deercountry | (no subject)

[Ezra still wasn't completely sure this was a good idea. Wanting things didn't make them a good idea.

But he doesn't really like the idea of Obi-wan feeling isolated while Anakin is being even more withdrawn, either, and he knows he has himself has been feeling lonely, so -

Making himself at home, it is.

He's up early in the mornings. He tries to stay especially quiet at those hours. Hot beverage, then a solid block of meditation, then actually making breakfast, if it's not made yet.

Then after mid morning, he's often out, to the Archives, and other community oriented tasks he's set for himself.

A couple of days in, he stands in the zen garden area, lightsaber in hand. Maybe he should ask first? No, that's dumb. Surely Master Kenobi fully expects him to work on his forms.

He ignites the green blade and goes through katas. Shii-Cho first. Then Soresu. ]

[ obi-wan has always kept early mornings. part of it was training, old habits. others is that even after all this time, he's not used to the solitude. as much as it can be in a place like this. ]

Ah. Already at it?

[The impulse to freeze is there, and there's a slight stutter in his movements, but he keeps going.]

Didn't always have time to just...work on muscle memory, back home.

Then I had over half a year I didn't use my lightsaber in real combat, in Temba, just practice. [He's glad for that time.]

Anyway, might as well take advantage of less busy times, here.

I'm not sure if I'd call this less busy.

Less tumultuous, perhaps.

[ jedi are always busy in some way. ]

[He laughs at that.]

Ok. Yes. Even Temba was busy. Farming, very small babies, setting up the area we called a temple, studying, trying to navigate Temba brand of weird stuff...

A Jedi's life is never quiet, for sure.

[At the end of a set of movements, he pauses and flips off his lightsaber.]

No. Most days, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Want to join me for a set, or shall we make it an exercise in additional concentration and keep talking? Either way, promise I won't get too snippy if a critique on my form slips in there. [He tries to keep his tone light and teasing; he is teasing. And also carefully not asking for instruction.]

Why not? It's been a while since I've stretched my muscles for a set.

[ since anakin isn't allowed his lightsaber, obi-wan has mostly doing his katas on his own. which is fine, but he does his best work in a fight. ]

[Ezra grins, his delight rippling in the Force.]

So. Kanan taught me Shii-Cho, of course. And then what Master Billaba taught him of Soresu. Some Ataru. But most of that came from recordings of Anakin and Ahsoka, when she had the time to demonstrate.

Which now I realize means there's at least a little Djem So mixed in there. [He shrugs expansively.]

[ hmm. ]

All right. But you never picked a form for yourself?

[He goes very still for a second.]

I...kinda did. Recently.

[Then with more confidence-] Yes. Soresu.

[ obi-wan merely smiles. ]

Oh? Interesting choice.

Well. My gifts in the Force don't really run towards combat, especially dueling against other Force users.

So rather than worrying about that as a failing to overcome, I'd rather focus on a strong defense. Protect myself and whoever might be with me. Live long enough to get away, or for help to arrive.

That makes perfect sense. After all, we're not defined by our ability to fight.

[His expression warms back into a smile.]

Right! I did fall into the fallacy of throwing myself into fights for a long time. Like, if I can fight better than the people around me, against those trying to destroy them, because I'm strong in the Force...shouldn't I? To protect them.

But I can't fight like that forever.

And that sort of thinking definitely doesn't apply here. There are plenty of fighters, and much better ways I can help people.

Precisely. Personally, I do think an over reliance on fighting abilities is unnecessary, especially in a place like this.

[He nods.] I want to spend more time on mastering my empathic abilities and see what I can do with healing.

But since I decided on Soresu, that definitely improved - I mean. I had help. [Because even if he's avoided being direct about it, not acknowledging Ben's teaching somehow just feels wrong.]

So, I want to keep up practice there, too.

We all need help, sometimes.

I developed most of Soresu on my own. It . . . pulled me out of some dark places.

[A beat of hesitation-]

Why did you pick Soresu?

[ there's a long pause. ]

I found Ataru to be lacking for my needs.

[It's the pause, even more than the words, that makes him back off, which strikes him less automatic deflection and more struggling to say even that much.

In the Force, he tries to project a non-verbal sense of 'I'm here with you' - for Obi-wan to acknowledge, ignore, lean on - or not- as he chooses.

While he just nods, and lifts his lightsaber hilt again.]

Shall we?

[ obi-wan shakes himself out of it before settling into his stance with bone-sure certainty. ]

I am ready.

[Even for an informal spar like this, one of them has to go on the offensive. So he falls into the ready stance that is the traditional opening move for Shii-Cho - the one he'd helped teach to Sabine.

After all, it never hurts to go back to the basics.

And then he's smoothly in motion, stick closely to the classic moves of the first form, while he feels out how Master Kenobi wants to play this.]

[ for all that obi-wan gripes and jokes about his age, none of that is ever reflected in his movements. if anything, he moves gracefully, much like he's listening to a song unsung or a tune unheard. the force moves with him, water down the stream. it never yields, it never pushes, it simply flows.

and he flows. ]

[And that's part of why Ezra always has stubbornly insisted Master Kenobi isn't so old as all that.

It takes Ezra a little longer to settle into being even nearly as in tune with Force. He's never been sure why he has trouble with it, in duels. He knows now that he's operated on unconscious and barely conscious prescience most of his life; it saved him countless times on the streets of Lothal.

Put him in a situation where he's opposite another Force user, and suddenly all bets are off. Coming here to Trench, the blood changes, those things haven't made it any easier for him.

But this - this is good. The way Obi-wan flows is familiar enough he can fall into synch, with each strike and parry. Maybe it's not a learning exercise, exactly, but it feels right. Satisfying.]

Obi-wan (some time later)

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