Ask Thyferrin

[Ezra Thorne]

Although Scrub Squad always hung out as a group, it wasn’t often they all hung out individually. Leon was Ezra’s roommate, so there was no choice, and he was dating Dash. It had been a while since he chilled with just Ferrin. A part of him told him this wasn’t the best idea in light of the big reveal at the space station ruins, but he reminded himself they were all just friends.

The journey to Thyferra was uneventful for the most part. The two were huge limmie fans - it was how they met after all - and virtually the entire trip consisted of debating and watching older games just to prove the other person wrong about something. Ezra enjoyed himself far more than he could have expected, and he was in a fantastic mood by the time the ship landed.

It was clear at once that Ezra wasn’t simply another Jedi here. They had pulled into a private landing bay and rows upon rows of attendants were waiting to greet them. Ferrin’s things were promptly carried for him and he was offered refreshments and snacks.

Ezra was comfortable and used to the treatment, and he walked out into the tropical weather in some casual clothes that showed off his newly toned physique, “Oh yeah, I forgot you don’t do too well in the heat,” He glanced over at Ferrin and snickered, popping his shades on as he walked backwards while looking at the Pantoran. It was hot enough to melt the blue right off him.

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t keep the smile off his lips most of the journey to Thyferra. Perhaps even more then his growing medical knowledge and constant quips, the Pantoran had a passion for Limmie - and enjoyed talking about and watching old games almost as much as attending them live in person. It was a reminder of how Ezra and him met in the first place, and one of the things they shared in common. There was no shortage of petty little arguments and banter back-and-forth the entire way, despite the two of them clearly enjoying themselves.

Which inevitably led to watching old games to one-up the other. Which spiraled further into discussion about the players, those who had retired and the new up-and-coming players on the galactic stage.

By the time they landed on Thyferra, Ferrin was still in an up-beat mood - casually glancing down at game-stats on his older model Datapad. He was thrilled to see Bylluran was up by several points, a fact he’d gloat about to Ezra in short order. For now, though, Ferrin was overwhelmed by the temperatures.

Almost at once, the Pantoran started sweating. His species had evolved on a frigid tundra world, and imparted those traits into its denizens. For all the ways Ferrin could stand in sub-zero temperatures without blinking an eye, the tropical and humid heat was downright miserable to endure. Many people would’ve found it pleasant and an easy price to pay for the idyllic landscape. Ferrin wasn’t one of those people.

Within seconds of stepping down the ramp, the Pantoran had beads of sweat forming above his brow - while his face turned a touch closer purple from the warmth. Lilac hair styled into place, he was dressed light deliberately - sporting a pair of ripped pants, sneakers and a crop top that left his toned stomach exposed. The scrawl of black tattoos visible on his bicep and trailing up to his shoulders, while the golden markings on his face contrasted starkly with his blue skin.

“Y’all couldn’t build fucking hospitals on Hoth?” Ferrin huffed, wiping off his forehead and pulling at his collar. “I don’t know how anyone lives in this shit every single day.” The Pantoran began to speed up - if only to make it towards the closest air conditioned anything. Of course, this wasn’t without passing the fuckload of attendants that came out of thin air to service them. Ferrin narrowed his eyes and jerked back as one of them reached for his luggage - realizing they were only meaning to carry his belongings and not steal his shit. If there was any question about the polar opposite difference in upbringing, it was no more apparent than in that moment.

“This is how it was all growing up?” Ferrin asked after a moment, blinking a few times. “So did you live it up up in a five-hundred-room palace or something?” He said with only a hint of overdramatization, convinced he wasn’t too far off from the truth.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra stared blankly at Ferrin, “The hospitals existed before ISC..” He muttered as the sarcasm flew right over his head. He rolled his eyes and turned away to keep walking as Ferrin whined nonstop about the weather. He personally loved the planet and so did most people - it was just that the Pantoran struggled with any temperature that didn’t call for a hoodie.

“800 rooms actually,” Ezra remarked nonchalantly. Ferrin would know he wasn’t kidding, “Our Christophsis home probably has more,” He pondered aloud, not able to keep track of these things anymore. It was all mainly dad’s luxurious tastes. Pops didn’t give a crap and still disappeared into his old, decrepit ship a lot of times. When it came to their estates, Pops had one or two specific rooms or the gym as dedicated space in the entire place.

Ezra was a little embarrassed sometimes at how over the top life was for him, but Ferrin had known all about his background. The two were led to a fancy, private airspeeder that would take them wherever they pleased, “You don’t really mention your family or where you’re from,” Ezra remarked quietly as he slid into his seat. With how much of a loudmouth Ferrin was, there was probably a reason for that.

“This speeder can drop you off wherever you’re staying unless you want to do something else,” Ezra quickly changed the topic. Ferrin’s consultation wasn’t for two more days, though Ezra didn’t have anything planned.

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin squinted ever-so-slightly when Ezra spoke, watching the sarcasm fly over the quarter-Sephi’s head like the Limmie goals they’d been debating for upwards of an hour. He briefly opened his mouth to speak - but ultimately shook his head. Instead, he merely continued to make comments and remarks about the heat, as if complaining about it was the only course of action, given he couldn’t change it. “Only place I can handle being this sweaty is that broom closet back on Zeltros,” He grinned, giving Ezra a nudge in the shoulder.

Of course, there was no preventing the way his eyes widened when Ezra corrected the number of rooms. “Damn,” He said with a breath, blinking a few times. Eight hundred? His family home years ago barely had enough room to fit himself and his siblings. The temples were huge in their own way, but they never quite felt like his own personal space anyway. “That shit is wild.” He shook his head. He knew all about Ezra’s background and tried not to tease too much - but some of the luxury was always insane to him.

He didn’t hesitate to slip into the private speeder that was waiting for them - kicking his feet up at once. Despite the comforts and relaxation, there was a notably shift in expression when Ezra mentioned the Pantoran’s family. Despite their closeness, Ferrin hadn’t mentioned once his upbringing or family - and deliberately didn’t mention anything about what they’d seen on the station. Even still, it was the first time that he’d been directly asked.

Ferrin took in a breath. “It just isn’t a warm and fuzzy story I guess,” He shrugged a bit. Despite dodging the topic in the past, Ferrin was neither the type to be anything but blunt when confronted about something. “I grew up on Pantora - just my parents and my two older brothers.” He paused for a moment, tilting his head back. “I was.. Nine or ten, when slavers for the Hutts raided our town and separated us. The freighter I was carted off on was intercepted by the Jedi, who found me. I don't know where the rest of 'em are and.. Haven't gone back to Pantora since.”

He raised his hands. “And the rest is history.” Rather than being shipped off to some orphanage or group home, he’d been taken in by the Jedi who detected his Force Sensitivity.

He didn’t linger on the topic for long, “I got a cheap ass hotel in wherever the East Market is - figure I should see some of the city before chillin' there. But you’re the expert here," Ferrin said, glancing back over to Ezra. “Anything fun to do that isn't outdoors or having me sweat through every layer I'm wearin'?" He made that stipulation of course. At one point or another, the Pantoran managed to locate the air conditioning of the speeder, cranking it down to the lowest setting.

As they drove, Ferrin jutted his chin towards a local arcade - gesturing to the destination unless Ezra had a better idea. “I'm game as long as we aren’t going to get swarmed by people the moment they catch a glimpse of those silver eyes..."

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was quiet as Ferrin told him his story. It was a reality he couldn’t even fathom, “You…never looked for them?” He asked, realizing he was definitely venturing into nosy territory. But weren’t they Scrub Squad? There was definitely grounds for asking a few nosy questions.

He grimaced at the mention of East Market, “That place is gross,” He said flatly. Ezra looked away for a moment, running his hand through his hair. This was probably a terrible idea, but East Market really was just awful, “You can uh…stay at our place. Only if you want,” Ezra added quickly, “Only dad is probably home and he’s out most of the time.”

Ezra followed Ferrin’s line of sight towards an arcade and grinned, “Get ready for me to smoke you,” He declared as the speeder pulled up near the building. He had attended this a long time ago and recalled having a blast. He popped on his shades to avoid being immediately obvious, leading the way to the arcade.

It was massive - and it had indoor hover pod racing, an ice rink and an endless assortment of games both new and retro. Ezra had a soft spot for arcades, which Ferrin likely knew since it would have come up at some point. He looked around, spotting a game consisting of swinging around a lightsaber. The sight was almost enough to draw out a smile.

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin paused briefly when Ezra asked his question - though he didn’t even consider ignoring it, given their close relationship. The Pantoran had an almost nonchalant and casual way of bringing up his darker past - deliberately burying down the lingering emotions tied to the event. After a moment, he glanced back over to Ezra.

“I’ve wanted to for years.” He admitted after a moment. “I couldn’t manage it as a Youngling and even sneaking off as a Padawan, I have no chance of lasting long in Hutt Space.” He tilted his head back. “I used to promise myself that when I was a Knight, I’d find them. Free them and any other slaves I could find.” He took in a breath. “Now that my trials are getting closer.. Shit, I don’t even know where I’d start.” His family could have been anywhere in the Galaxy - from a Hutt’s palace to a Spice Mine, or perhaps more likely a grave.

Ferrin wasn't heartbroken moving on from the topic - though couldn’t help the way his eyes widened when Ezra mentioned staying at his place. “I.. Really?” He blinked. The Pantoran’s lips began to tug up into a smile, both because of the offer and the prospect he wouldn’t be quite literally sleeping with the roaches. “Alright, your place it is. I definitely don’t need much room.”

He paused for a moment, smiling a bit before rubbing the back of his head. “I’m.. Pretty sure your Dad does not like me.” Ferrin shrugged a bit. “Didn’t say a word but looked like he was going to roundhouse me back on Ithor.”

“Yeah we’ll see.” Ferrin said with equal levels of confidence, stepping out of the speeder and into the arcade. He allowed his gaze to wander before eventually settling upon the lightsaber game, set up on a platform with a large screen in front of them. The Pantoran smirked a bit at prop in his hands, considering he was packing the real thing in one of his bags.

As the game flicked on, a randomly-generated ‘Sith Lord’ appeared - wearing what was clearly a mock version of the Eternal mask, drawing a red blade and pointing it towards the POV players. “The Dark Side is my strength!” The Sith Lord said in perhaps the cheesiest line ever, before swinging at them.

Ferrin lifted his saber to block - only for his video game arm to be lobbed off, followed by the dramatic music change and highlight at the corners of the screen. “Oh that’s bullshit,” He grumbled, switching the lightsaber to one hand instead of two. The Sith Lord similarly swinged at Ezra, giving him the opportunity to block, strike and score points.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra had to roll his eyes at the ‘Sith Lord’ and his very cheesy lines. Nevertheless, he couldn’t suppress the chill that ran up his spine. He cast Ferrin a look- the Pantoran was still not recovered from meeting an actual Sith. Did the event still traumatize him? Ezra was still haunted by it, but for different reasons. Because he was reminded of how easily the Dark Side lured him whenever he faced it.

For now, he was distracted by Ferrin swinging at the Sith Lord, only to have his arm lobbed off. Ezra grinned as he lifted up the controls and swung his imaginary saber. He met the Sith Lord directly in a saber hold, meeting every swing of the blade expertly and parrying to counter attack. Even with the difficulty raised, Ezra effortlessly fought off the Sith Lord.

“Noooooooooo!” The Sith Lord cried out as Ezra thrust a blade through his chest, “I am slain!” He said in yet another cheesy tone.

Ezra heard a few people cheering, not even realizing that spectators had gathered around to watch. The part Sephi stepped away from the module, nudging Ferrin with his elbow like the Pantoran often did to him, “You should probably just stick to what you know - maybe they have a romance simulator somewhere,” He snickered as he walked away to find the next game.

Roll: 17/20
@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

If Ferrin had any lingering trauma regarding the Sith, he did an excellent job of masking it beneath the surface. By this point, he was an expert when it came to masking his true feelings behind a cheeky smile or suggestive comment - especially when those feelings were difficult to confront or left him vulnerable. It was likely no surprise that he’d neglected to talk about his family history, and there was little chance he’d mention any of the memories or dreams of Vizim that had haunted him since that first mission to Berchest. With the medical appointment scheduled, Ferrin was quite ready to put all of it behind him.

Left with only one arm, Ferrin watched as Ezra dramatically ‘killed’ the Sith Lord, squinting a bit when the hologram made his cheesy line. Having faced the real thing made the entire game somewhat comical - considering the Vizim’s death-throes consisted of nearly cutting Ferrin’s throat open. The Pantoran didn’t glance back until he saw the crowd behind them, rolling his eyes at once.

“Yeah? My throat is plenty healed if you want me to stick to what I’m good at,” He said shamelessly, giving Ezra and up-down before jutting his chin towards some back room of the arcade. “I’m sure I’ll beat you out there.” He smirked over at Ezra, making obvious the implication. Whether he was serious or not was difficult to tell.

Assuming the quarter-Sephi didn’t take him up on the opportunity, Ferrin instead turned his attention to some of the virtual podracing that was positioned on the far side of the Arcade - with multiple seats just opening up. As an Outer Rim native, the Pantoran was no stranger to the sport - despite the way that Core-Worlder’s tried to paint it as unethical and dangerous. “You game?” He glanced back at Ezra.

“I didn’t realize you were an engineering whiz until Eiram,” Ferrin glanced back at Ezra, clearly recalling the quarter-Sephi’s skills on full display. He hadn’t forgotten the way the fellow Padawan always lit up and smiled whenever he got to tinker with something, eliciting a warmth from those typically frosty eyes that was downright endearing. “Where’d you pick up the skill?"

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra’s ears turned pink again at Ferrin’s bold joke. Normally he brushed it off, but things were a bit different since Ferrin had admitted his feelings. The part Sephi had a tough time believing it with how flirty and superficial the Pantoran was at all times, “I’m beginning to believe I’ve got the nicest one you’ve tried,” He said smugly. With how often Ferrin talked about pleasing him, Ezra certainly had an ego boost from it. He didn’t let his mind wander too much, following Ferrin’s gaze towards the podracers.

“I do that for real,” He remarked. Did Ferrin know Ezra raced? He wasn’t the type to extensively talk about himself too much, but his Simstagram was always full of racing stories and pictures. However, contrary to popular belief, arcade racing was nothing like the real thing.

Ezra took a seat next to Ferrin’s racer, popping a few coins in. He paused briefly at the mention of engineering, a slightly sheepish look on his face, “I don’t really talk about it much I guess,” Ezra shrugged vaguely, “Always been into it. Started with tinkering on droids and swoop bikes. I’m trying to prepare for university. Doubt I’ll get into East Point like Pops…” He trailed off, casting a look at Ferrin, “You going to college or will you stay with just Jedi stuff?” Had Ferrin even gone to school?

Ezra revved up his engines and started the race. His podracer roared to life and he shot ahead on the track.

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin rolled his eyes when Ezra made his statement. “Don’t get cocky,” He said with grin, though did nothing to affirm or deny the quarter-Sephi’s assertion on that particular front. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d had any recent action with the Thorne to get an accurate estimate with Dash in the picture. The Pantoran squinted a bit to himself, deliberately halting any spiral into thought about the blonde knight in that moment. Instead, he fixed his attention onto the podracers ahead of him.

“Stuck into a race on Tattooine once.. Couldn’t see worth shit though.” He grumbled. The Grand Arena was an event one couldn’t miss, and Ferrin had managed to slick his way into the stands. Unfortunately, without proper funds to offer the Hutts, the chance at a decent view was nigh impossible. “Figure I saw enough to whip your ass though.” He said with a smirk. He had absolutely noticed Ezra’s love of the sport but would sooner die than admit it.

Ferrin paused for a moment, granting Ezra his full attention when the quarter-Sephi mentioned his academic aspirations. Despite his typically flippant nature, it was a topic he clearly took an interest in and listened to - knowing the quarter-Sephi was passionate about it. “Well it’s damn impressive if you can bring Space Stations and shit online..” He muttered. When East Point was brought up, Ferrin blinked. “Where?” He said with almost a hint of sheepishness. He clearly wasn’t versed in the prestigious academy, though internally doubted that Ezra would get rejected from anywhere. He was the son of President Thorne and an up-and-coming Jedi himself. Most of the Galaxy bent over backwards for people like that.

The Pantoran paused when the question was thrown back at him. In truth, Ferrin had thought about it extensively - though it always seemed like the daunting thing on the horizon, easy to put off and think about down the line. But now? His peers all seemed to be ten steps ahead of where he was. “I dunno,” He said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Jedi Academy is really the only classroom I’ve been in, so not sure if I qualify.” The Pantoran said casually, playing down any deeper emotions associated with it. “Good looks come for free - and I figure I can talk my way through most situations without a fancy degree.” He grinned confidently.

“Not sure if the Jedi would fund any medical training.” He said after a moment.

Revving the engines of his pod, Ferrin pressed into the throttle and gunned across the track - though trailing Ezra by a significant margin. His golden eyes narrowed at once, immediately attempting to pick up the pace to catch up with the quarter-Sephi. In true pod racing fashion, the Pantoran attempted to yank his wheel to the side and ran into the side of his opponent, attempting to push him off-track and take the lead.

“Never want to do the whole political thing?” He asked after a moment.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra grinned as he won yet another game, his podracer zooming far ahead of the competition. He finished a victory lap before rising up to go look at other options. He listened to Ferrin as he walked around, looking visibly pleased as Ferrin once again complimented him on bringing the station to life, “People think that stuff is stupid so I never talk about it,” He explained. Ferrin would realize he hit the jackpot on how to get some of the Ezra walls down - his secret nerdy love of engineering.

“You can talk your way through everything,” Ezra agreed with a smirk, glancing at the Pantoran, “Which is why we’re going to get your voice back,” He said with more conviction than Ferrin had likely heard from him.

“Every school has scholarship programs,” Ezra explained, “You can transfer your academy credits too,” He wasn’t entirely sure Ferrin was book smart enough to get into medical school, but he wouldn’t voice that aloud.

There was a visible look of distaste on his face at the mention of politics, “That’s Pops’ thing… I think my sis is more interested in that than I am,” He said with a shrug, “I want to design ships and other vehicles. Maybe even a space station one day..”

Ezra spotted a cafeteria in the distance. The food looked gross and cheap, but it was an experience. He led the way there, suspiciously eying the food selection. In the end, he got some porg nuggets and fries, walking over to grab a table.

“When did you get your tattoos?” He asked Ferrin. For as much as they all hung out together, there had been little time to really delve in and understand Ferrin. In truth, part of it was because Ezra was aloof and usually didn’t care about these details before. But for some reason he was now curious.

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t help but grumble ever-so-slightly when Ezra managed to zip across the finish line - scoring at yet another arcade game. While he wasn’t going to say anything, there was the competitive streak to the Pantoran that left completely unsatisfied - and eager to move along to something that he could summarily clobber the quarter-Sephi at. Of course, it took a solid two seconds for Ferrin to be distracted by Ezra visibly lighting up.

There was something about the Thorne’s smile and jubilant demeanor that always seemed to catch him off-guard - and inevitably brought that little smile to Ferrin’s own expression. He arched a brow when Ezra mentioned that most people found his interests stupid, earning a roll of eyes from the Pantoran. “Well they can go fuck themselves. I think it’s dope and it’s your thing,” He said with a smirk. “If people don’t support that they ain’t worth shit.”

Ferrin paused for a moment when Ezra mentioned getting his voice back. It had been months since he’d been able to speak properly, even if he’d a managed to get across scratchy and hoarse words. “Thank you for that, by the way..” He muttered, slightly taken aback and moved by that level of conviction. “Going out of your way, setting up the appointment.. I really appreciate it.” He gave a bit of a nudge and continued right along - refusing to get emotional in front of damn-near everyone in the arcade, let alone Ezra.

He nodded along when Ezra mentioned the scholarship programs and academic credits - valiantly attempting to seem like he knew the first thing about any of that. Instead, he perked up when the quarter-Sephi mentioned designing his own engineering marvels. “Well, I think you can probably take partial credit for Starbright or whatever it’s called.”

Spotting the greasy and cheap food, Ferrin didn’t hesitate to order himself a sandwich and fries - clearly not perturbed by the lower quality or mystery meat that was only maybe Porg. Instead, he plopped down next to Ezra - taking a bit smaller of a bite to avoid looking like a total slob.

“The ones on my face?” He asked after a swallow, gesturing to his cheeks. The almost iridescent gold markings were inked in intricate patterns, mirrored on both sides of his face. “They’re a Pantoran tradition. A symbol of heritage and way of connecting with your family - all that shit. All my siblings had the same ones. I got ‘em when I was.. I dunno, five or six.” He shrugged a bit.

He then gestures to the rest of his body - pointing out the tattoos on his biceps and making reference to others that Ezra likely would’ve spotted without any clothes on. “The rest are from whoever can do decent ink on the cheap.” He grinned. “I'm surprised you don’t have any,” He observed with a tilt of his head. “Rich dude like you can get some premium shit done.”

He took a couple bites of his sandwich, happily munching before turning his attention back to Ezra. “Know any decent beaches?” He asked after a moment. “If we got to deal with the heat, dip in some water would sure as shit help.” He blinked. “Unless you wanna do something else,”

@Sreeya