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

Entry tags:

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)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"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."

All there was for her to do was blush, just a bit, and dip into a bow. It was getting a little easier to look at Luke and not see someone from the films but, well. She was still a little in awe.

"I suppose that means I do not neglect it entirely as time goes on. I wonder if I still practice ballroom as well."

"No, you don't. There have been plenty of opportunities for you to dance in a ballroom setting here. I've seen you, and danced with you. It's pretty obvious that you still keep up with it," Luke answered quickly as he stood and crossed the room.

"Would you care to practice?"

"Really? That's...wonderful. It seems as though this place, as strange as it is, has some benefits." Her older self has made friends of her childhood heroes, and seemed to be at least moderately respected.

At the offer she brightened considerably and fell into the basic waltz position, one arm extended to Luke. "I would, if you do not mind it."

"It does. Many benefits if truth be told," Luke smiled down wistfully as he took her arm and began to lead the dance. All this heartache, all this strangeness, and so much worry but at least he had friends like Adele. He'd met his father and Obi-Wan, he'd been exposed to many fascinating aspects of other worlds, and he'd even spent time with the greatest Jedi who ever lift.

And above all that? Ami.

"Benefits more numerous than all the stars in the Galaxy, if you know where to look."

"Then it cannot be quite so bad." She didn't know how long her older self has been here, honestly? She has yet to ask. Part of her is a little afraid- for her to have made such an impression for good or ill on so many implied that she had been here for quite awhile. It was easier for her not to think on it, or if she did? To think on the positive points of having been here.

It's an easy dance, easier still to follow along with Luke with a bright smile. She was just a touch giddy. "My luck must have improved if I've found a friend in you."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]