thefinaljedi | 13th Transmission: A Year in Review. [Action/Voice]

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13th Transmission: A Year in Review. [Action/Voice]

[Early that morning, Luke rolls out of bed quietly so as not to wake Ami from her Force trance and set about his day. It was a strange thing, really, getting up in the morning and heading into a routine. The week of dreamless sleep had done him a world of good, keeping back nightmares from the draft. Things were getting better. A light breakfast follows, filling the house with smells if housemates are feeling peckish.

For the early part of the day the Jedi went through his typical morning routine. A run around the village, complete with some rather extreme Parkour has him breathing pretty heavy. He stops by the Bakery for a bit of brunch, and then makes his way to the Battle Dome for a bit of practice. Around lunchtime, he can be found at Seventh Heaven and the square before heading out to the Farmland to check on Hamal before heading back to town.

Sometime in the late afternoon, he sends out a Voice message:]

Afternoon everyone, and greetings to any New Feathers who may be listening. As always, I'd like to offer whatever assistance I can. If you need help with something, please let me know.

I've got a bit of a question for anyone who's willing to listen. Is there anything particularly special you do for the end of your first year here? I arrived one year ago, today. And to be honest it's the longest I've spent on a single planet in over a decade. I've got to admit it's a bit of an odd feeling for me.

I've also been curious about people's travel experiences. Have any of you visited other worlds? Or even other continents on your own homeworld? If you haven't, why not?

And on a final note, I regret to inform everyone that Doctor Eggman has returned home again. He was a great help with the farm, and a good friend.

[A few filtered messages follow]

[Filtered to Adele LeBlanc]

Adele, I haven't heard from you since we got back. Are you doing well? I've been worried.

[Filtered to Syre Atries]

Syre, I wanted to thank you for the notes you left a few weeks ago, and I've got something for you as a token of my appreciation. I can bring it by your apartment, or we can meet somewhere.

[Filtered to Pinkie Pie]

Pinkie, I was wondering if you could help me with something. It involves baking, and I'm not very good at it.

[Then he returns shuts the feed.]

(OOC: If you want to run into Luke somewhere, go for it. He'll be all over town today)

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You'd mentioned that before. You were the one who convinced me to watch the movies in the first place.

[But he stops, and his brow furrows with concern as his examination reaches her lower body. The ragged soreness radiating from her feet gives him immediate pause. What could have happened?]

Adele, what happened to your feet? I can feel the ache there. Did something attack you?

I did? That must have been odd-

[Right. Jedi's could sense things through the Force but she didn't expect him to notice. It wasn't that bad, not really. Adele lifts a shoulder, catches herself at it, and locks her posture back in place.]

Nothing attacked me. It just comes from working hard for a long while. That's all. It's normal.

[Luke drops down to one knee to examine her feet. But the posture shift he notes too, making a mental note to address that later. That's not as pressing as the obvious pain in her feet.]

No, that's not normal at all. Pain is the body's way of telling you to take a breather.

Take off your shoes. I want to have a look, see if there's a way I can take the edge off the pain.

It is normal for me-

[It's not as though she can ignore what seems like more or less a direct order from Luke Skywalker- a man that considers her older self a friend. She pulls over a stool resting off to one side and begins to unwind the ribbon from around her ankles and pulls the worn pointe shoe off. Under a thin cut of nylon her foot is bandaged, a nub of plastic between her first two toes to keep the spacing proper. The joints are red, mildly inflamed, cut across the top and seeping blood enough to have the bandage stick when she pulls it away.]

And there's something wrong with that being normal. Not even Master Yoda was that harsh a teacher.

[Luke examines the bleeding, damaged tissue with a practiced look in his eye. He'd seen students push themselves and he knew the warning signs of overexertion and the beginnings of problems. He reached out a hand and ran it down her foot, the soft bluish light of the Force pulsing down his fingertips in an effort to heal some of the damage.]

You know if you keep doing this and running your feet ragged your joints will stiffen. Why are you doing this to yourself?

Edited 2012-11-11 20:57 (UTC)

...pain is temporary.

[Art was forever. At least that was the most oft quoted excuse. She's been pushing her limits the past few days and knows it, but she has to work twice as hard to be half as good. At least that is how it feels more often than not. While he does...something to her foot she starts unbinding her other shoe, wiggling the sore toes once she removes the spacers.]

Because I have to be good enough. And it doesn't come to me as easily as it does Marie.

Luke took her other foot in his hand and performed the same healing technique, trying to peel away as much of the pain as he could. While he worked, he tried to think of a way to get his point across without sounding harsh, but still being firm. When the light faded from his finger, he reached out and took her hand, letting his eyes meet hers.

"Adele," he began slowly, in a stern voice. "Pain like this is never temporary, and overdoing it can leave scars and damage your body in ways you will never be able to recover from. Whatever it is you're dancing for, if you keep this up you'll burn yourself out faster than a supernova."

He stood and grabbed his on chair, sliding it over so he could look the teen in the face . His face was concerned, and his ice-blue eyes sparkled with interest. He had more to say, but he needed context first.

"What do you need to be good enough for? And who is Marie? You've never told me much about your teenage years, though you know plenty about mine."

She didn't know how he was able to wave a hand, more or less, and heal what she'd done to her feet. The Force, probably, and as much as that left her in awe she couldn't think about it for too long. She needed to explain and she's always been very poor when it came to choosing her words.

"It's just until the next test." That's what they were for her, when her mother visited and watched and judged. If she was good enough there'd be no commentary. That's all she ever wanted. Not even praise. Just. No commentary. "Marie is my older sister. She dances as well...better than I can. Far better."

Her free hand twisted in her lap as she spoke. "There are...expectations to being in my family. We are to be the best in our respective fields. Music, art, writing, acting, dance- whatever it is, we must excel. It's the reputation we have, the standard we hold."

"Adele," he began slowly, "family expectations are no reason to do something that can and will permanently damage your body. You want to dance better, but by wearing your feet bloody like this you're only going to make it worse. The tendons in your ankles are inflamed badly. Do you know what that means in the long term?"

The Jedi paused, his features softening so he didn't come off as lecturing and patronizing. She was still his friend, after all.

"And family expectations are no reason to avoid doing what you enjoy doing. You're a skilled dancer but that doesn't mean you must do that just because your family says so. And there's no reason for you to compare yourself to your sister, you are two different people. I don't compare myself to Leia, or my father."

"Why should you?"

Edited 2012-11-12 04:17 (UTC)

This wasn't something she's been told before- to work less. Always and ever it was push harder, push farther, and endure the pain with a calm face. She's never been told she was satisfactory, clearly she wasn't working hard enough, wasn't pushing herself as much as she should. The soreness in her ankles and joints had become worse over the past few days but it was something she could, and would, push through. Just. After one last drill. "It means I rest and treat the tendinitis until the inflammation goes down before attempting to resume training."

To say anything else would rightfully irritate whoever spoke with her. Dr. Fabrone would have a field day with this negligence.

"I do enjoy it- this. Dance. I'm not Marie but I am good and this is the one thing I can do well. And for all that I am frustrated by my limitations and for the aches it may cause me I love it. I do." If she didn't, she'd have walked away years ago. Familial expectations couldn't push her so hard into something she loathed. "...I've six older sisters and one younger brother. They're all exactly what a child in my family should be. Talented, intuitive, graceful, not at all socially awkward, well liked, etc. I'm....me. This is the one way I can stand even a little close to the rest of them and seem to belong."

"What kind of doctor would tell you to do something like that," Luke asked, not bothering to hide the incredulity in his voice. His face turned a shade darker, and his eyes widened, one fist balling up. "That's insane. It's...cruel in a way."

The Jedi turned away, trying to mask his shock and regain control of his emotion before continuing.

"They aren't limitations to be battered against, Adele. By the Force, you realize that if you keep this up all you'll accomplish is preventing yourself from dancing at all, right?"

Luke stood and took a deep breath, his ice-blue eyes chilling. Exhaling slowly, he continued.

"And I don't see why you'd want to be a part of a family that would ask that of you just to fit in. You're better than that, and you need to learn some measure of self respect more than dancing."

"You're assuming I would take this to a physician. They would put me on bed rest for weeks I could not afford to lose. I just need one week, no work, and ice." She should take longer and she knew it, but that was time lost. Technique left to rust and she can't fall behind. As it stood she held Marie back enough. Anything more would be unacceptable.

She pulled her feet up and curled her arms around her knees. Set her chin on top and blinked down at him, tired. "I've endured worse."

Something she'll say more often in the future.

"There are standards and expectations. I can't just...leave them. They're my blood, they're all I have. What else should I do?"

"You'll lose more than a few weeks of bedrest if you keep pushing yourself like that. You say you want to become a dancer? Then you need to treat your body like a dancer and not like some workhorse. I'm not kidding, Adele. You'll injure yourself so severely that dancing won't be..."

He stopped, a look of dawning realization on his face. THIS was why she'd become a doctor instead of a dancer. She'd worn herself ragged, and had been unable to adequately perform. Tendon damage healed extremely slowly, even with bacta and other aids...and it all started to make sense.

"You've got more than that, you have you. And you've got friends here. And a future as an esteemed physician ahead of you."

He holds out one hand.

"Adele, take my hand."

"I'm already a dancer. I want to be...better." One doesn't win a handful of modest competitions in preparation for an audition for the Paris Ballet without having some measure of talent. And yet it wasn't enough. Why that was she doesn't understand, but there was never a word off congratulations or comfort for her achievements. It was simply...expected.

It wasn't hard to follow Luke's line of thought. It made her lock up, stare down at her feet and ankles and really look with a critical eye. She has done worse, yes, but chronic was different from acute and this was borderline if not entirely chronic pain and inflammation at this point. She was ruining herself.

And for what?

"...I'm not much to have." Again, the reminder she was to be a physician. She doesn't want to hear it. She hated being reminded of that- it meant she failed. And she dreamt enough of failing without having Luke Skywalker tell her the same. It was a tentative, almost resentful motion, a tense twitch of her arm before she extended a hand to curl it in his.

"You're plenty to have," Luke replied and pulled her up. He used the contact to send Nala flowing between then, a healing torrent of energy that banished the pain and inflammation and left him feeling somewhat depleted for the moment. He sighed heavily and patted her gently on the shoulder. He knew what she was feeling, he could feel her resentment and uncertainty, and he wanted to make it right. She was a child, and he'd spoken far, far too bluntly.

"You've become a part of my family, and you've helped me a great deal. That's plenty for me. Don't put yourself down like that. It's the wrong way to look at life, living in your family's shadow. I didn't, as you know, and it was the hard choice, but my life is better for it. And don't think of yourself as anything less than what you are. You're a fascinating person, and while you may not live up to your family's frustratingly high standards, you've got family here."

Without another word, he pulled Adele in close and hugged her tight, like one might a kid sister.

"And we care a lot about you, you know."

She stumbled a bit when she was pulled up- that lone was more than enough to make her want to swear. It was stupid, what she had been doing. Reckless. Making a ruin of herself by pushing too hard. It was banished in a heartbeat by a pulse of warmth she didn't have the time to process. The pain was present, then it was gone. The mild swelling of her joints and the burn in her ankle was no more. It shoved her out of her own thoughts, though she was aware enough to listen to what Luke told her.

"I. What?" Being friends with him was one thing that she could, in some strange possible future, believe to a point. Maybe. A little. One day. But family? Before she could come up with anything remotely coherent to offer in reply he hugged her.

Luke Skywalker was hugging her.

The most coherent thing to come out of her was a muted, and somewhat muffled, squeak.

Luke held her for a moment longer before pulling back with a gentle squeeze on her shoulders. The squeak had been kind of cute, but he'd showed no reaction. He released her entirely after another moment, flashing a grin.

"I mean it, Adele. You're an important part of my life here. Even if you make royally nerfheaded decisions because you're too stubborn to do anything else. You're a fairly belligerent woman when you want to be, I won't lie. But you're also one of the bravest women I've met in a long, long time."

"...so I don't grow out of it. I'd thought Loki was lying about that." Thought. Hoped. She wasn't certain she liked the idea of continuing to be this pigheaded. If someone did not learn to yield, they'd break. And she wasn't entirely fond of the idea of breaking.

"I...thank you?" Brave. Brave she could deal with, even if that couldn't possibly be true. Then again Jedi don't lie. Or at least she doesn't think Luke would about this. She was still a little shell shocked over the hug.

Edited (how do I spell oh god) 2012-11-13 04:00 (UTC)

"You do, and you don't. You're stubborn, but you learn how to bend. And you're getting better at it. My advice, Adele, would be to take everything Loki says with a grain of salt. Ami's just told me that he's the god of lies, and I've noticed more than my fair share of half-truths coming out of him."

He doesn't feel that he needs to add, 'And be careful' since surely she's smart enough to know that he was deadly dangerous.

"Don't thank me with words, Adele. Remember what I've said, and stop overdoing it. It'll all come back to haunt you in the end, if you keep making unhealthy decisions. Dancing your feet ragged and grinding your ankles into powder is only going to make life hard, and hinder your ability to perform."

"But," he went on, "if you're going to insist on practicing, please show me what you can do. I've never seen ballet, and Ami says I should."

"Lies, chaos, and mischief." And after what she'd seen of him, she certainly believed it. Some of what he said seemed true. Most of it she'd much rather have be a lie. It left things slightly more comfortable. Though it's not something she would have to worry about unless he felt the need to insist upon whatever appointment her older self made with him.

"...I'll try. Whenever I go back I don't...remember much of what happens while I'm here. I usually just think it an odd dream. I'm not certain I can change much, especially if I've been here already as an older woman." It left her uncomfortable, that lingering idea of inevitability. But it was something to remember. Pacing. She would try to keep it in mind.

"They don't have Ballet in your universe, do they? Um." Something to perform for Luke. What did she know that he wouldn't find boring. Oh dear.

Gently, Luke smiled and dropped the subject. He knew what was going on, and he didn't want to discourage her any more than he had. So he took a seat and nodded.

"They do not, no. There are many types of dance, but I've never had the chance to see much of it. Why don't you show me something slow, that won't pound your feet or ankles too much?"

"Repetitive motion stress injuries and inflammation are not from force or pounding- else I'd be hammer toed. It's the repetition of a great deal of inherently unnatural movement over an extended period of time that causes it." She'd done her homework. Dr. Fabron had been somewhat insistent and understanding how to not lame herself was key in not...laming herself.

But slow would be a nice change of pace. She sat back down and slid her toe spacers back into place so she might wind up her shoes and mulled over her options. Once shod she walked back over to the record player and flipped through the options until she found something with which she was familiar. It required a tambourine, but. A moment at the console and she had one. Lovely.

She flet a little self conscious for doing this for Luke Skywalker of all people, but he was a friend. Apparently. She slid into position and the music began.

"See, already on the road to being a doctor," Luke replied with a grin.

The Jedi said little as she prepared, but he did watch how her feet moved very carefully. He guessed that he'd done the right thing, and while it'd expended a great deal of his skill with Nala, it seemed to be helping.

When the music began, he leaned back and watched carefully, trying to get a sense of what she was doing. Partly because he was interested, but also partly to see what and why she'd been doing this to herself.

"I suppose. Medicine is fascinating to me." It was more practical and engaging than most anything, most everything in the area of the arts to her. Art, save for inspiration, was inherently useless. At least that is how she thought the quote to go, she couldn't remember at the moment.

Her steps were quick and sure, the routine a classic variation that she was familiar and quite comfortable performing for just about any audience. There was a fluidity to her movement, a carefully calculated grace that lingered in her posture and motions as an older woman. Old habits died hard, after all.

Luke watched quietly as she moved, taking in her movements. He did recognize the way she danced, easily seeing the influence on her older self. He didn't move until she'd finished, but when the song ended, he smiled and clapped.

"Very nice. It's been a while since I've seen dancing like that," he said cheerfully. "I can see where your older self gets it."

13th Transmission: A Year in Review. [Action/Voice]

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