. Ever ethereal, like teaching a goddess to fight like mere mortals. It's almost sacrilege.
He takes a step forward to inspect the way she remains poised, falling almost too easily into his role now that he's more or less embraced it here. ]
Mellon nin — [ His imitation of the words actually isn't so bad, his tongue fairly malleable from his experience speaking a great number of languages in his time. The Jedi are taught as many as they can learn in order to communicate more easily in foreign worlds. ] — what does it mean?
[ And as he does, he reaches out, pausing before he can touch her clenched fists to provide a small adjustment in her position. ] — may I?
no subject
My friend, [ she responds with a smile, an answer to his first question as well as the start for his second, ]
Please. I await your instruction.
no subject
[ — which in turn is a response to the answer to his question, but also the sentiment behind the words. Friends these days are very hard to come by and people have become so hard to trust. It's almost surprising to hear the words said without hesitation — or to find himself trusting this woman with such ease.
He closes a hand over hers, tilting the rotation of her fist. It's warm and gentle, but firm in the way that there is meaning in his action. He wants her to remember that this is where her fists should be when she readies herself for a fight. ] Always have your thumb over your fingers like so, otherwise you will find it too easy to break these bones. And same with your wrist — like this.
[ He steps back now, getting into position opposite hers, the movements so engrained into muscle memory it feels both too familiar and strange all at once. ]
Try now to strike me.
no subject
Thank you, [ she says with a grateful look, before breathing out and concentrating.
the move she makes is not quite a pure martial art move taught to her, but something elvish, as well; for someone with no real combat experience, her first try isn't bad, but one that is still easily blocked, especially for someone like obi-wan. ]
no subject
[ And it really is; there's nothing condescending or overly praising in his tone of voice. Her strike could do with a little more strength if she means to do him any harm, but that's all a matter of practice and conditioning.
As for himself, he finds it fortunate that his reflexes have at least stayed more or less the same even after these long years. Not quite as quick as they had been ten years prior, but that only needs some honing. He isn't sure how he feels about that. ]
That was good. [ He smiles. ] Though I do wonder if perhaps your skills are better directed in defensive fighting rather than offensive. You're quite quick, you should play to your strengths.
no subject
[ she doesn't try to deny it — fighting has never been her strong suit, at least not fighting like this. a battle of minds she can manage, anything that requires her elven arts, but physical battles? not so much. ]
In truth, it is what I would prefer — and I have other means of subduing an enemy, should the mission not take my arts from me.
[ she falls back to the position he showed her. ]
no subject
There is a back and forth that feels like conversation without either of them having to speak at all. One might even think that the world (and certainly that network post) has fallen away from them while they remain so focused on this task.
It's only after they've finished, Ben pushing back the loose strands of hair that had fallen into his face, that he speaks again with his voice. After feeling a little shamefully out of shape, and yet invigorated all at the same time, he sounds almost more energetic now. Pleased, even. ]
Well, one thing is for certain: I suspect you'll be quite capable, no matter what the mission reveals about itself.
no subject
You are kind to say so, but I hope it is true. And you, my friend, are a wonderful teacher.
no subject
But truly, he doesn't seem bothered by either fact at the moment. Her smile really could light up the entire room, turning the dark spots bright and chasing those shadows away.
He shakes his head a little, humbled by her compliment. ]
What I am is woefully out of practice — both in my own training, and in teaching as well. [ He resolves to work on that. ] But if anything we've done today helps, then I am glad to have done it.
[ A small smile crosses his features now too, still mostly hidden in his beard but at the very least, reaching his eyes. ]
I don't suppose you'd join me for a cup of tea in the kitchen, would you?
no subject
[ her suggestion is hopeful, her grey eyes shimmering — what a wonderful thing it would be, to be taught by someone as kind as patient as her friend... certainly far better than training alone. ]
Oh, a cup of tea sounds wonderful.
no subject
[ The prospect of this being a regular occurrence would have ordinarily sent him running for the hills were he back on Tatooine. Making any sort of connection or habit would only put them in danger, and worst of all it would put the boy in danger. And yet his short time here has put him at least a little at ease despite himself. Perhaps its their mission or the people he'd met so far, the stretch across universes he'd never even heard of ...
Of all the things that he longed for during his time in exile, it was a sense of community that he missed the most — his connection to others, and to that feeling of being part of something greater than himself.
He embraces the opportunity now without reserve. ]
Tea it is then. [ He pauses to grab his cloak, draping it over one arm while he waits for his companion by the doors. ] And I've seen some rather interesting choices in the kitchens.
🎀
Oh? We may have to see what those are, then. [ there's a glimmer of humour in her eyes. ] And should they prove too interesting, at least we shall have tea.
[ she follows him through the doors with a laugh. ]