The Gym, Friday Evening

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri'd never been the most diligent student at the Jedi Praxeum; at least, she hadn't been a slacker, but she'd never been the type to spend all her spare time in drills, either. (Why would she? With so many ancient Massassi temples to explore and so many adventures to go on with Anakin* . . .) But it hadn't escaped her that she'd need to keep her skills up, and with the rule about keeping weapons locked up around campus she had a pretty good guess that she wouldn't exactly get much of a chance for on-the-job training, as it were.

Besides that, she was restless; not that this was much of a surprise.

So she found her way down to the gym, and checked out the practice staffs until she found one with about the right heft and balance as the gaderffii she used to have. It wasn't a weapon she had much occasion to use any more, but Sliven had taught her to fight with them once, back on Tatooine before Master Tionne had found her and taken her to Yavin 4. Besides, it was a part of her past -- not Riina Kwaad, born on a Yuuzhan Vong worldship as a member of the shaper caste, but the orphaned daughter of Cassa and Tryst Veila, raised by a Tusken tribe.

She'd told Anakin once that she wasn't sure who she was any more, and he'd told her that she wasn't the same person she'd been before the Yuuzhan Vong captured her, but she was still Tahiri; as she went through a few basic drills at half speed she tried to lose herself in the familiarity of the movements. This was still part of who she was, and it was good to remember.

[OOC: Open? Why, yes.

* - Anakin Solo. Just to be clear. ;)]

Comments

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

It had been a while since Ella worked on her swordplay, and tonight felt like a good night to train with a practice staff. Stretching, she nodded a greeting to the blonde girl.

"You look like you've had practice."

[weetuskenraider]

"Some," Tahiri allowed, setting the end of the staff against the floor and leaning against it. "It's been a while since I've done this, though."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I'm just beginning myself," Ella noted. "I didn't do anything with weapons at home, really, but it seems it could be useful so I got someone to show me the basics."

[weetuskenraider]

"I'm not as good as I could be," Tahiri admitted. "I should practice more, I guess. Considering how things are at home . . ."

She bit her lip, then shook her head and brushed hair out of her eyes. "Sorry. It's definitely useful where I'm from."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella frowned slightly, not sure why the girl was apologizing. "It's all right," she said quickly. "My home's peaceful. Well, except for the ogres, but even they can be avoided. I just like being able to take care of myself."

[weetuskenraider]

"Mine isn't so peaceful right now, but I didn't want to just dump all that on you," Tahiri explained. "And taking care of yourself's always a good skill. Every planet's got its dangers. If it's not the people it's the wildlife, or natural disasters, or something."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I don't think anyplace is truly safe," Ella agreed. "And I'm sorry about your home."

She paused. "I'm Ella, by the way. I think we have classes together."

[weetuskenraider]

The corner of Tahiri's mouth twisted in an odd sort of smile as she thought about what Ben had told her, that fourteen years in the future there'd be another war. "It's okay. It's kind of always like that there, seems like. I'm Tahiri. You're . . . in Ethics with me?"

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Ella wasn't sure quite what else to say about Tahiri's home, really., though she tried to look sympathetic "I have that this term, yes. I'm not quite sure what to make of it so far, are you?"

[weetuskenraider]

"Not really." Tahiri shook her head. "I'm still getting over the fact that I never thought I'd actually get to meet Master Skywalker. He is a little intimidating, isn't he?"

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I think he was trying to scare me during class this week," Ella said, with a slight shudder. "I mentioned everyone has a bad day, and he just looked at me like it was meant as a personal insult."

The wording Tahiri had used struck her. "Had you heard about him before?"

[OOC: And I am crashing hard, sorry! SP = win.]

[weetuskenraider]

"He's kind of . . ." Tahiri took a moment to weigh her words. "A legend, in my time. His grandson was my best friend, but I didn't know what he was actually like."

[OOC: No problem -- may not be long for the world myself. Yay painkillers?]