Ask [Endor] A Nest in the Forest

[Kyosuke Yamato]

Gremlin pouted as he failed to understand the meaning behind the bowtie, but then let out a surprised, "woAHH~!!" when his little body was suddenly hoisted away. Then he'd look up at Seela and knead his tiny footpads harmlessly into her lap while he shook his little chassis happily. Then he'd curl down into her arms and gently nuzzle her while he'd begin to purr like a loth-cat.

Kyosuke let out a soft sigh, hesitating for a moment before he'd finish wiping down some of the last pieces he had left to clean. "I'll be as safe as I can, but usually I don't get to pick where they send me or what mission I go on." Usually he'd be sent on the Order's shadier and more difficult objectives since he was a Shadow, but he hadn't told her about what it was he really did yet. He was pretty sure he shouldn't tell her, for both their sakes.

Then the young Knight would wipe his hands on a moist towelette to sanitize and clean them as best he could before he could finish the task at hand. "If it makes you feel better -" He'd slowly turn to face her, his raven bangs out of his eyes just enough for her to see the sincerity of his bright blues while he'd finish wiping his hands.

"- then I'll take him with me... But you're keeping Rabbit til I'm back." He gave her the tiniest flick of a playful attitude to try smoothing out and easing the tension of their discussion.


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela sighed, knowing that that was probably as good as it would get.

"Well, thay way, you'll have some back up at least. Please, at least try to play it safe?"

Snorting at the idea of Kyosuke leaving with Rabbit, she couldn't resist egging him on a little.

"Stars, I wouldn't leave you with Rabbit! That would be plans for them to hijack Shini with Imp's help, to go to some droid world or something! Plus, they would probably drive you crazy! Nah, Rabbit stays here with me!"

Imagining the grumpy sassy droid talking trash to Kyosuke was just too funny!

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

A faint smirk tipped up on the corner of Kyo's lips with a short, "heh" as he envisioned the rascal droid racing around the galaxy with Shini and the Shinigami.

Then he'd turn around and start piecing the synthweaving machine back together. "Okay." He'd say softly with a small nod. Kyo would then pause for a few moments and close his eyes while he drew in a deep breath to calm the anxious jitters in his chest. Then he'd return to his work. "Maybe after I'm done putting this together we go run one of the courses?"


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela nodded excitedly, always eager to run and twirl in the branches, racing the occasional little furry critter.
Plus, the lightning storm and the rain just made it that much more challenging, the wood being slick and slippery from the water. Normally, it would have made her worried, or nervous, but in the time they had spent on Endor, Seela had spent much of it outside, in the canopy, no matter the weather.
To say she knew the forest surrounding their camp would be a gross understatement. Kyosuke might have more force abilities that helped him physically, but Seela had worked hard, honing her strenght and agility, and was much more confortable here than in urban settings, which were more the young man's domain.
Where Kyosuke was used to flat surfaces, and sharp angles, Seela was at home in the swaying rounded springy branches, and their organic network. Plus, acrobatics had always been her forte! All in all, it made it so that both of the young persons had really equal chances, and it wouldn't take much to tip the scales.
Wanting to have a chance at beating the man, Seela settled in a deep meditation, asking the Force coursing in the forests to lend itself to her, to help her be at her best. The Force gathered in her soul, her body, her mind, replenishing her in a way even a few nights of sleep an many copious meals couldn't match. (sustenance)
For as long as it took Kyosuke to put his machine back in order, she would stay in her trance, filling all her reserves to the brim. Force, stamina, energy, and general health would be restored, leaving her ready to take on the Shadow in the dark of the rainy night.

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

It wouldn't take long for Kyosuke to finish putting most of the machine back together. After that he'd put the cleaning supplies away and do his best not to disturb Seela's meditation in the process.

Once everything else was finally put away all neat and tidy he'd glance at Gremlin, who waited patiently for his other bestie before he'd move and disturb her. Kyo then spotted Imp poking out of one of the nearby vents, so he'd give the shaky droid a friendly wave, which would of course cause the droid to duck back into safety. The skittish buzz droid still had yet to go much further than a couple meters away from the Shinigami, but that didn't stop the scout from constantly trying to encourage him to go farther.

Then Kyo would finish assembling the last bits of the synthweaver's casing and turned back to face his companion. Seeing that she was still in mediation, he'd then close his eyes, take in a deep breath, and reach out to her through the ebb and flow to a project a message to her through a mix of their special Bond, and his fledgling Telepathy.

'Seela...'


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela was slowly coming back to herself, and was disturbed to see first thing Kyosuke looking very much constipated, for some reason...

"Humm... you okay? Your face is doing a weird thing... Aaaand now your nose is bleeding..."

Seela reached for tissues in her pockets, handing a few to the man.

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

The attempt had not gone well. Despite how far they've grown in the last couple months, and the time he's spent developing the ability over the last several cycles, he'd botched this try.

"Nng.." Kyo's brows furrowed and his face distorted to something between pain and confusion. Perhaps it was because he didn't relax himself enough first, but for some reason the attempt backfired.

One of the Shadow's hands moved to his head, his fingertips against the side of his temple while he pressed against the tight ache that swelled there. "Thanks..." He'd say with a slightly strained hint in his voice as he'd gratefully take Seela's tissue, and start taking care of the bloody nose that thankfully seemed to stop once he'd dropped his concentration.

"That's never happened before.."


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seea snorted, understanding what just happened.

"Stop thinking, you'll hurt yourself!"

On that teasing note, she would sneakily strike, flicking his right ear, knowing that it would distract his brain from the pain of his attempt.

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

"Ah-" Kyo would playfully and softly flap his free-hand at Seela's after she flicked his ear. "Stahp-" He feigned annoyance in a joking way so she would know he wasn't upset at her or anything. Though the pain from her flick certainty felt real. At least it helped to distract him from the ache that gradually seemed to fade.


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela continued to jokingly poke him in his ribs, distracting and hopefully flustering the man, before bolting towards the outside, racing to the courses in the trees.

"Race ya! Last one at the end of trail b gotta wash dishes with the ewoks!"

Was thrown over her shoulder, the Twi already disappearing in the night, as the rain and wind had snuffed the torches along the courses. It wouldn't be a problem for her, of course. Twi'leks could see quite well in darkness. Not that she really needed to see, for she coud probably run that course in her sleep.

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

"Why would -anyone- wash dishes with Ewoks? They'd get hair all over the -" Then he noticed she was gone, successful in her ability to fluster and distract him. "- oh dank farrik!"

Then the Shadow would lean forward after tossing the tissue into a nearby sealed scrap bin, and he'd guide the ethereal essence into his legs as he reinforced his muscles and joints. "You won't get ahead that easily."

A slight smirk would tip up on the corner of Kyo's lips before he'd lift his heels, burst forward through the hangar, hop over the parked Avian with a long smooth slide along its top, and then he'd zoom down the hangar ramp with another burst of Speed.

It wouldn't be long before he'd be close behind her thanks to his enhanced dash, but once they got to the course of Trail B he'd have to reign it in to compensate for the rainfall covering the wooden obstacles. It'd make them slick, but Kyo had spent around the last decade of his life in the Outer Rim, surviving in wild conditions and various environments. He was no stranger to a little storm...


In the far the distance was the slow swirl of dark clouds and the thunderous booms of bright lightning as the storm gradually worsened. The heavy rainfall near Kyo and Seela would blanket their wooden obstacle courses in a wet layer that would provide the pair with a slightly more challenging run than usual.


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela was giggling, relishing in the feeling of her body working, when she heard her companion close the distance behind her. Pouting at his use of Speed, she pushed her legs harder, closing her eyes and relying on Force Sight, finding her way into the canopy. Once in the branches, she would swing and fly from one tree to another, her body twisting and flipping gracefully in the air.

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

Satisfied with nearly catching up and making up for the late start, Kyo would break into his regular sprinting speed while Seela still had a little bit of a lead. Her path into the high road seemed to give him just enough of an edge to overtake her though, and just before the first obstacle too.

Six tree stumps were lined up in two rows, with each stump a couple feet taller and further apart than the last. These started three feet up, and would gradually incline to lead one up to the first raised platform, which was built outward in the traditional Ewok style to wrap around the tall tree's strong trunk.

Kyo would handle the first obstacle with a fine display of his athletic agility as he hopped the ball of his right foot up onto the first trunk, then flicked his ankle and pushed off to send his body up past the next two stumps. His left foot would lightly land on the fourth tree stump, slapping down hard as he pressed all of his weight into the landing while making sure his momentum didn't cause him to slide forward on the wet surface. Then without hesitation he'd bounce off the stump onto the fifth trunk which was forward and across from him at an angle. Finally he'd rebound of that surface as soon as he touched down it, flicking his foot down against it in his landing to propel him up past the sixth stump and onto the platform.

The damp Shadow would glance back for but a moment to make sure Seela was alright before he heard another thunderous crack in the distance sky. Then he'd turn to run along the tree that the platform was built around as he'd make his way toward the next obstacle. 'She's come far in the last couple months. She'll be fine.'


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela could see Kyosuke catching up under her, slightly taking the lead, skipping stums.

Tch! Show off.

She deftly maneuvered the stumps, noting how slick the wet wood was, and adapting to it. She decided to skip the platform around the tree, jumping from the sixth stump to a branch above the man, knowing that the tree's bark would be grippier than the wood planks of the platform.

Smirking, she retrieved a thing from one of her pockets (a pinecone-ish thing) and threw it towards the back of the man's head. She wasn't looking to see if it hit, so she never saw the tree-nut thing hit a squirrel-type creature, that was just minding it's own business...

She then jumped to another branch, giggling, somersaulting in the air, before catching the branch with her hands, where she would use her momentum to swing unto the next part of the course.
This one would be fun, because the hanging logs had been stripped from their bark, and could pretty much swing freely, so whoever made it first, it could make it harder for the other, as the logs would be set into movement by the first person.

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

Without anything to slow his momentum, Kyo would quickly rush forward, narrowly dodging the tree at the center of the platform as he passed it and leapt toward the first of the logs. "Doing good! Keep it up!" He'd yell over the rain and thunder back to Seela.

The steadied Knight's balance would allow him to slide along the slick surface just enough to end up toward the back third of the suspended log. Then he'd jump, land and slide on the next one. He'd repeat this for each of the four logs that remained, swiftly making his way across the obstacle like he'd done it a hundred times before.

Once at the end of the logs he'd continue to carry his momentum on through the risky and skillful manuever, leaping into the air to land solid and steady on the next platform. As he'd lean forward and begin to head toward it he'd flick his azure gaze back for just a second to see how Seela was doing.


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Pouting at his patronising words, Seela carefully dropped from her branch to the first swinging log, using it's momentum to jump to the next, being careful on each landing, as the logs were slippery, and she was wearing heels. Of course, those boots were way more practical than her dancing shoes, not being absurdly high and platforms, and were quite a bit better affixed to her feet, and the soles were quite a bit flexier, but, they were still heels! Slightly less contact area with the ground, and higher weight distribution than flat boots made them a little less stable. Luckily for her, wearing heels was as natural as breathing to her, so it wasn't much of an issue!

Arriving at the next part, again forgoing the platform and swinging in the branches, she saw the tunnel made of a big hollowed log. Seela wrinkled her nose, as she wasn't fond of crawling in it, soiling her clothes, and getting stupid splinters.

While swinging, Seela reached with the Force, attempting to use Telekinesis to trip Kyosuke. Seela pouted, as she couldn't get the necessary mindfulness to succeed, getting annoyed at not yet mastering that trick.

"Careful not to slip, old man, not sure you would be able to get back up!"

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

"I'm hardly older than you!!" Kyo shouted back as he went to jump forward and slide through the wooden tunnel of logs. But as he turned his head back forward, he knew he'd kriffed up.

"OH KRIF-" His gut slammed against the rim of the narrow tunnel's slippery entrance. "HNNG!!" Then his body would jerk back from the impact while his feet would continue forward down the length of the long tunnel. The young man groaned as her reached for his abs to put pressure against the pain there.

Then his body gradually slowed to a halt near the end of tunnel. "Guhh..."

He'd pant and try to catch his breath while the rain and thunder echoed in the small corridor.


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela exploded in laughter at Kyosuke's error. That stuff only happened in holos!
She swung herself down to the tube, aiming to slide in, probably crawl over Kyosuke, then take the lead.
Seela was so busy laughing, that she landed just enough to the right of where she aimed, causing her right heel to get stuck between the logs.
Physics being what they are, thanks to that stupid thing called Gravity, her body continued its movement with the same speed and direction, despite her foot not moving, which resulted in a very much not graceful landing, and an echoing "crunch" from her ankle. Which then caused pain to flare up her leg.

"By Vader's shriveled left nut!!!! OW!"

@AdventCore

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

The roar of thunder and symphony of raindrops around them blocked out most of what Kyo could hear coming from Seela at the other end of the tunnel. Since he couldn't quite make out exactly what she had to say, he assumed it was something explicit aimed at him for blocking her path.

Not wanting to upset his companion any further by making her wait on him he'd quickly suck in a sharp breath, steel his nerves, and then scrunch up just enough to curl at the edge of the exit. Without waiting any longer he'd pull with his arms and push with his legs to leap out of the tunnel and cross the small gap to the soaking platform.

Still eager to stay out of Seela's way Kyo would then dash forward a short distance, and then he'd hop up near the end of the platform to plant his foot on the gnarled knot of an adjacent tree trunk. Then, without losing any momentum, the Shadow would rebound off the knot and jump into the air toward the tree that had the platform built around it.

With the extra hop from his manuever Kyosuke would skip up the first couple handles in their makeshift ladder, and cling the tips of his fingers onto the thin holds there. His feet braced against the same trunk, and with a quick glance below him to the tunnel he'd begin climbing up to the next platform and pathway that led to the next obstacle a couple dozen meters beyond.


@Ahryia

 

[Seela]

Seela grumbled while she freed her heel, then firmly tightened her boot buckle on her ankle, before crawling to the exit, very annoyed. Then she sprung up to the branches, careful to avoid pushing too much on her bad ankle, mainly swinging by her arms. She would quickly flip and fly between trees, making her way to the next part, the flying trapeze.

@AdventCore