The Salle, Late Late Late Wednesday Night

[weetuskenraider]

She'd been trying to sleep when the familiar unsettling feeling hit her, the stirring in the back of her mind that meant Riina was awake. Tahiri wasn't sure what had brought it on this time; she'd had a good week so far, and with Firekeeper back safely that was one less thing to worry about. Riina didn't usually stir unless there was something that triggered a strong reaction from her, or if Tahiri was under stress.

She didn't like it, though. So Tahiri slipped out of her room and down to the salle with a stop at the weapons locker on the way. She could have gone up to the sixth floor quiet room, but this would serve her purposes better.

Settling into a cross-legged position on the floor in the darkened salle, Tahiri closed her eyes and gripped the hilt of her lightsaber in both hands, feeling its cool metal surface beneath her fingers. Metal. Non-organic. Riina hated it, and Tahiri could feel her snarling. She wrapped her fingers more tightly around the hilt, defiantly. This is me.

Her jaw clenched against the sudden impulse to Force-hurl the lightsaber across the room, and in response Tahiri thumbed the blade on, casting the salle in its ice-blue glow. She could hear the hum of energy, feel the vibration . . . and felt Riina recoil indignantly, snarling something about abomination. This is me. This is who I am. Get. Kriffing. Used. To. It.

Riina didn't back down, though, and Tahiri got to her feet, reaching out in the Force to activate the remote lying a few meters away; it rose into the air and added to the noise of machinery. Take that, Riina. Deal with it. The first bolt sang toward her and she whirled to block it. Then the second, and the third.

Riina never backed down, but Tahiri let herself fall into the rhythm of the drill and the flow of the Force around her, focusing on that and only that. If she could just keep this up until they were both too exhausted, she'd count it as a victory for now. And buy herself a little more time.

[OOC: Mostly establishy, but open if you're up at stupid o'clock, why not?]

Comments

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

Azula was up and despite her brief training in the beach was still not worn out enough for sleep. Azula decided to go out for a walk She was surprised to find another person here and paused trying to determine if she was real or just a figment of her imagination.

[weetuskenraider]

She sensed the new arrival and deflected the latest stun bolt into the floor, using the Force to deactivate the remote, though she didn't power her lightsaber off.

"Hi," Tahiri said uncertainly. "I didn't think anyone would be down here this late."

[OOC: No worries!]

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

Not a hallucination then. She hoped.

"Neither did I," Azula eyed the glowing sword. "What kind of sword is that?"

[weetuskenraider]

"It's a lightsaber," Tahiri answered, her voice a little strained as she added with extra emphasis (for Riina's dubious benefit), "the traditional weapon of the Jedi."

She vaguely remembered this girl as the one from the Reserve with the fancy armor.

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

"Lightsaber," Azula repeated, very curious about it now. "So it is not just a sword that glows but it is really a sword made of light?"

[weetuskenraider]

"Energy," Tahiri explained, and moved the blade through the air so it did that crackling thing. Riina hated that sound. "So basically, yes."

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

She liked the crackling sound.

"Energy?" Azula inquired. "From electricity?"

[momslilassassin]

Of course Ben was up at a ridiculous time of night.

"Tahiri?" he called out cautiously.

[weetuskenraider]

"It's me," Tahiri called back, wincing. Of course he'd be up. And he wouldn't be too happy about this.

[momslilassassin]

"You're up late," he observed, stepping further into the room. "What's wrong?"

[weetuskenraider]

"It seemed like a good time to get some practice in?" There was really no point in lying to him, was there? "Someone . . . needed a little reminder."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's brows drew together. "That's not good," he said softly, moving closer to her.

[weetuskenraider]

"No kidding." Tahiri tried for a laugh and failed pretty spectacularly. "I don't even know why, this time."

[trigons_child]

Raven's sleep had been restful until she picked up on Tahiri's distress down the hall. She hadn't talked to Tahiri for several days and she was concerned about what was bothering her, so she slipped from her bed to go speak to her. When she saw Tahiri leave her room and head downstairs, she quietly followed, lingering in the doorway to the salle to watch the other girl spar with the remote. She did not like the violence of the drill, but she had to admit there was a certain beauty to the training.

[weetuskenraider]

Who knew the middle of the night would be so busy? Tahiri paused in her drill and gestured, shutting the remote down, but again, didn't deactivate her lightsaber as she turned toward the door.

"Hey, Rachel."

[trigons_child]

Raven apparently took her sweet time commenting coming downstairs and didn't notice the gathering crowd.

"You are disturbed," she said, moving into the salle.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri nodded briefly, unsettled by the way Raven could pick up on that. Force, maybe she should just wear a sign? Yes, I might be insane. Ask me about my growly mental friend! "Couldn't sleep. It's a bad night."

[trigons_child]

"It woke me," Raven said, drifting closer. "Let me help you."

Yes, she was almost obsessively throwing herself at other people's issues today. It helped her not dwell on her own.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri bit her lip and didn't quite flinch back, although she almost did. "I don't think there's anything you can do about this."

She didn't even want to think about what might happen to Raven if she tried, assuming she understood the way Raven's powers worked.

[glacial_queen]

Karla couldn't sleep. Which was actually pretty surprising, considering she and Gabrielle had been up all night indulging in a giggling candy-fest. But sleep pretty impossible right now--Ender might call at any minute, what with the strange hours he kept, and she wanted to be awake for that.

Going for a walk had just seemed like a good idea. It had seemed like a better one when she was wandering by the salle and felt a few familiar psychic scents. The first was Tahiri's, which probably would have kept her walking on. The second, however, was Riina's.

Karla headed into the salle.

"Tahiri," she called quietly. "It's Karla."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri, or Riina, or both of them turned away from Raven at the sound of her voice.

"Yuth ugg, she snarled: get back, warning and defiance at the same time.

[trigons_child]

Raven didn't understand the words, but she could sense their meaning. "Be careful, Karla," she warned. "She is not quite herself."

[glacial_queen]

"I know what she is, Raven," Karla said with a calm she did not feel. She didn't elaborate though; she didn't know what Tahiri had told Raven, but to give any information would be a violation of the trust Tahiri'd given her. And now was not the best time for an extended discussion anyway.

She pulled up her shields, keeping them invisible for now, and threw one up in front of Raven, too which is completely get aroundable if you want. "Riina," she said, sending the words on a psychic thread at the same time. "You know me. I am telling you to back off. This is my one warning."

Karla: winning at diplomacy since...never.

[weetuskenraider]

Her lightsaber blade twitched and it looked like she was going to attack, but Tahiri got control just long enough to switch it off, drop it, and kick it away.

Riina spat an unintelligible challenge whose meaning was clear nonetheless, and hurled Tahiri's body forward, straight at the shields.

[trigons_child]

Raven had felt Karla's power wrap around her, but she would've held her ground even without its protection. She reached out for Tahiri's -- no, Riina's -- rage, trying to draw it out and into herself. Even if she couldn't pull Riina out, she could try to defuse her strength.