(no subject)

[ezra_of_lothal]

Who: Ezra and YOU!
What: Slice of life prompts in main post + winter mourning prompts separately, below
When: Throughout December
Where: The house with Obi-wan and Anakin Skywalker in Cassandra, the Sanctuary, Trench Farm, the woods past the farm, potentially other places in Trench. Memory spaces

Content Warnings:  None for slice of life prompts, warnings for will be in subject lines for winter mournings below


A.  Saber Katas

Most mornings, at or near the crack of dawn, Ezra usually does some mix of sitting meditation or saber practice behind the house where he lives in Cassandra. But it's never good to be stale, in one environment, so sometimes he also be found elsewhere, green blade ignited. The beach. Out beyond Trench Farm into the wood. Occasionally the rooftop of an abandoned building.

He also likes to mix up forms a little. Return to the basics of Shii-Cho, the first form Kanan taught him, and he helped teach to Sabine. Those moves may look the most familiar with swordsmanship of the sort when the blade isn't one of super powered light. Sometimes he goes with the acrobatics and aggressiveness of Ataru, that he is still working in making his own.

But anyone watching him long may be able to tell that he keeps coming back to Soresu - flowing and defense oriented. Both Kanan Jarrus and Obi-wan Kenobi, the Jedi he has had the most time to learn from, have favored it. It is, in that sense, a special connection to parts of his past that he cherishes.

Soresu katas are also simply the best moving meditation he has found, grounding him in calm.

Usually if he notices someone watching, he'll keep going until the end of a set, and shoot a smile in their direction when he has a moment. If someone gets a little too close, he's careful to pause. Even on a low setting, a lightsaber can sting.

B. The Sanctuary/Healing practice/post healing meditation

Now that Trench is entering the depths of winter, and some food growing parts of the work he does is on pause, Ezra feels like he can be a little more free with how much time he spends at the Sanctuary.

Slick saber moves are far from the only thing for a young Jedi to study and practice. Some of the work at the Sanctuary is so specific to corruption and beasthood, it barely has anything to do with anything he's learned from other Jedi, per se.

And sometimes someone comes in whom he can help out with help with a little good old-fashioned physical healing with the Force.

Not that he feels like he really knows what he's doing, with that, most of the time. He's trying to learn some medicine, in the scientific sense, too, to be more precise and effective than simply...pouring energy into a body, basically.

It's not really his energy. He's merely the focal point, although he's limited in what he can handle, asking of the Force.

Still, he often finds the process draining, just the bit of stabilization and speeding recovery that he can manage. Maybe it shouldn't be. He had so little time with fully trained Jedi Healers to learn this branch of knowledge, barely more than a handful of days. Now he's mostly making it up as he goes along.

Collapsing to a kneel under the guardian tree after he does some healing though, and soaking up it's presence for a while, that he's sure helps.

Did the Healers, in the era before he was born, go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to rest and refresh themselves, he wonders.

C. Walking in the wood with hell hounds

And then sometimes a boy just wants to hang out with some of his animal friends. He's not a hunter; he never intentionally sets out to patrol for beasts.

He will, however, run or stalk through the woods alongside some of the more benevolent wildlife, his senses flung wide open to the Force, feeling and images from his companions flowing through them. Almost a battle meditation of sorts, even if there's no battle to be found (although of course, his companions may find one). His sense of individual consciousness fades some into the life, all around him.

[[OOC: Feel free to hit me up at skipthedemon or PM to brainstorm or ask for a wildcard prompt.]]

Comments

c!

[centile]

With his senses so open Ezra might feel a blip on his radar. A spark of muted power, easily ignored on a surface level. It flares up rather suddenly and immensely, just a massive pool of power that doesn't seem to have an immediate end, that seems to want to pull all other power into it. Blue tinted, warping to shades of green, purple and pink, tied to the sudden burst of frustration, the kind pointed inward at oneself like a knife. Disappointment.

It's gone quickly, and if followed it will lead to a middle schooler staring at his hand not too far into the forest. A massive log nearby was very clearly recently moved, sparks of power still wafting off it. Some of the plants nearby are greener and more full of life than they should be.

And the boy himself blinks to see someone coming, glancing to the dogs blandly, then Ezra. "Those aren't like the zombies?" he doesn't sound too alarmed, just curious. Hopeful even, he really doesn't want to deal with more zombie dogs.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Oh, that all feels very familiar. Perhaps not exactly like Force use as Ezra experiences it, but there can be many similarities with other flavors of psychic and magic use, in Ezra's experience.

Ezra slows to a stop, and when he looks towards the boy, a couple of the hellhounds look as well, in eerie unison.

Yeah, he should probably reel himself back into his body more. He kind of has to, to open his mouth and reply. So there's a sliver of delay before he reassures, flashing a small, warm smile, "Nah. They're nice as long you're nice to them. They're my friends."

He glances between the kid and the log. "...practicing?" he hazards.

[centile]

There's something familiar about Ezra too that Mob immediately notices, down to how he feels... hm, stretched for a moment. Usually people with an aura meant trouble lately for him on first meeting, but so far the Trench has been different. Everyone has some sort of power here, at least with sleepers.

He nods to the bit about the dogs, easing a little and looking at them again. Kind of scary looking but they were still basically dogs, and he offers a tiny wave to the pair of them in greeting. Definitely on board with being nice to them.

But then Ezra is speaking again, making Mob glance to the side, a touch bashful in his muted way. "Um... in a way." He glances at his hand again before looking up to Ezra. "Are you a psychic too?"

[ezra_of_lothal]

One of the hellhounds, steps a little closer, not getting up in the boy's space, but sniffing the air. A way of saying hello back.

"We usually call it something different from where I'm from, but yeah," Ezra says, as he reaches out a hand to his right.

"And I'm a Paleblood, so the telekinesis part is a little muted sometimes now," he explains, as a small branch on the ground flips up from the forest floor, into his hand.

[centile]

Mob offers his hand for the hellhound to sniff, if they so please. His attention remains on them, curious, until Ezra speaks and he looks over once more.

And Ezra uses his power. "I'm warmblood," he says after a beat. It's odd to see power like that used without the telltale colors and zap of auras he's familiar with. Kind of nice, in a way. "I don't really feel any different than when I was at home. Everything's the same... mostly."

He hesitates a moment before lifting a branch himself, letting it hover up to his hand in blue and purple. "It must be weird, for your powers to change." He's kind of jealous though.

[ezra_of_lothal]

The hellhound does so please, before settling back on his haunches to watch the bipedals.

Ezra has always interpreted what he senses through his connection to the Force more like sound - even music - or warmth and cold. Not so much colors.

"A little weird. I think it's less of a change for me than for some people. A lot of my native abilities overlap with common Paleblood abilities, and I can't really tell the difference. My empathy's a little stronger, visions more random. I turn up in people's dreams sometimes."

He tilts his head. "So...do you see colors when you use your abilities, or is that just how I'm perceiving it?"

[centile]

Excellent boys, these hellhounds. Mob decides they are very good boys, though he knows it's only polite to look at Ezra and ask, "Can I pet them?"

He also nods to all that. "Empathy must be hard to have, like telepathy," he says after a small beat. "The world's already pretty loud without that." He can sort of do empathetic things, though thankfully they aren't remotely a constant. Visions and dreamwalking? Also sound kind of a pain.

It's nice though, talking about powers so openly like this with people who get it. New, a little scary. He lets the stick drop as he nods, feeling a little more confident. Ezra's weirdly easy to talk to, he's not used to that.

"Oh, yeah. I'm used to people having an aura. Like... my friend Hanazawa, he's very yellow and sharp. It suits him." Another pause. "Sleepers are different though. I can tell there's something in each of them but I can't really see anything."

[ezra_of_lothal]

"I don't think they'll react badly to it, but they're my friends, not pets. You should ask them," he says, tilted his head towards the hellhound closest to the boy.

"Huh. I don't usually see auras. Feel them sometimes, I guess. And Sleepers are...yeah. They're distinct, but can be hard to pin down."

After a beat, he adds. "I'm Ezra, by the way. Ezra Bridger."

[centile]

"Oh, okay," Mob answers, nodding to that before looking to the hounds. "I'm sorry for not asking you first. May I pet you?" Very genuine there. He doesn't want to insult the hellhounds just because he's used to dogs being pets.

"They're all different. Even when they have the same bloodtype," Mob offers, a little glad he's being understood on this. Most of the people he's met have no experience with powers or very, very different experience. "I'm still getting used to it."

And he offers a polite little bow in greeting. "I'm Kageyama Shigeo- my family name is Kageyama." Getting used to western stuff too. "It's nice to meet you."

[ezra_of_lothal]

In answer, the hound leans into brush more of his face against Mob's hand.

Ezra bows back. "Pleased to meet you, too -" He hesitates. "My cultural background is uh...mixed, to put it mildly. Is Kageyama-san too formal?"

[centile]

Rousing success. Mob's lips quirk very faintly as he pets the hound. "Thank you," he offers, because really what a boon. He's starting to understand why master Reigen likes dogs so much.

He does glance back to Ezra- it's been rare people knew that sort of thing. "It's okay, though you can use Kageyama-kun if you like. Or Mob, people call me that too." A little nod, then, "Are you part Japanese?" Since mixed background.

[ezra_of_lothal]

"Um. The simple answer to that question is 'yes' and the longer answer is pretty weird," Ezra replies, with a small, uncomfortable shrug.

"Is Mob what you prefer? Just Ezra is fine, with me."

[centile]

Ah, Mob can't say he fully understands but he does get when a question is too complicated to answer. At least the kind that leaves you fumbling around words that don't come easily, so he nods. "It must be even weirder now that we're all squids."

A beat and he says, "It's easier, I think." And he likes Mob well enough, it's nice having a nickname. "Were you out here to practice too?"

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra breaks into a delighted grin. Someone willing to actually address the squid issue! Finally!

"Weirder, yes, but also makes it all make a little more sense for me, in a way?" he muses. "Our bodies are squids. Our memories are...something else. And mine are a bit of a mess."

Then he glances around. "And I was...hanging out with friends here, but in a way that also lets me practice being in mental contact with them. So yeah."

[centile]

Admittedly Mob doesn't know why he seems so happy about that, but it's always nice to see. It makes him perk just a little bit, still placid but thoughtful as he considers that.

"It reminds me of souls when they go to new places, or inside another mind. That um, they reflect how you believe yourself to be." This is kind of higher level stuff than he can usually tackle, but it still fits in his opinion. "Oh, did coming here mix up your memories?"

That's unpleasant. "Mental contact? Like telepathy?"

[ezra_of_lothal]

"Like telepathy," Ezra confirms with a nod.

"And my memories were already kind mixed up. I was some place else....weird. With people from all over time and space and different universes, like here. Not a squid. At least not that I know. One of the other...visitors made a bubble reality like we were on Earth, and gave us memories that fit that life. So I'm not originally from Earth. But now I have memories like I am."

[centile]

"I have a friend who would have really loved to meet you. She wanted to talk to aliens using telepathy," Mob says with a very faint sort of fondness for this friend. Little does he know how Ezra is a Star Wars and probably sees aliens like. Constantly.

"So being pulled into weird places like this happens more than I thought." He considers that for a moment. "I see, that really is confusing. I um-" a long pause before he carefully admits, "Someone gave me memories of a different life once. Not as much as any of that, I think, but... I know it can be hard to untangle it. Being a squid really is much easier."

[ezra_of_lothal]

"Not everyone appreciates the squid life," Ezra says light, and warm.

And then, even more carefully - "Can I ask...memories of their life, or a life you could have had?"

[centile]

"A life I could have had. Um, one I lived for a bit." Complicated. Frankly Ezra is the first person who sounds like he's been through something even remotely similar, in a very vague way.

It's something he doesn't like thinking about much so he doesn't. Focus on outside of that world. "When I came back it was kind of confusing. It was easier when everything was completely different, I think, because nothing gets mixed up." A pause. "Is being a squid here pretty different?"

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra hesitates. Honestly, he'd love to compare notes on the mixed up memories thing some more, but he (usually) knows a topic change when he hears one.

"Well, some people ignore the squid thing as much as they can. Others, like me, their blood type doesn't feel that different from what they're used to. Some people thinks it's great, to have new blood magic powers. And then there's the possibility of coming back when you die...that's pretty different."

He frowns a little. "But again, not so weird to some, I guess."