(no subject)

[faithfulson]

Who: Luke Skywalker and CR
What: Catching up on desired CR activities. Prompts in comments; message me if you want one, or feel free to start your own.
When: Through the month of September.
Where: Throughout Trench

Content Warnings: Will be updated as needed.

Comments

Maul and/or Savage

[faithfulson]

Luke was finding it difficult to settle down some place. It had been a few months since he arrived in Trench now, and he had been bouncing between wherever he had available to him to stay -- Maul and Savage, Usagi on occasion, or other places that were either unoccupied or took in people for the night. He was so used to drifting around the galaxy, never settling in one place for too long, that it felt impossible to actually find a place to stay for more than a day or two.

Of course, he at least tried to do his part when he was at a person's place, which was why he was coming up to the door of Maul and Savage's place, arms over burdened with food either purchased or scavenged. He struggled to shift things around enough to knock, only to eventually give up with using his hands. Glancing around, he located a rock that he tried to hover up and tap against the door, but with his focus putting priority on what he was holding and his ability to move objects with the Force weakened, he barely managed to drag it along the ground.

A huff escaped from Luke as he gave up on that, and he took a moment to shift things around so he had a better grip, before carefully reaching out with a foot to tap on the door. Part of him was certain one of them was at the door already, waiting and laughing at his attempt to draw attention, and he could already feel the sarcastic response bubbling in the back of his throat, just waiting for an excuse to be used.

[survivalthroughhate]

Luke had been over to Maul and Savage's large home, still a little rundown in nature, enough times that Maul's dangerous pets in the form of Malice the vornskr and Slicer the warg no longer tried to attack him when he appeared on the property. Talk about progress!

Maul felt the shift in the Force when Luke arrived and tried to use it. It felt like a newborn shaak trying to walk for the first time: weak and unsteady. Maul was greatly amused by the attempt but also a bit worried. This Jedi was as green as grass and needed a lot more training if he ever had a hope of being as good as the Jedi that had been around in Maul's time.

When he answered the door, Maul tutted in disappointment as he stood aside to let Luke enter. "Next time, try using your anger to move whatever you want to. It can be a powerful ally in helping you to use the Force."

[faithfulson]

Luke gave him an exasperated look at that, as if to say, "Very funny," before offering one of the bags of food and hoping he would take it without giving him too much grief over it.

"I'm pretty sure now that it's the whole 'blood' thing that's messing with my powers," Luke replied with a grunt, still trying to hold onto what he could. "I was much better at that part of my powers back home."

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul peered into the bag in the same fashion a dog would, with almost his full head in, as if he was nosing around to see if there was anything in there he wanted to eat right away. Look, neither he or Savage were cooks, so Maul mainly survived off anything they could make fast or the kindness of their friends. He spoke as he kept looking through.

"Strange. My Force powers have remained the same but the powers I have here have been very difficult to summon or master," he said, finally taking the bag back inside and gesturing for Luke to follow him to the kitchen. He picked out a piece of jerky he'd found mixed in with the groceries and had already started munching on it as he spoke. "Force or not, you still need to work on other things too. Lightsaber katas, for example."

[faithfulson]

Luke let out a vague grunt, as if to say he was the lucky one between them, before lifting the groceries up enough to drop them on the counter. He slipped his arms out from the bags, shaking feeling back into them as he spoke:

"Usagi was developing new powers when everyone's sense of direction was messed up. I think it's not just blood, but how that blood reacts to a person. The things I can do with telepathy now far outweigh what I could do before, but I haven't been able to do the things that she can, and I believe we share the same blood."

Luke moved to start emptying the contents, only to pause almost immediately at the mention of lightsaber katas. His ears even seemed to perk up like an excited puppy, not even caring that this was probably coming up because Savage spilled at how terribly he had done against the specter a couple months back.

"You'd... teach me?" he asked, trying not to sound hopeful and failing miserably. "I admit, I'm mostly self taught. The only real 'training' I got was from an undercover stormtrooper in a Hutt fighting pit -- long story."

He... may have rambled a little in his excitement.

Anakin and/or Obi-Wan

[faithfulson]

It had been a long time since Luke had been back at his father's place.

He knew it was over now; that "Vader" had receded and "Anakin" had returned to his old self, but part of him was still nervous. The helpless and chaotic hate and despair... it was hard not to think about when he was standing there, at the path leading up to the place his father and Ben shared. It brought up so many questions, especially after talking to Maul at the length he did when it came to the Emperor and what he did. How much of his father's life had been manipulated by the man? How much of him was broken and twisted by the guise of someone "trying to help"? Luke didn't know, couldn't even guess just how badly the Emperor had broken his father, or even if it was entirely the Emperor that did the breaking.

Things were so much simpler when he just thought the fact that he was Vader's son was enough to drag him back to the light.

Luke took a deep breath, dragging the Force tight around him, like it was enough to smother his anxieties on its own. At the very least, it helped, and he released his emotions out into the Force before he set foot on the walkway leading up to the door. By the time he reached it and held up his hand to knock, he felt a little more confident in himself, and ready to do what he could to reach out to his father again.

And hopefully not blow it this time.

sorry for the lateness!

[jedies]

[ the door opens and obi-wan looks tired, but no less pleased to see luke, the corners of his eyes crinkling into a smile. ]

Luke. It's good to see you.

No worries.

[faithfulson]

[ Luke let out a soft breath when he saw it was Obi-Wan answering the door, not realizing how nervous he was about being immediately thrown at his father until this moment. He offered his old mentor a soft smile, hoping he would understand how glad he was to see him first. ]

Hello, Ben. How are things?

<33

[jedies]

[ his smile remains. ]

It's been slow, but they're improving. Anakin's still fragile but I have hope he'll pull himself together.

How have you been?

Darth Nox

[faithfulson]

Luke was quickly finding himself the person to check up on all the craziness that came from his galaxy.

Granted, it was a bit of a self appointed role, even if he was doing it subconsciously. Still, with his open mind and willingness to listen and learn, others didn't seem to be bothered by him, even Savage despite the fact that half the time he popped in it looked like he was debating to drag him out by his ear and start throwing lightsabers to see how fast he could get him to fight back.

Honestly, he was surprised that hadn't happened yet.

Luke was keeping up that role with the new arrival, though until now he had been keeping his distance. He didn't know what to make of the person he now knew to be a Sith Lord after the message on the omni the other day, if only because he had never felt a person that seemed to be multiple people at once. At least he wasn't that hard to find; asking around Trench for a large man in a mask led to a lot of pale faces and questions as to why he would go looking for the man, but he was eventually pointed in the right direction.

Arriving at the location he was pointed to, however, showed that the pet the man had been warning others about took particular interest in its master's safety. The moment he felt the low growl, even before he heard it, Luke came to an immediate stop, all senses on alert. He couldn't see the creature, but he wasn't about to take his chances, instead making himself look as non-threatening as possible while radiating calm in his immediate area, hoping the feline would get the hint that he meant no harm.

"Good kitty," he murmured absently, eyes flicking back and forth, trying to catch a glimpse of the creature. "I'm not here to cause trouble."

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

Luke would have probably had an easier time of things if not for the fact Nox had recently taken to exploring the areas to the southeast of Darcmouth. Something about a strange, horned [helmeted] figure dressed in black fading in and out of the mist probably didn't sit right with the locals. Especially not when Nox's wanderings had taken him into the nearby graveyard on more than one occasion.

Nox himself was content to remain hidden for the time being. He may not have been wary of Luke, the man certainly had an opportunity to kill him if he'd really wanted to when he first arrived, but that didn't mean he didn't see the value in observing his behavior. Knowing how the jedi responded to certain scenarios could come in handy if he ever did become a problem. For now, his chosen response was at least earning Luke a point or two with Nox, even if it was the sort of response he'd expect from a jedi.

Whether it was fortunate or not that Jen'taral didn't share Nox's interest in Luke was the sort of thing the Sith would leave for the Jedi to decide. But he'd soon see why he had difficulty spotting the big cat, once she dropped to the ground from up above. Not to pounce on the Jedi, despite her obvious irritation, but more to voice her displeasure at his intrusion. After initially circling the jedi, the nexu lifted herself as high off the ground as she could to give Luke one last snarl at something closer to eye level for good measure. But rather than attack the jedi she instead turned away to sulk off deeper into the woods--all the while letting out a strange mixture of low growls of protest and emphatic, oddly aggrieved trilling.

"Don't mind her. She's just upset you woke her."

Evidently, Nox was satisfied enough with the turn events to uncloak himself. He'd appear only a few meters to Skywalker's right. Just because Luke had kept a level head before didn't mean he'd continue to do so, and Nox preferred to at least appear somewhere that would force the Jedi to be at a minor disadvantage if he reached for a weapon. If he were right-handed, anyway.

"But I take it you didn't come all the way out here just because you were eager to make a bad first impression with my nexu."

[faithfulson]

Luke started at the Sith Lord's sudden appearance, staring at him with wide eyes. He hadn't even been able to sense where he was, which was impressive considering how unusual his presence was. Now that he was visible before him, he could sense the multiple existences that made up his being, much more clearly than he had been able to in the middle of the snow storm. As before, he couldn't quite... perceive one from the other, almost as if the man was all of them and yet none of them at the same time.

He paused a moment, reaching out with his senses, trying to see if the man (or... men?) meant any hostility toward him, before he eased back a little, the barest hint of a smile coming to his face.

"It wasn't my intention to wake her," he said. "I'll make it up to her another time."

There was probably enough out there that a nexu would eat, no question there.

"Forgive me, but I wanted to check up on you," Luke continued. "When I last saw you, you weren't in the best of shape."

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

Certainly an unexpected admission, though the Sith still made sure to keep any hint of surprise well hidden. Mentally, at least. Physically, he'd still allowed for a barely perceptible tilt of his helmet to slip through before he stopped himself. Without the helmet, it was likely something that could go unnoticed entirely, but clearly there were some unexpected disadvantages that came with headgear designed to make one appear distinctly inhuman.

"Is anyone, when they wake up in this place?"

He had something of a habit of dismissing any sort of concern when it came to his own well-being, even if he tried not to be obvious about it. Not out of the sort of misplaced pride or arrogance expected of Sith, either--though the real reason was arguably just as unhealthy. Although, even with Nox's emotions and thoughts as guarded as they were, the ease with which he dispassionately brushed aside Luke's concerns might have been reason for worry on its own.

"But your concern is noted, jedi...if misplaced. I didn't wake alone, there are no doubt others who would benefit considerably more from such attention."

Usagi

[faithfulson]

To say that Luke was worried about Usagi after the last time he saw her was a bit of an understatement. She had been a wreck, and he wasn't entirely sure she was okay even after he had stayed with her for awhile. The least he could do was check up on her, and the other least thing he could do was make sure she had a good meal to go along with it.

Shouldering a makeshift carrier he had put together attached to a massive pot of still warm stew, he reached out to knock first, before calling out the one thing that he knew would get the door open fast.

"Usagi! I have food!"

[lightthedarkness]

The siren's song has been sung, and Usagi doesn't bother resisting. The door practically slams open, just as he expected, and Usagi is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like a puppy at the door, her margay sitting atop her head.

"You have food?"

Oh, sweet precious Luke, may you forever sing her song.

"Come in come in, it's cold! I'll go make hot chocolate!"

[faithfulson]

Luke might have jumped a little, even with the Force warning him that there was about to be an overexcited blonde at the door. Honestly, he half expected one of them to be wagging an enthusiastic tail, never mind that Usagi didn't have one, and the mental image brought a broad smile to his face.

Even more so at the mention of hot chocolate.

"Thanks; I love hot chocolate," he said, carefully making his way inside, the massive stew pot starting to feel a little heavy on his shoulder.

"This might need to heat up again, by the way," he said as he followed her inside. "The pot still feels warm, but it's cold out there."

[lightthedarkness]

"Here come in come in! Oh, but take off your shoes! Don't worry, I have house slippers. But house rules, no shoes inside." She took him in. "Is there something I can help carry?" she asked.

"And don't worry! My kitchen has plenty of space! Do you want me to take the pot?"

some psychic soft c:

[firstroar]

[the moon's seen fit to make a paleblood impatient this month, and Blue is already saddled with such a feeling, given the state of his body. it just makes him want to wander more...

...and it's why he and his omen have found their way to the quieter ends of Willful Machine, following one of the canals until his legs grew sore from moving and found a bench to sit upon and watch others pass along. the minds of native Trench folk are peculiar, but vibrant...far more than any humans the Mu knew in his own universe. and more than that, Sleepers...]

Hello, Luke.

[the paleblood is easy to discern, even from a distance, where fog would obscure physical features. still, he knows it's him; Luke's mind is distinct from others, and there's already memory of him etched into Blue's.

there's a little relief, knowing he's still around; even among other palebloods, there's few who resonate in similar ways, as people who were sensitive to thought and feeling before washing up on these shores.]

Yes good soft things <3

[faithfulson]

[ After Bespin, Luke had thought he had left his penchant for impatience behind him. Granted, it hadn't been an overnight thing -- it was a struggle for him to deal with the truth that had been dropped on him, the fact that his mentors were not answering him in the Force, and the dark force that had taken up semi-permanent residence at the fringes of his consciousness just to be annoying. He had never felt more alone in that point of his life, but it had helped him focus and center himself, and he eventually left his young, naïve behaviors behind. ]

[ Since the month started, it felt like they were back with a vengeance, and he found himself wandering all around Trench, desperately trying to find some way to ease that impatient urge to be always on the move, always doing something, to just keep moving. ]

[ When he heard the voice in his head, he was in the middle of satisfying that need, having found the space to safely practice without the worry of too many prying eyes or accidental targets. The hum of his lightsaber couldn't drown out voices in his head, though, and he found himself pausing, as if expecting to see Blue close by. He couldn't see through the fog, but he could feel easily enough, and eventually his eyes drifted over to the direction Blue was coming from. ]

Blue.

[ He gave him a gentle mental nudge, as if to say it was all right to come closer if he wanted to. ]

[firstroar]

[one nudge leads to another: the omen gets up and bumps at Blue's arm to prompt him to get back to his feet. slowly but surely, the Mu and the lion appear through the mist, pale figures passing into form as they draw near. red eyes shift from the source of the mind to the glowing weapon whizzing about.

Blue frowns thoughtfully.]

I've heard...such a hum before...an echo of it... But I can't recall precisely where...

[because it is not truly his memory, but Flynn's - cut down by Anakin's own saber. that residual fear was sponged out of him, now kept safely in Blue's heart.]

[faithfulson]

[ Luke finished his last set, his green blade cutting through the mist, hissing softly from the moisture in the air, before finally settling into a rest stance. He was breathing hard from the exertion, yet even still, he felt like he could do more, like he could go all day if he wanted to, and part of him did. This kind of restlessness was new to him; even at his worst, he had never felt this lost. ]

There are other Force users here, with their lightsabers. You might have heard it from them.

[ He wasn't usually this good with mental communication -- he only managed vague nudges and feelings in the past, and only to Leia -- but like so many other things here, it seemed his change in blood had made that easier. It was a good thing right not, because he was breathing hard, needing to wipe his face off with a towel. ]

Orchard Meet-Up :)

[demonicbeauty]

She knew she needed to talk to Luke. But she waited a few days. Waited to calm down. Waited to let her anger subside. Waited to know that the situation wasn't beyond repair. Her invitation was vague. After how passionately she'd talked about her orchard, she really did want him to visit, she wanted to show it off. It was her pride and joy. The trees were some of her closest friends in Trench.

And...unlike other friends, she was pretty sure Anakin couldn't kill them.

No. No. She had to stop thinking that way. She didn't want to be angry. It wasn't a natural feeling for her. Like wearing silks and feeling the clink of heavy coins in her pockets.

It just...wasn't her.

Anxious to see Luke--perhaps to derive some comfort from his presence, which she certainly didn't get from the other Jedi--she stood outside near the pear tree, Sophia, and ran her fingers along the many crevices of the trunk's bark. It was a little colder than she would have liked, so she wore a heavy, red cloak with the hood pulled down over her face and hair.

She wasn't wearing gloves, though. And she wasn't sure she wanted to around Luke. He was...a different person, in that way... She didn't need to keep her guard up.

At least, she hoped not.

[faithfulson]

Luke had been expecting the invitation from Airy, but something about the message bothered him. It had been extremely vague, and while part of him just wanted to shrug it off as being due to the fact that she mentioned it before, but part of him told him that something was wrong. He wasn't sure if it was the Force or just instinct, but he found himself hurrying on his way to the orchard, wrapped securely in the surprise gift he had received from Usagi (he hadn't understood that this "Christmas" was essentially Life Day, but now that he knew, he was determined to make up for that next year) and doing his best not to seem anxious as he approached the orchard.

It was as beautiful as Airy said it was, despite the weather, and Luke found himself stopping a moment at the entrance, staring almost starry eyed at the trees that covered the area. It took him a moment to spot the spot of red because of his awe, and he nearly jumped when he felt Airy's warm presence in the next moment. A small smile crept up onto his face as he finally started forward again, reaching out to her as he approached with both hands.

[demonicbeauty]

She caught his scent and turned to watch him approach. And it was an absolute delight to see the way that he looked around at her trees. Clearly, even if he was from a desert, he respected plants.

And it pleased her very much.

Pulling her hood down off of her hair, she walked to meet him, her cheeks and the tip of her nose a little pink (maybe more purple) in the cold. "You found us!" She turned to glance back at her pear tree. "You see, Sophia? I told you he would."

Oh yes. She talked to her trees. Sometimes, they were the best listeners in town.

Not the best at giving advice, though.

[faithfulson]

Luke did not find that the least bit odd, either -- look, the Force moved through all living things. Just because he couldn't hear or understand something's voice through normal means, didn't mean it didn't have one. Instead, he smiled, reaching a hand out as if to assure Sophia that he had made it, before turning his attention to her.

"Sorry if it took me awhile," he said. "I'm still trying to get used to where everything is."